Methods, systems, and products for locking and unlocking a lock

• US 8,503,631 B2
• Filed: 04/22/2005
• Issued: 08/06/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Philips North America LLC (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Open Invention Network LLC
• Inventors: White, Isaac D. M., Dickens, James
• Primary Examiner(s): Ramakrishnaiah, Melur
• Application Number:
  US11/112,574
• Publication Number:
  US 20050190900A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,028 Days
• Field of Search: 37910201-10206, 379/93.02, 379/93.03, 379/142.01, 37914204-14206, 379/142.13, 379/142.15, 340/573.4, 340/5.6, 340/5.7, 340/5.53
• US Class Current: 379/102.06
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/007 with remote control systems remote control in general G08C

Abstract

Methods, systems, and products are disclosed for locking and unlocking a lock. A lock service manager module stores in memory, and a processor communicates with the memory. The lock service manager module includes executable code for receiving a communication from a calling telephone number. A database is queried for at least one of i) a called telephone number and ii) a calling telephone number. The database stores telephone numbers of subscribers to a lock service. The lock service allows remote locking and unlocking of the lock. If the query is successful, the communication is processed.

Claims

1. A telecommunications network device for locking and unlocking a lock, the telecommunications network device comprising:

a lock service manager module stored in a memory device within the telecommunications network, and a processor within the telecommunications network communicating with the memory device;

the lock service manager module comprising executable code for;

receiving a communication from a calling telephone number;

querying a database for at least one of i) a called telephone number and ii) a calling telephone number, the database storing telephone numbers of subscribers to a lock service, the lock service allowing remote locking and unlocking of the lock; and

if the query is successful, processing the communication using executable code for communicating the communication to the lock, the communication causing at least one of i) a locked condition and ii) an unlocked condition.

2. A telecommunications network device according to claim 1, wherein the communication includes bioinformatics information that identifies a calling party.

3. A telecommunications network device according to claim 2, wherein the bioinformatics information comprises at least one of fingerprint information, retinal information, voice information, audio information, DNA information, and RNA information.

4. A telecommunications network device according to claim 1, wherein the lock service manager module further comprises executable code for authenticating a user.

5. A telecommunications network device according to claim 1, wherein the lock service manager module further comprises executable code for identifying the lock to be locked or unlocked.

6. A telecommunications network device according to claim 5, wherein the communication comprises information identifying the lock.

7. A telecommunications network device according to claim 6, wherein the information that identifies the lock comprises in-band audio tones.

8. A telecommunications network device according to claim 1, wherein the lock service manager module further comprises executable code for communicating the communication to a plurality of locks.

9. A telecommunications network device according to claim 1, wherein the communication comprises information identifying a user ID.

10. A telecommunications network device according to claim 1, wherein the communication comprises information identifying a personal identification number.

11. A telecommunications network device according to claim 1, wherein the communication comprises a combination of the lock.

12. A telecommunications network device according to claim 1, wherein the lock service manager module comprises executable code for authenticating a user.

13. A method for locking and unlocking a lock using a telecommunications network, the method comprising:

sending a message from within the telecommunications network to remotely lock or unlock a lock, wherein the message includes in-band audio tones that identify the lock, a combination of the lock, and a user; and

enabling the remote locking or unlocking of the lock based on comparing the in-band audio tones of the message to a database via a lock service manager processing module.

14. A method according to claim 13 wherein the user identification in-band audio tones are representative of a personal identification number.

15. A method according to claim 13 wherein the message is sent wirelessly.

16. A method according to claim 13, further comprising authenticating a user.

17. A method for locking and unlocking a lock executed from within a telecommunications network, the method comprising:

in a telecommunications network;

receiving a communication from a calling telephone number;

querying a database for at least one of i) a called telephone number and ii) a calling telephone number, the database storing telephone numbers of subscribers to a lock service, the lock service allowing remote locking and unlocking of the lock; and

if the query is successful, processing the communication to cause at least one of i) a locked condition and ii) an unlocked condition with respect to the lock.