Payment authorized lock system and methods of making and using the same

Abstract

A payment authorized door and/or gate lock system that controls access to a given area through the processing, storage and recollection of data input through a touchscreen user interface.

1 - 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . A payment authorized lockable door or gate comprising:
 one or more doors or gates, each of said one or more doors or gates being sized so that one or more persons can enter through each door or gate and into one or more facilities having restricted access via the one or more doors or gates; and   a door or gate locking system for said one or more doors or gates, said door or gate locking system comprising:
 a computing system programmed to provide prompts to a user on a user interface display, accept user data inputted into the user interface display, store inputted user data inputted into the user interface display, and initiate one or more actions in response to receiving user data; 
 an electronic lock that changes from (i) a locked configuration to an unlocked configuration or (ii) from an unlocked configuration to a locked configuration in response to a signal generated by said computing system; and 
   at least one component positioned (i) on said one or more doors or gates or (ii) proximate said one or more doors or gates, said at least one component (I) being capable of unlocking said electronic lock in response to user interaction with said at least one component, and (II) being selected from (1) a barcode scanning device, said barcode scanning device being separate from said user interface display or integrally connected to said user interface display, said barcode scanning device being capable of reading barcode data for processing by said computing system; (2) a biometric reader for identifying external features of a user and correlating the external features with inputted user data via said computing system, (3) a payment card reader, said payment card reader being capable of reading payment card data for processing by said computing system, and (4) any combination of (1) to (3).   
     
     
         22 . The payment authorized lockable door or gate of  claim 21 , wherein said at least one component comprises said barcode scanning device. 
     
     
         23 . The payment authorized lockable door or gate of  claim 22 , wherein said barcode scanning device is capable of scanning a printed barcode or a barcode displayed on an electronic device. 
     
     
         24 . The payment authorized lockable door or gate of  claim 21 , wherein said at least one component comprises said biometric reader. 
     
     
         25 . The payment authorized lockable door or gate of  claim 21 , further comprising a sensor for detecting a number of people that enter through said one or more doors or gates locked by said locking system, said computing system further programmed to charge a user's account based on the number of people that enter through the one or more doors or gates locked by said locking system as determined by the sensor. 
     
     
         26 . The payment authorized lockable door or gate of  claim 21 , further comprising the user interface display. 
     
     
         27 . The payment authorized lockable door or gate of  claim 26 , wherein the user interface display is positioned (i) on said one or more doors or gates or (ii) proximate said one or more doors or gates. 
     
     
         28 . The payment authorized lockable door or gate of  claim 26 , wherein the user interface display allows access to said computing system from a remote location via an electronic device. 
     
     
         29 . The payment authorized lockable door or gate of  claim 21 , wherein said at least one component comprises said payment card reader. 
     
     
         30 . The payment authorized lockable door or gate of  claim 21 , said payment authorized lockable door or gate comprising two or more electronic locks, each of which is connected to said computing system so as to independently change from (i) a locked configuration to an unlocked configuration or (ii) from an unlocked configuration to a locked configuration in response to one or more signals generated by said computing system based on a user's data. 
     
     
         31 . The payment authorized lockable door or gate of  claim 30 , wherein said two or more electronic locks each independently enable restricted access into two or more independent facilities. 
     
     
         32 . The payment authorized lockable door or gate of  claim 30 , wherein said two or more electronic locks each independently enable restricted access into two or more areas within a given facility. 
     
     
         33 . The payment authorized lockable door or gate of  claim 23 , wherein said barcode comprises (i) any pattern of lines, dots or shapes, (ii) a quick response code, or (iii) a data matrix type code. 
     
     
         34 . The payment authorized lockable door or gate of  claim 21 , wherein said computing system enables one or more separate entries into the one or more facilities within a specific period of time based on a user's data inputted into said computing system. 
     
     
         35 . The payment authorized lockable door or gate of  claim 21 , wherein said computing system is further programmed to recognize current users based on (i) stored inputted user data previously inputted on the user interface display, via a payment card reader data, via an Internet web site or a local server webpage, or any combination thereof, and (ii) user interaction with said at least one component. 
     
     
         36 . The payment authorized lockable door or gate of  claim 21 , wherein said computing system is further programmed to (i) display a price per person, on a local or remote user interface display, for entry through the one or more doors or gates locked by said locking system, and (ii) in response to price acceptance data inputted by the user on the local or remote user interface display, sending a signal to said electronic lock to unlock said electronic lock. 
     
     
         37 . The payment authorized lockable door or gate of  claim 22 , further comprising the payment card reader. 
     
     
         38 . The payment authorized lockable door or gate of  claim 37 , further comprising the biometric reader. 
     
     
         39 . The payment authorized lockable door or gate of  claim 21 , wherein said computing system is accessible from a remote location via an electronic device. 
     
     
         40 . The payment authorized lockable door or gate of  claim 39 , wherein the electronic device comprises a computer, a cellular phone, a smart phone, or a computer tablet.