Programmable electronic lock

An electronic lock, comprising:

• a housing having at least one inner chamber within said housing;
• and
• a storage device operatively coupled to an input device configured upon said housing, wherein said storage device is adapted for receiving information input upon said input device indicative of parcels placed into said at least one inner chamber;
• wherein said electronic lock is configured to disable said receiving of said information according to an operating parameter stored within said electronic lock.

An electronic lock, comprising:

• a housing having at least one inner chamber within said housing;
• and
• a storage device operatively coupled to an input device configured upon said housing, wherein said storage device is adapted for receiving information input upon said input device indicative of parcels placed into said at least one inner chamber;
• wherein said electronic lock is configured to detect invalid information received with respect to said parcels.

An electronic lock, comprising:

• an input device configured to receive user input including operating parameters;
• and
• a programmable unit functionally connected to a locking mechanism for
• (i) activating and deactivating said locking mechanism responsive to said input device and for
• (ii) reconfiguring said programmable unit according to said operating parameters, wherein said programmable unit is configured to enable activation and deactivation of said locking mechanism during an openable interval comprising a first specified time for enabling and a second specified time for disabling, and wherein said programmable unit is further configured to disable activation and deactivation of said locking mechanism at a third time prior to said second specified time and subsequent to said first specified time if one of said operating parameters indicates said disabling is permitted.

An electronic lock, comprising:

• an input device configured to receive user input including operating parameters;
• and
• a programmable unit functionally connected to a locking mechanism for
• (i) activating and deactivating said locking mechanism responsive to said input device and for
• (ii) reconfiguring said programmable unit according to said operating parameters, wherein said programmable unit is configured to activate said locking mechanism and to deactivate said locking mechanism responsive to a key, and wherein said electronic lock is further configured to deactivate said key such that said electronic lock is not responsive to said key when said key is idle for a programmable period of time.

An electronic lock, comprising:

• an input device configured to receive user input including operating parameters;
• and
• a programmable unit functionally connected to a locking mechanism for
• (i) activating and deactivating said locking mechanism responsive to said input device and for
• (ii) reconfiguring said programmable unit according to said operating parameters, wherein said programmable unit is configured to activate said locking mechanism and to deactivate said locking mechanism responsive to a key, and wherein said lock selectively requests a PIN code prior to responding to said key responsive to one of said operating parameters selecting one of at least two PIN code entry modes applicable to each key which is presented to said electronic lock for login.