# US 12,008,518 B2 · System and method of managing a self-storage facility that minimizes operator-customer contact

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- Number: US 12,008,518 B2
- Document ID: US12008518B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/554,460
- Filed: 2021-12-17
- Published: 2023-06-22
- Granted: 2024-06-11
- Earliest claimed: 2021-12-17
- Assignees: Fujin Beteiligungsgesellschaft mbH
- Applicants: Fujin Beteiligungsgesellschaft mbH
- Inventors: Roland Tubbesing
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12008518B2

## CPC

- G06Q 10/087: Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
- G07C 9/00571: {operated by interacting with a central unit}
- G06F 3/0604: {Improving or facilitating administration, e.g. storage management}
- G06Q 10/0285: {for lodging}
- G07C 9/00912: {for safes, strong-rooms, vaults or the like}
- B65G 1/1371: {with data records}
- G07C 9/00563: {using personal physical data of the operator, e.g. finger prints, retinal images, voicepatterns}
- G06Q: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- 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
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)
- B65G: TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING OR TIPPING, SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS OR PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS (packaging B65B; handling thin or filamentary materials, e.g. paper sheets or thread, B65H; cranes B66C; portable mobile or lifting or hauling appliances, e.g. hoists, B66D; devices for lifting or lowering goods for loading or unloading purposes, e.g. fork-lift trucks, B66F9/00; emptying bottles, jars, casks, barrels or similar containers, not otherwise provided for, B67C9/00; delivering or transferring liquids B67D; filling or discharging vessels for liquefied, solidified or compressed gases F17C; pipe-line systems for fluids F17D)

## Abstract

A system and method for managing a self-storage facility of the type operated and managed so that customers leasing a self-storage compartment can specify their data on site or online.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method of managing a self-storage facility comprising one or more self-storage compartments, the method comprising the steps of:
inputting into a customer database a customer's data, the customer's data comprising a customer name, a customer address, a payment method, a term of lease, a size of the self-storage compartment and a number of the self-storage compartments;
allocating to the customer a self-storage compartment in the self-storage facility, the self-storage compartment having an interior and secured with a door having an electronic lock;
providing the customer with means for unlocking the electronic lock, said means comprising a software application downloaded to a customer's mobile device;
registering the mobile device so that it has functional access to one of the electronic locks; and
generating a customer code via a server after the registering step, thereby enabling the customer to remotely lock and unlock the electronic lock and gain access to the self-storage compartment.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 comprising the additional step of:
deploying one or more sensors inside the self-storage facility and/or in the self-storage compartment, each sensor capable of detecting one or more parameters of the surroundings within the self-storage facility and/or in the interior of each of the one or more self-storage compartments; and
transmitting the one or more parameters to the server via electric connections or wireless via WLAN or Wi-Fi.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2 wherein the one or more sensors include:
a temperature sensor for sensing a temperature of the interior of the self-storage compartment.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2 wherein the one or more sensors include:
an air humidity sensor for sensing a humidity of the interior of the self-storage compartment.

### Claim 5 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2 wherein the one or more sensors include:
a water detector for sensing the presence of water within the interior of the self-storage compartment.

### Claim 6 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2 wherein the one or more sensors include:
a motion sensor.

### Claim 7 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2 wherein the one or more sensors include:
a camera.

### Claim 8 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2 wherein the one or more sensors include:
face recognition software.

### Claim 9 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2 wherein the one or more sensors include:
an acoustic sensor.

### Claim 10 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2 wherein the one or more sensors include:
a gas detector.

### Claim 11 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2 wherein the one or more sensors include:
an infrared sensor for identifying persons potentially present and moving in the self-storage facility with or without illumination.

### Claim 12 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2 wherein:
the server is either cloud based or located on-site;
all information and data obtained via the sensors is available to the server and accessible by both an operator of the self-storage facility and to the customer.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 comprising the additional step of:
providing lighting means to illuminate the area outside the self-storage compartment and/or the interior of the self-storage compartment, the lighting capable of being controlled by the user's mobile device.

### Claim 14

A system for managing a self-storage facility comprising:
one or more self-storage compartments located within the self-storage facility, each self-storage compartment having an interior and secured with a door equipped with an electronic lock;
one or more sensors located inside the self-storage facility and/or in the self-storage compartment, each sensor capable of detecting one or more parameters of the surroundings within the self-storage facility and/or within the interior of each self-storage compartment;
a central server for collecting data and controlling and managing corresponding functions and processes with the aid of algorithms;
a database residing on the central server and comprising for each customer a customer name, a customer address, a payment method, a term of lease, a size of the self-storage compartment and a number of the self-storage compartments leased to that customer; and
a software application downloaded to each customer's mobile device so that the customer has functional access to each electronic lock of the self-storage compartments leased to that customer, thereby enabling the customer to remotely lock and unlock the electronic lock and gain access to the self-storage compartment.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The system of claim 14, wherein:
the central server is cloud-based.

### Claim 16 (depends on 14)

The system of claim 14 in which the central server is configured to automatically disable unlocking of the self-storage compartment by a customer code when a payment for the self-storage compartment is not received.