TWI740236B - Electronic seal - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention is an electronic seal comprising a latch having a first wafer, a key having a second wafer, and a lock body for the latch insertion. The verification of the first wafer is performed by lock body the when the latch is inserted into the lock body, and the latch is locked by the lock body after the verification is correct. When the latch is to be unlocked, the key is inserted into the lock body, so that the verification of the second wafer is performed by lock body. After the verification is correct, the lock body releases the latch, so that the latch is disengaged from the lock body. As can be seen from above, the electronic seal of the present invention can provide multiple unlocking modes and has repeated useability.

Description

Electronic seal

The present invention relates to an electronic lock, especially an electronic seal with multiple unlocking modes.

In the cargo transportation industry, how to ensure the safe delivery of goods is a very important part. Usually, the consignor and the transporter set the transportation specifications. However, there are still more human factors that cause the delivery to fail to meet expectations. Therefore, more security mechanisms are adopted. For example, locks, seals, etc., to increase the safety of freight transportation. The transportation of goods usually uses trucks or trucks as the means of transportation, such as container trucks or bonded trucks. Take bonded trucks as an example. Bonded trucks are used to prevent the goods in the bonded trucks from being transported from the customs to the destination. During the transportation process, there are cases of stealing or dropping packages by intentional persons. Therefore, seals are often affixed to the door of the bonded truck before delivery. By confirming the integrity of the seal, it can be concluded that the goods are indeed However, the conventional seal is easy to be forged. Therefore, there is still a risk of theft or loss of the package by the intentional person during the transportation of the goods.

Nowadays, the seals used in the past have been replaced by electronic seals, that is, before shipping goods, the sea usually uses a plug with a radio frequency identification chip to pass through the lock hole of the cargo box door of the bonded truck, and then insert it. Corresponding to the plug and have an antenna in the base, so that The radio frequency identification chip is electrically connected to the antenna, and then combined into an electronic seal with information identification. After the customs officer reads the data of the radio frequency identification chip in the electronic seal through the reader, they can immediately learn about the goods in the bonded truck Information, and after judging the appearance of the electronic seal and confirming the data stored in it, it can be confirmed that the cargo door of the bonded truck has not been opened or replaced. Compared with the conventional seal, it is more difficult to forge. However, electronic seals are often for one-time use, that is, when the goods are delivered to the destination, the electronic seal will be destroyed to open the door of the bonded truck after confirmation, and this creates a problem that the seal cannot be reused.

In view of this, how to provide a lock, especially an electronic seal that can be locked on the container of a closed bonded truck and can be unlocked by different verification methods. Through electronic features, the seal can be reused, thereby reducing Cost expenditure, which will become the goal pursued by those skilled in the art.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems in the prior art, the present invention discloses an electronic seal, which includes: a pin having a first chip for transmitting a lock signal; a key having a second chip for transmitting an unlock signal; and a lock The body has a pin seat for inserting the pin and a key seat for connecting the key, wherein the pin seat is used for inserting the pin to electrically connect to the first chip, and the latch signal is successfully verified Then, the lock body is made to lock the bolt, and the key holder is used for inserting the key to electrically connect the second chip, so that the lock body is unlocked from the bolt after the unlock signal is successfully verified.

In one embodiment, the lock body includes a communication module and a controller electrically connected to the communication module, the pin holder and the key holder, wherein the controller receives the buckle lock Signal to verify the lock signal and then lock the pin, or receive the unlock signal to verify the unlock signal and then release the lock of the pin, and report the lock signal or the verification result of the unlock signal through the communication module .

In another embodiment, the communication module includes a telecommunication network unit that communicates via a telecommunication network and a wireless communication unit that communicates via wireless communication. In addition, the communication module receives the unlocking command signal transmitted via the telecommunication network or the wireless communication, and the unlocking command signal is transmitted to the controller for verification, so that after verification is completed, the lock body is driven to release the latch of the latch. Lock.

In another embodiment, the communication module further includes a positioning unit for providing a position signal, and the controller verifies the locking signal or the unlocking signal and further includes comparing the position signal with the locking signal or the unlocking signal. The regional restrictions contained in the signal.

In another embodiment, the lock body includes a lock bolt drive module that is electrically connected to the controller and has a lock bolt, wherein the bolt has a ring groove corresponding to the lock bolt, and the controller verifies the After the lock signal, drive the lock bolt of the lock bolt drive module to move into the ring groove to lock the bolt, or after verifying the unlock signal, drive the lock bolt of the lock bolt drive module out of the ring Ring groove to release the latch of the bolt.

In another embodiment, the lock body includes a power module for supplying power to the communication module, the bolt drive module, and the controller.

In another embodiment, the plug socket has a socket connector, and the plug has a plug connector corresponding to the socket connector, so that when the plug is inserted into the socket, the socket connector is connected to the plug The device is electrically connected.

In another embodiment, the key holder has a chip connector, and the key has a lock connector corresponding to the chip connector, so that when the key is inserted into the key holder, the chip connector is connected to the lock The device is electrically connected.

In another embodiment, the lock body includes a gravity sensor for sensing the acceleration of the lock body and a memory for recording the state information of the plug.

It can be seen from the above that the electronic seal proposed in the present invention provides an anti-sabotage mechanism by combining the bolt and the lock body after locking, including the lock body cannot read the chip when the bolt is damaged by external force, and the lock body will sound an alarm at this time , And when you want to unlock the bolt, you can use the authorized chip key for the lock body to verify, so that the lock body can be unlocked after the verification is completed, or the lock body can be transmitted through the telecommunication network or wireless The communication obtains the unlocking command signal from the outside to unlock, through the multiple unlocking methods and the combination of the bolt and the lock body, so that the electronic seal can be used repeatedly.

1‧‧‧Electronic Seal

11‧‧‧Latch

111‧‧‧First chip

112‧‧‧Plug connector

113‧‧‧Ring groove

114‧‧‧Transmission line

12‧‧‧Key

121‧‧‧Second chip

122‧‧‧Lock connector

123‧‧‧Transmission line

13‧‧‧Lock body

130‧‧‧Memory

131‧‧‧Latch seat

132‧‧‧Key Holder

133‧‧‧Socket Connector

134‧‧‧Chip Connector

135‧‧‧Communication Module

1351‧‧‧Positioning unit

1352‧‧‧Telecom Communication Network Unit

1353‧‧‧Wireless communication unit

136‧‧‧controller

137‧‧‧Lock bolt drive module

1371‧‧‧Lock bolt

138‧‧‧Power Module

139‧‧‧Gravity Sensor

Figure 1 is the main structure diagram of the electronic seal of the present invention.

Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the internal components of the lock body of the electronic seal of the present invention.

Figure 3 is a schematic structural diagram of the practical application of the electronic seal of the present invention.

The following describes the technical content of the present invention with specific specific embodiments. Those familiar with the art can easily understand the advantages and effects of the present invention from the content disclosed in this specification. However, the present invention can also be implemented or applied by other different specific embodiments.

Figure 1 is the main structure diagram of the electronic seal of the present invention. As shown in the figure, the electronic seal 1 of the present invention includes a bolt 11, a key 12, and a lock body 13. The key 12 is used to unlock the bolt 11 that has been locked, and the lock body 13 is used to lock the bolt 11. The detailed description of the electronic seal 1 proposed by the present invention is as follows.

The plug 11 has a first chip 111 for transmitting a lock signal. The first chip 111 can be, for example, a Security IC of a radio frequency identification system (Radio Frequency Identification, RFID), and the security chip has a built-in security chip. The intrusion function cannot be recorded or copied to provide the anti-counterfeiting function of the plug 11.

The key 12 has a second chip 121 for transmitting an unlocking signal. The second chip 121 is of the same type as the security chip of the first chip 111, so it will not be repeated.

The lock body 13 has a pin seat 131 and a key seat 132. The pin seat 131 is used for inserting the pin 11 so that the lock body 13 is electrically connected to the first chip 111, and the lock body 13 receives the lock signal and Perform verification, so that after the verification is completed, the lock body 13 will lock the pin 11, otherwise, when the pin 11 is inserted into the lock body 13, and the lock body 13 cannot recognize the chip or the chip cannot pass the verification, then The electronic seal 1 cannot complete the lock, and sends an abnormal message and an alarm to remind the operator. According to this, when the first chip 111 of the plug 11 is connected to the lock body 13, it can provide an anti-vandalism mechanism, that is, when the plug 11 is connected to the lock body 13. 11 After the locking is completed, when the pin 11 is damaged by an external force, for example, the pin 11 is cut off, causing a circuit to be formed between the first chip 111 and the lock body 13. At this time, the lock body 13 cannot read the When the first chip is 111, the electronic seal 1 can send out abnormal messages and alarms to remind the operator.

In addition, the key holder 132 is used for inserting the key 12 to perform unlocking. At this time, the lock body 13 can be electrically connected to the second chip 121, and the lock body 13 can verify that the unlocking signal is correct. Then, the latch of the plug 11 is released so that the plug 11 can be separated from the lock body 13, that is, pulled out from the plug seat 131, so that the electronic seal 1 can be repeated without damaging the unlocking mode of the plug 11 Benefit of use.

Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the internal components of the lock body of the electronic seal of the present invention. Please also refer to Figure 1. As shown in the figure, when the lock body 13 is electrically connected to the bolt 11 and the key 12, the lock body 13 will perform signal verification, external communication, area positioning, status recording and other procedures, so the lock body 13 includes communication The module 135, the controller 136, the power module 138, the gravity sensor 139, and the memory 130.

Specifically, the communication module 135 is used to provide communication between the lock body 13 and the outside world, including whether the electronic seal 1 is locked or not to the administrator (for example, through the management server record), or in the key When 12 cannot function, the lock body 13 is unlocked by receiving an unlocking command from the outside. In one embodiment, the communication module 135 includes a positioning unit 1351 for providing a position signal, so that when the controller 136 verifies the lock signal or the unlock signal, it simultaneously compares the position signal with the lock signal or the unlock signal. Whether the area restrictions contained in the unlock signal are consistent, this practice is to restrict the electronic seal 1 can only be locked and unlocked in certain areas, for example, the factory is divided into two zones AB, and the goods can only be unloaded in zone A Therefore, when unlocking, in addition to verifying whether the key 12 is legal, it will also compare the area restriction contained in the unlock signal generated by the key 12 with the position signal obtained by the positioning unit 1351, so as to comply with the specific The demand for unlocking within the area.

In addition, the positioning unit 1351 can also provide GPS coordinate trajectory during cargo transportation to record the driving path, or provide real-time location information when the electronic seal 1 is abnormal or alarmed for subsequent tracking and processing.

In order to make the unlocking method more diverse, in addition to unlocking with the key 12, as mentioned above, the unlocking of the lock body 13 can also be executed by an external unlocking command, and the communication channel with the outside is through the communication module 135. In another embodiment, the communication module 135 includes a telecommunication network unit 1352 for communicating through a telecommunication network and a wireless communication unit 1353 for communicating through wireless communication. Specifically, the communication module 135 can receive If the communication network or the unlock command signal transmitted via wireless communication is used for communication via a telecommunications network, the telecommunications network unit 1352 will transmit information and data. The telecommunications network can provide long-distance signals such as 4G or LTE. Transmission, if the communication is carried out by wireless communication, the wireless communication unit 1353 transmits information and data. The wireless communication can provide short-distance signal transmission such as WiFi. No matter what method is used, it can provide unlocking without the key 12 Function. In specific implementation, the unlocking command signal is sent to the controller 136. After the controller 136 verifies the unlocking command signal, the lock body 13 is controlled to release the latch of the bolt 11. As can be seen from the above, the operator can use the server in the monitoring center Send the unlock command signal to remotely control the unlocking of the plug, and when the controller 136 verifies the unlock command signal, it can also request the positioning unit 1351 to provide a position signal, so as to compare the location of the area to complete the verification. And the unlocking procedure is performed only when the position is correct, so as to avoid the problem of unlocking in the wrong place. It can be seen from the above that the communication module 135 can be a dual communication GPS module with dual communication functions and positioning functions at the same time.

The controller 136 is electrically connected to the communication module 135, the pin holder 131 and the key holder 132. When the pin 11 is inserted into the lock body 13, the controller 136 is electrically connected to the first chip 111 to receive the buckle lock Signal, and then verify the lock signal, and after the verification is completed, make the lock body 13 lock the bolt 11; in addition, the controller 136 also inserts the key 12 into the key holder 132 At this time, it is electrically connected to the second chip 121 to receive an unlocking signal, and after verifying the unlocking signal, the latch of the plug is released.

In addition, the controller 136 can report the verification result of the lock signal or the unlock signal through the communication module 135. Specifically, the communication module 135 is a dual communication module with a telecommunication network unit 1352 and a wireless communication unit 1353, which can respectively provide network communication services such as 4G and LTE and low-power wireless communication services such as WLAN. This is verified The results can not only be recorded outside the electronic seal 1, but can also be sent to an external server for recording.

In addition, the lock body 13 includes a gravity sensor (G sensor) 139, a memory 130, and a power module 138. The gravity sensor 139 is used to sense the acceleration of the lock body 13, and the memory 130 can be used In order to record the status of the plug 11, GPS coordinate track, abnormal event record, starting and ending point position and other information, and the power module 138 is used to provide power to the communication module 135 and the controller 136.

Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the practical application of the electronic seal of the present invention. Please refer to Figures 1 and 2 together. As shown in the figure, the pin seat 131 of the lock body 13 has a socket connector 133, and the pin 11 has a plug connector 112 corresponding to the socket connector 133. When the pin 11 is inserted into the pin seat 131, The socket connector 133 is electrically connected to the plug connector 112. The first chip 111 and the plug connector 112 are connected by a transmission line 114. When the plug 11 is damaged, for example, the transmission line 114 is cut. If it is broken, the electronic seal 1 will generate an alarm. In addition, the key holder 132 has a chip connector 134, and the key 12 has a lock connector 122 corresponding to the chip connector 134, so that when the key 12 is inserted into the key holder 132 and connected with the lock head 13, The chip connector 134 and the lock connector 122 are electrically connected, wherein the second chip 121 and the lock connector 122 are also connected by a transmission line 123.

In another embodiment, the lock body 13 includes a lock bolt driving module 137 electrically connected to the controller 136 and having a lock bolt 1371, and the bolt 11 has a ring groove 113 corresponding to the lock The lock bolt 1371 of the bolt driving module 137 is used for the locking bolt 1371 to be locked in the ring groove 113. According to this, the controller 136 drives the lock of the bolt driving module 137 after receiving and verifying the locking signal The bolt 1371 is displaced into the ring groove 113 of the bolt 11 to lock the bolt 11; relatively, the controller 136 can drive the bolt 1371 of the bolt driving module 137 to disengage after receiving and verifying the unlock signal The ring groove 113 is used to unlock the latch 11. Similarly, the power of the bolt driving module 137 can be provided by the aforementioned power module 138.

In practical applications, the present invention can be used in transportation vehicles for transporting goods, such as container trucks or bonded trucks. The following will take a bonded truck as an example for description. In the actual implementation, when the operator seals the container at the dock, the bolt 11 is inserted into the bolt seat 131 of the lock body 13 after passing through the lock hole of the cargo box door of the bonded truck. In order to be combined with the lock body 13, at this time, the controller 136 will receive the locking signal from the first chip 111 after being electrically connected to the first chip 111, and at the same time receive the locking signal generated by the positioning unit 1351 when the lock body is positioned. Then, the controller 136 will compare the position signal with the starting position data stored in the lock body 13 after the lock signal is verified correctly. The position of the bonded truck completes the blocking procedure of the bonded truck. Finally, when the lock signal and the position signal are correct, the controller 136 will control the lock bolt drive module 137 of the lock body 13 to lock the bolt 11, This can avoid the disadvantages of people who want to seal the cabinet in the wrong area, or close the cabinet after the goods are dropped outside the designated area.

In terms of unlocking, when the bonded truck transports goods to the designated dock or location, the operator holds the authorized key 12 and inserts it into the key holder 132 of the lock body 13, so that the key The second chip 121 of 12 is electrically connected to the controller 136. The controller 136 will verify the unlock signal from the second chip 121. At this time, the positioning unit 1351 will also locate the position of the lock body 13 to generate another Position signal, when the controller 136 verifies the unlock signal, it compares the other position signal with the end point position data stored in the second chip 121. In other words, the operator needs to hold an authorized In addition to the key 12, the latch must be released within the designated end point position. Finally, after the verification of the unlock signal and the position comparison are completed, the controller 136 will control the bolt drive module 137 to perform its operation. The latching of the latch 11 is released, and accordingly, it is possible to prevent the intentional person from unsealing the bonded truck and carrying out cargo repacking before reaching the expiration point; in addition, since the present invention also requires position comparison when latching the latch, it is Therefore, even if someone is willing to unlock the latch 11 during the transportation, because the location is not the location of the cabinet, it cannot be locked after unlocking. Therefore, the operator at the end can find that the bonded truck was released during the transportation. Sealing can better avoid the problem of goods being stolen or exchanged during transportation.

The present invention provides three unlocking methods. Among them, the telecommunications network can be unlocked by the monitoring center sending an encrypted unlocking command signal, further remotely unlocking the bolt drive module of the designated electronic seal, and the short-range wireless communication can be The encrypted unlock command signal is transmitted through the internal network through the monitoring center to drive the wireless communication access point device (Access Point) of the work area, and the lock bolt drive module of the designated electronic seal is controlled wirelessly at a short distance to unlock. In addition, it has an identification chip The key can be manually unlocked through the key holder corresponding to the chip key built into the bottom of the lock body. In the case of communication obstacles or other communication problems, and the above two methods cannot be unlocked, the on-site operation can still be performed Personnel use authorized keys to manually unlock.

To sum up, in the present invention, after the plug is inserted into the plug socket, the built-in controller for identification turns on the security chip in the plug for verification, and after the verification is passed, the lock body has a power model such as a rechargeable battery. Group power is supplied to the lock bolt drive module at the pin seat to complete the lock. In particular, the unlocking method of the present invention can be unlocked through a telecommunication network, short-range wireless communication or a key with a chip, wherein the key is built-in The identification chip allows the lock head to read the chip through the controller after the key is inserted into the key holder, and provides unlocking after the verification is correct. The key identification chip can provide a permission management mechanism, such as: cross-zone cannot be unlocked, all zones Unlock permissions and blacklist setting management, so as to avoid the outflow of chip keys and fraudulent use. It can be seen from the above that the electronic seal of the present invention is an electronic lock with dual communication interfaces, which can provide remote monitoring and close control opening functions. When the communication environment encounters obstacles, the built-in chip lock of the lock can provide matching chip keys With the opening function, the chip key can provide authority management settings. With this multi-layered protection, it can avoid the problem of stealing or dropping the package by the intentional person during the transportation of the goods.

The above-mentioned embodiments are only illustrative descriptions, and are not used to limit the present invention. Anyone who is familiar with this technique can modify and change the above-mentioned embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of protection of the rights of the present invention is defined by the scope of the patent application attached to the present invention. As long as it does not affect the effect and implementation purpose of the present invention, it should be covered in the technical content of this disclosure.

1‧‧‧Electronic Seal

11‧‧‧Latch

111‧‧‧First chip

12‧‧‧Key

121‧‧‧Second chip

13‧‧‧Lock body

131‧‧‧Latch seat

132‧‧‧Key Holder

Claims (10)

An electronic seal, which includes: The plug has a first chip for transmitting the lock signal; The key has a second chip for transmitting the unlock signal; and The lock body has a pin seat and a key seat, wherein the pin seat is used for inserting the pin to electrically connect to the first chip, and after the lock signal verification is successful, the lock body is locked to the pin , And the key holder is used for inserting the key to electrically connect to the second chip, so that after the unlocking signal is successfully verified, the lock body is unlocked from the latch. For example, the electronic seal described in item 1 of the scope of patent application, wherein the lock body includes a communication module and a controller electrically connected to the communication module, the pin holder and the key holder, wherein the controller receives The latch signal is used to verify the latch signal and then latch the pin, or receive the unlock signal to verify the unlock signal and then release the latch of the latch, and report the latch signal or the unlock signal through the communication module The verification result. For example, the electronic seal described in item 2 of the scope of patent application, wherein the communication module includes a telecommunication network unit that communicates via a telecommunication network and a wireless communication unit that communicates via wireless communication. For example, the electronic seal described in item 3 of the scope of patent application, wherein the communication module receives an unlocking command signal transmitted via the telecommunication network or the wireless communication, and the unlocking command signal is transmitted to the controller for verification. After the verification is completed, the lock body is driven to release the latch of the bolt. For example, the electronic seal described in item 2 of the scope of patent application, wherein the communication module further includes a positioning unit for providing a position signal, and the controller verifies the lock signal or the unlock The signal further includes comparing the location signal with the area restriction contained in the lock signal or the unlock signal. The electronic seal described in item 2 of the scope of patent application, wherein the lock body includes a lock bolt drive module electrically connected to the controller and having a lock bolt, wherein the bolt has a ring recess corresponding to the lock bolt After verifying the lock signal, the controller drives the lock bolt of the lock bolt drive module to move into the ring groove to lock the bolt, or after verifying the unlock signal, drives the lock bolt to drive The lock bolt of the module is separated from the ring groove to release the latch of the bolt. For the electronic seal described in item 6 of the scope of patent application, the lock body includes a power module for supplying power to the communication module, the bolt drive module, and the controller. For example, the electronic seal described in item 1 of the scope of patent application, wherein the pin seat has a socket connector, and the pin has a plug connector corresponding to the socket connector, so that when the pin is inserted into the pin seat, The socket connector is electrically connected with the plug connector. For the electronic seal described in item 1 of the patent application, the key holder has a chip connector, and the key has a lock connector corresponding to the chip connector, so that when the key is inserted into the key holder, the key The chip connector is electrically connected with the lock connector. The electronic seal described in item 1 of the scope of patent application, wherein the lock body includes a gravity sensor for sensing the acceleration of the lock body and a memory for recording the state information of the plug.

Images