Secure Container with Germicidal Control for Theft and Germ Prevention
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing containers lack security features to prevent unauthorized access and exposure to germs, particularly in the context of package delivery, where items are often left unattended, risking theft and germ transmission.
Innovation Solution
A container with a controlled entry panel, germicidal controller, temperature controller, and integrated circuitry for secure and sanitized item transfer, using UV-C light or germicides to sanitize and maintain temperature, with authorization via unique identifiers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a container has no security features to allow easy access, then ease of operation is improved, but security against unauthorized access deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces mechanical key-based locking systems with electronic access control systems including keypads, biometric scanners, and RFID readers. This substitution maintains security while improving ease of operation through contactless and automated authentication methods.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an electronic control system as an intermediary between the user and the container contents. This intermediary layer verifies authentication credentials before granting access, maintaining security while enabling convenient access for authorized users through automated decision-making.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If a container has no germicidal features, then device complexity is reduced, but protection against germ transmission deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements germicidal UV-C lighting that automatically activates when the container is accessed or on a timer before user interaction. This preliminary sanitization action eliminates germs before contact occurs, protecting against transmission while keeping the system relatively simple through automated timing controls.
Solution Approach 2:
The container performs self-sanitization using integrated UV-C lights and germicidal coatings that automatically activate without external intervention. The system serves its own hygiene needs through automated cycles, reducing germ transmission risk without requiring complex external sanitation infrastructure.
3Reliability
If a container has no temperature control, then energy consumption is reduced, but protection against spoilage deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses phase change materials (PCMs) that automatically absorb or release heat as they transition between solid and liquid states. This passive temperature regulation maintains optimal storage conditions without continuous energy input, preserving items while minimizing energy consumption through thermodynamic rather than mechanical means.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent incorporates replaceable battery-powered heating or cooling elements that can be discarded or replaced when depleted. These disposable components provide active temperature control when needed but eliminate the need for permanent, energy-intensive infrastructure, balancing preservation reliability with reduced ongoing energy consumption.
4Productivity
If items are left unattended on porch, then ease of delivery is improved, but security against theft deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The container serves as an intermediary receiving point between the delivery service and the end user. Deliveries can be placed in the container without the recipient being present, maintaining delivery efficiency while the locked container prevents theft. The intermediary structure decouples the delivery action from the receipt action, enabling secure drop-off.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces physical hand-to-hand delivery with automated electronic access control and notification systems. Delivery personnel can securely deposit items in the container through electronic authentication, and recipients receive digital notifications with access instructions. This substitution maintains productivity while eliminating the security vulnerability of leaving items unattended.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Ensures secure, germ-free, and temperature-controlled item delivery and pickup, minimizing theft and germ exposure by limiting access and sanitizing surfaces before interaction.
Implementation Method 1
a light source configured to emit a germicidal action, such as UV-C light
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus and method for securely and safely storing an item includes a container having a plurality of walls configured to define an interior space of the container and an entry panel positioned in at least a portion of one of the plurality of walls and operable to open and reveal the interior space of the container. An open/close controller is coupled to the entry panel and configured to control the opening and closing of the entry panel. A germicidal controller is positioned within the interior space of the container and configured to provide a germicide to the interior space. The container also includes circuitry coupled to the open/close controller and germicidal controller and a memory coupled to the circuitry having a plurality of instructions executed by the circuitry. In response to receiving a delivery signal for an item to be inserted into the container, the delivery signal including at least a first unique identifier, the open/close controller is controlled to open the entry panel if the first unique identifier included in the delivery signal is verified and then close the entry panel after the item has been placed in the interior space of the container. The germicidal controller is controlled to provide the germicide to the interior space of the first compartment entry panel of the container has been closed. In response to receiving a pickup signal for an item to be removed from the container, the pickup signal including at least a second unique identifier, the open/close controller is controlled to open the entry panel if the second unique identifier included in the pickup signal is verified. The open/close controller is controlled to close the entry panel after the item has been removed from the interior space of the container.