Sensor Review

Bluetooth parking access control

Stevan Stankovski Gordana Ostojic Nikola Djukic Srdjan Tegeltija Aleksandar Milojkovic

Article information:
To cite this document:
Stevan Stankovski Gordana Ostojic Nikola Djukic Srdjan Tegeltija Aleksandar Milojkovic , (2014),"Bluetooth parking access
control", Sensor Review, Vol. 34 Iss 3 pp. 244 - 254
Permanent link to this document:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/SR-06-2012-643

Downloaded by DOGU AKDENIZ UNIVERSITY At 06:30 26 October 2014 (PT)

Downloaded on: 26 October 2014, At: 06:30 (PT)

References: this document contains references to 28 other documents.
To copy this document: permissions@emeraldinsight.com
The fulltext of this document has been downloaded 9 times since 2014*

Users who downloaded this article also downloaded:

Mike Tao Zhang, Richard Piggin, David Brandt, (2006),"Wireless ethernet for industrial applications", Assembly Automation, Vol.
26 Iss 3 pp. 205-215
Duncan Mcfarlane, Andy Shaw, David Simplot#Ryl, Ivan Stojmenovic, Aleksandar Micic, Amiya Nayak, (2006),"A hybrid
randomized protocol for RFID tag identification", Sensor Review, Vol. 26 Iss 2 pp. 147-154
Han#Chieh Chao, (2001),"An overview and analysis of mobile Internet protocols in cellular environments", Internet Research,
Vol. 11 Iss 5 pp. 435-450

Access to this document was granted through an Emerald subscription provided by 482486 []

For Authors
If you would like to write for this, or any other Emerald publication, then please use our Emerald for Authors service
information about how to choose which publication to write for and submission guidelines are available for all. Please visit
www.emeraldinsight.com/authors for more information.

About Emerald www.emeraldinsight.com

Emerald is a global publisher linking research and practice to the benefit of society. The company manages a portfolio of
more than 290 journals and over 2,350 books and book series volumes, as well as providing an extensive range of online
products and additional customer resources and services.
Emerald is both COUNTER 4 and TRANSFER compliant. The organization is a partner of the Committee on Publication Ethics
(COPE) and also works with Portico and the LOCKSS initiative for digital archive preservation.
*Related content and download information correct at time of download.

Bluetooth parking access control

Stevan Stankovski, Gordana Ostojic, Nikola Djukic and Srdjan Tegeltija
Faculty of Technical Sciences, University of Novi Sad, Novi Sad, Serbia, and

Aleksandar Milojkovic

Downloaded by DOGU AKDENIZ UNIVERSITY At 06:30 26 October 2014 (PT)

JP Vodovod Paracin, Paracin, Serbia

Abstract
Purpose The purpose of this paper is to describe an approach of using mobile phones with Bluetooth technology to enter/exit restricted area.
Design/methodology/approach Applied Bluetooth technology implemented in mobile phones enables the user to perform the identification and
the state of presence while entering/exiting the parking space without stopping the vehicle. For the successful implementation of this method for
presence detection and proper identification, it is necessary to determine the values of the Bluetooth signal.
Findings This paper discuses a case study that has been done at entry/exit of parking lots. The obtained experimental results show that mobile
phones with the Bluetooth technology can be successfully applied as presence detection sensors, as well as in processes for the identification of
the user/object in the move.
Practical implications The paper gives a primer how mobile phones with Bluetooth technology, in addition to their basic purpose, can be used
as identification devices to enter/exit restricted area.
Originality/value The users have possibilities to access restricted area using a common device a mobile phone with Bluetooth technology.
Successful implementation of developed access control system is based on determining the proper value of the Bluetooth signal strength field that
extends around the control cabinet in which the Bluetooth devices are situated.
Keywords Bluetooth, Access control, Presence sensor, Identification
Paper type Research paper

1. Introduction

Due to its small size and low power consumption, as well as

relatively high-speed data transfer, the Bluetooth is suitable for
usage in mobile devices and mobile sensors. The Bluetooth
communication is used when a connection through
conventional cables is impossible or significantly hinders the
use of measuring devices (Nakamura et al., 2011; Pavel et al.,
2008; Bogue, 2010; Kim et al., 2008; Choi et al., 2004).
The existing solutions for parking access control utilize
diverse methods for user identification or vehicle
identification. One of the most commonly used methods for
user identification is Radio Frequency Identification (RFID)
technology. Beside user identification, RFID has many
different applications. Mehrjerdi (2008), Mehrjerdi (2009),
Mehrjerdi (2011a) and Mehrjerdi (2011b) have described
different kinds of applications of RFID technology such as
supply chains (sushi restaurant, WalMart, healthcare, Intel)
and libraries (City University in Hong Kong). Other
non-industry application of RFID is given by Stankovski et al.
(2012), where RFID is used for dairy cow identification and
monitoring. An example of RFID application in industry is
described by Vukelic et al. (2011), where RFID is used in
fixture assembly/disassembly process. RFID technology can
be applied for identification and authorization in parking
access control system, which is described and discussed by
Ostojic et al. (2007). Vehicle identification may also be made
from camera image processing, which recognizes the license
plates and thus identifies the vehicle (Wu et al., 2007). This
method is used in parking access control and toll payment
(Draghici, 1997) and in intelligent traffic systems (Ozbay et
Ercelebi, 2005). Wireless signal strength is used for
localization, as described by Zanca et al. (2008) and Lopez
et al. (2011). Bluetooth signal strength can be used for
distance estimations and therefore for localization (Kotanen

The Bluetooth technology is a de facto standard for the

low-cost, short-range radio links between mobile personal
computers, mobile phones and other portable devices
(Chlamtac et al., 2003). The key features of Bluetooth wireless
technology include robustness, low power consumption and
low cost (Bluetooth, SIG 2010). To eliminate potential
interference with other devices operating at the same
frequency (WiFi, microwave oven, etc.), the Bluetooth uses
frequency hopping spread spectrum technique (Golmie and
Mouveaux, 2001; Chek and Kwok, 2004). The Bluetooth
radio divides the unlicensed industrial, scientific and medical
radio band in 79 physical channels in steps of 1 MHz, from
2.402 GHz to 2.480 GHz. The Bluetooth radio module
changes frequency channel at a standard hop rate of 1,600
hops/s. Two or more devices (eight maximum) can be
connected to form the piconet. The piconet is a collection of
devices occupying a shared physical channel where one of the
devices is the piconet master and the remaining devices are
piconet slaves. Devices in a piconet use a specific frequency
hopping pattern, which is algorithmically determined by
certain fields in the Bluetooth address and clock of the master
(Bluetooth, SIG 2010).

The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available at
www.emeraldinsight.com/0260-2288.htm

Sensor Review
34/3 (2014) 244 254
Emerald Group Publishing Limited [ISSN 0260-2288]
[DOI 10.1108/SR-06-2012-643]

244

Downloaded by DOGU AKDENIZ UNIVERSITY At 06:30 26 October 2014 (PT)

Bluetooth parking access control

Sensor Review

Stevan Stankovski et al.

Volume 34 Number 3 2014 244 254

et al., 2003). Measured Bluetooth received signal strength

indication (RSSI) can be used for tracking, as described by
Versichele et al. (2012). Received signal strength localization
techniques are using different models. Weighted least squares
technique gave better results than propagation channel models
(Tarrio et al., 2011).
This paper describes a system for parking access control
using a mobile phone with Bluetooth. This system is installed
in parking, where the RFID technology is already used for user
identification. In the described system with Bluetooth, a user
is using a mobile phone, which most people possess nowadays,
for identification. All information is stored in the phone, so
there is no demand for an adequate database. The user can
access the parking area with any vehicle. Advantage of the
system described in this paper, in relation to an already
existing system using passive RFID tag, is in the fact that user
spends less time for entering/exiting parking lot when using
mobile phone, compared to procedure with passive RFID tag.
In addition, the user does not need to have an RFID tag for
entering/exiting parking lot. Another advantage of Bluetooth
over RFID tags is that the parking lot user does not need to
open the window and lean a passive RFID tag against the
RFID reader.
In this paper, experiments have been performed to
determine the strength of the Bluetooth field around the
control cabinet. The obtained values of the signal strength are
utilized to determine a suitable antenna position for the
Bluetooth converter module. In addition, the possibility for
the vehicles localization based on the signal strength has been
analyzed. To determine the value of the Bluetooth field
strength, RSSI measured values have been used. In addition,
the time of entry/exit parking lot is measured both for users
with mobile phones with Bluetooth and users with passive
RFID tags.
The structure of this paper is as follows. Section 2 describes
the access control system model using the Bluetooth
communication. Section 3 presents a description of the
realized system for the access control. Section 3 also provides
an overview of the equipment used in the system testing, as
well as the conditions in which experiments were performed.
In Section 4, the results of measurements and the analysis of
the measured results were presented. The conclusion of the
paper is given in Section 5.

Figure 1 The model for the access control system using the Bluetooth
communication

Figure 2 Algorithm of working principle of the system

scanning the Bluetooth environment, searching for the

Bluetooth converter module at the entrance. The phases of a
vehicle entering a parking lot are presented in Figure 3(a-f).
The approach of the vehicle, where the phone is not within the
range of a Bluetooth module at the entrance, is shown in
Figure 3(a). When the Bluetooth module and the phone are in
range, the communication is established between the mobile
phone and the control unit via the Bluetooth Converter
Module [Figure 3(b)]. The mobile phone begins sending
commands and data to the control unit to authorize the user
(Figure 2). On successful authorization, and after the control
unit detects a vehicle using the vehicle presence sensor, the
control unit lifts the barrier boom at the entrance of the
parking lot, as shown in Figure 3(c). The users vehicle starts
moving, and at that point, activates the second vehicle
presence sensor [Figure 3(d)]; moving forward, the users
vehicle deactivates the first vehicle presence sensor, and,
subsequently, the second vehicle presence sensor, so the
control unit knows when it is safe to lower the barrier boom
[Figure 3(f)], preventing the potential damage to the vehicle
and to the barrier itself.
After the user successfully enters the parking lot, it is
necessary to store the information that the user is inside

2. The model for the access control system using

the Bluetooth communication
The model for the access control system using the Bluetooth
communication is based on the usage of mobile phones as
presence sensors and user authorization devices. The model
should allow the user to enter/exit a parking lot without
stopping the vehicle. A similar principle is also used for
electronic toll collection on motorways, although with other
identification techniques (Dalu, 2012; Kamarulazizi and
Ismail, 2010). The system model is shown in Figure 1.
The user starts an appropriate application on their mobile
phone before reaching the parking area, for example, before
entering the vehicle. On starting the application, the user
leaves the phone where best suited (the pocket, a position in
the vehicle, etc.). The user then moves the vehicle towards the
parking area (Figure 2). The mobile phone is constantly
245

Bluetooth parking access control

Sensor Review

Stevan Stankovski et al.

Volume 34 Number 3 2014 244 254

Downloaded by DOGU AKDENIZ UNIVERSITY At 06:30 26 October 2014 (PT)

Figure 3 The phases of the vehicles entrance to the parking lot

(Figure 2). Based on the stored information, the potential

misuse of the system, such as the multiple vehicle entrance
using the same mobile phone, is prevented. If two vehicles
approach the entrance of the parking lot one after another, the
communication should be established with the vehicle closer
to the ramp. If the communication is to be established with a
vehicle which is not the closest to the ramp, the first vehicle
would enter the parking lot, while the entrance information
would be stored on the phone of the second vehicle user. In
that case, the second vehicle would not be able to enter the
parking lot, while the first vehicle would not be able to exit the
parking lot.
The procedure of exiting the parking space is the same
as the entrance procedure, except the fact that the
communication is established between the mobile phone and
the control unit at the exit. Information that the user has left
the parking lot is stored to enable re-entering the parking lot.

system for the parking access control using RFID tags consists
of the following: control unit, two vehicle presence sensors,
barriers, semaphore and RFID tag readers. For the purpose of
the experiments and for testing the access control by using the
Bluetooth communication, another control unit and another
Bluetooth converter module have been added to the existing
system, both at the entrance and at the exit. The upgraded
system preserves the functionality of the existing access
control system using RFID.
Figure 4 shows the actual layout of the realized system. The
system consists of the control cabinet, barrier boom,
semaphore, presence sensors, Bluetooth converter module
and mobile phone.
The control unit consists of a programmable logic controller
Festo FC440 and additional components such as power
supplies, relays, etc. To enable communication between the
mobile phone and the control unit, the PSI-WL-RS232RS485/BT Phoenix Contact PSI Bluetooth converter modules
have been used. These components are placed in a control
cabinet. Bluetooth converter modules are configured to work
as servers. The transmit power of the Bluetooth converter
modules is set to the maximum (100 mW or 20 dBm). In
addition, Bluetooth modules are set up to close the connection
if there is no communication for one minute. The system has
two barrier booms, one for entrance and another for exit.
Inductive loops are used as vehicle presence sensors. Two
inductive loops are used for the entrance path and two for the
exit path.
A mobile phone sends commands and data to the control
unit to authorize the user to enter the parking lot. The control
unit has no ability to communicate directly via Bluetooth with

3. Experimental setup
The experimental system has been set up to demonstrate the
functionality of the proposed model. Functionality evaluation
is achieved by a series of experiments with the aim to:

determine the strength of the Bluetooth signal in the

vicinity of the control cabinet;

determine a suitable position of the Bluetooth converter

module antennas in the controller cabinet; and

determine the distance between the vehicle and the control

cabinets using RSSI.
The experimental system is an upgrade to the existing system
for the parking access control using RFID. The existing
246

Bluetooth parking access control

Sensor Review

Stevan Stankovski et al.

Volume 34 Number 3 2014 244 254

Downloaded by DOGU AKDENIZ UNIVERSITY At 06:30 26 October 2014 (PT)

Figure 4 Actual layout of the realized system

means that the parking is functioning properly and that there

are vacant places in the parking lot. In that case, the user
authentication and the access to the parking lot are possible.
The red light indicates that the parking is not functioning
properly or there are no vacant places at the parking area; in
that case, the user authentication and entrance to the parking
lot are not possible.
The experiment consists of measuring the strength of the
Bluetooth signal between a mobile phone and the
corresponding Bluetooth converter module. Measurements
have been performed for four different antenna configurations
as shown in Figure 5. Antenna configurations are typical
modes of placing the antennas in practice. Antennas are
typically placed vertically or horizontally.
Measurements are performed with the mobile phone HTC
Desire with the Android operating system. The appropriate

a mobile phone; hence, the Bluetooth converter modules are

used. The Bluetooth converter module serves as a bridge
between mobile phones and the control unit. A mobile phone
and the Bluetooth converter communicate via Bluetooth,
while the Bluetooth converter module and the control unit
communicate through the RS232 serial communication. The
control unit, based on the received data and commands from
a mobile phone, as well as signals from the vehicle presence
sensors, controls the barrier booms and the semaphore. Based
on information from the vehicle presence sensors, the control
unit determines the point in which the barrier boom is to be
lifted and the point when the barrier boom can be lowered to
avoid damage to the vehicle and to the barrier boom. The
barrier boom is used to prevent unauthorized users to enter
the parking lot. The semaphore displays the current state of
the system, and has two lights: green and red. The green light
Figure 5 Antenna configuration inside the control cabinet

247

Downloaded by DOGU AKDENIZ UNIVERSITY At 06:30 26 October 2014 (PT)

Bluetooth parking access control

Sensor Review

Stevan Stankovski et al.

Volume 34 Number 3 2014 244 254

application has been developed to measure the signal strength.

Measured values are stored in XML files. The phone, during
the measurement, is in the car, in the middle of the vehicle
between the drivers and the front passengers seats. The
dimensions of the fields in which the measurements are
carried out are 14 21 m2. Figure 6 shows the layout of the
system and the points at which the signal strength is measured.
The points represent the positions of the vehicle on entering or
exiting the parking lot. During the measuring, the vehicle is
positioned so that each point presents the position of the
mobile phone in relation to the control cabinet.
The measurement is performed in 19 points, 9 points on
the entrance path (points 1-7, 18 and 19) and 10 points on
the exit path (8-17), related to the configuration of the
components, the dimensions of the parking lot and the
access roads toward the barrier booms. For the entrance

path, the signal strength is measured between the mobile

phone and the Bluetooth converter module at the entrance.
For the exit path, the signal strength is measured between the
mobile phone and the Bluetooth converter module at exit.
Measuring entering and exiting times were also carried out
for two paths, one for entering and one for exiting parking lot.
Entering path goes through points: 19, 18, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and
8 (Figure 6). Exiting path goes through points: 16, 8, 10, 11,
12, 13, 14, 15 and 18 (Figure 6).

4. Experimental results and discussion

At each point of measurement, for all four antenna
configuration, 101 measurements have been conducted.
Antenna configurations are referred to as Conf1 for the
configuration 1, Conf2 for the configuration 2, Conf3 for the

Figure 6 Points where the Bluetooth signal strength is measured

248

Downloaded by DOGU AKDENIZ UNIVERSITY At 06:30 26 October 2014 (PT)

Bluetooth parking access control

Sensor Review

Stevan Stankovski et al.

Volume 34 Number 3 2014 244 254

configuration 3 and Conf4 for the configuration 4. In

configurations 1 and 3, the antenna for the entrance path is at
the same position, so that one measurement is conducted for
the entrance path for both configurations. During the
measurements, RSSI values range from 89 (minimum
measured value) to 36 (maximum measured value). The
signal is stronger if the RSSI value is greater. Figures 7 and 8
show the mean values of the measured signals for the entrance
and the exit path, respectively. Figures 9 and 10 provide an
overview of the number of failed connections for each point on
the entrance and exit paths, respectively.
Table I shows a statistical overview of measured results,
which includes minimum value, maximum value, average
(mean) value, average deviation, standard deviation and
number of failed connection for every configuration and every
point.

For the entrance path, the highest mean signal strength

value is at the point 5, at the distance of 1 m from the control
cabinet. The minimum mean signal strength is at the point 19,
at the distance of 15.3 m. The highest mean signal strength for
the exit path is measured at the point 13, at a distance of 1 m
from the control cabinet. The minimum value is measured at
the point 17, at a distance of 10 m. By analyzing the failed
connections during measuring, the points 19 and 17 have the
highest number of failed measurements.
The points on the exit path have a lower mean value of the
signal strength and more failed measurements of the signal
strength compared to the entrance path. This fact is a
consequence of the structure of the control cabinet. At the
entrance, there is a 3-mm-thick steel door. At the exit, there is
a 3-mm-thick steel cabinet wall and an additional 3-mm-thick
steel plate, on which the system components are mounted.

Figure 7 Overview of the mean values of the measured RSSI for the entrance path

Figure 8 Overview of the mean values of the measured RSSI for the exit path

249

Bluetooth parking access control

Sensor Review

Stevan Stankovski et al.

Volume 34 Number 3 2014 244 254

Downloaded by DOGU AKDENIZ UNIVERSITY At 06:30 26 October 2014 (PT)

Figure 9 Overview of the number of failed connections for the entrance path

Figure 10 Overview of the number of failed connections for the exit path

The obtained values of the signal strength have too high

deviations, so the distance between the users mobile phone,
and the control units cannot be accurately determined. This is
because RSSI is quite loosely defined in Bluetooth
specification (Kotanen et al., 2003). However, the obtained
values can be used to adjust the Bluetooth converter module
antennas and the transmit power of the Bluetooth converter
modules to avoid the problem associated with the arrival of
two users simultaneously. For additional security, the
Bluetooth converter modules are configured only to support
point-to-point communication. This means that only one
mobile phone can be connected to the Bluetooth converter
module during the entrance/exit procedure.
Entering and exiting time were measured for both Bluetooth
parking access system and RFID parking access system for
each path. Figure 13(a) shows the times for entering path of
Bluetooth and RFID parking access control. Figure 13(b)
shows the times for exiting path for both systems for access
control. Figure 13 shows that the average time for system with

The criteria for selecting a suitable antenna position are the

signal strength and the number of failed measurements in the
corresponding points for each Bluetooth converter module.
Based on the measured signal strength values and the
number of the failed connections, the conclusion is that the
configuration 2 has the highest signal strength value and
the least number of times when the phone is unable to find
the Bluetooth converter module.
The deviation of the maximum and the minimum
measured signal strength values from the mean value is
high; hence, it is not possible to accurately determine the
distance between the mobile phone and the Bluetooth
converter module based on a single measurement. As an
example, Figures 11 and 12 show the measured signal
strength values for the configuration 2 for the entrance and
the exit path, respectively. Multiple signals measuring is not
practical for the system, as the required measuring time
would be significantly longer than the time needed for the
vehicle to approach the control cabinet.
250

Configuration 1
Minimum
Maximum
Average
Average deviation
Standard deviation
Not found
Configuration 2
Minimum
Maximum
Average
Average deviation
Standard deviation
Not found
Configuration 3
Minimum
Maximum
Average
Average deviation
Standard deviation
Not found
Configuration 4
Minimum
Maximum
Average
Average deviation
Standard deviation
Not found

Points of
measurement

86
63
73.42
3.94
4.74
4

80
53
61.89
3.98
5.15
0

86
63
73.42
3.94
4.74
4

83
64
72.16
2.95
3.72
2

75
57
63.86
3.27
4.23
0

82
63
71.56
3.82
4.62
0

82
61
69.82
3.57
4.58
0

82
63
71.56
3.82
4.62
0

251
86
63
70.17
3.88
4.78
1

84
59
65.85
3.95
4.93
0

79
50
59.50
5.25
6.68
0

84
59
65.85
3.95
4.93
0

81
55
65.60
3.50
4.36
0

60
51
55.10
1.40
1.75
0

75
45
54.05
4.91
6.31
0

60
51
55.10
1.40
1.75
0

Table I Statistical overview of RSSI experimental results

67
44
50.65
4.57
5.44
0

61
38
45.41
3.70
4.88
0

62
41
46.32
2.56
3.28
0

61
38
45.41
3.70
4.88
0

51
44
46.96
1.18
1.47
0

58
40
47.51
3.53
4.23
0

58
44
48.32
2.45
3.19
0

58
40
47.51
3.53
4.23
0

73
56
63.92
2.73
3.59
0

74
52
61.00
3.94
4.80
0

78
46
55.43
3.30
4.85
1

74
52
61.00
3.94
4.80
0

85
64
72.54
3.03
3.86
1

85
64
74.03
5.01
5.91
11

79
53
60.26
3.74
5.22
0

75
54
59.88
2.99
3.80
0

84
67
74.09
3.82
4.59
5

82
68
74.16
2.84
3.51
34

88
56
64.93
3.74
5.50
0

84
66
73.56
3.66
4.49
1

87
74
79.44
3.05
3.59
67

88
71
77.08
2.91
3.64
37

79
54
61.31
4.63
5.84
0

85
66
74.18
3.34
4.37
3

10

83
64
70.26
3.09
4.22
1

81
65
70.09
2.74
3.66
1

76
53
60.86
4.07
5.29
0

85
63
72.13
2.72
3.64
2

11

86
61
67.78
4.31
5.49
0

76
57
62.48
2.01
3.03
0

58
41
44.81
2.05
2.98
0

80
56
60.49
2.12
3.10
0

12

70
46
52.41
3.48
4.40
0

80
42
54.74
5.02
6.68
0

59
36
40.74
1.79
2.91
0

62
44
52.26
3.43
4.12
0

13

Downloaded by DOGU AKDENIZ UNIVERSITY At 06:30 26 October 2014 (PT)

63
47
52.49
2.39
3.07
0

77
45
55.33
4.26
5.71
0

76
41
51.55
5.76
7.12
0

71
43
52.23
4.26
5.54
0

14

82
57
67.96
5.34
6.48
1

74
53
59.99
3.26
4.16
0

77
48
55.52
4.31
5.40
0

84
53
60.81
3.78
5.28
0

15

89
69
77.49
3.20
4.02
54

85
68
74.41
2.84
3.66
9

74
58
63.87
3.28
4.10
1

71
61
66.07
1.48
1.94
0

16

87
70
77.10
3.52
4.30
17

86
70
75.45
2.74
3.50
18

80
59
68.09
3.65
4.66
0

87
73
81.51
2.53
3.26
64

17

87
70
76.79
3.16
3.97
31

88
67
75.39
3.03
3.95
4

69
54
60.17
2.46
3.21
0

88
67
75.39
3.03
3.95
4

18

83
69
75.56
2.51
3.14
14

83
80
81.50
1.50
2.12
99

75
57
62.49
2.59
3.49
0

83
80
81.50
1.50
2.12
99

19

Bluetooth parking access control

Sensor Review

Stevan Stankovski et al.

Volume 34 Number 3 2014 244 254

Downloaded by DOGU AKDENIZ UNIVERSITY At 06:30 26 October 2014 (PT)

Bluetooth parking access control

Sensor Review

Stevan Stankovski et al.

Volume 34 Number 3 2014 244 254

Figure 11 Overview of the measured RSSI values for the

configuration 2 and the entrance path

Bluetooth is shorter than system with RFID access control. In

addition, Bluetooth exiting path takes longer than entering
path due to the fact that on that side of control cabinet is a
double 3-mm steel plate.
In Table II, statistical overview of experiments with
measurements of time for entering and exiting parking lot is
given. Table II shows that average entry time for Bluetooth
parking access is 12.54 seconds and the average entry time for
RFID parking access is 19.5 seconds. For exit path times, the
average entry times are 14.9 and 19.66 seconds, respectively.
Bluetooth parking access control takes less time due to the fact
that the user does not need to stop the car.
The experimental period lasted a month. The rate of
success in this experiment (after setting the values of the
Bluetooth antenna signal) was 100 per cent. Certainly, it
could be expected for problems to occur in the future.
Evaluation of the performance over a longer period is left for
further research. In this kind of system, active RFID tags can
also be used. The most important advantage of active RFID
tags is reading distance which can be 20 m. If they are
implemented, the procedure of entering/exit parking lot will
be similar to procedure with Bluetooth. On the other hand,
the cost of a system with active RFID would be much higher

Figure 12 Overview of the measured RSSI values for the

configuration 2 and the exit path

Table II Statistical overview of parking access time results

Figure 13 Parking access times

252

Path

Bluetooth
Enter
Exit

RFID Card
Enter
Exit

Average value
Minimum
Maximum
Average deviation
Standard deviation

12.54
10.8
15.90
1.09
1.32

19.5
17.7
22.10
0.78
0.98

14.9
10.7
23.30
1.86
2.59

19.66
17.9
21.40
0.72
0.92

Bluetooth parking access control

Sensor Review

Stevan Stankovski et al.

Volume 34 Number 3 2014 244 254

because the price of the active tags are from $20-50, while the
price of passive tags are from $0.1-4. In addition, the tag life
of active RFID tag is from 3 to 8 years, while the tag life of
passive RFID tags is up to 10 years. This is due to a fact that
the active RFID tags are battery powered, while passive tags
have no internal power source. All these facts support the
implementation of the Bluetooth technology.

Kamarulazizi, K. and Ismail, W. (2010), Electronic toll

collection system using passive RFID technology, Journal
of Theoretical and Applied Information Technology, Vol. 22
No. 2, pp. 70-76.
Kim, Y., Evans, R.G. and Iversen, W.M. (2008), Remote
sensing and control of an irrigation system using a
distributed wireless sensor network, IEEE Transactions on
Instrumentation and Measurement, Vol. 57 No. 7,
pp. 1379-1387.
Kotanen, A., Hannikainen, M., Leppakoski, H. and
Hamalainen, T.D. (2003), Experiments on local
positioning with Bluetooth, Proceedings of the International
Conference on Information Technology: Coding and Computing
[Computers and Communications], Las Vegas, pp. 297-303.
Lpez, Y.A., Gmez, M.E.D.C., lvarez, J.L. and
Andrs, F.L.H. (2011), Evaluation of an RSS-based
indoor location system, Sensors and Actuators: A, Vol. 167
No. 1, pp. 110-116.
Mehrjerdi, Y.Z. (2008), RFID-enabled systems: a brief
review, Assembly Automation, Vol. 28 No. 3, pp. 235-245.
Mehrjerdi, Y.Z. (2009), RFID-enabled supply chain systems
with computer simulation, Assembly Automation, Vol. 29
No. 2, pp. 174-183.
Mehrjerdi, Y.Z. (2011a), RFID adoption: a systems thinking
perspective through profitability engagement, Assembly
Automation, Vol. 31 No. 2, pp. 182-187.
Mehrjerdi, Y.Z. (2011b), RFID and its benefits: a multiple
case analysis, Assembly Automation, Vol. 31 No 3,
pp. 251-262.
Nakamura, M., Nakamura, J., Lopez, G., Shuzo, M. and
Yamada, I. (2011), Collaborative processing of wearable
and ambient sensor system for blood pressure monitoring,
Sensors, Vol. 11 No. 7, pp. 6760-6770.
Ostojic, G., Stankovski, S., Lazarevic, M. and Jovanovic, V.
(2007), Implementation of RFID technology in parking lot
access control system, Proceedings of the 1st Annual RFID
Eurasia Conference, Istanbul, pp. 49-53.
Ozbay, S. and Ercelebi, E. (2005), Automatic vehicle
identification by plate recognition, World Academy of
Science, Engineering and Technology, Vol. 9 No. 41,
pp. 222-225.
Pavel, S., Pavlik, M. and Vrba, R. (2008), Smart differential
pressure sensor with bluetooth communication interface,
Proceedings of the Third International Conference on Systems
(ICONS 2008), Cancun, pp. 363-367.
Stankovski, S., Ostojic, G., enk, I., Rakic-Skokovic, M.,
Trivunovic, S., and Kucevic, D. (2012), Dairy cow
monitoring by RFID, Scientia Agricola, Vol. 69 No. 1,
pp. 75-80.
Tarro, P., Bernardos, A.M. and Casar, J.R. (2011),
Weighted least squares techniques for improved received
signal strength based localization, Sensors, Vol. 11 No. 9,
pp. 8569-8592.
Uddin, M.J., Ibrahimy, M.I., Reaz, M.B.I. and Nordin, A.N.
(2009), Design and application of radio frequency
identification systems, European Journal of Scientific
Research, Vol. 33 No. 3, pp. 438-453.
Versichele, M., Neutens, T., Delafontaine, M. and
Van de Weghe, N. (2012), The use of bluetooth for
analysing spatiotemporal dynamics of human movement at

Downloaded by DOGU AKDENIZ UNIVERSITY At 06:30 26 October 2014 (PT)

5. Conclusion
This paper describes the system for parking access control
using the Bluetooth technology. The described system allows
the detection of the presence and the identification of users
using a mobile phone and the Bluetooth. The users
presence detection and the identification when entering/
exiting the parking space are performed without stopping
the vehicle. Successful implementation of this access
control system is based on determining the proper value of
the Bluetooth signal strength field that extends around the
control cabinet in which the Bluetooth devices are situated.
Further research will be directed at solving the problem of
presence detection and the identification of the users whose
distance is greater than 20 m.

References
Bluetooth, S.I.G. (2010), Bluetooth specification-Core
version 4.0, available at: www.bluetooth.org/docman/
handlers/downloaddoc.ashx?doc_id229737 (accessed 08
May 2012).
Bogue, R. (2010), Wireless sensors: a review of technologies,
products and applications, Sensor Review, Vol. 30 No. 4,
pp. 285-289.
Chang, S.L., Chen, L.S., Chung, Y.C. and Chen, S.W.
(2004), Automatic license plate recognition, IEEE
Transactions on Intelligent Transportation Systems, Vol. 5
No. 1, pp. 42-53.
Chek, M.C.H. and Kwok, Y.K. (2004), Design and
evaluation of coexistence mechanisms for Bluetooth and
IEEE 802.11b systems, Proceedings of the IEEE
International Symposium on Personal, Indoor and Mobile Radio
Communications, Barcelona, Vol. 3, pp. 1767-1771.
Chlamtac, I., Conti, M. and Liu, J.J.N. (2003), Mobile ad
hoc networking: imperatives and challenges, Ad Hoc
Networks, Vol. 1 No. 1, pp. 13-64.
Choi, S.H., Kim, B.K., Park, J., Kang, C.H., and Eom, D.S.
(2004), An implementation of wireless sensor network for
security system using Bluetooth, IEEE Transactions on
Consumer Electronics, Vol. 50 No. 1, pp. 236-244.
Dalu, S. (2012), AETC: an automated electronic toll
collection using zigbee, International Journal of Information
Technology and Knowledge Management, Vol. 5 No. 1,
pp. 1-3.
Draghici, S. (1997), A neural network based artificial vision
system for licence plate recognition, International Journal of
Neural Systems, Vol. 8 No. 1, pp. 113-126.
Golmie, N. and Mouveaux, F. (2001), Interference in the 2.4
GHz ISM band: impact on the Bluetooth access control
performance, Proceedings of the IEEE International Conference
on Communications, Helsinki, Vol. 8, pp. 2540-2545.
253

Bluetooth parking access control

Sensor Review

Stevan Stankovski et al.

Volume 34 Number 3 2014 244 254

mass events: a case study of the ghent festivities, Applied

Geography, Vol. 32 No. 2, pp. 208-220.
Vukelic, ., Ostojic, G., Stankovski, S., Lazarevic, M.,
Tadic, B., Hodolic, J., and Simeunovic, N. (2011),
Machining fixture assembly/disassembly in RFID
environment, Assembly Automation, Vol. 31 No 1, pp. 62-68.
Wu, B.F., Lin, S.-P. and Chiu, C.-C. (2007), Extracting
characters from real vehicle licence plates out-of-doors,
IET Computer Vision, Vol. 1 No. 1, pp. 2-10.

Zanca, G., Zorzi, F., Zanella, A. and Zorzi, M. (2008),

Experimental comparison of RSSI-based localization
algorithms for indoor wireless sensor networks, Proceedings
of the REALWSN 2008 in conjunction with ACM EuroSys
2008, Glasgow, pp. 1-5.

Corresponding author

Downloaded by DOGU AKDENIZ UNIVERSITY At 06:30 26 October 2014 (PT)

Stevan Stankovski can be contacted at: stevan@uns.ac.rs

To purchase reprints of this article please e-mail: reprints@emeraldinsight.com

Or visit our web site for further details: www.emeraldinsight.com/reprints

254