Patent ID: 7129817
Filing Date: 2006-10-31
Classification: G05B,G07C

Abstract:
1. An apparatus for controlling articles in custody. comprising: a storage compartment structure in the form of a box having an inside defining an interior compartment, said box having movably attached thereto a lockable outer door for closing said interior compartment to secure the articles within the interior compartment of the box and unlockable to allow the articles to be taken out therefrom; an input unit to input biometric information for unlocking the storage compartment structure; a registration unit to register biometric information in advance; a collation unit to collate the input biometric information with the registered biometric information; a controller to unlock the storage means if the collation byte collation unit authenticates the input biometric information; a record unit to record at least a person related to the authenticated biometric information in response to the unlocking of the storage compartment structure; the storage compartment structure forming a plurality of inner storage spaces, in the interior compartment of the storage compartment structure, each being lockable to keep articles therein and selectively unlockable to allow the articles to be taken out therefrom; the outer door openable to visibly expose the inner storage spaces to outside said storage structure; the input unit including an outer input to input biometric information for unlocking the outer door, the outer input being disposed on an exterior of the outer door and exposed a person seeking to open the outer door when the outer door is closed; the input unit including an inner input in an interior of the storage compartment structure to input biometric information for unlocking the inner storage spaces, the inner input unit being provided within the inside of box so as to be exposed to the person when the outer door is opened; a selection input unit disposed within said interior compartment for selecting any one of the inner storage spaces, said selection input unit accepting selection data input by the person for the purpose of opening any one of said inner storage; said inner storage spaces respectively have inner storage space doors which are unlockable by the input unit and movably supported by the storage compartment structure; the controller including an outer control unit to unlock the outer door if the biometric information inputted into the outer input means is authenticated by collation and an inner control unit to unlock the inner storage space door of the selected inner storage space if the biometric information inputted into the inner input is authenticated by collation and if the inner storage space is selected through the selection input;and the selection data selecting one of said inner storage spaces from amongst all said inner storage spaces which is unlocked in response to receipt and collation of the input biometric information inputted to said inner input.