Patent Application
20210301583
Aspects of the present disclosure generally relate to safes and locking systems, and particularly to safes and lock detection systems.
Safes and other locking containers such as gun safes and vaults and other similar devices may be used to securely store items inside the safe or locking container. Aspects of this disclosure relate to improved safes and locking containers and particularly to safes and locking containers having lock detection systems.
This Summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the Detailed Description. The Summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used to limit the scope of the claimed subject matter.
A lock engagement detection system and method is disclosed. The lock engagement detection system may be configured to indicate or otherwise confirm that a locking mechanism has or has not been engaged such that a locked state or an unlocked state has been achieved. The locking mechanism may be associated with a container such as a safe or other structure such as an entryway into a room, building, or other structure.
In a safe, for example, a locked state may be achieved by extending one or more live action deadbolts and an unlocked state may be achieved by disengaging (e.g., retracting) the live action deadbolts by way of an exterior handle. In some cases, extending the live action deadbolts to a position corresponding to a locked state of the safe causes an interior latch to engage (e.g., extend) which prevents movement (e.g., rotation) of the handle. A user may disengage the latch by providing appropriate access credentials at an exterior user interface (e.g., a keypad). Upon receipt of the appropriate access credentials, a solenoid may disengage (e.g. retract) the latch thereby allowing a user to move the handle and unlock the safe. With the latch disengaged (e.g., retracted), the user may move (e.g., rotate) the handle to disengage (e.g., retract) the live action deadbolts to a position corresponding to an unlocked state of the safe. With the live bolts disengaged, the user may open the door.
A lock engagement sensor may be used to indicate that the safe is in a locked state. The lock engagement sensor may be configured such that it is actuated when the live action deadbolts have been moved to a position corresponding to a locked state of the safe, for example, when the live action deadbolts have been moved to engage the frame of the safe. In order to ensure that the indication of the locked state of the safe is accurate, the lock engagement sensor may be configured such that it is activated after the live action deadbolts have been engaged and/or after the latch is engaged.
It will be appreciated that the disclosures set forth herein are not limited to safes and can be applied to any container, structure, door, and the like in order to indicate whether a locked state or an unlocked state has been achieved.
The present disclosure is illustrated by way of example and not limited in the accompanying figures in which like reference numerals indicate similar elements and in which:
Further, it is to be understood that the drawings may represent the scale of different components of various examples; however, the disclosed examples are not limited to that particular scale.
While the claimed subject matter is susceptible of embodiments in many different forms, there are shown in the drawings and will herein be described in detail exemplary embodiments of the claimed subject matter with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered as an exemplification of the principles of the claimed subject matter and is not intended to limit the broad aspects of the claimed subject matter to the embodiments illustrated. It is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized, and structural and functional modifications may be made, without departing from the scope and spirit of the present disclosure.
In the following description of the various embodiments, reference is made to the accompanying drawings, which form a part hereof, and in which is shown by way of illustration, various embodiments of the disclosure that may be practiced. It is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized.
In the following description of various example structures according to the claimed subject matter, reference is made to the accompanying drawings, which form a part hereof, and in which are shown by way of illustration various example devices, systems, and environments in which aspects of the claimed subject matter may be practiced. It is to be understood that other specific arrangements of parts, example devices, systems, and environments may be utilized and structural and functional modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the present claimed subject matter claimed subject matter. Also, while the terms “top,” “bottom,” “front,” “back,” “side,” “rear,” “upward,” “downward,” and the like may be used in this specification to describe various example features and elements of the claimed subject matter, these terms are used herein as a matter of convenience, e.g., based on the example orientations shown in the figures or the orientation during typical use. Additionally, the term “plurality,” as used herein, indicates any number greater than one, either disjunctively or conjunctively, as necessary, up to an infinite number. Nothing in this specification should be construed as requiring a specific three dimensional orientation of structures in order to fall within the scope of this claimed subject matter. Also, the reader is advised that the attached drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale.
In general, aspects of this disclosure relate to safes and locking systems and lock detection systems. According to various aspects and embodiments, the safe may be formed of one or more of a variety of materials, such as metals (including metal alloys), plastics, polymers, and composites, and may be formed in one of a variety of configurations, without departing from the scope of the claimed subject matter.
The various figures in this application illustrate examples of safes and locking systems and lock detection systems according to this disclosure. When the same reference number appears in more than one drawing, that reference number is used consistently in this specification and the drawings to refer to the same or similar parts throughout.
The safe or locking container 50 also includes a locking system 100. The locking system is engaged with the door 54 and includes portions of the locking system 100 on the inside of the door 54 and on the outside of the door 54. As shown in
The safe 50 also includes a handle 105. The handle 105 is located on an outer portion of the door 54. The handle allows a user to extend (or engage) and retract (or disengage) the live action deadbolts which in turn locks or unlocks the safe 50. When the safe is locked, it may be described as being in a locked state. When the safe is unlocked, it may be described as being in an unlocked state. As will be discussed in greater detail below, the handle 105 can be engaged with the internal components of the safe 50 and particularly is engaged with the movable portion 110.
Referring now primarily to the inside portions of the safe 50 shown in
The safe 50 may also include a movable portion 110 engaged with the door. For example, the movable portion 110 may be located within the door 54 as shown in
As shown in
As shown in
As shown in
Referring now primarily to
The lock engagement detection system 200 can also include a door position detection system 204. The door position detection system 204 can be configured to determine whether the door 54 is in an open position (e.g., ajar) or the closed position, whether the door 54 has moved, and/or a position of the door relative to the container portion (e.g., 0-90°). In some embodiments the door position detection system 204 can include a vibration sensor 206, an accelerometer 208, and a magnetometer 210. However, in other embodiments the door position detection system 204 may include more or fewer sensors to determine whether the door 54 is in the open position or the closed position, whether the door 54 has moved, and/or a position of the door. And like the lock engagement sensor 202, additional sensors can be used including, for example, a proximity sensor, an infrared sensor, a pressure sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, and a touch sensor. The vibration sensor 206 can be configured to determine data related to movement or vibration of the door 54; the accelerometer 208 can be configured to determine data related to movement of the door 54; and the magnetometer 210 can be configured to determine data related to an angular position of the door. Additionally, one or more sensors including the vibration sensor 206 can be configured to sense other conditions of the safe. For example, the vibration sensor can be configured to identify a potential unapproved entry (or entry attempt) to the safe 50 which may identify a burglary situation.
To conserve energy each of the sensors 202, 204, 206 and 208 may typically operate in a hibernation mode. The sensors may exit a hibernation mode once movement is detected by any of the relevant sensor 202, 204, 206, and 208. The sensors 202, 204, 206, and 208 may enter a hibernation mode once no movement is detected by any of the relevant sensors 202, 204, 206, and 208 for a certain preset amount of time, including for example about 1 minute, about 2 minutes, or about 5 minutes. The lock engagement detection system 200 may similarly operate in a hibernation mode in order to account for “play” in the handle that can occur after the movable portion 110 and/or lateral engagement bracket 120 are moved to their respective extended positions and the latch 106 (
The lock engagement detection system 200 can also include an indicator system 212. The indicator system 212 can be configured to display the status of the safe including at least whether the safe is locked or unlocked (or whether the movable portion is in the extended or retracted position), whether the door 54 is open or closed, and whether the safe has power or is in a low power condition. The indicator system 212 can be a visual system and can be located on an outer portion of the safe 50 so that it may be viewable by a user. The indicator system 212 can also be included on a separate device such as a cellular telephone or computer that is connected to the lock engagement system 200 via a wired connection or a wireless connection including, for example, BlueTooth or Wi-Fi. For example, the separate device may receive the status of the safe as a push notification (e.g., an email, a text message, and the like). In some embodiments, the indicator system can be only an audible system. The lock engagement detection system 200 may be configured to communicate with the separate device (e.g., provide the status of the safe to the separate device, receive messages or commands from the separate device, and the like) using one or more of the networking technologies described in U.S. Pat. No. 9,077,716 entitled “Wireless Device Enabled Locking System,” U.S. Pat. No. 9,781,599 entitled “System and Method for Access Control via Mobile Device,” U.S. Pat. No. 9,820,152 entitled “Invitations for Facilitating Access to Interconnected Devices,” and U.S. Pat. No. 10,529,156 entitled “Access Control Via Selective Direct and Indirect Wireless Communications” each of which are incorporated by reference herein in their entirety. The aforementioned networking technologies may also be used to provide one or more users access to the safe (e.g., provide access credentials) and otherwise manage users' access to the safe.
The lock engagement detection system 200 can include a number of additional components each of which may be connected through circuitry or otherwise connected wirelessly. The lock engagement detection system 200, can also include a control unit 220 for controlling overall operation of the system 200. The control unit 220 may include a processor and corresponding instructions that, when executed, control the operation of the system 200. The control unit 220 can be configured to communicate with the various portions of the lock engagement detection system 200 include the lock engagement sensor 202, the door position detection system 204, and the indicator system 212. Data/information captured by the various sensors 202, 204, 206, and 208 can be received by the control unit 220 and can be processed by means of suitable algorithms based on program code stored in memory. The control unit 220 may be, for example, a multi-protocol system-on-chip (SoC) that supports Bluetooth® Low Energy, ANT, and 2.4 GHz ultra low-power wireless communication standards.
The lock engagement detection system 200 may also include one or more RF modules for communicating between components of the lock engagement detection system 200. As shown in
The lock engagement detection system 200 can also include a number of components which provide power or otherwise monitor or regulate power to the lock engagement detection system. The lock engagement detection system 200 can be powered by a power source 224. In some embodiments, and as shown in
The lock engagement detection system 200 can also include a number of additional components which can include a motor supply control 232, an H-Bridge 234, a motor/solenoid 108, connection ports 238, 240, and a buzzer 242. The motor supply control 232 can control motor supply voltage and can be controlled through the control unit 220. The H-bridge 234 is an electronic circuit that enables a voltage to be applied across a load in opposite direction which can be used to allow DC motors to run forwards or backward or activate the solenoid 236. The motor/solenoid 108 can be connected to the lock engagement detection system 200 and can be controlled through the control unit 220.
The lock engagement detection system 200 can also include one or more connector ports including for example a 12-pin connector port 238 and a 6-pin connector port. These connector ports can be used to interface and communicate with exterior systems and hardware. The lock engagement detection system 200 can also include one or more audible alerts such as buzzer 242. The audible alert 242 can be configured to make an audible sound signifying certain conditions of the safe 50 including for example, that the safe is open or closed, that the safe has a low battery, and that vibration of the safe was detected.
Once the lock engagement detection system 200 senses that the door is in the unlocked state (e.g., that the live action deadbolts are no longer engaged with the container portion 52 of the safe 50 or that the movable portion 110 is in the retracted position), the door position detection system 204 may detect the position of the door 54. As described above, the door position detection system 204 can comprise a number of sensors including for example a vibration sensor 206, an accelerometer 208, and a magnetometer 210. As shown in
Similarly
Once the lock engagement detection system 200 senses that the door is in the locked state (e.g., that the live action deadbolts are engaged with the container portion 52 of the safe 50 or that movable portion 110 is in the extended position), the door position detection system 204 may detect the position of the door 54. As described above, the door position detection system 204 can comprise a number of sensors including for example a vibration sensor 206, an accelerometer 208, and a magnetometer 210. As shown in
Data/information captured by the various sensors 202, 204, 206, and 208 can be received by the control unit 220 and can be processed by means of suitable algorithms based on program code stored in memory. If the door position detection system 204 senses that the door 54 did not move a signal can be sent by the control unit 220 from the indicator system 212 alerting the user that the safe door 54 is locked (or that movable portion 110 is in the extended position) but the door 54 is still open. Thus, if the vibration sensor 206 did not sense vibration 360 of the door 54, or if the accelerometer 208 did not sense movement 364 of the door 54, or if the magnetometer 210 did not sense that the door 54 is closed 368 a signal can be sent from the indicator system 212 alerting the user that the safe door 54 is unlocked but the door 54 is still open 370. However, if the sensors 206, 208, 210 of the door position detection system 204 detect that the door is closed, a signal can be sent from the indicator system 212 alerting the user that the safe door 54 is locked (or that movable portion 110 is in the extended position) and the door 54 is closed 372.
It will be understood by those skilled in the art that the disclosure is not limited to the examples provided above and in the accompanying drawings. Modifications may be made by those skilled in the art, particularly in light of the foregoing teachings. Each of the features of the examples may be utilized alone or in combination or sub-combination with elements of the other examples and/or with other elements. For example, any of the above described methods or parts thereof may be combined with the other methods or parts thereof described above. The steps shown in the figures may be performed in other than the recited order, and one or more steps shown may be optional. It will also be appreciated and understood that modifications may be made without departing from the true spirit and scope of the present disclosure.
