PORTABLE LOCK

Abstract

The invention relates to a portable lock having an unlocking motor, an authentication for authenticating the user of the lock, and an actuation element that can be actuated by the user and by means of which the unlocking motor can be activated to unlock the lock after a successful authentication of the user. A further subject matter is a locking system comprising such a lock and a mobile end device by means of which a user of the lock can authenticate himself thereat. The invention also relates to a method of unlocking a mobile lock.

Claims

1. A portable lock having an unlocking motor, an authentication module for authenticating a user of the lock, and an actuation element that can be actuated by the user and by means of which the unlocking motor can be actuated to unlock the lock on a successful authentication of the user.

2. The portable lock in accordance with claim 1, wherein the authentication takes place wirelessly.

3. The portable lock in accordance with claim 1, wherein the authentication module comprises a transmission/reception unit to establish a wireless connection to a mobile end device of the user.

4. The portable lock in accordance with claim 3, wherein the wireless connection is a Bluetooth connection.

5. The portable lock in accordance with claim 1, wherein the authentication module is actuable by actuating the actuation element.

6. The portable lock in accordance with claim 1, wherein the actuation element is actuable by contact or contactlessly.

7. The portable lock in accordance with claim 1, wherein the actuation element is an impulse generator, and/or is formed by an optically acting, capacitively acting, or inductively acting control surface.

8. The portable lock in accordance with claim 1, wherein the actuation element is formed at the portable lock.

9. The portable lock in accordance with claim 1, wherein the authentication module can be actuated by attaching an onboard computer to a bicycle.

10. The portable lock in accordance with claim 1, wherein the actuation element is formed by a sensor arranged in the portable lock and connected to the authentication module for detecting a movement of the portable lock.

11. The portable lock in accordance with claim 1, further comprising a sensor for detecting a movement of the portable lock and an alarm module that is connected to the sensor and to the authentication module and that outputs an alarm in the event of a movement of the portable lock detected by the sensor and of an unsuccessful user authentication.

12. A locking system comprising a portable lock and a mobile end device by means of which a user of the portable lock can authenticate himself thereat, the portable lock having an unlocking motor, an authentication module for authenticating a user of the portable lock, and an actuation element that can be actuated by the user and by means of which the unlocking motor can be actuated to unlock the portable lock on a successful authentication of the user.

13. The locking system in accordance with claim 12, wherein the mobile end device comprises a transmission/reception unit to establish a wireless connection to the authentication module of the portable lock.

14. The locking system in accordance with claim 12, wherein the mobile end device is a remote control or a portable computer.

15. The locking system in accordance with claim 12, wherein the actuation element is formed at the mobile end device.

16. The locking system in accordance with claim 12, wherein the mobile end device has an energy store by which the portable lock can be supplied with at least sufficient energy for an emergency unlocking.

17. The locking system in accordance with claim 12, wherein the portable lock and the mobile end device have complementary connector elements by means of which the mobile end device can be connected to the portable lock for the supply of energy to it.

18. The locking system in accordance with claim 17, wherein the connector elements comprise a USB plug and a USB socket; and/or wherein the connector element of the mobile end device is movable between a passive position in which it is protected in a housing of the mobile end device and an active position in which it at least partly projects out of the housing and is couplable to the connector element of the portable lock.

19. A method of unlocking a mobile lock that has an unlocking motor, an authentication module, and an actuation element actuable by a user, in which method an authentication of the user is carried out by means of the authentication module; and in the event of a successful authentication of the user and of an additional actuation of the actuation element, the unlocking motor is activated to unlock the lock.

20. The method in accordance with claim 19, wherein the authentication of the user takes place wirelessly between the authentication module and a mobile end device of the user; and/or wherein the authentication of the user is already carried out before the actuation of the actuation element; and/or wherein the authentication module is activated by the actuation of the actuation element and the authentication of the user is only carried out after the actuation of the actuation element.

Description

[0037] The invention will be described in the following purely by way of example with reference to possible embodiments and to the enclosed drawing. There are shown:

[0038] FIG. 1 a schematic representation of a locking system in accordance with a first embodiment of the invention;

[0039] FIG. 2A a plan view of a remote control of the locking system of FIG. 1;

[0040] FIG. 2B a front view of the remote control of FIG. 2A;

[0041] FIG. 2C a side view of the remote control of FIG. 2A with an extended connector element;

[0042] FIG. 2D a side view of the remote control of FIG. 2A with a retracted connector element;

[0043] FIG. 3 a schematic representation of a locking system in accordance with a second embodiment of the invention; and

[0044] FIG. 4 a schematic representation of a locking system in accordance with a third embodiment of the invention.

[0045] The locking system shown in FIG. 1 comprises a portable lock 10 in the form of a hoop lock comprising a U-shaped closing hoop 12 whose ends are received in a lock body 14 and locked therein in a locked state of the lock 10.

[0046] The locking of the closing hoop 12 in the lock body 14 takes place by means of locking elements 16 that are movably supported in the lock body 14, that engage in corresponding locking recesses 18 of the closing hoop 12, and there thereby prevent the closing hoop 12 from being able to be pulled out of the lock body 14.

[0047] To unlock the lock 10, the locking elements 16 can be released, for example against the return force of locking springs that are not shown and that preload the locking elements in the direction of the locking recesses 18, from the locking recesses 18 by means of an unlocking motor 20, here in the form of an electric motor, that is arranged in the lock body 14.

[0048] Since the locking of the closing hoop 12 in the lock body 14 is effected by the locking springs that displace the locking elements 16 into the locking recesses 18 and since the unlocking motor 20 ultimately only provides the unlocking of the lock 10, the lock 10 is also called a semi-automatic lock 10. A fully automatic lock 10 is, however, generally also conceivable in which the unlocking motor 20 provides both the unlocking and the locking.

[0049] An energy store 22 is accommodated in the lock body 14 for the energy supply of the electric motor 20. In the present embodiment, the energy store 22 is a rechargeable battery that can be charged by means of a connector element, here in the form of a USB socket, that is accessible from the outside. Alternatively, however, the energy store 22 could also be a battery that can be replaced as required.

[0050] An actuation element 26 that is accessible to the user is provided at the lock body 14 for the triggering of an unlocking procedure and is configured in the present embodiment in the form of a capacitively acting sensor surface. Alternatively, the actuation element 26 could also be an optically acting or inductively acting control or a rotatable knob, a push button, a rocker switch, or slider switch. It is furthermore conceivable to configure the actuation element 26 in the form of a motion sensor. The actuation of the actuation element 26 would in this case take place by a movement of the lock 10.

[0051] The actuation element 26 is connected to an authentication module 28 that is accommodated in the lock body 14 and that is in turn connected to the electric motor 20. The authentication module 28 is activated by actuating the actuation element 26 so that the authentication module 28 carries out an authentication process. For this purpose, the authentication module 28 first establishes a Bluetooth connection by means of a transmission/reception unit 29 to a mobile end device 30 that a user of the lock 10 carries with him for this purpose.

[0052] In the present embodiment, the mobile end device 30 is a Bluetooth enabled remote control (see also FIG. 2) that in turn has a transmission/reception unit 31 and that can be switched on by means of a switch-on element 32. The remote control can also have a motion sensor, not shown, for example a 3D positional sensor, for detecting a movement of the remote control that makes it possible to wake up the remote control on detection of a movement after it has changed into an energy-saving passive state after its use.

[0053] Alternatively, the mobile end device 30 could, however, also be formed by a smart watch, a smartphone, or another Bluetooth enabled portable computer.

[0054] As soon as the authentication module 28 has established a Bluetooth connection to the mobile end device 30, it carries out an authentication of the mobile end device 30. In the event of a positive authentication, the authentication module 28 transmits a release signal to the electric motor 20 so that is can move the locking elements 16 and the closing hoop 12 out of engagement for the unlocking of the lock 10.

[0055] If, in contrast, the mobile end device 30 is not positively authenticated, the authentication module 28 does not transmit a release signal to the unlocking motor 20, i.e. the lock 10 is not unlocked and can thus not be opened by the user. If the actuation element 26 is configured in the form of a motion sensor, the authentication module 28 can be connected to an alarm module, not shown, that outputs an alarm, in particular an acoustic alarm, to protect against theft in the event of a detected movement of the lock 10 and of an unsuccessful authentication procedure.

[0056] It is understood that both the authentication procedure and the actual unlocking procedure require that the energy store 22 has sufficient energy. For the case that the energy store 22 is so discharged that an authentication and/or an unlocking is no longer possible, the mobile end device 30 has an emergency energy store 34, for example in the form of a power bank, and a connector element 36, here in the form of a USB plug, complementary to the connector element 24 of the lock 10 to connect the emergency energy store 34 of the mobile end device 30 to the connector element 24 of the lock and to charge the energy store 22 of the lock 10 at least so much that the authentication can be carried out and the lock 10 can be unlocked.

[0057] To protect the connector element 36 of the mobile end device 30 from contamination and/or damage, the connector element 36 can be retracted by a slider 37 into a housing 38 of the mobile end device 30 (FIG. 2D) and can be extended out of it again as required (FIG. 2C).

[0058] A second embodiment of the locking system is shown in FIG. 3 that only differs from the above-described first embodiment in that the mobile lock 10 is here not a hoop lock, but rather a frame lock attached to a frame 40 of a bicycle 42. This frame lock also has a lock body and a closing hoop that is lockable in the lock body that can be unlocked by means of an electric motor, with the unlocking of the closing hoop requiring, in the above-described manner, a positive authentication of a mobile end device 30 after the actuation of an actuation element of the lock 10.

[0059] A third embodiment of a locking system in accordance with the invention is shown in FIG. 4 that differs from the first embodiment described with reference to FIG. 1 in that the lock 10 is not a hoop lock, but rather a battery compartment lock that is attached to a frame 40 of a bicycle 42 and that serves the securing of a traction battery 44 of the bicycle 42. To this extent, this lock 10 does not have any closing hoop, but instead a latch, not shown in any more detail, for securing the traction battery 44 received in the battery compartment 44, said latch being movable into a release position by an electric motor of the lock to release the traction batter 44 as soon as a positive authentication of a mobile end device 30 has taken place after the actuation of an actuation element of the lock 10 in the above-described manner.

[0060] It is understood that a bicycle 42 can also be equipped with both a frame lock 10 of FIG. 3 and a battery compartment lock 10 of FIG. 4. It is advantageous in this case if both locks 10 can be unlocked using one and the same mobile end device 30. It is, however, generally also conceivable to provide separate mobile end devices 30 for unlocking the frame lock 10, on the one hand, and the battery compartment lock 10, on the other hand.

[0061] It is further understood that when the bicycle 42 is an e-bike, the battery compartment lock 10 and/or the frame lock 10 does/do not necessarily have to have their own energy store 22, but can instead be connected to the traction battery 44 of the bicycle 42 for the energy supply.

REFERENCE NUMERAL LIST

[0062] 10 lock [0063] 12 closing hoop [0064] 14 lock body [0065] 16 locking element [0066] 18 locking recess [0067] 20 unlocking motor [0068] 22 energy store [0069] 24 connector element [0070] 26 actuation element [0071] 28 authentication module [0072] 29 transmission/reception unit [0073] 30 mobile end device [0074] 31 transmission/reception unit [0075] 32 switch-on element [0076] 34 emergency energy store [0077] 36 connector element [0078] 37 slider [0079] 38 housing [0080] 40 frame [0081] 42 bicycle [0082] 44 traction battery