Patent Application
20110288685
The present invention relates generally to storage lockers and more particularly to storage lockers that permit temporary storage in secured areas and provide for identification of the contents and the owner thereof.
Storage lockers are well known in the art and can provide for temporary secure holding of personal items in areas such as airports, shopping malls, amusement parks and the like. Lockers of this kind are generally operated wherein the user, after depositing items therein, closes the door thereof and deposits a required amount of money after which a key can be removed. The key is then used at a later time to retrieve the locker contents. In addition to coins, it is now possible to pay the locker rental fee with paper money or by credit card.
However, this type of locker system has fallen into disfavor in secure areas such as airport terminals and particularly the departure and arrival gate areas thereof. The problem is that it is not possible to know what is in the locker nor the identity of the owner thereof. Thus, it has been possible for individuals to use such lockers for criminal or terroristic purposes by placing therein all manner of contraband for later use by themselves or others. For this reason lockers are being removed from airports and other public areas where security is a concern. Nevertheless, travelers have a wide range of personal items including luggage and other carry on items that they need to keep in their possession and under their supervision at all times. However, if an individual has a long time between flights and would like to nap or otherwise take a quick meal or use a restroom, keeping all their possessions safe and under their supervision can be very problematic, if not impossible. Accordingly, it would be very desirable to have a temporary storage system for travelers and those in other situations or areas where security is a concern that permits such storage and that also satisfies any applicable safety and security regulations and requirements.
The present invention is a secure storage system for temporarily storing various personal items in a manner that is secure but that limits the ability of a person storing such items to hide their personal identity. The storage locker herein defines a storage space having a locking door that permits access to and removal of items placed therein. The door is either fully or partially transparent so that the contents of the locker can be viewed when in its closed and locked position. A plurality of such lockers can be arranged in various ways, such as for example; linearly alongside each other, in a circular carousel manner or with rows thereof stacked one above the other. In one form of the invention herein the lockers are placed at ground level to easily facilitate rolling of wheeled luggage therein.
In one security embodiment of the invention herein, the rental fee for the storage locker is made payable only by credit card. Thus, a credit card reader is used along with a microprocessor based electronic control board to identify and control the storage use of a plurality of lockers. Each locker includes an electro-mechanical locking mechanism for locking the door after the contents are placed in the storage space, the door closed and the user's credit card has been swiped and authorized. The control board is connected to sensors that determine if the door is in an open or locked position and if the locking mechanism is engaged or not engaged. The control also keeps track of which lockers are in use and which are available for storage and uses an alpha numeric system or equivalent to uniquely identify each particular locker. A signaling system for each locker, such as light emitting diodes, can be used where, for example, a red light would indicate a storage locker in use and a green light indicating one that is available for use. The signaling system can also provide for blinking of the lights to indicate that items have been placed therein and the door closed but that door has not been locked as payment has not yet been completed. To retrieve their items a user would need to re-swipe the same card used to rent the locker originally.
The card reader and electronic control can also be connected to a security system. The security system can be that of a preexisting security computer network at the facility such as an airport or shopping mall where the lockers are being used. The storage system herein can further include software that provides to security personnel on their existing system or on an added computer system, information about; the use or non-use status of each locker, the identity and location of each locker, the identity of the individual whose card was used to effect payment, the time and date storage was initiated and the current duration of such storage. Security personnel in this manner are able to see on a video display all such information. In an airport setting, security personnel would also be able to have an input of identity information of all individuals that have passed through security and would be able to cross check that identity information with the identity information provided by each storage locker. It would also be possible to cross check the locker credit card information by connection with databases containing other pertinent in formation, such as, that of lost or stolen credit cards, known felons, suspected terrorists, and the like.
In operation, a user would find an available locker and place their items therein and close the door. The signaling system would then use the blinking lights to indicate that the door is closed but not locked and that the user's card is now to be swiped in the card reader and authorized. Once the appropriate pin information is entered and payment made, the control board operates the locking mechanism to the locked position and the signaling system indicates the locked condition if a successful locking has been sensed to have occurred. Security personnel would then be provided by the software with the information about the time of use of a particular locker along with the credit card information.
The software would, at the time of storage, and periodically thereafter, initiate a cross checking with any available name/credit card databases. In this way it is possible to see if there is a match with lost or stolen cards, with names of convicted felons or criminals at large, and in the case of airports, with names of those that have passed through security and are properly in the gate area and with the names of those on any available “do not fly” lists. If, for example, a lost or stolen card is found, then the software can indicate that entry by a check mark, highlighting, colored indicator and/or audio sound to alert personnel of the problem so they can take the appropriate action. The software is also programmed to lock the contents of the locker with which the stolen or lost card was used so that re-use of that card will not permit retrieval of the locker contents. If remote video surveillance is possible of the locker in question, that can be initiated automatically by the software to begin video taping of the any individuals attempting to retrieve the locker contents. The software also has the ability to be programmed to indicate an “overtime” situation has occurred wherein a predetermined amount of time has lapsed within which the contents of the locker should typically have been retrieved. In the case of an airport, the software can also be set to cross check names of those “legitimately” using the locker as being cleared by security, with departure times of such individuals. Thus, if their flight has left yet their possessions remain behind, the software can identify such a situation.
The software also has the capacity to vary the degree of an alert. Thus, if a name on a “do not fly” list is indicated the alert color or highlighting could be red and/or a further unique audio signal used from that of a lower level concern, such as, a lost or stolen card or that of an overtime situation. Once so notified, it is of course strictly up to security and law enforcement personnel as to what constitutes the appropriate response. A “walk by” inspection of the contents can be effectuated in certain cases as the locker door is not opaque and permits a visual inspection of the locker contents.
One or multiple sensors can also be placed in the lockers that monitor for drugs, explosives or other contraband. Information provided by the sensors to the control is displayed to security personnel at a remote terminal.
A better understanding of the structure, function, operation and the objects and advantages of the present invention can be had by reference to the following detailed description which refers to the following figures, wherein:
An embodiment of the storage system of the present invention is seen in
Housing 14 is defined by a back wall 14a, side walls 14b and a bottom platform portion 18. Platform 18 includes a tapered edge 18a, an item supporting surface 18b spaced above the ground surface on which storage unit 11 rests and one or more vent orifices 18c. Door 12 is opened through the use of a door handle 19 and the opening thereof is assisted by pneumatic cylinders 20. Door handle 19 extends along door 12 from a bottom end thereof adjacent the floor surface and upward there from to a position adjacent a top end of storage unit 11. A further storage unit 11, as depicted in dashed outline and marked by the numeral 11′ can be positioned next to unit 11. Those of skill will appreciate that any number of such units 11 can positioned in a line alongside each other.
As seen by also referring to
As seen by also referring to
A door closed sensor 29 is positioned within base 18 and adjacent solenoid 27. Sensor 29 functions to sense whether or not door 28 is fully closed whereby flange hole 28a is in correct register with pin 27a for moving pin 27a into the extended locking position. Those of skill will appreciate that various sensing means are available such as both non-contact proximity sensors and contact switches.
An indicator light 30 is secured to each storage unit 11 to indicate visually the status thereof as to whether or not it is open and available for rental, closed and in use or in the process of being rented. In one embodiment, light 30 includes suitable lighting devices, not shown, such as incandescent or LED lights having the capacity to shine continuously, blink and/or display light of a plurality of colors, such as, green and red.
As understood by also referring to
In operation, it can be understood that a user having various articles that they would like to store safely can see by the indicator light 30 whether or not a particular storage unit 11 is available or in use. Light 30 can be green to indicate availability and red to indicate an in use condition. In the case where door 12 is transparent, it will also be immediately known at a closer range if the locker is available or not. Credit card reading mechanism 31 must then be operated to read the user's credit card. In the embodiment shown, the credit card is inserted partially into slot 32 whereupon the reader mechanically draws the card therein. After receiving approval, the user is prompted to use keypad 34 to enter in the unique identifier for the locker they have selected, e.g. 12H. The identifier is simply an alpha and/or numeric sequence that uniquely identifies the particular storage unit, which sequence is printed on a tag prominently displayed on each storage unit 11. After approval, reader 31 then ejects the user's credit card and signals lock 27 to operate to the unlocked position so the user can then grab handle 19 and lift door 12 to its fully open position. At the same time control board causes light 30 to blink further identifying the correct locker for the transaction at hand and to indicate that such locker is in the process of being rented. In the present example if the light 30 was showing a constant green to indicate availability the light produced would now be an intermittent or blinking green.
The force required to open door 12 is reduced by the pneumatic cylinders 20 which automatically move door 12 to its fully up position seen in
The user can then place their valuables in housing area 17. In the case of wheeled luggage it can be appreciated that tapered edge 18a facilitates the rolling thereof into storage area 17. Of course, the size of the storage area 17 is purely a matter of design choice and is dependant upon the size of the articles that would typically be stored by the user. For example, in the case of an airport application the standard carry on luggage along with other user items such as a purse, laptop computer and any outer garments may require an overall height of a storage unit 11 to be in the rang of 40 inches with a width of approximately 24 inches and a depth of 16 inches. Accessory shelf 22 provides for storage of such things as a notebook computer, purse, hat and gloves, etc. and is movable to a down position, as previously described, against back wall 14a to increase the unobstructed size or storage area 17 to facilitate storage of a large item.
Once the user has placed their items within storage unit 11 they can return door 12 to the fully closed position. Sensors 29 determine when door 12 is in its fully closed position after which controller 42 operates lock 27 to operate pin 27a to its locking or extended position again retaining door 12 in its closed position. Light 30 can then be changed to continuously show a different color, e.g. red, to indicate the in-use status of the particular storage unit 11. Receipt printing mechanism 37 of card reader 31 then prints out a receipt indicating the start time of the rental and identifying the locker rented by its alphanumeric sequence, e.g. 12H in the present example. This receipt is then retained by the user to assist them in knowing when their rental period began and in knowing which locker they rented.
When the user desires to retrieve their valuables, they simply re-insert the same credit card they used to initiate the rental transaction into card reader 31. Control board 42 retains the credit card information and then unlocks the appropriate locker upon receiving that correct credit card information. Light 30 can again blink, e.g. red, to indicate that the particular storage unit 11 is in the process of being emptied of its stored contents. Screen 36 then indicates to the user that door 12 must again be closed prior to ending of the rental period. The user must then return door 12 to its fully closed position whereupon sensor 29 signals to control board 42 to activate lock 27 to the locking position, to change light 30 status to continuous, e.g. green, indicating in this example the storage unit available status and to permit the printing of the final receipt and return of the credit card.
Those of skill will appreciate that a wide range of various card reading systems exist where the card is inserted, inserted and quickly manually withdrawn, or swiped and any such are appropriate and a matter of design choice. However, in cases where it is necessary that the locker door be re-closed and locked, a card reader which includes a mechanism for pulling the card therein and subsequently ejecting the card following a successful transaction may be preferable to ensure user compliance. In many cases it may not be necessary that door 12 be re-closed as cylinders 20 maintain door 12 in the open position and that can be used as a visual cue as to availability in lieu of light 30. Moreover, controller 30 can leave lock 27 in its unlocked position so any closing of door 12 would not cause damage as a result of interference between locking flange 28 or lock pin 27a. Additionally, it would not be possible for a user to simply place their items in a storage unit 11 and attempt to close door 12 without paying a rental fee as door 12 would always move back to its fully open position. Those of skill will understand that it is generally desirable from a cost point of view to have a credit card reader and control board associated with and serving a plurality of lockers rather than having one of each per locker. Thus, the various lockers would be multiplexed with the reader in order to achieve this operational efficiency. It is also contemplated that the present invention could take advantage of other systems that may not require the physical interaction with a credit card or the like. For example, electronic credit cards or other similar devices have been proposed that include the information of the type stored on the magnetic strip of a conventional credit card. Such an electronic card, when in close proximity to a suitable reader/receiver and when initiated by the user, transmits that information wirelessly thereto, such as by a blue tooth or infra-red signal or the like.
In most cases the storage charge will not be a pre-set of fixed amount, but is based on time of use. However, it is contemplated that the storage rental fee will be a small amount and not require a signature by the user per se, however to the extent that might be required, reader 31 could include an electronic signature touch pad typically integrated with video display 36.
In conjunction with a credit card reader or in substitution thereof when combined with a cash acceptance mechanism, it is also possible to use a further biometric identification means 38, such as a fingerprint reader or retinal scan imager. Use of such additional identification devices can serve to make the overall system more secure as there would then be a greater certainty that the person storing the items and retrieving them are one and the same. In the case where a fingerprint scanner is used, after inserting their card to initiate a rental transaction, the user would then be requested on the video screen to place a finger, typically the forefinger of their right or left hand, on a reading surface thereof. Once the reader has made a successful scan and saved that information, locker mechanism 27 would operate to release door 12 and light 30 would indicate that the particular storage unit is in the initiating storage mode. The process would continue as previously described where the user places their valuables in the locker and returns door 12 to the fully closed position. After door 12 is then re-locked the user is provided with a receipt and light 30 signals the in-use or unavailable for rental mode. When the user desires to retrieve their items they would need to first insert the same credit card they used previously to store their items. Following approval they would be prompted on screen 36 to place the same finger they had scanned previously onto the fingerprint reading pad. The scan thereof would then be compared with the stored previous scan information and if a positive match is determined to exist, lock mechanism 27 would be operated to release door 12 and light 30 would then indicate the removal of contents mode. The user would be prompted on video screen 36 to retrieve their items and to return door 12 to its fully closed position. Once the user complies, light 30 would change to indicate the storage unit availability mode, and the user's credit card charged for the rental period amount after which their credit card is returned and a final receipt printed.
The storage system herein has applicability in a wide range of venues, including, airports, shopping malls, amusement parks and the like. When a high level of security is required, the present invention permits security personnel to track the use thereof through a remote terminal or computer 44. A further inventive aspect of the present invention comprises software used to provide security personnel with information about the use of storage units 11. Requiring the use of a credit card for payment rather than cash makes the transaction much less anonymous. Thus, the software allows the user's identity information on the credit card to be checked against any available databases. Such databases, particularly in airport settings, can include information about those individuals that are flying that day and/or that have passed through security, their particular flight information, such as, their flight carrier and flight number, times of arrival and departure and the like, as well as information about stolen cards, persons on any “do not fly” lists, or other lists of criminals at large such as persons that have violated parole, and the like.
As seen by referring to a
It can be understood in the example data seen in
The security authorities have the capability with their terminal 44 to communicate with and control the operation of controller 42 through the LAN line connection L1. Whereas, the software can be configured to automatically lock down a particular storage unit when, for example, contraband is sensed or for any event determined to be at a top alert level, there may be lesser levels of concern where the system does not automatically go into a lock down mode and prevent the user from retrieving their items. Thus, for example, if for any reason security deems it necessary to do so, they can override the normal operation of the system and lock down any particular locker. Security can also override the operation of controller and unlock a storage unit 11 at any time as may be required by their security protocol to check the items stored therein even though the automatic system has detected no problems. \
Opening of a locker would require certain procedures be followed. It could be done remotely at the security terminal 44 or by an appropriate handheld device or by security operation of the card reader associated with the unit in question. Security personnel would have to key in with the terminal, handheld device or with the card reader an appropriate security code uniquely identifying the security personnel entering the code as well as any further code. Clearly, any such code would need to be changed on a periodic basis.
If a user's identity information can be accessed quickly after the time the user has inserted their credit cart but prior to their card being ejected and returned, card reader 31 can be signaled to retain that card. The software then alerts security, through for example, an on screen red highlighting on terminal 44 identifying the locker in question and an automatic sending of a voice and/or data message wirelessly, telephonically and/or over a LAN network to appropriate security and law enforcement personnel identifying the locker in question and the nature of the problem. Card reader would retain the card and would simply indicate to the user via the video screen 36 that there was a problem authorizing the card and provide a number for the user to call for assistance. Card reader 31 includes a locked access panel, not shown, that permits security personnel to retrieve cards retained thereby.
In cases where such rapid identification can not be attained in a “real time” manner during the initial rental process, that is, after the user's card is first inserted but prior to authorization, locking of the storage unit and return of the card to the user, such information would necessarily have to be compared with database information subsequent thereto. It is probable that most available identity database information, such as lists of names or stolen credit card numbers can be compared with the credit card data very rapidly. However, in the case of biometric data, such as a fingerprint or retinal scan, comparison thereof with law enforcement databases can take significant time. Therefore, that information may of necessity be retrieved and compared after the user's items have been stored but before the user returns to retrieve them. In either case, immediately after the system detects a security problem it will automatically notify security personnel at a remote security terminal and will be programmed to withhold the card either at the initiation of the rental process or at the end thereof when the user attempts to affect retrieval of their items. In both instances, the system visually and/or audibly alerts security personnel at the remote terminal. Those of skill will appreciate that there may be a plurality of remote terminals and that many such “terminals” may in fact be wireless handheld devices.
Overtime alerts can be programmed where a predetermined period of time is considered longer than the typical rental time that would be expected under the particular circumstances. For example, an overtime alert would be particularly important where, as previously stated, the user's flight information indicates their flight has departed but their items remain in a storage locker. The system can also be programmed to look for unusually long rental periods. A long storage period may be suspicious where the user's flight has been canceled and no further flight booked. A long storage period may also be suspect where the user has flown to the airport and the airport is their final destination or where they have not booked a further flight. It would be expected in either case that any rental would be for a relatively short period of time.
As seen in
If rental is allowed, then at block 80 the user is prompted to close the door and at block 82 the software determines by activation of sensor 29 if the door has been closed and in position so that at block 84 locking mechanism 27 can be operated to lock the door once again. Once the door is locked the light is signaled at block 86 to indicate an in use status and a receipt is printed at block 88 showing the time of rental and the unit rented. Blocks 90 and 92 serve to indicate that the software permits security to make a decision to override the system at any point to keep any particular storage unit in the locked state and not permit retrieval of the contents by the user or to open the storage unit to permit access to the contents by security personnel.
As seen in
A further storage unit embodiment 140 of the present invention is seen by referring to
A further embodiment of door 142 is seen in
Those of skill will understand that storage unit 140 can also include a locking mechanism 27, proximity sensor 29, a light 30, a card reader 31, a biometric sensor 38 and a contraband sensor 40 as hereinabove described for storage unit 11. Thus, unit 140 operates in essentially the same manner as with respect to the method of operation of the present invention as hereinabove described for storage unit 11. The essential difference being the manner of operation of doors 142 or 160 which slide within cavity 154 and open and close in the manner of a roll-top desk door mechanism. Thus, a user can grab handle 156 thereof and lift to open storage unit 140 where the door thereof moves into cavity 154 to the fully open position depicted in
A further embodiment of the present invention is seen in
A further storage unit embodiment 190 of the present invention is seen by referring to
In this embodiment it can be seen that lock mechanism 27 is positioned within cavity 202 as is a proximity sensor 28. As with all the storage unit embodiments previously described herein, storage unit 190 can also include a proximity sensor 29, card reader 31, a biometric sensor 38 and a contraband sensor 40 and operate in the same manner as for the method described hereinabove for storage unit 11. Those of skill will appreciate that a plurality of storage units 190 can be positioned alongside each other and/or stacked on top of each other. It can also be understood that embodiment 190 lends itself particularly well to be made essentially entirely of plastic materials, such as, polyethylene, polypropylene or polyvinyl chloride and to be manufactured relatively inexpensively through blow or injection molding.
In all the above described embodiments it will also be apparent that advertising indicia or signage S can be placed on various surfaces thereof or on surfaces adjacent thereto and/or attached thereto and extending there from.
Those of skill will understand that here are many materials, configurations thereof and methods of manufacture thereof that can be used in constructing the invention that will be clear to those skilled in the art. Moreover, many modifications or changes can be made to the invention disclosed herein without exceeding the spirit and scope of the claims thereof as set out below.
