# US 2022/0044504 A1 · Smart license plate vault > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2022/0044504 A1 - Document ID: US20220044504A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 17/500,562 - Filed: 2021-10-13 - Published: 2022-02-10 - Earliest claimed: 2018-12-16 - Applicants: Biig Technologies Inc. - Inventors: Charlene Consolacion; Janno Stern; Jaan Viru - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20220044504A1 ## CPC - G07C 9/00309: {operated with bidirectional data transmission between data carrier and locks} - G07C 9/00571: {operated by interacting with a central unit} - G07C 9/00896: {specially adapted for particular uses} - G07C 9/00912: {for safes, strong-rooms, vaults or the like} - G07C 9/22: in combination with an identity check of the pass holder - G07C 2009/00412: {the transmitted data signal being encrypted} - G07C 2009/00936: {for key cabinets} - 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 ## Abstract A smart license plate vault is disclosed. The smart license plate vault securely holds small objects, such as a vehicle key, while resembling a license plate mounting platform. The smart license plate vault establishes a communication connection with a user device via the local transceiver of the smart license plate vault and receives a signed command to access the vault from the user device via the communication connection, verifies authenticity of the signed command, and unlocks the vault only upon determining that the signed command is authentic ## Claims ### Claim 1 A system comprising: a smart license plate vault comprising a base portion, the base portion comprising a vault, an electronic locking mechanism for selectively locking and unlocking the vault, a local transceiver, and a processor in communication with the electronic locking mechanism and the local transceiver for operating the smart license plate vault; wherein: the smart license plate vault establishes a communication connection with a user device via the local transceiver of the smart license plate vault; and the smart license plate vault receives a digitally signed command to access the vault from the user device via the communication connection, verifies authenticity of the digitally signed command, and unlocks the vault only upon determining that the digitally signed command is authentic. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) A system according to claim 1, wherein the smart license plate vault performs an initial pairing with the user device including an exchange of public keys via the communication connection. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) A system according to claim 1, wherein the communication connection comprises a Bluetooth communication connection. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) A system according to claim 1, further comprising the user device, wherein the user device authenticates the user and only generates the digitally signed command upon determining that the user is authentic. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) A system according to claim 4, wherein the user device authenticates the user by at least one of a username, a password, a fingerprint scan, a challenge, or two-factor authentication. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) A system according to claim 1, further comprising the user device and a remote server, wherein the user device generates the digitally signed command to access the vault by generating a command and sending the command to the remote server that digitally signs the command and returns the digitally signed command to the user device. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) A system according to claim 1, further comprising the user device, wherein the user device generates the digitally signed command to access the vault by generating a command and digitally signing the command using a token stored on the user device. ### Claim 8 A method comprising: establishing a communication connection between a smart license plate vault and a user device via a local transceiver of the smart license plate vault; receiving, by the user device, a user request to access the vault; generating, by the user device, a digitally signed command to access the vault and transmitting the digitally signed command to the smart license plate vault via the communication connection; and verifying, by the smart license plate vault, authenticity of the digitally signed command and unlocking the vault only upon determining that the digitally signed command is authentic. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) A method according to claim 8, wherein the smart license plate vault and the user device perform an initial pairing including an exchange of public keys via the communication connection. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) A method according to claim 8, wherein the communication connection comprises a Bluetooth communication connection. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) A method according to claim 8, wherein the user device authenticates the user and only generates the digitally signed command upon determining that the user is authentic. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) A method according to claim 11, wherein the user device authenticates the user by at least one of a username, a password, a fingerprint scan, a challenge, or two-factor authentication. ### Claim 13 (depends on 8) A method according to claim 8, wherein the user device generates the digitally signed command to access the vault by generating a command and sending the command to a remote server that digitally signs the command and returns the digitally signed command to the user device. ### Claim 14 (depends on 8) A method according to claim 8, wherein the user device generates the digitally signed command to access the vault by generating a command and digitally signing the command using a token stored on the user device. ### Claim 15 A smart license plate vault comprising: a base portion, the base portion comprising a vault, an electronic locking mechanism for selectively locking and unlocking the vault, a local transceiver, and a processor in communication with the electronic locking mechanism and the local transceiver and coupled to a memory containing instructions executable by the processor to cause the processor to: establish a communication connection with a user device; receive, from the user device, a digitally signed command to access the vault via the communication connection; verify authenticity of the digitally signed command; and unlock the vault only upon determining that the digitally signed command is authentic. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) A smart license plate vault according to claim 15, wherein the smart license plate vault and the user device perform an initial pairing including an exchange of public keys via the communication connection. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) A smart license plate vault according to claim 15, wherein the communication connection comprises a Bluetooth communication connection.