Intelligent locking system

• US 7,113,071 B2
• Filed: 10/05/2004
• Issued: 09/26/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Typhoon Industries LLC
• Original Assignee: Typhoon Industries LLC
• Inventors: Adams, Mark, MacAlpine, Colin, Thomas, Laurence, Cayne, Jordan, Laidlaw, Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Hofsass, Jeffrey
• Assistant Examiner(s): AU, SCOTT D
• Application Number:
  US10/959,339
• Publication Number:
  US 20050040932A1
• Time in Patent Office: 721 Days
• Field of Search: 340/5.22, 340/5.52, 340/5.73, 340/115, 340/124, 340/125, 382/115, 382/124, 382/125
• US Class Current: 340/5.22
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2011/02 related to amusement parks
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/257 electronically G07C9/26 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/27 with central registration
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/5031 Receptacle

Abstract

A method of using an electronic locking system to access one of a plurality of lockers includes programming the system by recording at least one biometric characteristic of a user, storing the recorded biometric characteristic of the user in memory, and associating the recorded biometric characteristic of the user with one of the lockers so that the user is authorized to access the locker. The method also includes locking the locker, re-recording the biometric characteristic of the user, after the re-recording step, comparing the re-recorded biometric characteristic of the user with the recorded biometric characteristic of the user and unlocking the locker if the re-recorded biometric characteristic of the user matches the recorded biometric characteristic of the user. The system is newly reprogrammed for each subsequent user of the locker.

Claims

1. A method of using an electronic locking system to access one of a plurality of lockers, the method comprising:

programming said electronic locking system by recording at least one biometric characteristic of a user when said user is located at said plurality of lockers, storing said recorded at least one biometric characteristic of said user in memory, and associating said recorded at least one biometric characteristic of said user with said one of a plurality of lockers so that said user is authorized to access said one of a plurality of lockers;

locking said one of a plurality of lockers;

re-recording said at least one biometric characteristic of said user;

after the re-recording step, comparing said re-recorded at least one biometric characteristic of said user with said recorded at least one biometric characteristic of said user;

unlocking said one of a plurality of lockers if said re-recorded at least one biometric characteristic of said user matches said recorded at least one biometric characteristic of said user;

re-programming said electronic locking system using at least one biometric characteristic of a second user so that said at least one biometric characteristic of said second user is associated with said one of a plurality of lockers and so that said second user is authorized to access said one of a plurality of lockers and said first user is no longer authorized to access said one of a plurality of lockers.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising repeating the re-programming step for each subsequent user of said one of a plurality of lockers.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first user and said second user are the same person.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first user and said second user are different persons.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising updating said at least one biometric characteristic associated with said one of a plurality of lockers each time said one of a plurality of lockers is used.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said one of a plurality of lockers comprises a lockable storage enclosure.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said one of a plurality of lockers comprises a post office box.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said at least one biometric characteristic comprises at least one fingerprint.

9. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said at least one biometric characteristic comprises at least one pattern of an eye.

10. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein after the programming step and before the re-programming programming step, only said user is authorized to access said one of a plurality of lockers.

11. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein after the re-programming step, said second user can access said one of a plurality of lockers using only said at least one biometric characteristic of said second user.

12. The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein said at least one fingerprint comprises a fingerprint pattern.

13. The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein said at least one fingerprint comprises information related to the electrical capacitance of ridges and valleys of said at least one fingerprint.

14. A method of controlling access to one of a plurality of lockers using an electronic locking system comprising:

programming said electronic locking system by recording at least one biometric characteristic of a user when said user is located at said plurality of lockers and associating said recorded at least one biometric characteristic with said one of a plurality of lockers so that only said user is authorized to access said one of a plurality of lockers;

after the programming step, using said at least one biometric characteristic of said user for unlocking said one of a plurality of lockers;

re-programming said electronic locking system by newly recording at least one biometric characteristic of a second user and associating said newly recorded at least one biometric characteristic with said one of a plurality of lockers so that only said second user is authorized to access said one of a plurality of lockers and so that said first user is no longer authorized to access said one of a plurality of lockers.

15. The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein said one of a -plurality of lockers comprises a post office box.

16. The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein said first and second users are the same person.

17. The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein said first and second users are different persons.

18. The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein after the programming step and before the re-programming step, the only information required for unlocking said one of a plurality of lockers is said at least one biometric characteristic of said user.

19. The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein after the re-programming step, the only information required for accessing said one of a plurality of lockers is said newly recorded at least one biometric characteristic of said second user.

20. The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein said recorded at least one biometric characteristic of said user comprises at least one fingerprint.

21. The method as claimed in claim 20, wherein said at least one fingerprint comprises a fingerprint pattern.

22. The method as claimed in claim 20, wherein said at least one fingerprint comprises information related to the electrical capacitance of ridges and valleys of said at least one fingerprint.

23. A method of controlling access to one of a plurality of lockers using an electronic locking system comprising:

recording at least one biometric characteristic of a user when said user is located at said plurality of lockers;

storing said recorded at least one biometric characteristic in memory;

associating said stored biometric characteristic of said user with said one of a plurality of lockers so that only said user is authorized to access said one of a plurality of lockers by using said at least one biometric characteristic of said user;

unlocking said one of a plurality of lockers using said at least one biometric characteristic of said user;

re-programming said system by newly recording at least one biometric characteristic of a second user and associating said newly recorded at least one biometric characteristic with said one of a plurality of lockers so that only said second user is authorized to access said one of a plurality of lockers and so that said first user is no longer authorized to access said one of a plurality of lockers.

24. The method as claimed in claim 23, further comprising repeating the re-programming step for each subsequent user of said one of a plurality of lockers.

25. The method as claimed in claim 23, wherein said first and second users are the same person.

26. The method as claimed in claim 23, wherein said first user and said second user are different persons.

27. The method as claimed in claim 23, wherein during the unlocking step, the only information used for authorizing access to said one of a plurality of lockers is said recorded at least one biometric characteristic of said user.

28. The method as claimed in claim 23, wherein after the re-programming step, the only information used for authorizing access to said one of a plurality of lockers is said newly recorded at least one biometric characteristic of said second user.

29. The method as claimed in claim 23, wherein said recorded at least one biometric characteristic of said user comprises at least one fingerprint.

30. The method as claimed in claim 29, wherein said at least one fingerprint comprises a fingerprint pattern.

31. The method as claimed in claim 29, wherein said at least one fingerprint comprises information related to the electrical capacitance of ridges and valleys of said at least one fingerprint.

32. A method of using an electronic locking system comprising:

programming said electronic locking system by recording at least one biometric characteristic of a user when said user is located at said electronic locking system, storing said recorded at least one biometric characteristic of said user in memory, and associating said recorded at least one biometric characteristic of said user with at least one lockable enclosure so that said user is authorized to access said at least one lockable enclosure;

locking said at least one lockable enclosure;

re-recording said at least one biometric characteristic of said user;

after the re-recording step, comparing said re-recorded at least one biometric characteristic of said user with said recorded at least one biometric characteristic of said user;

unlocking said at least one lockable enclosure if said re-recorded at least one biometric characteristic of said user matches said recorded at least one biometric characteristic of said user;

re-programming said electronic locking system using at least one biometric characteristic of a second user so that said at least one biometric characteristic of said second user is associated with said at least one lockable enclosure and so that said second user is authorized to access said at least one lockable enclosure and said first user is no longer authorized to access said at least one lockable enclosure.

33. The method as claimed in claim 32, wherein said at least one lockable enclosure comprises one of a plurality of lockers.

34. The method as claimed in claim 32, wherein said at least one lockable enclosure comprises a post office box.

35. The method as claimed in claim 32, wherein after the associating step and before the re-programming step, only said user is authorized to access said at least one lockable enclosure, and only said at least one biometric characteristic of said user is required for gaining access.

36. The method as claimed in claim 32, wherein after the re-programming step, the only information required for authorizing access to said one of a plurality of lockers is said newly recorded at least one biometric characteristic of said second user.

37. The method as claimed in claim 32, wherein said recorded at least one biometric characteristic of said user comprises at least one fingerprint.

38. The method as claimed in claim 37, wherein said at least one fingerprint comprises a fingerprint pattern.

39. The method as claimed in claim 38, wherein said at least one fingerprint comprises information related to the electrical capacitance of ridges and valleys of said at least one fingerprint.

40. A method of using an electronic locking system to access one of a plurality of lockers, the method comprising:

programming said electronic locking system by recording at least one biometric characteristic of a user when said user is located at said plurality of lockers, storing said recorded at least one biometric characteristic of said user in memory, and associating said recorded at least one biometric characteristic of said user with said one of a plurality of lockers so that said user is authorized to access said one of a plurality of lockers;

re-recording said at least one biometric characteristic of said user;

after the re-recording step, comparing said re-recorded at least one biometric characteristic of said user with said recorded at least one biometric characteristic of said user;

unlocking said one of a plurality of lockers if said re-recorded at least one biometric characteristic of said user matches said recorded at least one biometric characteristic of said user;

re-programming said electronic locking system using at least one biometric characteristic of a second user so that said at least one biometric characteristic of said second user is associated with said one of a plurality of lockers and so that said second user is authorized to access said one of a plurality of lockers and said first user is no longer authorized to access said one of a plurality of lockers.

41. The method as claimed in claim 40, wherein said recorded at least one biometric characteristic of said user comprises at least one fingerprint.

42. The method as claimed in claim 41, wherein said at least one fingerprint comprises a fingerprint pattern.

43. The method as claimed in claim 41, wherein said at least one fingerprint comprises information related to the electrical capacitance of ridges and valleys of said at least one fingerprint.