Apparatus for controlling articles in custody

• US 20040021551A1
• Filed: 08/01/2002
• Published: 02/05/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/01/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Junichi Yamagishi, Unirec Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Junichi Yamagishi, Unirec Company Limited
• Inventors: Yamagishi, Junichi
• Granted Patent: US 7,129,817 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/5.52
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/24162 Biometric sensor, fingerprint as user access password
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00936 for key cabinets
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2209/08 With time considerations, e.g. temporary activation, valid time window or time limitations
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00563 using personal physical data of the operator, e.g. finger prints, retinal images, voicepatterns
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00912 for safes, strong-rooms, vaults or the like
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/33 by means of a password
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/37 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voice recognition

Abstract

An apparatus surely and easily controls articles kept in, for example, a safe.

The apparatus has a storage unit (CL1) lockable to keep the articles therein and unlockable to allow the articles to be taken out therefrom, an input unit (CL2) to input biometric information for unlocking the storage unit, a registration unit (CL3) to register biometric information in advance, a collator (CLM) to collate the input biometric information with the registered biometric information, a controller (CL5) to unlock the storage unit if the collation by the collator authenticates the input biometric information, and a recorder (CL6) to record at least a person related to the authenticated biometric information in response to the unlocking of the storage unit.

Claims

1. An apparatus for controlling articles in custody, comprising:

storage means lockable to keep the articles therein and unlockable to allow the articles to be taken out therefrom;

input means to input biometric information for unlocking the storage means;

registration means to register biometric information in advance;

collation means to collate the input biometric information with the registered biometric information;

control means to unlock the storage means if the collation by the collation means authenticates the input biometric information; and

record means to record at least a person related to the authenticated biometric information in response to the unlocking of the storage means.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

the record means also records a time when the storage means is unlocked.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

the storage means is a safe.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein:

the-storage means is a safe.

5. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein:

the safe is provided with a lockable safe door and a plurality of inner storage spaces each being lockable to keep articles therein and selectively unlockable to allow the articles to be taken out therefrom;

the input means consists of outer input means to input biometric information for unlocking the safe door and inner input means to input biometric information for unlocking the inner storage spaces;

selection means is provided to select any one of the inner storage spaces; and

the control means consists of outer control means to unlock the safe door if the biometric information inputted into the outer input means is authenticated by collation and inner control means to unlock the selected inner storage space if the biometric information inputted into the inner input means is authenticated by collation and if there is the inner storage space selected through the selection means.

6. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein:

the safe is provided with a lockable safe door and a plurality of inner storage spaces each being lockable to keep articles therein and selectively unlockable to allow the articles to be taken out therefrom;

the input means consists of outer input means to input biometric information for unlocking the safe door and inner input means to input biometric information for unlocking the inner storage spaces;

selection means is provided to select any one of the inner storage spaces; and

the control means consists of outer control means to unlock the safe door if the biometric information inputted into the outer input means is authenticated by collation and inner control means to unlock the selected inner storage space if the biometric information inputted into the inner input means is authenticated by collation and if there is the inner storage space selected through the selection means.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

the storage means has photograph means to photograph the articles in the storage means and image record means to record images taken by the photograph means when the storage means is unlocked.

8. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein:

the storage means has photograph means to photograph the articles in the storage means and image record means to record images taken by the photograph means when the storage means is unlocked.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

the storage means is key storage means lockable to separately keep a plurality of keys and selectively unlockable to allow a selected one of the keys to be taken out;

key selection means is provided to select any one of the keys kept in the key storage means; and

the control means selectively unlocks the key storage means for the selected key if the collation by the collation means authenticates the biometric information inputted into the input means and if there is the key selected through the key selection means.

10. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein:

the storage means is key storage means lockable to separately keep a plurality of keys and selectively unlockable to allow a selected one of the keys to be taken out;

key selection means is provided to select any one of the keys kept in the key storage means; and

the control means selectively unlocks the key storage means for the selected key if the collation by the collation means authenticates the biometric information inputted into the input means and if there is the key selected through the key selection means.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein:

the record means also records a type of the key taken out after the unlocking of the key storage means.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein:

the record means also records a type of the key taken out after the unlocking of the key storage means.