Payment authorized lock system and methods of making and using the same

• US 9,224,257 B2
• Filed: 07/09/2012
• Issued: 12/29/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/08/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Clay Hall Smith, Kyle Patrick Smith
• Original Assignee: Clay Hall Smith, Kyle Patrick Smith
• Inventors: Smith, Kyle Patrick, Smith, Clay Hall
• Primary Examiner(s): STANFORD, CHRISTOPHER J
• Application Number:
  US13/544,494
• Publication Number:
  US 20130008958A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,268 Days
• Field of Search: 235/375, 235/380, 235/382
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10366 the interrogation device being adapted for miscellaneous applications
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/00 Payment architectures, schemes or protocols apparatus for performing or posting payment transactions G07F7/08, G07F19/00; electronic cash registers G07G1/12
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/045 using payment protocols involving tickets
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 15/04 comprising devices to free a barrier, turnstile, or the like turnstiles with registering means G07C9/10; coin-freed aspects G07F17/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00563 using personal physical data of the operator, e.g. finger prints, retinal images, voicepatterns
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/0069 actuated in a predetermined sequence
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00904 for hotels, motels, office buildings or the like
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/10 Movable barriers with registering means

Abstract

A payment authorized door and/or gate lock system that controls access to a given area through the processing, storage and recollection of data input through a touchscreen user interface.

Claims

1. A door or gate locking system comprising:

a payment card reader for reading a payment card;

a user interface display for inputting user data therein;

a computing system programmed to provide prompts to a user on said user interface display, accept user data inputted into said user interface display and said payment card reader, store inputted user data inputted into said user interface display and said payment card reader, and initiate one or more actions in response to receiving user data;

an electronic lock that changes from (i) a locked configuration to an unlocked configuration or (ii) from an unlocked configuration to a locked configuration in response to a signal generated by said computing system; and

a door or gate locked by said locking system, said door or gate being sized so that one or more persons can enter through the door or gate and into a facility having restricted access via the door or gate;

wherein said computing system is further programmed to (i) accept or decline payment by a user using a payment card, and (ii) in response to accepting payment, providing a consent and user agreement for the user to review on said user interface display, and (iii) in response to the user accepting terms of the consent and user agreement via input into said user interface display, sending a signal to said electronic lock to unlock said electronic lock, and (iv) in response to the user not accepting terms of the consent and user agreement, providing a message or prompt to the user via said user interface display.

2. The door or gate locking system of claim 1, wherein said computing system is further programmed to recognize current members based on (i) stored inputted user data previously inputted on said user interface display, said payment card reader data, via an Internet website or a local server webpage, or any combination thereof, and (ii) a code entered by the user on said user interface display or a payment card read by said payment card reader.

3. The door or gate locking system of claim 2, wherein said computing system is further programmed to (1) recognize current members based on (i) stored inputted user data previously inputted on said user interface display, said payment card reader data, or both said user interface display and said payment card reader, and (ii) a code entered by the user on said user interface display or a payment card read by said payment card reader, and (2) automatically charge the current member'"'"'s payment card a price per person for entry through the door or gate locked by said locking system provided that the current user has authorized said locking system to do so, and such authorization is within the stored inputted user data for the current member.

4. The door or gate locking system of claim 3, wherein said computing system is further programmed to (i) display a price per person on said user interface display for entry through the door or gate locked by said locking system, and (ii) in response to price acceptance data inputted by the user on said user interface display, sending a signal to said electronic lock to unlock said electronic lock.

5. The door or gate locking system of claim 1, further comprising a sensor for monitoring a number of people that enter through the door or gate locked by said locking system, said computing system further programmed to charge a user'"'"'s payment card based on the number of people that enter through the door or gate locked by said locking system as determined by the sensor.

6. The door or gate locking system of claim 1, further comprising a keypad, said keypad being separate from said user interface display or integrally connected to said user interface display.

7. The door or gate locking system of claim 1, further comprising a barcode scanning device, said barcode scanning device being separate from said user interface display or integrally connected to said user interface display, said barcode scanning device being capable of reading barcode data for processing by said computing system.

8. The door or gate locking system of claim 1, further comprising an exit button for placement within a facility locked by said locking system, and wherein said computing system, in response to a user pressing said exit button, sends a signal to said electronic lock to unlock said electronic lock.

9. The door or gate locking system of claim 1, further comprising a second card reader for placement within a facility locked by said locking system, and wherein said computing system, in response to a user contacting said second card reader with a user card or bring the user card into close proximity to said second card reader, sends a signal to said electronic lock to unlock said electronic lock.

10. The door or gate locking system of claim 1, further comprising two or more electronic locks, each of which is connected to said computing system so as to change from (i) a locked configuration to an unlocked configuration or (ii) from an unlocked configuration to a locked configuration in response to a signal generated by said computing system.

11. The door or gate locking system of claim 1, further comprising one or more servers, said one or more servers having capacity to perform one or more tasks selected from:

(i) running said computing system, (ii) storing user inputted data, (iii) providing access to said computing system via a virtual private network, and (iv) providing emails or text messages to a user regarding upcoming events, payment for an event, and changes in scheduling of an upcoming event.

12. The door or gate locking system of claim 1, wherein said computing system is accessible from a remote location via an electronic device.

13. The door or gate of claim 1, wherein said payment card reader and said user interface display are each independently positioned (i) on the door or gate or (ii) proximate said door or gate.

14. A method of using the door or gate locking system of claim 1, said method comprising:

providing the locking system so that a user may input one or more pieces of data into the locking system via (i) the payment card reader, (ii) the user interface display, or (iii) both the payment card reader and the user interface display; and

in response to the user (i) inputting the one or more pieces of data, (ii) authorizing payment of a fee for entry into a facility on a payment card, and (iii) accepting terms of a consent and user agreement, unlocking the electronic lock so as to provide access to the facility.