[DESCRIPTION] [Invention Title]

ALARM CALL METHOD OF AN ELECTRIC ROCK AND A SAFE CALLING THE ALARM CALL [Technical Field]

<i> The present invention relates to an alarm call method for generating an alarm call for an electric locking device and a safe capable of generating an alarm call . [Background Art]

<2> As well known, a safe is utilized to protect valuable belongings of the owner safely from robbery or illegal leakage. So, the safe can be unlocked by the owner only while unauthorized people cannot unlock.

<3> For this purpose, a conventional safe 100 includes a solid body 110, a door 120 and a locking device 130 to open the door 120 selectively, as shown in FIG. 1. Items in the safe 100 can be protected safely from unauthorized people because they cannot unlock the door 120 and the safe 100 cannot be cracked easily.

<4> By utilizing such the safe 100, the owner can protect and keep his belongings securely even when he is absent.

<5> It may be happened that unauthorized people with illegal intention of burglar or robbery break into when the owner is absent. And further, it may be also happened that unauthorized invaders rob the owner of the belongings in the safe 100 even if the owner is at home. Invaders may threat the owner to open the safe 100.

<6> However rigid and safe the structure and locking mechanism of the safe 100 is, protecting function of the safe 100 fails and the belongings are robbed if the owner cannot help but open the safe 100 by himself under the threat .

<7> Although various methods and techniques were developed to solve those problems, those techniques are not sufficient to protect the owner and his belongs under the threat of the invader. Further, most of the techniques are inclined to the cases that the owner is absent. Thus there is need to

provides a safe capable of protecting the owner and his belongings from the threat even when the owner is under the threat. [Disclosure] [Technical Problem]

<8> An object of the present invention is to provide a method for generating alarm call for an electric locking device even if the owner cannot help but open by himself under the threat of the invader.

<9> Another object of the present invention is to provide a safe capable of generating an alarm call. [Technical Solution]

<io> According to the present invention, an alarm call method in a safe having a hollowed body with at least an opened side! an opening door fixed to the body! and an electric locking device, wherein the electric locking device includes an input module for receiving a secret number, a control module for receiving and processing a signal with respect to the secret number from the input module, a lock module for opening/closing the door mechanically on receiving a driving signal from the control module and a communication module for communicating with an external communication network,

<π> the method includes:

<i2> secret number inputting step for receiving the secret number from the input module;

<13> input secret number identifying step for identifying whether an input secret number from the input module is identical to one of the pre-defined secret number, including a general secret number and an emergency secret number, after receiving a signal with respect to the input secret number,

<H> secret number type identifying step for identifying the type of the pre-defined secret number identical to the input secret number;

<15> lock module driving step for releasing the closing state of the lock module by sending a driving signal to the lock module when the input secret number is identical to either the general secret number or the emergency secret number; and

<16> alarm call step for sending an alarm call through the communication network by sending a communication signal to the communication module when the input secret number is identical to the emergency secret number.

<17>

[Advantageous Effects] <18> According to the alarm call method of the present invention, the owner can ask for help by informing the emergency situation to others and further secure of himself and his belongings can be expected, even if he cannot help but open the safe under the threat of the invader.

[Description of Drawings] <19> The present invention will be described in detail with accompanied drawings;

<20> FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of the general safe; <2i> FIG. 2 shows a block diagram illustrating the locking device according to the present invention; <22> FIG. 3 shows a flow chart illustrating a preferred embodiment of the alarm call method according to the present invention; and <23> FIG. 4 shows a flow chart illustrating another embodiment of the alarm call method according to the present invention. <24> - description of the parts in the drawings <25> 100...safe 110...body

<26> 120...door 121...hinge

<27> 130... locking device 131... input module <28> 131... lock module 133...control module <29> 134...communication module

[Best Mode]

<30> FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of the general safe and <3i> FIG. 2 shows a block diagram illustrating the locking device according to the present invention. <32> A safe 100 is provided to safe and keep valuable items. The safe 100 has a body 110, where space is provided to contain items, made by a

sufficiently durable material against external shocks, a door 120 to open the space in the body 110 selectively and a locking device 130 to limit opening/closing of the door 120.

<33> The door 120 can be fixed to the body 110 by a hinge 121 to open and/or close.

<34> The locking device 130 is provided to fix the door 120 forcibly such that an authorized person (hereinafter called as an owner) only can open and/or close the door 120. The owner can open the door 120 after releasing the forcibly fixed door 120 through the operation of the locking device 130. Eventually, releasing of the locking device 130 can be done by the owner only.

<35> The locking device 130 includes an input module 131 for receiving a secret number from the owner, a lock module for locking and/or releasing both of the door 120 and the body 110 physically to limit opening/closing of the door 120, a control module 133 for calculating and processing input information from the input module 131 to control the deriving operation of the lock module 132 and a communication module 134 for sending an alarm call to an assigned person under the control of the control module 133 when emergency.

<36> The input module 131 can be implemented by a button type input device such as a key pad or a screen type one such as an electrical/electric touch screen. The type of the input module is not limited to the mechanical key pad or the electrical/electric touch screen as long as the owner can input information including a secret number to drive the locking device 130. And further, various modifications can be implemented within the scope of the claim attached herewith.

<37> The lock module 132 is provided to the body 110 or the door 120 to limit closing/opening of the door 120 physically. Generally, the lock module 132 includes a driving motor (not shown), a locking bar (not shown) moved by the driving motor, a groove (not sh wn), which is geared or released with the locking bar to limit the rotation of the door 120.

<38> The type and structure of the lock module 131 is very well known. Thus, the type and structure of the lock module 131 is not limited to a specific one in the safe according to the present invention as long as it can limit closing/opening operations of the door 120 under the control of the control module 133.

<39> The control module 133 identifies input information (secret number) from the input module 131, identifies whether the input information is identical to the pre-defined information to drive the lock module 132. When the input information is identical to the pre-defined information, the control module 133 controls the driving operation of the lock module 132 so that the owner can open the door 120.

<40> Since the safe 100 of the present invention adapts an electrical locking device 130, the control module 133 analyzes and identifies data from the input module 131 and eventually sends a signal to control the driving operation to the lock module 132

<4i> The communication module 134 is provided to communicate to an assigned person by connecting to an external wired/wireless communication network. The communication module 134 sends an alarm call to the assigned person by sensing the cases when the safe 100 is opened, cracked or moved without permission. Upon the alarm call, the assigned person calls the police or a security company. The assigned person can be the police, the security company or a friend of the owner with a mobile phone.

<42> As described before, because opening/closing operations of the door 120 is limited by the electrically operating locking device 130 in the safe 100 according to the present invention, the owner can open/close the door 120 easily and other persons who don't know a pre-defined information cannot open the door 120, so that functionality and safety can be improved.

<43> FIG. 3 shows a flow chart illustrating the alarm call method according to preferred embodiment of the present invention.

<44> According to the alarm call method, an alarm call can be sent to the assigned person while the other is not aware even if the owner opens the safe

100 under the threat, and thus safeness of the owner and protect of his belongings can be achieved. <45> The alarm call method according to the present invention is performed as follows.

<46> SIl; secret number inputting step <47> The owner operates the input module 131 to input self-defined information (hereinafter called as secret number) to open the door 120 of the safe 100. <48> In the preferred embodiment of the present invention an electric touch screen is adapted. However it should be known that various mechanical/electrical input devices can be implemented as the input module

131 as described before.

<49> S12. S13; input secret number identifying step <50> The input module 131 sends a signal with respect to the secret number, input by the owner, to the control module 133 and the control module 133 receives the signal. <5i> The control module 133 identifies the received signal and identifies whether the secret number according to the received signal is the pre-defined secret number. <52> Since two kinds of secret number are set, the control module 133 identifies whether the input secret number is identical to each of the two pre-defined secret numbers. <53> S16; stopping step <54> If it is identified that the input secret number is not identical to any one of the two pre-defined secret numbers at the input secret number identifying step, the control module 133 prompts to input a new secret number or ends after stopping any further operation. <55> S17; secret number type identifying step <56> If it is identified that the input secret number is identical to one of the two pre-defined secret numbers at the input secret number identifying step, the control module 133 identifies which secret number of two pre-defied

secret numbers is identical to the input secret number.

<57> Two secret numbers are set by the owner and the usage of each secret number is different. The first secret number is a general secret number while the second secret number is an emergency secret number. The owner can open the door 120 with any one of the secret numbers. However, the control module 133 processes differently according to the type of the secret number.

<58> S18; lock module driving step

<59> The control module 133 sends a driving signal to the lock module 132, and then the lock module 132 drives the driving motor to release the closing state when the input secret number is identical to the general secret number at the secret number type identifying step S17. The owner can open the released door 120 to perform work required.

<60> S19; lock module driving step

<6i> The control module 133 sends a driving signal to the lock module 132, and then the lock module 132 drives the driving motor to release the closing state when the input secret number is identical to the emergency secret number at the secret number type identifying step S17. The owner can open the released door 120 to perform work required.

<62> The control module 133 sends the driving signal to drive the lock module 132 irrespective of the type of the input secret number by the owner.

<63> S20; emergency call step

<64> The control module 133 sends a communication signal to the communication module 132 while performing the lock module driving step S19 if the input secret number is the emergency secret number.

<65> If emergency secret number, it means that the owner opens the safe 100 under the threat, Thus the control module 133 notifies this situation to the assigned person.

<66> When the communication module 134 receives the communication signal from the control module 133, it sends an emergency call to the assigned person.

<67> The communication module 134 connected to the extern 1 communication

network in wired or wireless manner. The assigned person can be the police, a security company. Of course, the person assigned can be an ordinary people except the police or a security company. Further the emergency call can be sent to all of them.

<68> The assigned people can hurry to the scene or ask for help, thus the owner can send alarm call to the assigned person without suspicion.

<69> FIG. 4 shows a flow chart illustrating another embodiment of the alarm call method according to the present invention.

<70> According to another embodiment of the alarm call method, a number of times of inputting secret number by the input module can be identified and limited. If other people inputs secret number randomly more than pre-defined number of times, the control module regards this situation that a person who is not an owner tries to open the safe 100 forcibly and limits the input of the secret number.

<7i> S14 number of errors identifying step

<72> The control module 133 counts the number of times to compare input secret number with the pre-defined secret number if the input secret number is not identical to the pre-defined secret number at the input secret number identifying step S12 and S13.

<73> S15," identifying step to identify whether the number of errors exceeds the limited number

<74> The control module 133 proceeds to the stopping step S16 if the number of times to compare input secret number with the pre-defined secret number exceeds the limited number. The control module 133 controls the input module 131 to refuse the input of the secret number. After then, the owner only can restore to the normal state by inputting a releasing number.

<75> The control module 133 processes to the secret number type identifying step S17 if a secret number identical to the pre-defined secret number is input within the limited number of errors.

<76> Although not shown, the control module 133 proceeds to the alarm calling step S20 while doing the stopping step S16 if the number of times to

compare exceeds the pre-determined limited number of errors.

<77> According to the alarm call method of the present invention, the owner can ask for help by informing the emergency situation to others even if he cannot help but open the safe under the threat of the invader.