System for securely transporting objects in a tamper-proof container, wherein at least one recipient station is mobile and portable

• US 6,430,689 B1
• Filed: 01/08/1999
• Issued: 08/06/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 07/10/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Axytrans SA (Advent International Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Axytrans SA (Advent International Corporation)
• Inventors: Lacombe, Jean-Marc, Geoffroy, Marc
• Primary Examiner(s): Hayes, Gail
• Assistant Examiner(s): Seal, James
• Application Number:
  US09/214,608
• Time in Patent Office: 1,306 Days
• Field of Search: 713/168, 713/182, 702/77, 704/33, 704/34
• US Class Current: 713/168
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 11/12 Containers for valuable papers
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/06 Coin boxes
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/7062 Electrical type [e.g., solenoid]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/8054 With recorder
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/8081 Electric

Abstract

A system for securely transporting valuables enclosed in a container which responds to attempted tampering by damaging said valuables and is provided with internal control means operating as a limited-mode machine that may include at least some of the elements of a series consisting of a user such as a dispatcher, a recipient or an escort, a container, and a single remote host capable of communicating with the internal control means of said container, at least at the time of departure. The elements are interconnected via a single terminal to form a star network of stations with said station at the center. The system is characterized in that the station of at least one recipient is not a resident station but a mobile and portable station.

Claims

1. System for secure transport of materials from a central departure site to a destination site, comprising:

a container which in case of aggression will cause destruction of the materials, the container including an electromagnetic lock and being provided with internal management means operating as a machine with limited modes, in which the operating cycle comprises a restricted number of logical states called modes with changes between the modes being accomplished through transitions, one said transition from a first mode to a second mode being the result of an isolated event, validity of each of the transitions being checked by independent means capable of making contact with the internal management means, the transition then being accompanied by an erasure of memory of the previous mode,

a single server center in a remote location capable of getting into contact with the internal management means of said container, at least when it is at the departure site, to check the validity of an event that causes a transition from one mode to another mode,

a station arranged as a center of a star network, wherein the station is a mobile and transportable station comprising a terminal, the terminal comprising a keyboard, a screen, a microprocessor and a smart card reader, the mobile and transportable station being unconnected to the server center and constructed so that the mobile and transportable station can be connected through a communication interface with the container, the interface including an energy source to the power the terminal and the container.

2. Protection system according to claim 1, wherein events that may occur at a destination location at which there is a said mobile station, are programmed originally before departure from a central site, in management means internal to the container, transitions from one of the modes to another of the modes resulting from the events that may occur at the destination location then taking place without communication between the container and the server center.

3. Protection system according to claim 1, wherein an addressee associated with a said mobile station holds a smart card personalized with a confidential code previously and separately handed over to the said addressee enabling him to firstly identify himself by inserting the card in the reader validated by entering the confidential code, and secondly to chain open-reprogramming-departure events, when the container is delivered, making use of the container'"'"'s communication interface coupled to the terminal.

4. Protection system according to claim 3, wherein the microprocessor of the container and the personalized card held by the addressee comprise computer means for authentication of messages exchanged between the microprocessor of the container and the personalized card, through the terminal and the interface.

5. Protection system according to claim 4, wherein authentication of the sending part of the message consists of authenticating the message itself by verifying a computer signature calculated on the contents of the said message by means of a key controlled algorithm (DES), the keys being known only by the parties to the exchange.

6. Protection system according to claim 1, wherein messages exchanged between parties in the system are encrypted by means of a key controlled encryption algorithm (DES), the keys being known only by the parties, the said algorithm (DES) being a variant of the algorithm used to create an authentication signature for the said message.

7. Protection system according to claim 1, wherein the terminal is equipped with an independent printer constructed to provide an addressee with a receipt.

8. Protection system according to claim 1, wherein the terminal records all information originating from the container of containers concerning traceability of events that occurred daily, to sites equipped with the mobile stations.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the energy source of the interface is also adapted to power the electromagnetic lock.

9. A system for secure transport of materials, comprising:

a container comprising;

an electromagnetic lock; and

internal management means capable of operating in a predetermined number of modes, a transition from a first to a second mode being checked by independent means capable of making contact with the internal management means, said transition causing a loss of memory of the first mode;

at least one resident station adapted to communicate with the internal management means of the container;

a supervising computer adapted to exchange data with the at least one resident station;

a programmable smart card;

at least one mobile station located at a destination location comprising a terminal with a keyboard and screen, a microprocessor, a smart card reader, and a communication interface allowing communication with the container, the at least one mobile station being free of a communication connection with the supervising computer;

wherein in operation of the system the supervising computer sends data to the smart card and corresponding data to the internal management means of the container through the at least one resident station as the container is secured by the electromagnetic lock, the locked container then being transportable to said mobile station to be connected to the mobile station through the communication interface, so that the electromagnetic lock is released only upon entry of a predetermined code through the keyboard in conjunction with passing the smart card through the smart card reader.

11. A system for secure transport of materials comprising:

a container comprising;

an electromagnetic lock; and

an internal management element operating as a state machine for which there are a restricted number of logical modes between which the internal management element can transition, validity of each said transition between a previous said mode and a current said mode being verifiable by an independent means capable of making contact with the internal management element, each said transition resulting in erasure of memory related to the previous mode;

a server center in a remote location capable of making contact with the internal management element of the container, the serve center being structured and arranged to be able to check the validity of transitions of the internal management element of the container; and

a mobile and transportable station comprising;

a terminal comprising;

a keyboard;

a screen;

a microprocessor; and

a smart card reader;

wherein the mobile and transportable station is unconnected to the server center and constructed so that the mobile and transportable station can be connected through a communication interface with the container, the interface including an energy source to power the station and the container.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the container is constructed to detect an intrusion attempt and destroy the materials in the container if said intrusion is detected.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the mobile and transportable station is constructed so that it will actuate the electromagnetic lock of the container if first data read from a smart card through the smart card reader and second data entered through the keyboard are identified by the microprocessor as properly corresponding to one another.