SERIALIZED LOCK COMBINATION RETRIEVAL SYSTEMS AND METHODS

• US 20090083851A1
• Filed: 09/25/2008
• Published: 03/26/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Targus International LLC
• Original Assignee: Targus Group International Incorporated (Targus International LLC)
• Inventors: Urkudey, Prashant N., Michelle, Deborah L.
• Granted Patent: US 8,108,927 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/21
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/31 User authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2131 Lost password, e.g. recovery of lost or forgotten passwords

Abstract

Disclosed are embodiments of systems and methods for retrieving combination lock codes in a secure environment. In some embodiments, each of a plurality of combination locks are linked with a serial code. A user may then enter user identity information into a retrieval system. After the system has validated the user identity information, the user may enter a serial code into the system, the serial code associated with a combination lock for which the user would like to retrieve a corresponding combination code. Upon receipt of the serial code from the user, the system may securely transmit a combination code associated with the desired combination lock to the user. In one embodiment, the secure transmission of the combination code is done by sending an electronic mail message to an electronic mail account of the user.

Claims

1. A method for facilitating retrieval of combination codes for serialized combination locks, each of the plurality of combination locks having a serial code and a combination code associated therewith, the method comprising:

linking at least one of a plurality of serial codes with a corresponding combination code;

receiving user identity information from a user;

validating the user identity information, wherein the user identity information is associated with at least one of the combination locks;

receiving a serial code from the user; and

securely transmitting a combination code associated with at least one of the combination locks.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of securely transmitting a combination code associated with at least one of the combination locks comprises transmitting a message with a combination code to a user account of the user.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of transmitting a message with a combination code to a user account of the user comprises sending an electronic mail message to the user.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of transmitting a message with a combination code to a user account of the user comprises sending a text message to the user'"'"'s mobile telephone.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of transmitting a message with a combination code to a user account of the user comprises leaving a voice mail message to the user in a messaging system.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of linking at least one of a plurality of serial codes with a corresponding combination code comprises using an algorithm to generate a combination code from a serial code.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of linking at least one of a plurality of serial codes with a corresponding combination code comprises storing serial codes for a plurality of combination locks, storing combination codes for each of the plurality of combination locks, and electronically linking the stored serial codes with the stored combination codes.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing audit data regarding a transaction by the user to access a combination code.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the audit data comprises at least one of the user identity information, an Internet Protocol (IP) address of a computer requesting the combination code, the time of the transaction, and the date of the transaction.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving user identity information from a second user;

attempting to validate the user identity information from the second user; and

storing audit data regarding the second user.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the step of storing audit data regarding the second user is initiated in response to an indication that the attempt to validate the user identity information from the second user has failed.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

linking at least a subset of the plurality of serial codes with company identity information; and

linking user identity information with company identity information.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising attempting to match the serial code received from the user with company identity information linked with the user identity information received from the user.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising terminating user access by the user in response to determining that the serial code received from the user does not match the company identity information linked with the user identity information received from the user.

15. A system for facilitating retrieval of combination codes for serialized combination locks, each of the plurality of combination locks having a serial code and a combination code associated therewith, the system comprising:

a user interface for receiving user identity information from a user;

a user validation component for validating the user identity information, wherein the user identity information is associated with at least one of a plurality of combination locks;

a user interface for receiving a serial code from the user; and

a transmission component for securely transmitting a combination code associated with at least one of the combination locks to the user.

16. The system of claim 15, further comprising a combination code generation component, wherein the combination code generation component is configured to use an algorithm to generate a combination code from the serial code received from the user.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the user interface for receiving user identity information from a user is the same as the user interface for receiving a serial code from the user.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the user validation component is further configured to match the serial code with company identity information linked with the user identity information.

19. The system of claim 15, further comprising an audit component configured to store audit data regarding a transaction by the user to access a combination code.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the audit data comprises at least one of the user identity information, an Internet Protocol (IP) address of a computer requesting the combination code, the time of the transaction, and the date of the transaction.

21. The system of claim 19, wherein the audit component is further configured to initiate an audit in response to an indication that an attempt to validate user identity information from a user has failed.

22. The system of claim 19, wherein the audit component is further configured to initiate an audit in response to an indication that an attempt to match a serial code with company identity information has failed.

23. A computer-readable medium including computer program instructions that cause a computer to implement a method, the method comprising:

receiving user identity information from a user;

validating the user identity information, wherein the user identity information is associated with at least one of a plurality of combination locks, each of the plurality of combination locks having a serial code and a combination code associated therewith;

receiving a serial code from the user;

linking the serial code with a corresponding combination code; and

securely transmitting the corresponding combination code to a user account of the user.

24. The computer-readable medium of claim 23, wherein the step of securely transmitting the corresponding combination code comprises transmitting a message with a combination code to a user account of the user.

25. The computer-readable medium of claim 24, wherein the step of transmitting a message with a combination code to a user account of the user comprises sending an electronic mail message to the user.

26. The computer-readable medium of claim 24, wherein the step of transmitting a message with a combination code to a user account of the user comprises sending a text message to the user'"'"'s mobile telephone.

27. The computer-readable medium of claim 24, wherein the step of transmitting a message with a combination code to a user account of the user comprises leaving a voice mail message to the user in a messaging system.

28. The computer-readable medium of claim 23, wherein the step of linking the serial code with a corresponding combination code comprises using an algorithm to generate the corresponding combination code from the serial code.

29. The computer-readable medium of claim 23, wherein the step of linking the serial code with a corresponding combination code comprises storing serial codes for a plurality of combination locks, storing combination codes for each of the plurality of combination locks, and electronically linking the stored serial codes with the stored combination codes.

30. The computer-readable medium of claim 23, further comprising storing audit data regarding a transaction by the user to access a combination code.

31. The computer-readable medium of claim 23, wherein the method further comprises:

receiving user identity information from a second user;

attempting to validate the user identity information from the second user; and

storing audit data regarding the second user.

32. The computer-readable medium of claim 31, wherein the step of storing audit data regarding the second user is initiated in response to an indication that the attempt to validate the user identity information from the second user has failed.

33. A method for facilitating retrieval of combination codes for serialized combination locks, each of the plurality of combination locks having a serial code and a combination code associated therewith, the method comprising:

receiving user identity information from a user;

validating the user identity information, wherein the user identity information is associated with at least one of a plurality of combination locks, each of the plurality of combination locks having a serial code and a combination code associated therewith;

receiving a serial code from the user;

linking the serial code with a corresponding combination code by using an algorithm to generate a combination code from the serial code received from the user;

securely transmitting the combination code via electronic mail to the user; and

storing audit data regarding the user'"'"'s retrieval of the combination code.