Portable electronic locking system and method

• US 20040108938A1
• Filed: 12/10/2002
• Published: 06/10/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: David A. Entrekin
• Original Assignee: David A. Entrekin
• Inventors: Entrekin, David A.
• Application Number:
  US10/315,601
• Publication Number:
  US 20040108938A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/5.73
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00753 operated by active electrical keys
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/0092 for cargo, freight or shipping containers and applications therefore in general
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00309 operated with bidirectional data transmission between data carrier and locks
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00817 where the code of the lock can be programmed
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00912 for safes, strong-rooms, vaults or the like

Abstract

An electronic locking system and method for controlling the locking and unlocking of a container or trailer. An electronic lock includes a locking mechanism, and lockable member, an electronic user interface and a memory. The lock components can be included within a housing or distributed throughout the container or trailer. Lock data, such as a unique seal number, is loaded from a source computer to a lock memory. When the container reaches its intended destination, a user inputs a data via a user interface, such as a keypad. If the lock data and the user data match or satisfy other criteria, then the electronic lock can be released, thereby permitting the seal to be broken and access to the container. The lock data can also be based location data such as global positioning system (GPS) data. Timestamp and customer identification data can be loaded to the electronic lock and source computer. A wireless link can be used to transmit data and to monitor the current location of the container in real-time through a GPS system.

Claims

1. An electronic locking system for sealing a container, comprising:

an electronic lock, said electronic lock comprising;

a portable lock housing;

a locking mechanism within said housing, said mechanism being moveable between a lock position and a release position;

a lock member releasably secured by said locking mechanism and defining a space for releasing and receiving a part of the container;

an electronic user interface for receiving input data; and

an electronic memory configured to store said input data and lock data;

a source computer; and

a communications link, wherein said lock data is transmitted from said source computer to said memory of said electronic lock via said communications link, and

said input data and said lock data are compared to determine whether a criteria is satisfied to release said electronic lock to open the container based on the comparison.

2. The portable electronic locking system of claim 1, wherein said user interface comprises a keypad.

3. The portable electronic locking system of claim 2, wherein said keypad is configured for numeric, alpha or symbol input data.

4. The portable electronic locking system of claim 1, wherein said user interface comprises a Liquid Crystal Display (LCD).

5. The portable electronic locking system of claim 1, wherein said user interface comprises an audio receiver configured to receive audio input data.

6. The portable electronic locking system of claim 1, wherein said memory outputs a lock signal to said locking mechanism to maintain said mechanism in the lock position when said input data and said lock data do not satisfy said criteria, thereby maintaining a locked container.

7. The portable electronic locking system of claim 1, wherein said memory outputs a release signal to release said locking mechanism from the lock position to the release position when said input said lock data satisfy said criteria, thereby permitting the container to be opened.

8. The portable electronic locking system of claim 1, wherein said lock data is transmitted to said memory of said electronic lock before said input data is received.

9. The portable electronic locking system of claim 1, wherein said lock data comprises a seal identification number.

10. The portable electronic locking system of claim 1, wherein said lock data comprises location data where this container can be opened.

11. The electronic locking system of claim 10, wherein said location data comprises a global positioning system (GPS) location.

12. The electronic locking system of claim 10, wherein said input data comprises a current location of the container and said lock data comprises a location where the container can be opened, and whether said locking mechanism can be released is based on a comparison of said current location input data and said lock location data.

13. The portable electronic locking system of claim 12, wherein said locking mechanism is released if said location lock data and the location input data satisfy said criteria.

14. The portable electronic locking system of claim 1, further comprising an encoder for receiving said input data and configuring said input data for comparison with said lock data.

15. The portable electronic locking system of claim 1, wherein said memory is further configured to store application data related to the container.

16. The portable electronic locking system of claim 15, wherein said application data comprises a timestamp indicating when said locking mechanism was released.

17. The portable electronic locking system of claim 15, wherein said application data comprises a customer identification.

18. The portable electronic locking system of claim 1, wherein said lock data is transmitted to said memory at a source or point of shipment.

19. The portable electronic locking system of claim 1, wherein said lock housing, said locking mechanism and said lockable member form a padlock, said user interface and said memory being integrated into said padlock.

20. The portable electronic locking system of claim 1, wherein said communications link comprises a modem.

21. The portable electronic locking system of claim 1, wherein said source computer is further configured to send and receive application data through said communications link.

22. The portable electronic locking system of claim 21, wherein said application data comprises a timestamp of when said locking mechanism was released.

23. The portable electronic locking system of claim 21, wherein said application data comprises a customer or destination identification.

24. The portable electronic locking system of claim 21, wherein after said source computer receives confirmation that said locking mechanism was released based, said source computer being configured to transmit new lock data to said memory through said communications link.

25. The portable electronic locking system of claim 1, wherein said communications link comprises a wireless link.

26. The portable electronic locking system of claim 25, wherein said source computer is further configured to send and receive application data through said wireless link.

27. The portable electronic locking system of claim 25, wherein said wireless link is used to track the location of the container in real-time.

28. The portable electronic locking system of claim 1, wherein said locking mechanism, said lock member, said electronic user interface, and said electronic memory are contained within said portable lock housing.

29. The portable electronic locking system of claim 1, wherein

said locking mechanism comprises a locking mechanism of the container.

30. The portable electronic locking system of claim 1, wherein said lock member comprises a lock member of the container.

31. The portable electronic locking system of claim 1, wherein said electronic user interface is integrated into a door or wall of the container.

32. The portable locking system of claim 1, wherein one or more components of said electronic lock are integrated into the trailer.

33. A method of electronically controlling the locking and unlocking of a container with a portable electronic lock, the electronic lock including a lock housing, a locking mechanism moveable between a locking position and a release position within the housing, and a lock member releasably secured by the locking mechanism and defining a space for releasing and receiving a part of the container, the method comprising:

transmitting lock data from a source computer through a communications link to an electronic memory of the electronic lock;

receiving input data to the electronic memory;

comparing the lock data and the input data; and

determining whether to unlock the locking mechanism to permit the container to be opened based on the comparison.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein transmitting the lock data further comprises transmitting an identification number.

35. The method of claim 33, wherein transmitting lock data further comprises transmitting a location where the container can be unlocked.

36. The method of claim 33, wherein receiving input data further comprises receiving input data through a keypad.

37. The method of claim 33, wherein receiving input data further comprises receiving a current location of the container through a global positioning system (GPS), and wherein the lock data comprises a destination location where the electronic lock can be opened.

38. The method of claim 33, further comprising loading application data relating to the container to the source computer.

39. The method of claim 38, wherein loading application data further comprises loading a timestamp indicating when the electronic lock was unlocked.

40. The method of claim 38, wherein loading application data further comprises loading a customer identification.

41. The method of claim 33, further comprising generating a signal from said memory to release the locking mechanism from the lock state to the release state.

42. The method of claim 33, further comprising generating a signal in said memory to maintain the electronic lock in the lock state.

43. The method of claim 33, further comprising encoding the received input data into a format that can be compared with the lock data.

44. The method of claim 33, wherein transmitting lock data from the source computer further comprises transmitting lock data from the source computer through a modem to the electronic memory.

45. The method of claim 33, wherein transmitting lock data to the memory further comprises transmitting lock data from the source computer through a wireless link to the memory.

46. The method of claim 33, further comprising:

tracking a current location of the container in real-time; and

transmitting the current location data to the memory, wherein the received current location data and the lock data comprising destination location data are compared.

47. The method of claim 46, wherein real-time tracking is performed through a global positioning system (GPS).