LOCK BOX SYSTEM FOR DEPOSITING AND RETRIEVING OBJECTS AND METHOD FOR OPERATING SUCH A LOCK BOX SYSTEM

• US 20120326840A1
• Filed: 08/14/2007
• Published: 12/27/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/06/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Deutsche Post AG
• Original Assignee: Deutsche Post AG
• Inventors: Frankenberg, Steffen, Räss, Martin, Metzner, Christian, Kunz, Joachim
• Application Number:
  US12/444,241
• Publication Number:
  US 20120326840A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/5.65
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/13 the containers being a postal pick-up locker

Abstract

There is provided a lock box system that is adapted to deposit objects into and retrieve objects from a plurality of compartments of the lock box system, each compartment having an unambiguous identifier and a door that can be locked by an associated locking device. An exemplary lock box system comprises a data processing unit that is adapted to determine which compartments contain an object, whereby dimensions of at least two of the compartments differ from each other and these dimensions of the compartments are stored in the data processing unit. The exemplary lock box system also comprises a centralized facility reading device that is connected to the data processing unit, the centralized facility reading device having a detector that is adapted to simultaneously detect a plurality of RFID transponders located within a defined area around the centralized facility reading device, the centralized facility reading device additionally comprising a data reading device that is adapted to simultaneously read out data from the plurality of RFID transponders, wherein the data read out from a particular one of the plurality of RFID transponders contains at least dimensions of an associated object. The exemplary lock box system further comprises a receiving and processing device connected to the data processing unit, the receiving and processing device being adapted to receive the data read out from the particular one of the plurality of RFID transponders, the receiving and processing device being adapted to, based on dimensions of the associated object and a query of an occupation status of the plurality of compartments, identify a free one of the plurality of compartments having dimensions sufficiently large to accommodate the associated object. The exemplary lock box system additionally comprises a transmitter that is adapted to transmit the identity of the free one of the plurality of compartments to the control unit. In addition, the exemplary lock box system comprises a control unit connected to the data processing unit, the control unit having an actuator that is adapted to actuate the locking device via control signals, the control unit being adapted to simultaneously or consecutively generate and/or transmit control signals to the locking device associated with the identified free one of the plurality of compartments to open the door of the identified free one of the plurality of compartments.

Claims

1-14. -14. (canceled)

15. A lock box system that is adapted to deposit objects into and retrieve objects from a plurality of compartments of the lock box system, each compartment having an unambiguous identifier and a door that can be locked by an associated locking device, the lock box system comprising:

a data processing unit that is adapted to determine which compartments contain an object, whereby dimensions of at least two of the compartments differ from each other and these dimensions of the compartments are stored in the data processing unit;

a centralized facility reading device that is connected to the data processing unit, the centralized facility reading device having a detector that is adapted to simultaneously detect a plurality of RFID transponders located within a defined area around the centralized facility reading device, the centralized facility reading device additionally comprising a data reading device that is adapted to simultaneously read out data from the plurality of RFID transponders, wherein the data read out from a particular one of the plurality of RFID transponders contains at least dimensions of an associated object;

a receiving and processing device connected to the data processing unit, the receiving and processing device being adapted to receive the data read out from the particular one of the plurality of RFID transponders, the receiving and processing device being adapted to, based on dimensions of the associated object and a query of an occupation status of the plurality of compartments, identify a free one of the plurality of compartments having dimensions sufficiently large to accommodate the associated object;

a transmitter that is adapted to transmit the identity of the free one of the plurality of compartments to the control unit; and

a control unit connected to the data processing unit, the control unit having an actuator that is adapted to actuate the locking device via control signals, the control unit being adapted to simultaneously or consecutively generate and/or transmit control signals to the locking device associated with the identified free one of the plurality of compartments to open the door of the identified free one of the plurality of compartments.

16. The lock box system recited in claim 15, comprising a compartment reading device arranged in at least one compartment of the lock box facility, the compartment reading device including:

an RFID transponder identifier located in the at least one compartment, the compartment reading device being adapted to read data from the RFID transponder; and

an RFID data transmitter that is adapted to transmit the data read from the RFID transponder to the data processing unit, the data processing unit being adapted to store the data for the compartment identification of the compartment in question.

17. A method for operating a lock box facility in which objects are deposited into compartments of the lock box facility, whereby a control unit transmits a control signal to a locking device of each compartment in order to open a door of the compartment, and in which the dimensions of the appertaining compartment are stored in a data processing unit so that the compartments can be identified, the method comprising:

detecting a plurality of RFID transponders within a defined area around a facility reading device;

reading data from at least one of the plurality of RFID transponders, the data containing at least dimensions of an object associated with the at least one of the plurality of RFID transponders;

transmitting the data read from the at least one of the plurality of RFID transponders to the data processing unit;

determining which of the compartments of the lock box facility do not contain an object;

comparing dimensions of the compartments of the lock box facility determined not to contain an object with the dimensions of the object read out from the at least one of the plurality of RFID transponders;

determining whether one of the compartments of the lock box facility determined not to contain an object has dimensions sufficiently large to contain the object that corresponds to the at least one of the plurality of RFID transponders;

identifying the one of the compartments of the lock box facility having dimensions sufficiently large to contain the object that corresponds to the at least one of the plurality of RFID transponders;

transmitting the identity of the one of the compartments of the lock box facility having dimensions sufficiently large to contain the object that corresponds to the at least one of the plurality of RFID transponders to the control unit;

generating a control signal; and

transmitting the control signal to open the locking device of the identified one of the compartments of the lock box facility having dimensions sufficiently large to contain the object that corresponds to the at least one of the plurality of RFID transponders.

18. The method recited in claim 17, comprising transmitting control signals to free compartments, whereby the order of the transmitted control signals depends on the dimensions of the compartments.

19. The method recited in claim 17, wherein a control signal is transmitted to a compartment having smaller dimensions before a control signal is transmitted to a compartment having larger dimensions in comparison thereto.

20. The method recited in claim 17, comprising:

identifying an RFID transponder located in one of the compartments of the lock box facility; and

reading data from the RFID transponder;

transmitting the data read from the RFID transponder to the data processing unit; and

storing the data in a storage device for purposes of identifying the one of the compartments.

21. The method recited in claim 17, comprising:

generating a signal if the comparison of the dimensions of the object with the dimensions of the free compartments shows that there is no free compartment whose dimensions are larger than the dimensions of the object; and

transmitting the signal to an operating unit of the lock box facility.

22. The method recited in claim 21, comprising transforming the signal into a visual and/or acoustic message representative of a physical system on a display device.

23. A lock box facility in which objects are deposited into compartments of the lock box facility, whereby a control unit transmits a control signal to a locking device of each compartment in order to open a door of the compartment, and in which the dimensions of the appertaining compartment are stored in a data processing unit so that the compartments can be identified, the lock box facility comprising:

means for detecting a plurality of RFID transponders within a defined area around a facility reading device;

means for reading data from at least one of the plurality of RFID transponders, the data containing at least dimensions of an object associated with the at least one of the plurality of RFID transponders;

means for transmitting the data read from the at least one of the plurality of RFID transponders to the data processing unit;

means for determining which of the compartments of the lock box facility do not contain an object;

means for comparing dimensions of the compartments of the lock box facility determined not to contain an object with the dimensions of the object read out from the at least one of the plurality of RFID transponders;

means for determining whether one of the compartments of the lock box facility determined not to contain an object has dimensions sufficiently large to contain the object that corresponds to the at least one of the plurality of RFID transponders;

means for identifying the one of the compartments of the lock box facility having dimensions sufficiently large to contain the object that corresponds to the at least one of the plurality of RFID transponders;

means for transmitting the identity of the one of the compartments of the lock box facility having dimensions sufficiently large to contain the object that corresponds to the at least one of the plurality of RFID transponders to the control unit;

means for generating a control signal; and

means for transmitting the control signal to open the locking device of the identified one of the compartments of the lock box facility having dimensions sufficiently large to contain the object that corresponds to the at least one of the plurality of RFID transponders.