Purse with Biometric Lock and Rigid Endoskeleton
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current handbag and purse security solutions are inadequate as they primarily focus on slash-and-run theft, lack customizability, and do not facilitate easy recovery of stolen items, often resulting in incomplete protection and potential injury to the owner.
Innovation Solution
A handbag or purse with a rigid endoskeleton, biometric lock assembly, GPS tracking, and a quick-release shoulder strap that incorporates a microcontroller to authenticate users and alert authorities, ensuring secure access and aiding in recovery.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If standard physical key locks are used, then the purse can be secured, but keys can be lost and access may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces mechanical key locks with biometric authentication systems (fingerprint, facial recognition, or iris scanners) that use biological characteristics instead of physical keys. This eliminates the risk of lost keys while maintaining secure access control through the microcontroller that verifies biometric data against stored templates.
Solution Approach 2:
The biometric authentication system allows the purse to verify the user's identity automatically using their own biological characteristics. The microcontroller compares the captured biometric data with pre-enrolled templates stored in secure memory, enabling self-service authentication without requiring external keys or intermediaries.
2Reliability
If RFID-blocking technology is used, then information theft is protected, but the protection is limited to one method and few consumers own RFID transmitters
Solution Approach 1:
The purse integrates multiple security functions into a single system: biometric authentication for physical access control, RFID-blocking fabric for wireless communication protection, GPS tracking for location monitoring, and alarm systems for theft detection. This multi-functional approach provides comprehensive protection against various theft methods beyond just RFID skimming.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines previously separate security technologies into an integrated system. The RFID-blocking fabric is woven into the purse material itself, GPS tracking is embedded in the purse body, biometric sensors are integrated into the lock mechanism, and all components communicate through a central microcontroller, creating a unified security ecosystem.
3Strength
If a rigid endoskeleton is used, then the purse structure is strengthened and slash-proof, but the weight and rigidity may increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a flexible yet strong endoskeleton made from materials like steel cable, Kevlar, or other high-strength-to-weight ratio materials. These thin, flexible structural elements are sewn into the purse interior to provide slash-proof protection and structural integrity without adding significant weight or reducing the purse's flexibility and form-fitting capabilities.
Solution Approach 2:
The purse incorporates composite materials combining different properties: the endoskeleton uses high-strength materials like steel cable or Kevlar for structural support, while the exterior fabric can be chosen for aesthetic purposes, and RFID-blocking fabric is woven into the material itself. This composite approach provides strength where needed while maintaining overall flexibility and style options.
4Reliability
If GPS tracking and alarm systems are integrated, then theft recovery is facilitated, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The GPS receiver, alarm system, biometric authentication, and RFID-blocking technologies are merged into a single integrated security system managed by one microcontroller. This centralization reduces the overall system complexity compared to having separate devices, as all components communicate through a unified control architecture and share power and data buses.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed is a bag or purse for containing valuables. The bag or purse includes a rigid endoskeleton, an exterior covering disposed over the rigid endoskeleton, a lock assembly coupled to the endoskeleton, a biometric sensor and a microcontroller. The lock assembly prevents access to the interior space when the lock assembly is in a locked state. The lock assembly includes a handle and an actuator. The actuator is arranged within the lock assembly to selectively allow the lock assembly to unlock from a locked state. The microcontroller is programmed to determine whether an input provided to the biometric sensor corresponds with an authorized user and, if affirmative, activate the actuator to allow the lock assembly to achieve the unlocked state, and if negative, to not allow the lock assembly to achieve the unlocked state. A quick release cross body shoulder strap and GPS tracking feature can also be provided.