Blood alcohol content (BAC) level actuated lock box

• US 20060182661A1
• Filed: 02/11/2005
• Published: 08/17/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/11/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Albert Bianco Aquila
• Original Assignee: Albert Bianco Aquila
• Inventors: Aquila, Albert Bianco
• Application Number:
  US11/056,061
• Publication Number:
  US 20060182661A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 422/84
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 28/063 preventing starting of vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/4972 Determining alcohol content for vehicle safety devices B60K28/06

Abstract

There is provided a blood alcohol content (BAC) level actuated lock box. The BAC level actuated lock box includes a housing, a breathalyzer, and a locking device. The housing has a lockable opening for allowing an item to pass there through. The housing is for securing the item therein when the lockable opening is in a locked position. The breathalyzer is for receiving a breath sample and determining a BAC level for the breath sample. The locking device is for maintaining the lockable opening in the locked position when the determined BAC level is greater than a pre-specified BAC threshold and for unlocking the lockable opening when the determined BAC is not greater than the pre-specified BAC threshold.

Claims

1. A blood alcohol content (BAC) level actuated lock box, comprising:

a housing having a lockable opening for allowing an item to pass there through, the housing for securing the item therein when the lockable opening is in a locked position;

a breathalyzer for receiving a breath sample and determining a BAC level for the breath sample; and

a locking device for maintaining the lockable opening in the locked position when the determined BAC level is greater than a pre-specified BAC threshold and for unlocking the lockable opening when the determined BAC is not greater than the pre-specified BAC threshold.

2. The BAC level actuated lock box according to claim 1, wherein said housing further comprises a tunnel for directing the breath sample towards the breathalyzer for analysis and for directing exhaust air away from the breathalyzer.

4. The BAC level actuated lock box according to claim 1, wherein the air exhaust tunnel is a continuation of the air intake tunnel that is interrupted by an intermediate position of the breathalyzer.

5. The BAC level actuated lock box according to claim 1, wherein the housing comprises:

an upper half housing portion;

a lower half housing portion; and

a hinge for connecting the upper half housing portion to the lower half housing portion,

wherein the lockable opening is formed from the upper half housing portion and the lower half housing portion.

6. The BAC level actuated lock box according to claim 5, wherein said locking device locks the upper half housing portion to the lower half housing portion.

7. The BAC level actuated lock box according to claim 5, wherein said lock comprises:

an aperture disposed on one of the upper half housing portion and the lower half housing portion; and

at least one pin, disposed on another one of the upper half housing portion and the lower half housing portion, having an extended and a retracted position for respectively locking and unlocking the lockable opening by extending into and retracting from the pin-receiving aperture.

8. The BAC level actuated lock box according to claim 7, wherein said lock further comprises at least one spring for normally biasing the at least one pin to extend into the pin-receiving aperture.

9. The BAC level actuated lock box according to claim 7, wherein said lock further comprises:

a solenoid for maintaining the at least one pin in the extended position or placing the lock in the retracted position, depending upon a control signal; and

a switching device for generating the control signal to one of restrict and allow current to flow from a power source to the solenoid device based on an output of said breathalyzer.

10. The BAC level actuated lock box according to claim 1, wherein the housing is adapted to secure any one of the ignition key and a firearm.

11. The BAC level actuated lock box according to claim 1, wherein said breathalyzer is adapted to use personal tubes.

12. The BAC level actuated lock box according to claim 1, wherein said breathalyzer comprises a factory-default BAC threshold.

13. The BAC level actuated lock box according to claim 12, wherein the factory-default BAC threshold is based on a national average for BAC limits.

14. The BAC level actuated lock box according to claim 1, wherein said breathalyzer comprises a factory-default lowest BAC threshold limit such that any subsequently used BAC thresholds by said breathalyzer are never less than the factory-default lowest BAC threshold limit.

15. The BAC level actuated lock box according to claim 1, further comprising

at least one memory device for storing a plurality of BAC legal limits, each of the plurality of BAC legal limits corresponding to at least one of a plurality of locales;

a Global Positioning System (GPS) device for determining a current position of a user of the lock box; and

at least one processor for selecting one of the plurality of BAC legal limits for use by said breathalyzer based upon the current position determined by the GPS device.

16. The BAC level actuated lock box according to claim 1, wherein the breathalyzer is disposed one of internal and external with respect to the housing.

17. The BAC level actuated lock box according to claim 1, wherein said locking device comprises:

a lock having an extending position and a retracted position for respectively locking and unlocking the lockable opening;

a solenoid for maintaining the lock in the extended position or placing the lock in the retracted position, depending upon a control signal; and

a switching device for generating the control signal to one of restrict and allow current to flow from a power source to the solenoid based on an output of said breathalyzer.

18. The BAC level actuated lock box according to claim 17, wherein said breathalyzer outputs a first value when the determined BAC level is greater than the pre-specified BAC threshold and a second value when the determined BAC level is not greater than the pre-specified BAC threshold.

19. The BAC level actuated lock box according to claim 18, wherein the first value and the second value output from said breathalyzer are binary values.

20. The BAC level actuated lock box according to claim 17, wherein said housing comprises an aperture, and the lock comprises a cylindrical permanent magnet for extending into the aperture to lock the lockable opening when the lock is in the extended position and for retracting from the aperture to unlock the lockable opening when the lock is in the retracted position.

21. The BAC level actuated lock box according to claim 1, wherein said housing comprises a pin-receiving aperture, and the lock comprises:

at least one pin for extending into the pin-receiving aperture when the lock is in an extended position and for retracting from the pin-receiving aperture to unlock the lockable opening; and

at least one spring for normally biasing the at least one pin to extend into the pin-receiving aperture.

22. The BAC level actuated lock box according to claim 1, further comprising an input/output data port.

23. The BAC level actuated lock box according to claim 22, wherein said breathalyzer is disposed external to said housing, and is electrically connected to the lock box via the input/output data port.

24. The BAC level actuated lock box according to claim 22, wherein said input/output data port is for receiving updated BAC limit information for use by said breathalyzer.

25. The BAC level actuated lock box according to claim 24, further comprising a secure communication device for allowing secure communication with at least one remote location with respect to receiving the updated BAC information.

26. The BAC level actuated lock box according to claim 22, further comprising a memory device for storing previously measured BAC levels, and wherein said input/output data port is for outputting the previously measured BAC levels.

27. The BAC level actuated lock box according to claim 1, further comprising a display device for displaying a BAC value for an operator that has submitted a breath sample.

28. The BAC level actuated lock box according to claim 27, wherein said display device comprises at least one of a Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) and a plasma screen.

29. The BAC level actuated lock box according to claim 1, further comprising an identity verification apparatus for verifying that a same individual locks the item in the lock box and unlocks the lock box to retrieve the item.

30. The BAC level actuated lock box according to claim 1, wherein said identity verification apparatus comprises:

identity verification device for verifying an identity of the individual; and

a switching device for generating the control signal to one of restrict and allow current to flow from a power source to the breathalyzer based on an output of said identity verification device, so as to render the breathalyzer unpowered and inoperable when the identity of the individual is not verified.

31. The BAC level actuated lock box according to claim 1, wherein said identity verification device comprises a fingerprint reader.

3. The BAC level actuated lock box according to claim 3, wherein the tunnel comprises:

an air intake tunnel for receiving the breath sample from a user and directing the breath sample to the breathalyzer for the analysis; and

an air exhaust tunnel for directing the exhaust air away from the breathalyzer.

32. A method for securing an item based on blood alcohol content (BAC) level, comprising the steps of:

providing a housing having a lockable opening for allowing the item to pass there through, the housing for securing the item therein when the lockable opening is in a locked position;

receiving a breath sample and determining a BAC level for the breath sample;

maintaining the lockable opening in the locked position to secure the item therein when the determined BAC level is greater than a pre-specified BAC threshold; and

unlocking the lockable opening when the determined BAC is not greater than the pre-specified BAC threshold.

33. The method according to claim 32, further comprising the step of displaying the determined BAC level for viewing by a submitter of the breath sample.

34. The method according to claim 32, wherein the item is one of an ignition key and a firearm.

35. The method according to claim 32, wherein said method is used in a fleet application.