Serialized lock combination retrieval systems and methods

• US 8,108,927 B2
• Filed: 09/25/2008
• Issued: 01/31/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Targus International LLC
• Original Assignee: Targus Group International Incorporated (Targus International LLC)
• Inventors: Michelle, Deborah L., Urkudey, Prashant N.
• Primary Examiner(s): Reza, Mohammad
• Application Number:
  US12/238,004
• Publication Number:
  US 20090083851A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,223 Days
• Field of Search: 726/21, 713/2, 713/193
• US Class Current: 726/21
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/31 User authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2131 Lost password, e.g. recovery of lost or forgotten passwords

Abstract

Disclosed are embodiments of systems and methods for retrieving combination lock codes in a secure environment. In some embodiments, each of a plurality of combination locks are linked with a serial code. A user may then enter user identity information into a retrieval system. After the system has validated the user identity information, the user may enter a serial code into the system, the serial code associated with a combination lock for which the user would like to retrieve a corresponding combination code. Upon receipt of the serial code from the user, the system may securely transmit a combination code associated with the desired combination lock to the user. In one embodiment, the secure transmission of the combination code is done by sending an electronic mail message to an electronic mail account of the user.

Claims

1. A method for facilitating retrieval of combination codes for serialized combination locks from a serialized lock computer system, each of the plurality of combination locks having a serial code and a combination code associated therewith, the method comprising:

linking, by the serialized lock computer system, at least one of a plurality of serial codes with a corresponding combination code;

receiving, at the serialized lock computer system, user identity information from a user computer system;

validating, at the serialized lock computer system, the user identity information, wherein the user identity information is associated with at least one of the combination locks;

receiving, at the serialized lock computer system, a serial code from the user from the user computer system; and

securely transmitting, by the serialized lock computer system, to a user account of a user of the user computer system, a message comprising a combination code associated with at least one of the combination locks.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of transmitting a message comprising a combination code to a user account of a user of the user computer system comprises sending an electronic mail message to the user.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of transmitting a message comprising a combination code to a user account of a user of the user computer system comprises sending a text message to the user'"'"'s mobile telephone.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of transmitting a message comprising a combination code to a user account of a user of the user computer system comprises leaving a voice mail message to the user in a messaging system.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of linking at least one of a plurality of serial codes with a corresponding combination code comprises using, by the serialized lock computer system, an algorithm to generate a combination code from a serial code.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of linking at least one of a plurality of serial codes with a corresponding combination code comprises storing serial codes for a plurality of combination locks, storing combination codes for each of the plurality of combination locks, and electronically linking the stored serial codes with the stored combination codes by the serialized lock computer system.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing, by the serialized lock computer system, audit data regarding a transaction by the user to access a combination code.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the audit data comprises at least one of the user identity information, an Internet Protocol (IP) address of a computer requesting the combination code, the time of the transaction, and the date of the transaction.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, at the serialized computer system, user identity information from a second user;

attempting, by the serialized computer system, to validate the user identity information from the second user; and

storing, at the serialized computer system, audit data regarding the second user.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the step of storing audit data regarding the second user is initiated by the serialized computer system in response to an indication that the attempt to validate the user identity information from the second user has failed.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

linking, by the serialized computer system, at least a subset of the plurality of serial codes with company identity information; and

linking, by the serialized computer system, user identity information with company identity information.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising attempting, by the serialized computer system, to match the serial code received from the user computer system with company identity information linked with the user identity information.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising terminating, by the serialized computer system, user access by the user in response to determining that the serial code received from the user computer system does not match the company identity information linked with the user identity information.

14. A system for facilitating retrieval of combination codes for serialized combination locks, each of the plurality of combination locks having a serial code and a combination code associated therewith, the system comprising:

a user interface generated by a processor for receiving user identity information from a user;

a user validation component executable on a processor for validating the user identity information, wherein the user identity information is associated with at least one of a plurality of combination locks;

a user interface generated by a processor for receiving a serial code from the user; and

a transmission component for securely transmitting a message comprising a combination code associated with at least one of the combination locks to an account associated with the user.

15. The system of claim 14, further comprising a combination code generation component executable on a processor, wherein the combination code generation component is configured to use an algorithm to generate a combination code from the serial code received from the user.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the user interface for receiving user identity information from a user is the same as the user interface for receiving a serial code from the user.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein the user validation component is further configured to match the serial code with company identity information linked with the user identity information.

18. The system of claim 14, further comprising an audit component executable on a processor configured to store audit data regarding a transaction by the user to access a combination code.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the audit data comprises at least one of the user identity information, an Internet Protocol (IP) address of a computer requesting the combination code, the time of the transaction, and the date of the transaction.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the audit component is further configured to initiate an audit in response to an indication that an attempt to validate user identity information from a user has failed.

21. The system of claim 18, wherein the audit component is further configured to initiate an audit in response to an indication that an attempt to match a serial code with company identity information has failed.

22. A non-transitory computer-readable medium including computer program instructions that cause a computer to implement a method, the method comprising:

receiving user identity information from a user;

validating the user identity information, wherein the user identity information is associated with at least one of a plurality of combination locks, each of the plurality of combination locks having a serial code and a combination code associated therewith;

receiving a serial code from the user;

linking the serial code with a corresponding combination code; and

securely transmitting a message comprising the corresponding combination code to a user account of the user.

23. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 22, wherein the step of transmitting a message with a combination code to a user account of the user comprises sending an electronic mail message to the user.

24. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 23, wherein the step of transmitting a message with a combination code to a user account of the user comprises sending a text message to the user'"'"'s mobile telephone.

25. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 22, wherein the step of transmitting a message with a combination code to a user account of the user comprises leaving a voice mail message to the user in a messaging system.

26. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 22, wherein the step of linking the serial code with a corresponding combination code comprises using an algorithm to generate the corresponding combination code from the serial code.

27. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 22, wherein the step of linking the serial code with a corresponding combination code comprises storing serial codes for a plurality of combination locks, storing combination codes for each of the plurality of combination locks, and electronically linking the stored serial codes with the stored combination codes.

28. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 22, further comprising storing audit data regarding a transaction by the user to access a combination code.

29. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 22, wherein the method further comprises:

receiving user identity information from a second user;

attempting to validate the user identity information from the second user; and

storing audit data regarding the second user.

30. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 29, wherein the step of storing audit data regarding the second user is initiated in response to an indication that the attempt to validate the user identity information from the second user has failed.

31. A method for facilitating retrieval of combination codes for serialized combination locks, each of the plurality of combination locks having a serial code and a combination code associated therewith, the method comprising:

receiving user identity information from a user;

validating the user identity information, wherein the user identity information is associated with at least one of a plurality of combination locks, each of the plurality of combination locks having a serial code and a combination code associated therewith;

receiving a serial code from the user;

linking the serial code with a corresponding combination code by using an algorithm to generate a combination code from the serial code received from the user;

securely transmitting the combination code via electronic mail to the user; and

storing audit data regarding the user'"'"'s retrieval of the combination code.