# US 12,002,317 B2 · Systems and methods for securing license plates > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,002,317 B2 - Document ID: US12002317B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/673,432 - Filed: 2022-02-16 - Published: 2023-08-17 - Granted: 2024-06-04 - Earliest claimed: 2022-02-16 - Applicants: Craig Clark - Inventors: Craig Clark - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12002317B2 ## CPC - G07C 9/00563: {using personal physical data of the operator, e.g. finger prints, retinal images, voicepatterns} - G07C 9/37: using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voice recognition - E05B 17/10: Illuminating devices on or for locks or keys; {Transparent or translucent lock parts; Indicator lights} - E05B 41/00: Locks with visible indication as to whether the lock is locked or unlocked {(indicator lights E05B17/10)} - E05B 47/0002: {with electromagnets} - G07C 9/00896: {specially adapted for particular uses} - G07C 9/00912: {for safes, strong-rooms, vaults or the like} - G07C 9/38: with central registration - E05B 2047/0067: {Monitoring} - G07C: TIME OR ATTENDANCE REGISTERS; REGISTERING OR INDICATING THE WORKING OF MACHINES; GENERATING RANDOM NUMBERS; VOTING OR LOTTERY APPARATUS; ARRANGEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS FOR CHECKING NOT PROVIDED FOR ELSEWHERE - E05B: LOCKS; ACCESSORIES THEREFOR; HANDCUFFS ## Abstract Improved systems and methods for securing license plates are disclosed herein. In the preferred embodiments discussed, the systems and methods are applied to the securing of dealer license plates. There are numerous problems with the unauthorized or illegal use of these types of license plates, and the machine and software combination disclosed herein may provide solutions to at least some of these problems. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A system comprising: a control box; a plate box connected to the control box, the plate box defining a slot on a front face of a plate door connected to the plate pox; and a locking mechanism attached to a rear face of the plate door, wherein the locking mechanism is operable to reciprocally lock and unlock an item placed in the slot. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 wherein the control box comprises a touch screen and a fingerprint sensor attached to the control box. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 wherein the plate box further comprises an LED indicator attached to the front face of the plate door, wherein the LED indicator is operable to glow green when the locking mechanism is unlocked and further operable to glow red when the locking mechanism is locked. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 wherein the plate box comprises a top piece, a middle piece, and a bottom piece, wherein the top piece, the middle piece, and the bottom piece are welded together, and the plate door is hingedly connected to the middle piece. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 wherein the locking mechanism comprises a solenoid actuator. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The system of claim 5 wherein the locking mechanism further comprises a locking jig attached to the solenoid actuator. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The system of claim 5 wherein the locking mechanism further comprises a sensor array electrically connected to the solenoid actuator. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The system of claim 7 wherein the sensor array comprises a PCB and a plurality of sensors attached to the PCB. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 wherein the item placed in the slot is a license plate. ### Claim 10 A system comprising: a system server; a control box in networked communication with the system server; a plate box connected to the control box, the plate box defining a slot on a front face of a plate door connected to the plate box; a locking mechanism attached to a rear face of the plate door, wherein the locking mechanism is operable to reciprocally lock and unlock a license plate placed in the slot; a processor; and a non-transitory computer readable medium, wherein the non-transitory computer readable medium is configured to store instructions executable by the processor to conduct the steps of: receiving a biometric information for a user from the control box; and saving the biometric information in the non-transitory computer readable medium or a database stored on the system server. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The system of claim 10 wherein the control box comprises a touch screen and a fingerprint sensor attached to the control box. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The system of claim 10 wherein the plate box further comprises an LED indicator attached to the front face of the plate door, wherein the LED indicator is operable to glow green when the locking mechanism is unlocked and further operable to glow red when the locking mechanism is locked. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The system of claim 10 wherein the plate box comprises a top piece, a middle piece, and a bottom piece, wherein the top piece, the middle piece, and the bottom piece are welded together, and the plate door is hingedly connected to the middle piece. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) The system of claim 10 wherein the locking mechanism comprises a solenoid actuator. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The system of claim 14 wherein the locking mechanism further comprises a locking jig attached to the solenoid actuator. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The system of claim 14 wherein the locking mechanism further comprises a sensor array electrically connected to the solenoid actuator. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The system of claim 16 wherein the sensor array comprises a PCB and a plurality of sensors attached to the PCB. ### Claim 18 (depends on 10) The system of claim 10 wherein the system further comprises at least one of a website or an application, wherein the processor is further operable to conduct the step of displaying user interface for the website or the application on a screen. ### Claim 19 A method of securing license plates, the method comprising the steps of: providing a system for securing license plates, the system comprising: a control box, wherein the control box comprises a touch screen and a fingerprint sensor attached to the control box; a plate box connected to the control box, the plate box defining a slot on a front face of a plate door connected to the plate box; and a locking mechanism attached to a rear face of the plate door, wherein the locking mechanism is operable to reciprocally lock and unlock a license plate placed in the slot; wherein the method further comprises the steps of: scanning a thumb or a finger on the fingerprint sensor attached to the control box; and removing a license plate from the slot. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The method of claim 19 further comprising the steps of: interacting with the touch screen attached to the control box; and returning the license plate to the slot.