US 10,922,909 B2Granted

Computer-implemented systems and methods for secure enclosures and access thereto

OwnerAlberto Romero, Michael Watrobainventors

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Abstract

A secure lockable enclosure having a compartment therein, includes an electronically-actuated latching mechanism coupled to a door; a network interface; a sensor for sensing a characteristic related to a user attempting to gain access to the compartment; an environmental controller for heating and/or cooling the compartment; and a processor. The processor being adapted to (i) cause the network interface to transmit information indicative of a sensed characteristic of a user attempting to gain access to the compartment and capable of processing an unlock signal, and (ii) control the environmental controller based on a characteristic of an item placed in the compartment. An exemplary method controlling access by a user to the enclosure includes the steps of receiving identification information of the user from sensors associated with the enclosure; receiving identification information of an account holder; verifying the received identification information of the user against the account holder information and providing an unlock code to the lock device if the identification information of the user and account holder matches.

Claims27

Dependent claims

A secure enclosure system comprising:

an enclosure housing having at least one compartment formed therein for receiving at least one item;
a moveable element engaging the secure enclosure housing to provide or prevent access to the at least one compartment;
an electronically-actuated latching mechanism coupled to the moveable element;
a network interface for providing communication with a communications network;
a user sensor for sensing a characteristic related to a user attempting to gain access to the compartment;
an item sensor configured to detect information indicative of a characteristic of the at least one item;
an environmental controller comprising at least one of heating or cooling source adapted to provide at least one of heating or cooling to the at least one compartment;
a processor coupled to the latching mechanism, the network interface, the user sensor, item sensor, and the environmental controller, wherein said processor is adapted to cause the network interface to transmit information indicative of a sensed characteristic related to the user attempting to gain access to the compartment and capable of processing an unlock signal to control the latching mechanism to provide access to the compartment by the user, and wherein said processor is adapted to control the environmental controller based on sensed information indicative of a characteristic of the at least one item placed in the at least one compartment;
wherein the sensed information indicative of the characteristic of the item placed in the at least one compartment is at least one of item type, or a desired environmental temperature(s) specified for such delivered item;
and
a compartment sensor coupled to the processor wherein the compartment sensor detects the presence or absence of an item within the compartment.

8 more elements

A computer implemented method for providing access to a secure enclosure comprising the steps of:

receiving information representing identification information of a user attempting to gain access to the secure enclosure sensed by a user sensor associated with a remotely-controllable electronic lock device of said secure enclosure;
processing the sensed information to obtain information indicative of the user;
receiving information of an account holder, said information including identification information indicative of the account holder;
verifying the processed user information relative to the account holder identification information;
transmitting an unlock code to a lock control system associated with the remotely-controllable electronic lock device if the verification step verifies that the processed user information corresponds to the received account holder identification information;
receiving a signal from the secure enclosure system indicative that said system detected that at least one of an item has been placed into, or removed from, the compartment of the secure enclosure after transmission of the unlock code;
receiving information indicative of a characteristic of the at least one item placed in the secure enclosure wherein the characteristic information is detected by an item sensor of the secure enclosure;
and
transmitting to the secure enclosure system environmental information based on the characteristic information, wherein the secure enclosure system is configured to set a temperature in the compartment based on the environmental information.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 16/211,686Filed 6 Dec 2018 · continuation in part
Priority: 28 Jun 2016
Published: US 2019/0122463 A125 Apr 2019
Granted: 16 Feb 2021
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification14 codes

G07C 9/00182
Electronically operated locks; Circuits therefor; Nonmechanical keys therefor, e.g. passive or active electrical keys or other data carriers…:…
G05B 9/02
Safety arrangements: electric
G05B 19/042
Program control other than numerical control, i.e. in sequence controllers or logic controllers: using digital processors
G06K 7/1413
The method being specifically adapted for the type of code: 1D bar codes

Family

Application62/355,413Us provisional application · filed 28 Jun 2016
Application15/633,997Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 27 Jun 2017
US 2019/0122463 A1Pre-grant publication · published 25 Apr 2019
US 10,176,652 B2Parent of this continuation-in-part
US 2017/0372542 A1Published application
US 10,922,909 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.