Secure storage of hand portable electronic devices

TECHNOLOGICAL FIELD

Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to secure storage of hand portable electronic devices. In particular, they relate to secure storage of hand portable electronic devices in a logistics environment.

BACKGROUND

In a logistics environment, hand portable electronic devices might be used to manage and track parcels. The hand portable electronic devices might be stored in lockers when they are not in use.

BRIEF SUMMARY

According to various, but not necessarily all, embodiments there is provided a locker apparatus including a plurality of lockers, wherein each locker is for storing a hand portable electronic device and each locker comprises: a housing defining a chamber for storing a hand portable electronic device, wherein the housing comprises an outer face having an aperture arranged to expose at least a portion of a hand portable electronic device when a hand portable electronic device is stored in the chamber; a locking mechanism for locking and unlocking the locker; and sensor circuitry configured to receive at least one of light signals or audio signals from a hand portable electronic device stored in the chamber; and wherein the locker apparatus further includes: control circuitry configured to determine that at least one of a predetermined light signal or a predetermined audio signal has been received by the sensor circuitry of a particular locker of the plurality of lockers, and respond by controlling the locking mechanism of the particular locker to unlock the particular locker and thereby provide a user with access to a hand portable electronic device stored in the chamber of the particular locker. The sensor circuitry may be arranged to receive one or more light signals. The sensor circuitry may be arranged to receive one or more light signals from a display of a hand portable electronic device stored in the chamber.

The sensor circuitry may comprise at least one optical sensor for simultaneously receiving a plurality of light signals. The plurality of light signals may comprise a two- dimensional pattern displayed by the display. Each light signal of the plurality of light signals may emanate from a different portion of the display of a hand portable electronic device stored in the chamber.

The sensor circuitry may be positioned in the chamber. The housing may comprise a support for supporting a hand portable electronic device in the chamber.

The housing may comprise a door. The door may be a hinged door. The door may comprise the outer face having the aperture. The door may have an open position and a closed position. When the door is transitioned from the open position to the closed position, the locking mechanism may be configured to respond by locking the door.

The support may be positioned on an inner face of the door. The support may be arranged to receive a hand portable electronic device when the door is in the open position. The sensor circuitry may be positioned on the inner face of the door.

Each locker may comprise user output circuitry configured to indicate a locked state or an unlocked state for the locker. The control circuitry may be configured, after determining that at least one of a predetermined light signal or a predetermined audio signal has been received by the sensor circuitry of the particular locker, to control the user output circuitry to indicate that the particular locker has entered or is about to enter the unlocked state.

The user output circuitry may comprise light emitting circuitry. The control circuitry may be configured, when the door is transitioned from the open position to the closed position, to control the user output circuitry to indicate that the particular locker has entered or is about to enter the locked state. The locker apparatus may comprise charging circuitry configured to charge a battery of each hand portable electronic device stored in each locker.

The aperture may be arranged to expose at least a portion of a hand portable electronic device.

According to various, but not necessarily all, embodiments there is provided examples as claimed in the appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION

Some examples will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates a locker apparatus comprising a plurality of lockers;

FIG. 2 illustrates a schematic of electronic components of a locker in the locker apparatus;

FIG. 3 illustrates a perspective view of a hand portable electronic device being inserted into a locker;

FIG. 4 illustrates a perspective view of the locker illustrated in FIG. 3 after the hand portable electronic device has been inserted and prior to a door of the locker being closed;

FIG. 5 illustrates a perspective view of the locker illustrated in FIG. 4 after the hand portable electronic device has been inserted and after the door of the locker has been closed;

FIG. 6 illustrates a front elevation of the locker illustrated in FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 illustrates a front elevation of a locker apparatus which includes the locker illustrated in FIG. 6; and

FIG. 8 illustrates a flow chart of a method.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 illustrates a schematic of a locker apparatus 1000. The locker apparatus 1000 may be used, for example, in a logistics environment to store hand portable electronic devices and manage access to those hand portable electronic devices. The locker apparatus 1000 comprises a plurality of lockers 100. An individual locker is labelled with the reference numeral 10 in FIG. 1.

FIG. 1 illustrates twenty-eight lockers 100 in a 4 x 7 grid. In other examples, more or fewer lockers might be provided than those illustrated in FIG. 1. Furthermore, the manner in which the lockers 100 are arranged relative to each other might be different from that illustrated in FIG. 1.

At least some of the lockers 100 are for storing a hand portable electronic device. That is, the lockers 100 are shaped and sized to accommodate an electronic device that may be held and transported by a single hand of a user.

FIG. 2 illustrates a schematic of an individual locker 10 of the plurality of lockers 100 in the locker apparatus 1000, and, in particular, electronic circuitry of the locker 10. Each locker 10 of the plurality of lockers might be the same as that illustrated in FIG. 2.

The locker 10 comprises a locking mechanism 16, sensor circuitry 18 and control circuitry 20. The illustrated locker 10 also comprises a housing 22 which houses the locking mechanism 16, the sensor circuitry 18 and the control circuitry 20. The locker 100 comprises a chamber in which a hand portable electronic device may be stored. The housing 22 defines the chamber.

In some examples, each locker 10 might include its own control circuitry 20, as illustrated in FIG. 2. In other examples, the control circuitry 20 might be shared between the plurality of lockers 100. Such shared control circuitry 20 might be positioned in one of the lockers 10 or elsewhere in the locker apparatus 1000.

The control circuitry 20 comprises at least one processor 12 and one or more memories 14. A single processor 12 will be referenced hereinafter for clarity of explanation. The processor 12 may be a single core or multi-core processor. The processor 12 may also comprise an output interface via which data and/or commands are output by the processor 12 and an input interface via which data and/or commands are input to the processor 12. The processor 12 is configured to read from and write to the memory 14. Although the memory 14 is illustrated as a single component/circuitry it may be implemented as one or more separate components/circuitry some or all of which may be integrated/removable and/or may provide permanent/semi-permanent/ dynamic/cached storage. The memory 14 might include multiple memories that are located in different locations.

The memory 14 includes at least one non-transitory computer readable medium that stores a computer program 18 comprising computer program instructions (computer program code), which controls the operation of the locker apparatus 1000 when loaded into the processor 12. The computer program instructions, of the computer program 16, provide the logic and routines that enables the apparatus 100 to perform part of the method illustrated in FIG. 8. The processor 12, by reading the memory 14, is able to load and execute the computer program 16.

The control circuitry 20 (more specifically, the processor 12 of the control circuitry 20) is configured to control the locking mechanism 16 and to receive inputs from the sensor circuitry 18. The control circuitry 20, the sensor circuitry 18 and the locking mechanism 16 are operationally coupled and any number or combination of intervening elements can exist between them (including no intervening elements).

The sensor circuitry 18 of the locker 10 is configured to receive signals from a hand portable electronic device. The sensor circuitry 18 may be configured to receive at least one wireless signal from a hand portable electronic device. The sensor circuitry 18 may be positioned to receive that wireless signal from the hand portable electronic device when the hand portable electronic device is located in the chamber of the locker 10. For instance, in some embodiments, the wireless signal(s) may be or comprise a (visible) light signal and the sensor circuitry 18 might be or comprise one or more optical sensors, such as one or more photodiodes. The light signal might, for example, be output by the display of the hand portable electronic device. In such embodiments, the housing 22 might be substantially opaque, such that little or no light enters the chamber when the locker 10 is closed.

The display of the hand portable electronic device may extend over a majority of a front face of the hand portable electronic device. The display is an electronic display that is capable of displaying images and text. The display may comprise an array of pixels that are arranged in columns and rows. The display might, for example, be or comprise a liquid crystal display (LCD) or an organic light emitting diode (OLED) display.

The wireless signal(s) may be or comprise an audio signal and the sensor circuitry 18 may comprise a microphone for receiving such an audio signal. In these embodiments, the housing 22 might be sound-proofed, or at least comprise some material having sound-damping or sound absorption properties to mitigate the entry of sound waves into the chamber when the locker 10 is closed.

The locking mechanism 16 is configured to lock the locker 10 to prevent user access to the chamber, and configured to unlock the locker 10 to provide user access to the chamber. A user is considered to have access to the chamber if, for example, the locker 10 is unlocked and in its open state or if the locker 10 is unlocked and in its closed state such that it can be transitioned from its closed state to its open state.

As explained above, the locking mechanism 16 is operationally connected to the control circuitry 20. If the control circuitry 20 determines that the sensor circuitry 18 has received a predetermined wireless signal or signals (e.g., a predetermined light signal or audio signal), it may cause the locking mechanism 16 to transition from a locked configuration to an unlocked configuration, thereby transitioning the locker 10 from a locked state to an unlocked state.

The locking mechanism 16 may be configured to automatically transition the locker 10 from its closed state to its open state when the locker 10 is transitioned from an unlocked state to a locked state. For example, the locking mechanism 16 might cause a door of the locker 10 to open automatically when the locker 10 is unlocked.

The locking mechanism 162 may be configured to automatically lock the locker 10 when the locker 10 is transitioned from its open state to its closed state.

The locker 10 may be simultaneously in the locked state and the closed state, simultaneously in the unlocked state and the closed state, and simultaneously in the open state and the unlocked state, depending upon how the locking mechanism 16 functions. The locker 10 is considered to be in its open state when a hand portable electronic device 200 could be retrieved from the chamber via an opening in the housing 22, such as the opening created when opening a door. In other embodiments, the locker 10 might not comprise a door. It could instead comprise a drawer, for instance. The opening might be created by opening the drawer.

The locker 10 is considered to be in its closed state when a hand portable electronic device 200 in the chamber could not be retrieved from the chamber because an appropriate opening is not present (e.g., because the door or drawer of the housing 22 is closed).

The door or drawer may have an open position (corresponding with the locker 10 being in its open state) and a closed position (corresponding with the locker 10 being in its closed state), and the locking mechanism 16 may be configured to lock the door/drawer when the door/drawer is transitioned from the open position to the closed position.

When the locker 10 is in its locked state and its closed state, it cannot be transitioned from the closed state to the open state without first being transitioned from its locked state to its unlocked state.

FIG. 3 illustrates a perspective view of an example of a locker 10 of the plurality of lockers 100 in the locker apparatus 100. FIG. 3 illustrates the hand portable electronic device 200 being inserted into the locker.

In this example, the housing 22 of the locker 10 includes a body 24 and a door 26. The door 26 is configured to pivot about a hinge 28. The hinge 28 connects the door 26 to the body 24. The door 26 is shown in FIG. 3 in its open position.

The locker 10 comprises a support 34 for supporting a hand portable electronic device 200. The support 34 may be arranged to receive a hand portable electronic device 200 when the door 26 is in the open position, as shown in FIG. 3. The support 34 may hold the hand portable electronic device 200 in a particular position within the chamber. The support 34 may, for example, be a cradle for the hand portable electronic device 200. The support 34 may comprise an electrical connector for supplying power to the hand portable electronic device 200 when the electrical connector is electrically connected to the hand portable electronic device 200. The electrical connector of the support 34 may power and/or charge the hand portable electronic device 200. In this regard, the locker apparatus 1000 may comprise charging circuitry for powering/charging the hand portable electronic device 200.

In the example illustrated in FIG. 3, the support 34 is positioned on an inner face 26a of the door 26, although this need not be the case in other examples.

The sensor circuitry 18 is positioned in the chamber of the locker 10. For example, the sensor circuitry 18 may be positioned on the inner face 26a of the door 26. The support 24 and the sensor circuitry 18 are positioned relative to each other such that the sensor circuitry 18 is able to receive light and/or audio signals from the hand portable electronic device 200 when the hand portable electronic device 200 is supported by the support 34 and located in the chamber. For example, the sensor circuitry 18 may be positioned to receive light signals from a portion of the display 210 of the hand portable electronic device 200. The sensor circuitry 18 may directly oppose the display 210 of the hand portable electronic device 200 when the hand portable electronic device 200 is in the chamber of the locker (and supported by the support 24).

The sensor circuitry 18 may comprise at least one optical sensor for simultaneously receiving a plurality of light signals. For example, the sensor circuitry 18 may comprise an array of optical sensors for receiving a plurality of light signals (e.g., an array of photodiodes). Each optical sensor in the array may be configured/positioned to substantially simultaneously receive a different light signal to the other optical sensors in the array, where each light signal emanates from a different portion of the display 210 of the hand portable electronic device 200. The sensor circuitry 18 may therefore be able to detect a particular two-dimensional pattern of light that is displayed by the display 210 of the hand portable electronic device 200. The pattern may be static or time-varying. Instead of an array of optical sensors being provided, the sensor circuitry 18 might include a single optical sensor, such as an image sensor, for detecting the different light signals/two-dimension pattern. In such an example, different regions of the optical sensor may simultaneously receive light emanating from different portions of the display 210. The image sensor might, for example, be a charge-coupled device (CCD) or a complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) sensor.

The door 26 comprises an aperture 30 that is arranged to expose at least a portion of (an external surface of) the hand portable electronic device 200 when the hand portable electronic device 200 is stored in the chamber (e.g., when the hand portable electronic device 200 is supported by the support 34). The external surface may be the front face of the hand portable electronic device 200 (for instance, on which the display 210 is positioned). In the illustrated example, the aperture 30 is arranged to expose at least a portion of the display 210 of the hand portable electronic device 200. The door 26 provides an outer face of the housing 22 in which the aperture 30 is located.

In the example illustrated in FIG. 3, the locker 10 comprises user output circuitry 32 that is controlled by the control circuitry 20 (more specifically, the processor 12 of the control circuity 20). The user output circuitry 32 is configured to indicate whether the locker 10 is in a locked state or an unlocked state. For example, the control circuitry 20 may be configured to determine whether a predetermined light signal and/or audio signal has been received by the sensor circuitry 18, and if so, control the user output circuitry 32 to indicate that the locker 10 has entered (or is about to enter) the unlocked state. The user output circuitry 32 may be configured to emit visible light to provide the indication of whether the locker 10 is in the locked state or the unlocked state. In this regard, the user output circuity 32 may comprise light emitting circuitry, such as one or more light emitting diodes. The user output circuitry 32 may, for example, emit green light if the locker is in the unlocked state and red light if the locker is in the locked state.

The control circuitry 20 may be configured to control the user output circuitry 32 to indicate that the locker has transitioned from its unlocked state to its locked state. This may occur, for instance, at substantially the same time as when the door 26 (or a drawer) is transitioned from its open position to its closed position. FIG. 4 illustrates a perspective view of the locker 10 after the hand portable electronic device 200 has been fully received by the support 34 and prior to the door 26 of the locker 10 being closed. FIG. 5 illustrates a perspective view of the locker 10 after the hand portable electronic device 200 has fully received by the support 34 and after the door 26 of the locker 10 has been closed. FIG. 6 illustrates a front elevation of the locker 10 illustrated in FIG. 5. FIG. 7 illustrates a front elevation of the locker 10 of FIG. 6 in the locker apparatus 1000 which comprises a plurality of lockers 100.

The aperture 30 in the housing 22 of the locker 10 (in the door 26 in the illustrated examples) enables a user to authenticate themselves using the hand portable electronic device 200 while the locker 10 is in a locked state. Any suitable authentication method may be used, including entering a passcode, password or pattern into the hand portable electronic device 200. For example, the display 210 of the hand portable electronic device 200 may be a touch sensitive display and the passcode, password or pattern may be entered by providing one or more touch inputs at the touch sensitive display 210, which is possible due to at least some of the display 210 being exposed by the aperture 30 while the hand portable electronic device 200 is stored in the locker 10.

In some examples, authentication might be provided by the user providing biometric data rather than a passcode, password or pattern. If so, the hand portable electronic device 200 comprises one or more biometric readers and the user provides inputs to the biometric reader(s) for the authentication process that comprise biometric information which enable the user to be identified, for instance via fingerprint recognition, face recognition, iris recognition and/or voice recognition. In these examples, the aperture 30 in the housing 22 exposes at least a portion of (an external surface of) the hand portable electronic device 200 in order to enable the biometric reader(s) of the hand portable electronic device 200 to be accessed by the user when the locker 10 is in its locked state. It may be that the front face of the hand portable electronic device 200 which provides access to the biometric reader(s) is exposed by the aperture 30 when the hand portable electronic device 200 is positioned in the chamber of the locker 10 (and supported by the support 34).

If the user successfully authenticates herself, the hand portable electronic device 200 is configured to emit a predetermined light signal(s) and/or audio signal(s). This may, for example, involve the display 210 of the hand portable electronic device 200 displaying a particular pattern on particular area of the display 210, as explained above. That is, some pixels on the display 210 display a particular pattern. The area of the display 210 that displays the particular pattern is not exposed by the aperture 210 and cannot, therefore, be seen while the hand portable electronic device 200 is stored in the locker 10 and the locker 10 is its locked and/or closed state.

When a predetermined light signal(s) and/or audio signal(s) are emitted by the hand portable electronic device 200 following successful authentication by the user, the predetermined light signal(s) and/or audio signal(s) are received by the sensor circuitry 18 and processed by the control circuitry 20. Upon determining that the predetermined light signal(s) and/or audio signal(s) have been received, the control circuitry 20 responds by unlocking the locker (transitioning the locker 10 from a locked state to an unlocked state), thereby providing the user with access to the hand portable electronic device 200 that is stored in the chamber of the locker 10.

FIG. 8 illustrates a flow chart of a method. In block 801 in FIG. 8, the sensor circuitry 18 receives predetermined light signal(s) and/or audio signal(s) from a hand portable electronic device 200 stored in a locker 10 of the locker apparatus 1000. In block 802 in FIG. 8, the control circuitry 20 processes that/those signal(s). In block 803 in FIG. 8, the control circuitry 20 controls the locking mechanism 16 to unlock the locker 10.

The blocks illustrated in FIG. 8 may represent steps in a method and/or sections of code in the computer program 16. The illustration of a particular order to the blocks does not necessarily imply that there is a required or preferred order for the blocks and the order and arrangement of the block may be varied. Furthermore, it may be possible for some blocks to be omitted.

Where a structural feature has been described, it may be replaced by means for performing one or more of the functions of the structural feature whether that function or those functions are explicitly or implicitly described.

The term ‘comprise’ is used in this document with an inclusive not an exclusive meaning. That is any reference to X comprising Y indicates that X may comprise only one Y or may comprise more than one Y. If it is intended to use ‘comprise’ with an exclusive meaning then it will be made clear in the context by referring to “comprising only one...” or by using “consisting”.

In this description, reference has been made to various examples. The description of features or functions in relation to an example indicates that those features or functions are present in that example. The use of the term ‘example’ or ‘for example’ or ‘can’ or ‘may’ in the text denotes, whether explicitly stated or not, that such features or functions are present in at least the described example, whether described as an example or not, and that they can be, but are not necessarily, present in some of or all other examples. Thus ‘example’, ‘for example’, ‘can’ or ‘may’ refers to a particular instance in a class of examples. A property of the instance can be a property of only that instance or a property of the class or a property of a sub-class of the class that includes some but not all of the instances in the class. It is therefore implicitly disclosed that a feature described with reference to one example but not with reference to another example, can where possible be used in that other example as part of a working combination but does not necessarily have to be used in that other example.

Although examples have been described in the preceding paragraphs with reference to various examples, it should be appreciated that modifications to the examples given can be made without departing from the scope of the claims. For instance, while the aperture 30 that is arranged to expose at least a portion of the display 210 of the hand portable electronic device 200 in the examples illustrated in FIGs. 3 to 7 is located in the door 26 of the housing 22, in other examples it could be provided in an outer face of the body 24. In these examples, the positioning of the support 34 might be different from that illustrated in FIGs 3 to 7. If a drawer is provided instead of a door, the aperture might be located in the drawer.

Features described in the preceding description may be used in combinations other than the combinations explicitly described above.

Although functions have been described with reference to certain features, those functions may be performable by other features whether described or not. Although features have been described with reference to certain examples, those features may also be present in other examples whether described or not.

The term ‘a’ or ‘the’ is used in this document with an inclusive not an exclusive meaning. That is any reference to X comprising a/the Y indicates that X may comprise only one Y or may comprise more than one Y unless the context clearly indicates the contrary. If it is intended to use ‘a’ or ‘the’ with an exclusive meaning then it will be made clear in the context. In some circumstances the use of ‘at least one’ or ‘one or more’ may be used to emphasis an inclusive meaning but the absence of these terms should not be taken to infer any exclusive meaning.

The presence of a feature (or combination of features) in a claim is a reference to that feature or (combination of features) itself and also to features that achieve substantially the same technical effect (equivalent features). The equivalent features include, for example, features that are variants and achieve substantially the same result in substantially the same way. The equivalent features include, for example, features that perform substantially the same function, in substantially the same way to achieve substantially the same result.

In this description, reference has been made to various examples using adjectives or adjectival phrases to describe characteristics of the examples. Such a description of a characteristic in relation to an example indicates that the characteristic is present in some examples exactly as described and is present in other examples substantially as described.

Whilst endeavouring in the foregoing specification to draw attention to those features believed to be of importance it should be understood that the applicant may seek protection via the claims in respect of any patentable feature or combination of features hereinbefore referred to and/or shown in the drawings whether or not emphasis has been placed thereon. l/we claim: