Authenticating and Tracking a Valuable Asset Within the Confines of a Safe

• US 20140354398A1
• Filed: 05/29/2013
• Published: 12/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/2013
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: GlobalFoundries, Inc.
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Boday, Dylan J., Brooks, Bradford O., Pollyea, Scott W., Tummalapenta, Srinivas B., Wiest, Ralph E., Yaswi, Hamza
• Application Number:
  US13/905,031
• Publication Number:
  US 20140354398A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/5.2
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00912 for safes, strong-rooms, vaults or the like

Abstract

An approach is provided to track a hard asset in a smart safe. In the approach, the hard asset is registered with a computing system that is associated with the smart safe. The registration of the hard asset include storing at least one physical attribute of the hard asset in a computer memory. The approach then monitors the presence of the hard asset in the smart safe. If removal of the hard asset is detected, a predefined security action is performed, such as contacting the owner or security personnel.

Claims

1. A method of tracking a hard asset in a smart safe, the method comprising:

registering a hard asset with a computing system associated with the smart safe, wherein the registration comprises storing at least one physical attribute of the hard asset in a computer memory;

monitoring a presence of the hard asset in the smart safe; and

responsive to detecting a removal of the hard asset, performing a predefined security action.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the predefined security action is an electronic notification transmitted to a security system that informs the security system that the hard asset has been removed from the smart safe.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising:

periodically attempting detection of the hard asset within the smart safe using one or more sensors, wherein the detection is based on a previously identified physical attribute of the hard asset;

transmitting an electronic notification to a security system, wherein the electronic notification includes a result of the attempted detection; and

responsive to the attempted detection failing to detect the hard asset within the smart safe;

determining whether the electronic notification was received indicating that the hard asset has been removed from the smart safe;

responsive to determining that the electronic notification was not received, performing the predefined security action, wherein the predefined security action is selected from the group consisting of notifying a security agent, notifying a user associated with the hard asset, and triggering a security alarm; and

adjusting an insurance rate associated with the hard asset based upon an amount of time that the hard asset is undetected within the smart safe.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the hard asset is one of a plurality of hard assets registered with the security system as being within the smart safe, the method further comprising:

monitoring the plurality of hard assets within the smart safe;

detecting an unauthorized removal of a selected one of the hard assets; and

selecting the predefined security action based on an identification of the selected hard asset, wherein the predefined security action is selected from a plurality of predefined security actions.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the physical attribute is selected from the group of a weight, a material composition, a refractive index, a visual depiction, and a surface property of the hard asset.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein registering further comprises:

associating a technological tracking device with the hard asset, wherein the technological tracking device is a physical attribute of the hard asset with the technological tracking device being included with the hard asset.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving authentication data from a user of the smart safe, wherein the authentication data is selected from the group consisting of a password, a biometric data, a key, and a combination;

retrieving an expected authentication data from a memory area;

authenticating the received authentication data based on the expected authentication data; and

allowing user access to the smart safe in response to a successful authentication.

8. An information handling system comprising:

one or more processors;

a memory coupled to at least one of the processors;

one or more sensors coupled to at least one of the processors, wherein the sensors detect hard assets within a smart safe; and

a set of instructions stored in the memory and executed by at least one of the processors to provide smart safe security, wherein the set of instructions perform actions of;

registering a hard asset that is stored in the smart safe, wherein the registration comprises storing at least one physical attribute of the hard asset in the memory;

monitoring a presence of the hard asset in the smart safe using at least one of the sensors; and

responsive to detecting a removal of the hard asset, performing a predefined security action.

9. The information handling system of claim 8 wherein the predefined security action is an electronic notification transmitted to a security system that informs the security system that the hard asset has been removed from the smart safe.

10. The information handling system of claim 9 further comprising:

periodically attempting detection of the hard asset within the smart safe using one or more sensors, wherein the detection is based on a previously identified physical attribute of the hard asset;

transmitting an electronic notification to a security system, wherein the electronic notification includes a result of the attempted detection; and

responsive to the attempted detection failing to detect the hard asset within the smart safe;

determining whether the electronic notification was received indicating that the hard asset has been removed from the smart safe;

responsive to determining that the electronic notification was not received, performing the predefined security action, wherein the predefined security action is selected from the group consisting of notifying a security agent, notifying a user associated with the hard asset, and triggering a security alarm; and

adjusting an insurance rate associated with the hard asset based upon an amount of time that the hard asset is undetected within the smart safe.

11. The information handling system of claim 8 wherein the hard asset is one of a plurality of hard assets registered with the security system as being within the smart safe, the actions further comprising:

monitoring the plurality of hard assets within the smart safe;

detecting an unauthorized removal of a selected one of the hard assets; and

selecting the predefined security action based on an identification of the selected hard asset, wherein the predefined security action is selected from a plurality of predefined security actions.

12. The information handling system of claim 8 wherein the physical attribute is selected from the group of a weight, a material composition, a refractive index, a visual depiction, and a surface property of the hard asset.

13. The information handling system of claim 8 wherein registering further comprises:

associating a technological tracking device with the hard asset, wherein the technological tracking device is a physical attribute of the hard asset with the technological tracking device being included with the hard asset.

14. The information handling system of claim 8 further comprising:

receiving authentication data from a user of the smart safe, wherein the authentication data is selected from the group consisting of a password, a biometric data, a key, and a combination;

retrieving an expected authentication data from a memory area;

authenticating the received authentication data based on the expected authentication data; and

allowing user access to the smart safe in response to a successful authentication.

15. A computer program product stored in a computer readable medium, comprising computer instructions that, when executed by an information handling system, causes the information handling system to track a hard asset in a smart safe by performing actions comprising:

registering a hard asset with a computing system associated with the smart safe, wherein the registration comprises storing at least one physical attribute of the hard asset in a computer memory;

monitoring a presence of the hard asset in the smart safe; and

responsive to detecting a removal of the hard asset, performing a predefined security action.

16. The computer program product of claim 15 wherein the predefined security action is an electronic notification transmitted to a security system that informs the security system that the hard asset has been removed from the smart safe.

17. The computer program product of claim 16 wherein the actions further comprise:

periodically attempting detection of the hard asset within the smart safe using one or more sensors, wherein the detection is based on a previously identified physical attribute of the hard asset;

transmitting an electronic notification to a security system, wherein the electronic notification includes a result of the attempted detection; and

responsive to the attempted detection failing to detect the hard asset within the smart safe;

determining whether the electronic notification was received indicating that the hard asset has been removed from the smart safe;

responsive to determining that the electronic notification was not received, performing the predefined security action, wherein the predefined security action is selected from the group consisting of notifying a security agent, notifying a user associated with the hard asset, and triggering a security alarm; and

adjusting an insurance rate associated with the hard asset based upon an amount of time that the hard asset is undetected within the smart safe.

18. The computer program product of claim 15 wherein the hard asset is one of a plurality of hard assets registered with the security system as being within the smart safe, and wherein the actions further comprise:

monitoring the plurality of hard assets within the smart safe;

detecting an unauthorized removal of a selected one of the hard assets; and

selecting the predefined security action based on an identification of the selected hard asset, wherein the predefined security action is selected from a plurality of predefined security actions.

19. The computer program product of claim 15 wherein the physical attribute is selected from the group of a weight, a material composition, a refractive index, a visual depiction, and a surface property of the hard asset.

20. The computer program product of claim 15 wherein registering further comprises:

associating a technological tracking device with the hard asset, wherein the technological tracking device is a physical attribute of the hard asset with the technological tracking device being included with the hard asset.