mLOCK Device and Associated Methods

Abstract

A security device includes a processor defined to control operation of the security device. The security device also includes a radio defined in electrical communication with the processor. The security device also includes a location determination device defined in electrical communication with the processor. The processor, radio, and location determination device are defined to operate collaboratively to provide a wireless tracking and communication system. The security device also includes a shackle and a locking mechanism. The locking mechanism is defined in electrical communication with the processor. The processor is defined to operate the locking mechanism to control locking and unlocking of the shackle based on information obtained through the wireless tracking and communication system.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A locking device, comprising:
 a processor defined to control operation of the locking device;   a long range radio defined in electrical communication with the processor;   a location determination device positioned within the locking device, the location determination device defined in electrical communication with the processor, wherein a combination of the processor, the long range radio, and the location determination device forms a wireless tracking and communication system;   a shackle; and   a locking mechanism defined in electrical communication with the processor, wherein the processor is defined to operate the locking mechanism to control locking and unlocking of the shackle based on one or more of a proximity of the locking device to a secure wireless communication network, a terrestrial position of the locking device, and one or more commands received through the wireless tracking and communication system, and wherein the shackle can only be unlocked through operation of the processor.   
     
     
         2 . A locking device as recited in  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a power source defined to supply electrical power to the processor, the long range radio, the location determination device, and the locking mechanism.   
     
     
         3 . A locking device as recited in  claim 2 , further comprising:
 a solar film electrically connected to the power source and defined to electrically re-charge the power source.   
     
     
         4 . A locking device as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the long range radio is an international frequency radio, and wherein the location determination device is a global positioning system receiver device. 
     
     
         5 . A locking device as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the locking mechanism includes a latch plate defined to be movable to engage with and lock the shackle, and defined to be movable to disengage from and unlock the shackle,
 wherein the locking mechanism also includes a cam defined to be movable in a first direction to engage with the latch plate such that movement of the cam in a second direction causes movement of the latch plate in the second direction, and   wherein the locking mechanism also includes a motor mechanically connected to control movement of the cam in the first direction to engage with the latch plate, wherein the motor is electrically connected to be controlled by the processor.   
     
     
         6 . A locking device as recited in  claim 5 , wherein the shackle can only be unlocked through operation of the processor to control the motor to move the cam to engage the latch plate. 
     
     
         7 . A locking device as recited in  claim 5 , further comprising:
 lock sensors defined to determine a position of the cam relative to the latch plate and electrically communicate the determined position of the cam to the processor.   
     
     
         8 . A locking device as recited in  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a memory disposed in electrical communication with the processor for recording data, the data including program instructions for operating the wireless tracking and communication system, the data also including settings associated with operation of the locking device, the data also including a recording of a time-dependent status of the locking device;   a user interface display disposed in electrical communication with the processor and defined to visually render data recorded in the memory; and   a user interface control device disposed in electrical communication with the processor and defined to control which data is rendered in the user interface display.   
     
     
         9 . A locking device as recited in  claim 8 , wherein the user interface display is a liquid crystal display, and wherein the user interface control device is a mechanical button. 
     
     
         10 . A method for operating a locking device based on a status of the locking device, comprising:
 operating a computing system onboard the locking device to determine a real-time status of the locking device; and   based on the determined real-time status of the locking device, operating the computing system to control a locking mechanism of the locking device to either lock or unlock the locking device, wherein the computing system and the locking mechanism are disposed within a same outer enclosure of the locking device.   
     
     
         11 . A method for operating a locking device based on a status of the locking device as recited in  claim 10 , wherein the real-time status of the locking device includes one or more of a presence of any pending command to be executed by the computing system, a presence of a user interaction with a control of the locking device, a presence of a scheduled task to be performed by the computing system, a current state of a power supply of the locking device, and a current environment state of the locking device. 
     
     
         12 . A method for operating a locking device based on a status of the locking device as recited in  claim 11 , wherein the current environment state of the locking device includes one or more of a current state of motion of the locking device, a current terrestrial position of the locking device, a current proximity of the locking device to a wireless communication network to which the computing system can wirelessly communicate, a temperature near the locking device, a humidity near the locking device, a radioactivity level near the locking device, a chemical presence near the locking device, and an external movement near the locking device. 
     
     
         13 . A method for operating a locking device based on a status of the locking device as recited in  claim 10 , wherein operating the computing system onboard the locking device to determine the real-time status of the locking device includes operating a wireless tracking system within the computing system onboard the locking device to determine a terrestrial position of the locking device. 
     
     
         14 . A method for operating a locking device based on a status of the locking device as recited in  claim 10 , wherein operating the computing system onboard the locking device to determine the real-time status of the locking device includes operating a wireless communication system within the computing system onboard the locking device to access a wireless network and receive commands from one or more sources over the wireless network. 
     
     
         15 . A method for operating a locking device based on a status of the locking device as recited in  claim 14 , wherein the received commands update the real-time status of the locking device to direct the computing system onboard the locking device to either lock or unlock the locking device. 
     
     
         16 . A method for operating a locking device based on a status of the locking device as recited in  claim 10 , wherein operating the computing system onboard the locking device to automatically determine the real-time status of the locking device includes operating the computing system to acquire data from one or more sensors near the locking device. 
     
     
         17 . A method for operating a locking device based on a status of the locking device as recited in  claim 10 , further comprising:
 operating the computing system onboard the locking device to record data in a memory onboard the locking device, wherein the data includes information about the determined real-time status of the locking device.   
     
     
         18 . A method for operating a locking device based on a status of the locking device as recited in  claim 17 , wherein the data includes time-stamped information about one or more of a terrestrial position of the locking device, a security event associated with the locking device, a shackle state of the locking device, a network communication received or transmitted by the computing system onboard the locking device, a physical movement of the locking device, and an environmental condition to which the locking device is exposed. 
     
     
         19 . A method for operating a locking device based on a status of the locking device as recited in  claim 17 , further comprising:
 operating a wireless communication system within the computing system onboard the locking device to transmit data recorded in the memory onboard the locking device to a receiver within a wireless network within range of the locking device.   
     
     
         20 . A method for operating a locking device based on a status of the locking device as recited in  claim 10 , wherein the locking mechanism includes a latch plate defined to be movable to engage with and lock the shackle, and defined to be movable to disengage from and unlock the shackle,
 wherein the locking mechanism also includes a cam defined to be movable in a first direction to engage with the latch plate such that movement of the cam in a second direction causes movement of the latch plate in the second direction, and   wherein the locking mechanism also includes a motor mechanically connected to control movement of the cam in the first direction to engage with the latch plate, wherein the motor is electrically connected to be controlled by the processor.   
     
     
         21 . A method for operating a locking device based on a status of the locking device as recited in  claim 20 , further comprising:
 operating lock sensors defined to determine a position of the cam relative to the latch plate and electrically communicate the determined position of the cam to the computing system.