Puzzle box method, system, and computer program product

A system comprising:

• a box having first and second portions, wherein the box has an exterior and the first and second portions form an interior space of the box for holding contents therein;
• a latch configured for locking the box by engaging certain parts of the latch to lock first and second portions of the box together to lock the contents in the box's interior space;
• an output device for presenting a message indicating where the box will unlock;
• an input device accessible for user actuation from the exterior of the box;
• an electronic controller, the controller comprising a processor having a memory and a clock,
• wherein the electronic controller is configured with instructions in the memory to drive the output device for presenting the message;
• an operator, wherein the electronic controller is being configured to send lock and unlock signals for controlling the operator, and wherein the operator is configured to operate the latch responsive to the lock and unlock signals, and
• wherein the electronic controller is further configured to send the lock signal, thereby causing the latch to engage the certain parts of the latch to lock the box, responsive to the electronic controller being initialized and is configured to send the unlock signal, thereby causing the latch to disengage the certain parts of the latch, responsive to the electronic controller receiving a signal caused by actuation of the input device, such that disengaging the certain parts of the latch unlocks the box, allowing the first and second parts of the box to be opened to reveal the contents of the box's interior;
• a GPS device configured for determining a geo-location of the box,
• wherein the electronic controller is further configured to receive communication indicating a current geo-location of the box determined by the GPS device,
• wherein the electronic controller is further configured to determine a current distance from the received, current geo-location to a target geo-location,
• wherein the electronic controller driving the output device includes the electronic controller causing the output device to present the message in response to the electronic controller receiving the signal caused by actuation of the input device, and
• wherein the electronic controller is further configured to NOT send the unlock signal if the current distance is greater than a predetermined threshold distance;
• and
• a battery for powering the electronic controller, GPS device and output device,
• wherein the electronic controller is further configured to cause the processor to read from the GPS device responsive to instances of actuation of the input device, the current geo-location and date, and is configured to store in the memory each instance of the current geo-location and date read from the GPS device, and
• wherein the electronic controller is further configured to cause the processor, including the clock, to shut down a predetermined time after actuation of the input device, such that a date for each instance of input device actuation is captured without maintaining continuous operation of the clock, so that the shutting down of the processor preserves charge of the battery, thereby extending a period during which the system is used for intermittently attempting to find the target geo-location while concurrently enabling capturing and preserving of geo-location and date for each instance of an attempt to reveal the contents of the box's interior by finding the target geo-location.

A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having program code stored thereon, the computer readable storage medium comprising:

• program code for configuring an electronic controller with a target geo-location;
• program code for initializing the electronic controller;
• program code for sending a lock signal to a latch operator of a box responsive to the initializing of the electronic controller, wherein the lock signal causes the latch operator to lock a physical object inside the box for a user;
• program code for detecting actuation of an input device of the box;
• program code for reading instances of current geo-location of the box and date from a GPS device;
• program code for determining, for respective instances of actuation of the input device, respective current distances from the respective current geo-locations to the target geo-location;
• program code for presenting a message to the user indicating when the box will unlock in response to the input device actuations;
• program code for sending an unlock signal to the latch operator responsive to detecting the actuation of the input device and for preempting the sending of the unlock signal when a current distance is greater than a predetermined threshold distance, wherein the unlock signal causes the latch operator to unlock the box, allowing the box to be opened to reveal the physical object inside the box;
• program code for storing in the memory instances of the current geo-location and date read from the GPS device, wherein the electronic controller and GPS device are powered by a battery;
• and
• program code for shutting down the electronic controller and GPS device a predetermined time after actuation of the input device, such that a date for respective instances of input device actuation is stored in the memory without maintaining continuous operation of a clock and such that charge of the battery is preserved, thereby enabling the storing of geo-location and date while concurrently extending a period during which the electronic controller and GPS device are used for instances of an attempt to reveal the physical object inside the box by actuating the input device at a geo-location that is potentially the target geo-location.