Mobile Logistics Lock Control via Central Authorization
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Solution Overview
Problem
There is a need for secure access to mobile logistic destinations, such as vehicle trunks, during deliveries, while maintaining user privacy and security, as traditional methods require direct user intervention and lack automated, secure authorization processes.
Innovation Solution
A method and apparatus for providing a lock control signal to a mobile logistic destination, allowing secure authorization and unlocking based on a delivery request, where a central station sends an authorization request to the recipient's mobile device, which can grant permission via a secure interface, ensuring the delivery agent's location and time match the delivery criteria, using GPS coordinates and time stamps for verification.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If automated authorization processes are implemented for mobile logistic destinations, then convenience and security are enhanced, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
A central authorization server acts as an intermediary between the mobile device and the logistic destination lock system. The server receives authorization requests from mobile devices, validates them against stored credentials, and generates lock control signals. This mediator approach automates the authorization process while managing system complexity centrally rather than distributing it across multiple devices.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual mechanical authorization (physical keys, direct user intervention at the lock) with electronic/digital authorization mechanisms. Mobile devices communicate wirelessly with the central server, which then sends electronic lock control signals to the logistic destination, eliminating the need for physical key exchange or direct user presence at the delivery location.
2Reliability
If direct user intervention is required for delivery access, then security is maintained, but productivity and convenience decrease
Solution Approach 1:
User authorization is obtained in advance before the actual delivery occurs. The mobile device sends an authorization request to the central server beforehand, and the user credentials are verified and stored. When the delivery agent arrives at the logistic destination, the pre-authorized lock control signal is already available, eliminating the need for real-time user intervention and enabling immediate secure access.
3Reliability
If secure authorization processes are implemented, then reliability improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The central authorization server serves as a dedicated security intermediary that handles all complex authorization logic, credential verification, and lock control signal generation. This concentrates the security complexity in a single centralized system rather than requiring complex security mechanisms in each mobile device or at each logistic destination, thereby improving reliability while managing overall system complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods, apparatuses and computer programs for providing a lock control signal for a mobile logistic destination including obtaining information about a delivery request, providing an authorization request for opening the mobile logistic destination, obtaining information about an authorization for opening the mobile logistic destination during the probable delivery period from the mobile device, obtaining information about a lock enquiry and delivery agent location information from a mobile device of a delivery agent for the delivery, obtaining logistic destination location information from the logistic destination, determining a delivery agent authorization for opening the mobile logistic destination, computing a delivery agent location difference between the logistic destination location information and the delivery agent location information, comparing a timestamp of the lock enquiry with the probable delivery period, determining the lock control signal for the mobile logistic destination, and providing the lock control signal for the mobile logistic destination.