Entrance security system

An entrance denial security system for detecting a fault condition at one or more entrances into a secured area representing unauthorized activity and an attempt to gain entry through the entrance, the system comprising:

• an entrance barrier closing an entrance into a secured area;
• the barrier including a plurality of hollow structural elements having hollow cores forming a rigid integral barrier;
• an optical fiber sensor line laced through the hollow cores of the structural elements of the gate for detecting the fault condition;
• a processor in communication with the fiber sensor line for generating a fault signal in response to the occurrence of a fault condition and identifying the entrance where the fault condition occurred;
• and
• a communication device operatively associated with the processor for communicating the fault signal so that a proper security response can be made to the fault condition.

An entrance denial security system for detecting a fault condition at one or more entrances into a secured area representing unauthorized activity and an attempt to gain entry through the entrance, the system comprising:

• a moveable entrance gate including a plurality of structural elements forming an integral barrier structure closing the entrance;
• the entrance gate having an open position allowing entry and a closed position preventing entry;
• a sensor unit disposed relative to the entrance gate to detect movement of the gate toward the open position;
• the sensor unit being associated with an optical fiber sensor line for detecting a prescribed movement of the gate from the closed position toward the open position and generating a fault signal if the prescribed movement is detected;
• the sensor unit including a first sensor element that is fixed relative to the gate and a second sensor element that moves with the gate;
• and
• one of the first and second sensor elements including a reciprocating sensor actuator having a deactivated position and an activated position, the sensor actuator engaging the sensor fiber upon the unauthorized opening of the entrance gate causing the sensor actuator to move to the activated position and the fault signal to be generated.

A method of preventing an unauthorized entry through an entrance into a secured area comprising:

• providing an optical fiber sensor line laced through a plurality of structural elements forming a barrier closing the entrance;
• generating real-time scan signals in the fiber sensor line representing the current state of the fiber sensor line;
• processing the scan signal to establish a baseline signal from the sensor line representing an undisturbed state of the optical fiber sensor line;
• comparing the scan signals to the baseline signal, and generating a fault signal in response to receiving a scan signal having a predetermined deviation from the baseline signal;
• processing the deviation signal to establish a type and nature of a fault condition occurring in the barrier at the entrance;
• and
• alerting personnel of the fault condition.