Method for deactivating locking of at least one door of a housing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10424144-B2
Application number	US-201615166043-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 26, 2016
Priority date	Dec 5, 2013
Publication date	Sep 24, 2019
Grant date	Sep 24, 2019

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for deactivating the locking of at least one door of an accommodating device, said method comprising: effecting the unlocking of the at least one door, measuring the time since at least one event detected by an access-monitoring device of the accommodating device has occurred, and effecting, if the at least one door is open and the measured time exceeds a specified time threshold value, the deactivation of the locking of the at least one door in such a way that the at least one door cannot be locked. The invention further relates to an access-monitoring device, a computer program, an accommodating device, a system, and a use of the accommodating device.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for deactivating locking of at least one door of a receiving apparatus, the method comprising:
causing unlocking of the at least one door,
capturing opening of the at least one door,
measuring time since at least one event captured by an access control apparatus of the receiving apparatus took place, and
if the at least one door is opened and the measured time exceeds a predetermined time threshold value, causing deactivating of locking of the at least one door in such a manner that the at least one door is not lockable.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one event captured by the access control apparatus is at least one of detecting a presence of an access authorization verification apparatus in the environment of the access control apparatus, obtaining access authorization information from the access authorization verification apparatus or from a user, recording of an input by the user, causing unlocking of the door or opening of the door.

3. The method according to claim 1 , the receiving apparatus comprising locking means which are configured to lock the at least one door.

4. The method according to claim 3 , the locking means comprising a latch which is configured to automatically lock the at least one door upon closing, and wherein the locking of the at least one door being deactivated if the latch is held in an open position.

5. The method according to claim 1 , the at least one event captured by the access control apparatus being an event associated with a user activity.

6. The method according to claim 1 , the method further comprising:
obtaining access authorization information for granting access,
deciding whether access can be granted, at least partially on the basis of the access authorization information obtained, and
causing unlocking of the at least one door only if it has been decided that access can be granted.

7. The method according to claim 1 , the method further comprising:
detecting a presence of an access authorization verification apparatus in an environment of the access control apparatus.

8. The method according to claim 1 , the method further comprising:
capturing the event, and
starting measuring of the time.

9. The method according to claim 1 , the method further comprising:
ending measuring of the time if at least one new event captured by the access control apparatus has taken place, and
measuring the time since the at least one new event captured by the access control apparatus took place.

10. The method according to claim 1 , the predetermined time threshold value being less than or equal to 15 minutes.

11. The method according to claim 1 , the method further comprising:
measuring the unlocking time since the causing of unlocking of the at least one door, and
if the at least one door has not been opened since the causing of unlocking and the measured unlocking time exceeds a predetermined unlocking time threshold value, causing locking of the at least one door.

12. The method according to claim 11 , the method also comprising:
causing the access control apparatus to switch to an energy-saving mode if the measured unlocking time exceeds the unlocking time threshold value.

13. The method according to claim 1 , the method further comprising:
obtaining access authorization information for activating locking of the at least one door if locking of the at least one door is deactivated,
deciding whether access can be granted, at least partially on the basis of the access authorization information obtained, and
causing activating of the locking of the at least one door only if it has been decided that access can be granted.

14. The method according to claim 1 , the method further comprising:
opening the at least one door, and/or
closing the at least one door.

15. A non-transitory machine readable storage medium having stored thereon a computer program comprising program instructions which cause a processor to perform and/or control the method according to claim 1 when the computer program runs on the processor.

16. An access control apparatus comprising at least one processor and at least one memory which comprises program code, the memory and the program code being configured to cause the apparatus to perform or control:
causing unlocking of at least one door;
capturing opening of the at least one door;
measuring time since at least one event captured by the access control apparatus of a receiving apparatus took place; and
if the at least one door is opened and the measured time exceeds a predetermined time threshold value, causing deactivating of locking of the at least one door in such a manner that the at least one door is not lockable.

17. A receiving apparatus comprising:
a housing,
at least one door for closing at least one housing opening,
locking means which are configured to lock and unlock the at least one door, and
an access control apparatus according to claim 16 .

18. A system comprising:
a receiving apparatus according to claim 17 , and
an access authorization verification apparatus.

19. The use of the receiving apparatus according to claim 18 in such a manner that the at least one door of the receiving apparatus is closed in order to prevent the causing deactivating of locking of the at least one door in such a manner that the at least one door is not lockable.

20. The access control apparatus according to claim 16 , wherein the at least one event captured by the access control apparatus is at least one of detecting a presence of an access authorization verification apparatus in the environment of the access control means, obtaining access authorization information from an access authorization information from an access authorization verification apparatus or from a user, recording of an input by the user, causing unlocking of the door or opening of the door.

Assignees

• Carstens Christian
• Dautz Christoph
• Jansen Jochen
• Benz Ramin
• Deutsche Post Ag

Inventors

• Carstens Christian
• Dautz Christoph
• Jansen Jochen
• Benz Ramin

Classifications

• G07C9/29

  the pass containing active electronic elements, e.g. smartcards · CPC title

• G07C9/28

  the pass enabling tracking or indicating presence · CPC title

• G05B19/00

  Program-control systems · CPC title

• H04L9/00

  {Cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic} arrangements for secret or secure communications; Network security protocols · CPC title

• G07C2009/00642

  by battery · CPC title