Key-Card Access System for Providing Selective Access to Medical Equipment
First Claim
1. An access system for controlling access of a user to one of at least two unique operative modes of an electronic device for communicating with an implantable medical device, said access system comprising:
- a portable keycard of said user having at least a first magnet embedded therein, said first magnet being located at a first predetermined location within said keycard;
an electronic device comprising;
a housing having an external surface and an interior chamber, said external surface including a channel which is sized and shaped to selectively receive said keycard to a fully inserted position;
a sensing circuit disposed within said interior chamber, said sensing circuit including a first Hall-effect transducer positioned adjacent to said channel so that said first magnet of said keycard aligns with said first Hall-effect transducer when said keycard is located at said fully inserted position within said channel, at which point said first Hall-effect transducer generates a first output signal; and
a processing circuit disposed within said interior chamber, said processing circuit being electrically connected to said sensing circuit and said processing circuit allowing said user access to said one of at least two unique operative modes in response to receipt of said first output signal.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An access system for controlling access of a user to one of several unique operative modes of an electronic device used to communicate with an implantable medical device. The access system includes a portable keycard, which is held by a user. The keycard has embedded magnets arranged in a unique predetermined pattern. The electronic device has a housing that provides a slot and a channel for receiving the keycard by the user. A sensing circuit and a processing circuit are both provided. The sensing circuit includes Hall-effect transducers positioned next to the channel so that upon inserted of the keycard, certain ones of these Hall-effect transducers will reside adjacent a magnet, depending on the particular unique pattern. A magnet positioned adjacent a Hall-effect transducer will cause the transducer to send an output signal to the processor indicating the presence of a magnet at the location of the Hall-effect transducer. The Hall-effect transducers collectively generate an electronic pattern representing the particular identity of the keycard. The processor compares this electronic pattern with one of several stored in electronic memory and provides selective access to the device in response to successfully identifying a match. A doctor, a technician, a salesperson and a factory assembly worker are examples of users of this system and each will be granted predetermined access rights to operate the device. Additional Hall-effect transducers may be provided to help detect the intrusion of magnetic fields produced from magnets not located with the keycard. The process will deny any access to the device should any such remove magnetic fields be detected.
36 Citations
30 Claims
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1. An access system for controlling access of a user to one of at least two unique operative modes of an electronic device for communicating with an implantable medical device, said access system comprising:
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a portable keycard of said user having at least a first magnet embedded therein, said first magnet being located at a first predetermined location within said keycard; an electronic device comprising; a housing having an external surface and an interior chamber, said external surface including a channel which is sized and shaped to selectively receive said keycard to a fully inserted position; a sensing circuit disposed within said interior chamber, said sensing circuit including a first Hall-effect transducer positioned adjacent to said channel so that said first magnet of said keycard aligns with said first Hall-effect transducer when said keycard is located at said fully inserted position within said channel, at which point said first Hall-effect transducer generates a first output signal; and a processing circuit disposed within said interior chamber, said processing circuit being electrically connected to said sensing circuit and said processing circuit allowing said user access to said one of at least two unique operative modes in response to receipt of said first output signal. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. An electronic control device for communicating with an implantable medical device, said control device being operable in at least two unique modes of operation, as determined by a portable keycard, said control device comprising:
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a housing having an external surface and an interior chamber, said external surface including a channel which is sized and shaped to selectively receive said keycard to a fully inserted position, said keycard having at least a first magnet embedded therein, said first magnet being located at a first predetermined location within said keycard; a sensing circuit disposed within said interior chamber, said sensing circuit including a first Hall-effect transducer positioned adjacent to said channel so that said first magnet of said keycard aligns with said first Hall-effect transducer when said keycard is located at said fully inserted position within said channel, at which point said first Hall-effect transducer generates a first output signal; and a processing circuit disposed within said interior chamber, said processing circuit being electrically connected to said sensing circuit and said processing circuit allowing said control device to operate in one of said at least two unique modes of operation in response to receipt of said first output signal. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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Specification