초록 ▼

Embodiments of the present invention relate to systems and methods for authenticating the identity of an authorized custodian of a physical item and activating a tracking device concealed in the physical item in the event the item is removed from a controlled area or accessed by an unauthorized indi

Embodiments of the present invention relate to systems and methods for authenticating the identity of an authorized custodian of a physical item and activating a tracking device concealed in the physical item in the event the item is removed from a controlled area or accessed by an unauthorized individual. In particular, according to some embodiments, the identity of an authorized custodian of a physical item stored in a controlled area is authenticated by: recording an image of an iris of the authorized custodian in a database; capturing an image of an iris of an individual attempting to remove the physical item from the controlled area; and verifying, prior to allowing removal of the physical item, that the captured image of the iris of the individual attempting to the physical item matches the recorded image of the iris of the authorized custodian.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A method of securing and tracking a physical item, the method comprising: determining the identity of an individual seeking to remove the physical item from a controlled area, the physical item comprising money or valuables;accessing a database having a list of custodians that are authorized to r

1. A method of securing and tracking a physical item, the method comprising: determining the identity of an individual seeking to remove the physical item from a controlled area, the physical item comprising money or valuables;accessing a database having a list of custodians that are authorized to remove the physical item from the controlled area;verifying that the individual seeking to remove the physical item from the controlled area is not included on the list of custodians that are authorized to remove the physical item from the controlled area; andactivating a tracking device that is associated with the physical item in response to verifying that the individual seeking to remove the physical item is not included on the list of custodians that are authorized to remove the physical item from the controlled area;wherein the controlled area comprises:a perimeter;an inner opening formed in said perimeter;an entrance comprising an elongated body, wherein one end of said elongated body is connected to the inner opening and an opposing end of said elongated body has an outer opening;an inner sensor located at a position adjacent to the inner opening and on an opposite side of said inner opening than said entrance; andan outer sensor located inside the elongated body of the entrance and on an opposite side of said inner opening than said inner sensor such that said inner sensor and said outer sensor are located on opposite sides of said inner opening;wherein the controlled area is at least one of a drop box, safe, vault, and safe box. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein a biometric technique is employed to determine the identity of an individual. 3. The method of claim 2, wherein the biometric technique involves an iris scanner. 4. The method of claim 1, wherein an access card system is employed to determine the identity of an individual. 5. The method of claim 1, wherein an ID-and-password system is employed to determine the identity of an individual. 6. A system for securing and tracking a physical item, the system comprising: a database for storing a list of authorized custodians, the list comprises an identification attribute for each of the authorized custodians;an input system for receiving an identification attribute of an individual seeking to remove the physical item from a controlled area, the physical item comprising money or valuables;a processing system in communication with the database and the input system and configured to verify that the received identification attribute of the individual seeking to remove the physical item from the controlled area does not match the identification attribute for one of the authorized custodians stored in the database; anda tracking device associated with the physical item and in communication with the processing system, the tracking device is configured to activate in response to verifying that the received identification attribute of the individual seeking to remove the physical item from the controlled area does not match the identification attribute for one of the authorized custodians stored in the database;wherein the controlled area comprises:a perimeter;an inner opening formed in said perimeter;an entrance comprising an elongated body, wherein one end of said elongated body is connected to the inner opening and an opposing end of said elongated body has an outer opening;an inner sensor located at a position adjacent to the inner opening and on an opposite side of said inner opening than said entrance;an outer sensor located inside the elongated body of the entrance and on an opposite side of said inner opening than said inner sensor such that said inner sensor and said outer sensor are located on opposite sides of said inner opening;wherein the controlled area is at least one of a drop box, safe, vault, and safe box. 7. The system of claim 6, wherein the input system is an iris scanning device. 8. The system of claim 7, wherein the identification attribute is an image of an iris of the individual seeking to remove the physical item from the controlled area. 9. The system of claim 6, wherein the input system is a fingerprint reader. 10. The system of claim 9, wherein the identification attribute is a fingerprint of the individual seeking to remove the physical item from the controlled area. 11. The system of claim 6, wherein the input system is a keyboard and the identification attribute is an ID and password. 12. A method for authenticating the identity of individuals that are authorized to remove a physical item from a controlled area, the method comprising: recording in a database an image of an iris of each of the individuals that have been previously authorized to remove the physical item from the controlled area, the physical item comprising money or valuables;capturing an image of an iris of an individual seeking to remove the physical item from the controlled area;verifying that the captured image of the iris of the individual seeking to remove the physical item from the controlled area matches the image of the iris of one of the individuals that have been previously authorized to remove the physical item from the controlled area; andactivating a tracking device that is associated with the physical item if the captured image of the iris of the individual seeking to remove the physical item from the controlled area does not match the image of the iris of one of the individuals authorized to remove the physical item from the controlled area;wherein the controlled area comprises:a perimeter;an inner opening formed in said perimeter;an entrance comprising an elongated body, wherein one end of said elongated body is connected to the inner opening and an opposing end of said elongated body has an outer opening;an inner sensor located at a position adjacent to the inner opening and on an opposite side of said inner opening than said entrance;an outer sensor located inside the elongated body of the entrance and on an opposite side of said inner opening than said inner sensor such that said inner sensor and said outer sensor are located on opposite sides of said inner opening;wherein the controlled area is at least one of a drop box, safe, vault, and safe box. 13. The method of claim 12, further comprising: utilizing an iris recognition mechanism configured to locate in the database a recorded image of an iris that matches a captured image of an iris. 14. The method of claim 12, wherein verifying that the captured image of the iris of the individual seeking to remove the physical item from the controlled area matches the image of the iris of one of the individuals authorized to remove the physical item from the controlled area comprises: locating in the database a recorded image of an iris that matches the captured image of the iris of the individual seeking to remove the physical item from the controlled area; andconfirming that the located recorded image is correlated to the physical item. 15. The method of claim 12, further comprising: recording an identification code of the physical item; andcorrelating the recorded identification code to the recorded image of the individual authorized to remove the physical item from the controlled area. 16. The method of claim 15, further comprising: capturing an identification code of the physical item prior to allowing the individual seeking to remove the physical item from the controlled area to indeed remove the physical item from the controlled area; andlocating in the database a recorded identification code that matches the captured identification code of the physical item. 17. The method of claim 12, wherein verifying that the captured image of the iris of the individual seeking to remove the physical item from the controlled area matches the image of the iris of one of the individuals authorized to remove the physical item from the controlled area comprises: locating in the database a recorded image of an iris that matches the captured image of the iris of the individual seeking to remove the physical item from the controlled area; andconfirming that the located recorded image of an iris that matches the captured image of the iris of the individual seeking to remove the physical item from the controlled area is correlated to the located recorded image of an iris that matches the captured identification code of the physical item. 18. A method for authenticating the identity of an authorized custodian that has been previously authorized to remove a physical item from a controlled area, the method comprising: recording in a database an image of an iris of the authorized custodian that has been previously authorized to remove the physical item, the physical item comprising money or valuables;capturing an image of an iris of an individual attempting to remove the physical item from the controlled area; andverifying, prior to allowing the individual to remove the physical item, that the captured image of the iris of the individual attempting to remove the physical item matches the recorded image of the iris of the authorized custodian that has been previously authorized to remove the physical item;wherein the controlled area comprises:a perimeter;an inner opening formed in said perimeter;an entrance comprising an elongated body, wherein one end of said elongated body is connected to the inner opening and an opposing end of said elongated body has an outer opening;an inner sensor located at a position adjacent to the inner opening and on an opposite side of said inner opening than said entrance;an outer sensor located inside the elongated body of the entrance and on an opposite side of said inner opening than said inner sensor such that said inner sensor and said outer sensor are located on opposite sides of said inner opening;wherein the controlled area is at least one of a drop box, safe, vault, and safe box. 19. The method of claim 18, further comprising: utilizing an iris recognition mechanism configured to locate in the database a recorded image of an iris that matches a captured image of an iris. 20. The method of claim 18, further comprising: storing a profile of the physical item in the database; andcorrelating the recorded image of the iris of the authorized custodian to the profile of the physical item. 21. The method of claim 20, wherein the profile of the physical item comprises an identification code of the physical item. 22. The method of claim 21, further comprising: capturing an identification code of the physical item prior to allowing the individual to remove the physical item from the controlled area;locating in the database a recorded identification code that matches the captured identification code of the physical item; andconfirming that the located recorded identification code is the recorded identification code of the physical item contained in the profile of the physical item stored in the database and correlated to the recorded image of the iris of the authorized custodian. 23. The method of claim 18, wherein verifying that the captured image of the iris of the individual attempting to remove the physical item matches the recorded image of the iris of the authorized custodian comprises: locating in the database a recorded image of an iris that matches the captured image of the iris of the individual attempting to remove the physical item; andconfirming that the located recorded image is correlated to a profile of the physical item stored in the database. 24. The method of claim 18, further comprising: storing a profile of the authorized custodian in the database, wherein the profile of the authorized custodian comprises an identification code of the physical item. 25. The method of claim 24, further comprising: capturing an image of the iris of the individual attempting to remove the physical item prior to allowing the individual to remove the physical item from the controlled area;capturing an identification code of the physical item prior to allowing the individual to remove the physical item from the controlled area;locating in the database a recorded image that matches the captured image of the iris of the individual; andconfirming that an identification code contained in the profile of the individual matches the identification code of the physical item. 26. The method of claim 18, verifying that the captured image of the iris of the individual attempting to remove the physical item matches the recorded image of the iris of the authorized custodian comprises: locating in the database a recorded image of an iris that matches the captured image of the iris of the individual attempting to remove the physical item;accessing a profile of the individual attempting to remove the physical item; andconfirming that the profile includes an identification code of the physical item. 27. The method of claim 18, further comprising: recording an identification code of the physical item;correlating the recorded identification code of the physical item to the recorded image of the iris of the authorized custodian;capturing the identification code of the physical item prior to allowing the individual to remove the physical item from the controlled area; andlocating in the database a recorded identification code that matches the captured identification code of the physical item. 28. The method of claim 27, wherein verifying that the captured image of the iris of the individual attempting to remove the physical item matches the recorded image of the iris of the authorized custodian, comprises: locating in the database a recorded image of an iris that matches the captured image of the iris of the individual attempting to remove the physical item; andconfirming that the located recorded image of an iris that matches the captured image of the iris of the individual attempting to remove the physical item is correlated to the located recorded identification code that matches the captured identification code of the physical item. 29. A system for authenticating the identity of an individual that has been previously authorized to remove a physical item from a controlled area and tracking the geographic location of the physical item that is removed from the controlled area by an unauthorized custodian, the system comprising: an iris scanning device configured to capture at least one image of an individual's iris;an exit management system in communication with the iris scanning device and comprising an iris recognition mechanism;a database in communication with the exit management system and configured to store an image of an iris of the individual that has been previously authorized to remove the physical item in correlation to an identification code of the physical item, the physical item comprising money or valuables; anda tracking device associated with the physical item and in communication with the exit management system; wherein the controlled area comprises:a perimeter;an inner opening formed in said perimeter;an entrance comprising an elongated body, wherein one end of said elongated body is connected to the inner opening and an opposing end of said elongated body has an outer opening;an inner sensor located at a position adjacent to the inner opening and on an opposite side of said inner opening than said entrance;an outer sensor located inside the elongated body of the entrance and on an opposite side of said inner opening than said inner sensor such that said inner sensor and said outer sensor are located on opposite sides of said inner opening;wherein the controlled area is at least one of a drop box, safe, vault, and safe box. 30. The system of claim 29, wherein the exit management system further comprises a user interface that allows a user to access the database and store data in the database. 31. The system of claim 29, wherein the iris scanning device comprises an imaging device configured to capture high-resolution images of the irides of an individual's eyes. 32. The system of claim 29, wherein the iris scanning device is in communication with the database and is configured to transmit the images that it captures to the exit management system and/or the database. 33. The system of claim 29, wherein the exit management system is configured to store in the database the images captured by the iris scanning device. 34. The system of claim 29, wherein the exit management system is configured to correlate an image of an iris of the individual authorized to remove the physical item to an identification code of the physical item. 35. The system of claim 29, wherein the exit management system is configured to compare a captured image of an iris of an individual seeking to remove the physical item to images stored in the database. 36. The system of claim 35, wherein the exit management system is configured to activate the tracking device when the captured image of the iris of the individual seeking to remove the physical item does not match any of the images stored in the database. 37. The method of claim 18, the method further comprising: capturing an identification code associated with the physical item after capturing the image of the iris of the individual attempting to remove the physical item from the controlled area. 38. The method of claim 18, the method further comprising: linking the captured image of the iris of the individual attempting to a profile of the authorized custodian; andidentifying the physical item based on the profile of the authorized custodian. 39. The method of claim 1, further comprising: activating a second tracking device after the first tracking device has been deactivated. 40. The method of claim 1, wherein the tracking device is concealed inside of the physical item. 41. The method of claim 1, wherein the tracking device is concealed inside of one of a band that bundles stacks of paper money or a coin sleeve. 42. The system of claim 29, further comprising a second tracking device, wherein each of the first tracking device and second tracking device is configured to be activated sequentially.