Apparatus for controlling articles in custody

• US 7,129,817 B2
• Filed: 08/01/2002
• Issued: 10/31/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/01/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Junichi Yamagishi, Unirec Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Junichi Yamagishi, Unirec Company Limited
• Inventors: Yamagishi, Junichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Hofsass, Jeffery
• Assistant Examiner(s): JENKINS, KIMBERLY YVETTE
• Application Number:
  US10/210,722
• Publication Number:
  US 20040021551A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,552 Days
• Field of Search: 340/5.83, 340/545.6, 340/5.73, 340/5.9, 340 552- 553, 340/5.42, 340/5.71
• US Class Current: 340/5.53
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/24162 Biometric sensor, fingerprint as user access password
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00936 for key cabinets
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2209/08 With time considerations, e.g. temporary activation, valid time window or time limitations
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00563 using personal physical data of the operator, e.g. finger prints, retinal images, voicepatterns
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00912 for safes, strong-rooms, vaults or the like
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/33 by means of a password
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/37 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voice recognition

Abstract

An apparatus for reliably and easily controlling articles in custody, for example articles in a safe, has a storage unit lockable to keep the articles therein and unlockable to allow the articles to be taken out therefrom, an input unit to input biometric information for unlocking the storage unit, a registration unit to register biometric information in advance, a collator to collate the input biometric information with the registered biometric information, a controller to unlock the storage unit if the collation by the collator authenticates the input biometric information, and a recorder to record at least a person related to the authenticated biometric information in response to the unlocking of the storage unit.

Claims

1. An apparatus for controlling articles in custody. comprising:

a storage compartment structure in the form of a box having an inside defining an interior compartment, said box having movably attached thereto a lockable outer door for closing said interior compartment to secure the articles within the interior compartment of the box and unlockable to allow the articles to be taken out therefrom;

an input unit to input biometric information for unlocking the storage compartment structure;

a registration unit to register biometric information in advance;

a collation unit to collate the input biometric information with the registered biometric information;

a controller to unlock the storage means if the collation byte collation unit authenticates the input biometric information;

a record unit to record at least a person related to the authenticated biometric information in response to the unlocking of the storage compartment structure;

the storage compartment structure forming a plurality of inner storage spaces, in the interior compartment of the storage compartment structure, each being lockable to keep articles therein and selectively unlockable to allow the articles to be taken out therefrom;

the outer door openable to visibly expose the inner storage spaces to outside said storage structure;

the input unit including an outer input to input biometric information for unlocking the outer door, the outer input being disposed on an exterior of the outer door and exposed a person seeking to open the outer door when the outer door is closed;

the input unit including an inner input in an interior of the storage compartment structure to input biometric information for unlocking the inner storage spaces, the inner input unit being provided within the inside of box so as to be exposed to the person when the outer door is opened;

a selection input unit disposed within said interior compartment for selecting any one of the inner storage spaces, said selection input unit accepting selection data input by the person for the purpose of opening any one of said inner storage;

said inner storage spaces respectively have inner storage space doors which are unlockable by the input unit and movably supported by the storage compartment structure;

the controller including an outer control unit to unlock the outer door if the biometric information inputted into the outer input means is authenticated by collation and an inner control unit to unlock the inner storage space door of the selected inner storage space if the biometric information inputted into the inner input is authenticated by collation and if the inner storage space is selected through the selection input;

and

the selection data selecting one of said inner storage spaces from amongst all said inner storage spaces which is unlocked in response to receipt and collation of the input biometric information inputted to said inner input.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the record also records a time when the storage compartment structure is unlocked.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the storage compartment structure is a safe.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

said inner storage space doors are arranged supported on an area of an inner wall of said storage compartment structure within said interior compartment; and

said inner input and said selection input unit are disposed on said inner wall at a position adjacent said area of said inner wall.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the outer control unit includes a timer device and an alarm device wherein the timer device activates the alarm device to emit an alarm when the outer door remains open longer than a predetermined time period.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the outer control unit includes a timer device and an alarm device wherein the timer device activates the alarm device to emit an alarm when the outer door remains open longer than a predetermined time period.