AWID LR-2000 Sentinel-Prox Vehicle ID Reader
April 10, 2009 — We've all heard of road rage. But did you know of its cousin, parking wrath? That's when you've come home after a long day's work and find some strange car in your parking space. You may as well have come home and found your spouse with someone else in bed. Worse, even! When the latter happens, you don't need to first find a place to stash a couple tons of metal before you kick somebody's, um, rear bumper. But there may be a solution.
Whether your building or complex has indoor or outdoor parking, you can implement, essentially, an E-ZPass for parking. Such systems use RFID ("radio-frequency identification") readers, which consist of two parts: a card or tag on the vehicle, and an antenna/reader in the garage or lot. Among the latest models: this one from the 12-year-old California company Applied Wireless ID (AWID).
The LR-2000 reads UHF (ultrahigh-frequency) signals from encrypted cards or tags (at left) inside a vehicle, providing what the trade calls, naturally enough, "automatic vehicle identification" (AVI). The company says its antenna/reader — which, depending on the type of card/tag, can read from eight to 15 feet away — is compatible with all standard access-control systems; needs no programming for standard installation; and requires no FCC license for users.
Additionally, when used in conjunction with the company's UA-612 door-access reader, the same card or tag can be used for both vehicle-parking access and building/door access.
Oh, and it's another level of home security, of course. Fellow residents might still steal your parking space, but since the system keeps guests' cars, day-workers' trucks and other non-resident vehicles out, fellow residents' spaces won't get taken, and so they won't take yours. Sure, it's more Big Brotherish than your basic, anonymous garage-door opener or entry card, and it records your and other vehicles' comings and goings, as does E-ZPass, New York City MetroCards paid for by credit card, and other things like that but … well, there is no "but" — sadly, we're all being tracked more and more. Thank goodness most of us are too boring to have that matter much....
AWID / Applied Wireless ID • 18300 Sutter Boulevard, Morgan Hill, Calif. 95037 • (408) 825-1100 • e-mail contact form here