Portable Electronic Lock

Abstract

A portable electronic lock has a lock body having a locking device and a closing hoop that is movable relative to the lock body between a closed position and an open position, wherein the closing hoop can be locked to the lock body by means of the locking device in the closed position. The lock at least has an electrical unit, an electrical energy source, a signal generator, and a control unit. The control unit is configured to monitor a charge level of the electrical energy source and to control the signal generator to output a charge level warning signal sequence in the form of the letter sequence “S-O-S” in accordance with Morse code if the charge level of the electrical energy source falls below a predetermined limit value.

Claims

1. A portable electronic lock comprising a lock body and a closing hoop, the lock body having a locking device and the closing hoop being movable relative to the lock body between a closed position and an open position, wherein the locking device is configured to lock the closing hoop at the lock body in the closed position, wherein the portable electronic lock at least has an electrical unit, an electrical energy source, a signal generator, and a control unit, wherein the control unit is configured to monitor a charge level of the electrical energy source, wherein the control unit is configured to control the signal generator to output a charge level warning signal sequence in the form of the letter sequence “S-O-S” in accordance with Morse code if the charge level of the electrical energy source falls below a predetermined limit value.

2. The portable electronic lock in accordance with claim 1, wherein the charge level warning signal sequence comprises a sequence of three short signals, three long signals, and three short signals.

3. The portable electronic lock in accordance with claim 1, wherein the signal generator is configured as an acoustic signal generator.

4. The portable electronic lock in accordance with claim 1, wherein the portable electronic lock is devoid of a display that could display a textual warning message.

5. The portable electronic lock in accordance with claim 1, wherein the electrical unit has an electrical drive device that is configured to drive a latch of the locking device.

6. The portable electronic lock in accordance with claim 5, wherein the electrical drive device has an electric motor or an electromagnet.

7. The portable electronic lock in accordance with claim 4, wherein the control unit is configured not to control the electrical drive device to lock the closing hoop if the charge level of the electrical energy source falls below a threshold value.

8. The portable electronic lock in accordance with claim 7, wherein the threshold value corresponds to a charge level that is lower than the predetermined limit value.

9. The portable electronic lock in accordance with claim 1, wherein the electrical unit has an electronic alarm device that is configured to detect a manipulation attempt and to output an acoustic alarm signal via the signal generator.

10. The portable electronic lock in accordance with claim 8, wherein the electronic alarm device has an acceleration sensor.

11. The portable electronic lock in accordance with claim 1, wherein the electrical unit has a radio communication device which comprises at least one of a radio transmitter or a radio receiver.

12. The portable electronic lock in accordance with claim 1, wherein the control unit is configured to only control the signal generator to output the charge level warning signal sequence when an actuation of the portable electronic lock by an authorized user is determined.

13. The portable electronic lock in accordance with claim 1, wherein the closing hoop comprises a rigid hoop or a flexible hoop.

14. The portable electronic lock in accordance with claim 1, wherein the closing hoop has at least one free end that can be locked to the lock body to form a closed loop.

15. The portable electronic lock in accordance with claim 1, wherein the closing hoop has a bolt that is released from the lock body in the open position and that is inserted into the lock body in the closed position.

Description

[0043] The invention will be described in the following purely by way of example with reference to an embodiment and to the drawing.

[0044] FIG. 1 shows a schematic diagram of a portable electronic lock configured as a padlock.

[0045] FIG. 1 shows a portable or mobile lock having a lock body 11 and a U-shaped closing hoop 13. An electromechanical locking device 15 is arranged in the lock body 11. The locking device 15 comprises an electric motor 17, a rotating latch 19 in the form of a cam driven by the electric motor 17, and two blocking elements 21.

[0046] In a locked position of the rotating latch 19, the blocking elements 21 are urged radially outwardly into engagement recesses 23 of the closing hoop 13. The closing hoop 13 is thus locked in the closed position shown in FIG. 1 and forms a closed loop. In a release position of the rotating latch 19, the blocking elements 21 are released for a radially inward moving back so that the closing hoop 13 may be moved from the closed position shown into an open position. Starting from the open position, the closing hoop 13 may be moved manually into the closed position and may then be electromechanically locked again.

[0047] An acceleration sensor 25, an acoustic signal generator 27, a fingerprint sensor 29, a radio communication device 31, and an electrical energy source in the form of a battery 33 are further arranged in the lock body 11. The battery 33 supplies the electric motor 17, the acceleration sensor 25, the signal generator 27, the fingerprint sensor 29, and the radio communication device 31 with electrical energy. Furthermore, an electronic control unit 35 is provided that controls the electric motor 17 in response to signals of the fingerprint sensor 29 and to command signals, which are received via the radio communication device 31, to unlock the closing hoop 13. The control unit 35 is furthermore configured to evaluate the signals of the acceleration sensor 25 with respect to vibrations in an alarm mode in order to control the signal generator 27 to output an alarm signal tone on the detection of vibrations. Therefore, the control unit 35 is hereby configured as an alarm device that may be selectively activated or deactivated.

[0048] The control unit 35 is further configured to control the signal generator 27 to output acoustic acknowledgment signals to the user, namely for the states “unlocking command received”, “locking command received”, “alarm mode activated”, and “alarm mode deactivated”.

[0049] The control unit 35 is furthermore configured to monitor and evaluate the charge level of the battery 33, wherein the control unit 35 controls the signal generator 27 to output a charge level warning signal sequence in the form of a charge level warning tone sequence if the detected (e.g. determined or calculated) charge level of the battery 33 falls below a predetermined limit value (e.g. 20% of the nominal capacity). This charge level warning signal sequence has the form of the letter sequence “S-O-S” according to Morse code, that is a sequence of three short tones, three long tones, and three short tones. Even if it is only rarely output, this letter sequence may be easily identified by the user and associated with the expected event of the energy supply running low, so that the user may take the necessary countermeasures in good time (replacing or recharging the battery 33).

[0050] However, the control unit 35 only controls the signal generator 27 to output the charge level warning signal sequence when a signal is received from the fingerprint sensor 29 or the radio communication device 31 and it may thus be assumed that the authorized user is in the vicinity of the lock and also perceives the charge level warning signal sequence.

[0051] In accordance with an independently advantageous aspect, even on the reception of a locking command (e.g. via the fingerprint sensor 29, the radio communication device 31, or a further sensor that may in particular represent an insertion of the closing hoop 13 into the lock body 11), the control unit 35 is further configured not to control the electric motor 17 to lock the closing hoop 13 if the detected charge level of the battery 33 falls below a predetermined threshold value. The closing hoop 13 may hereby be prevented from being locked even though not enough energy will provisionally be available to subsequently unlock the closing hoop 13 again.

[0052] Whereas the invention was explained above with reference to a lock in which the closing hoop 13 is manually moved from the open position into the closed position, it is also possible within the framework of the invention to drive not only the rotating latch 19, but also the closing hoop 13 by means of the electric motor 17 (to make a movement from the open position into the closed position and/or from the closed position into the open position).

REFERENCE NUMERAL LIST

[0053] 11 lock body [0054] 13 closing hoop [0055] 15 locking device [0056] 17 electric motor [0057] 19 rotating latch [0058] 21 blocking element [0059] 23 engagement recess [0060] 25 acceleration sensor [0061] 27 signal generator [0062] 29 fingerprint sensor [0063] 31 radio communication device [0064] 33 battery [0065] 35 control unit