ELECTRONIC LOCKING SYSTEM

• US 3,622,991 A
• Filed: 09/16/1969
• Issued: 11/23/1971
• Est. Priority Date: 09/16/1969
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: John C. Holme, Raymond A. Robertson, Stanley Lehrer
• Original Assignee: John C. Holme, Raymond A. Robertson, Stanley Lehrer
• Inventors: Lehrer, Stanley, Robertson, Raymond A., Holme, John C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Yusko, Donald J.
• Application Number:
  US04/858,470
• Time in Patent Office: 798 Days
• Field of Search: 340/147,164,149 317/134 70/277,278 235/61.12,61.1
• US Class Current: 340/5.5
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 49/006 actuating opto-electronic devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/06 by means which conduct current when a mark is sensed or absent, e.g. contact brush for a conductive mark
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/14 using light without selection of wavelength, e.g. sensing reflected white light G06K7/10831 - G06K7/1097 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00571 operated by interacting with a central unit
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00904 for hotels, motels, office buildings or the like
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/21 having a variable access code
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/27 with central registration
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/7073 Including use of a key

Abstract

A door lock is opened by a binary-coded key card when inserted in an opening adjacent the lock. The binary access code for the lock is electronically changed for each new registrant to a particular room in a hotel or motel. The lock system includes a central control station and a plurality of substations, each serving a plurality of door units. Means are provided at a central control station for randomly generating a new binary access code, transmitting the access code through logic circuitry to the lock, and for controlling a punch press which produces a new key card containing the newly generated access code. The door control unit includes a card reader and memory circuit means for storing the newly generated access code. The memory circuit means for storing the newly generated access code. The memory circuit means stores the newly generated access code in a room key shift register, and a pass key access code in a pass key shift register. A card inserted into the card reader at the door is photoelectrically scanned to determine both its access code and whether the card is a pass key card or a room key card. The access code on the card key is thereafter electronically compared with the access data stored in the appropriate shift register. When the access code on the key card matches the stored data, the door lock is opened. In a disclosed embodiment, the means for producing the new key card includes a punch press having a plurality of appropriately placed punches controlled by solenoids connected to the output from a random number generator. When the new code is generated, the solenoids are actuated and openings are punched at predetermined locations in the key card. The circuit means at the central control station include master clock means for controlling the random number generating means and the multiplexing means which provide the central control station output data in serial form. Means are also provided for counting the number of binary '"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"'one'"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"' states in the central control output data. If the number of binary one states is unacceptable, a new access code is generated, whereas if the number of states is acceptable, the program cycle is completed.

Claims

1. An electronic lock system comprising:

a lock;

means for releasing said lock upon command and in response to a random access code;

electrical means for electronically and randomly generating said random access code which includes randomly-generated access data at a location remote from said lock;

storage means for storing said randomly generated access data; and

coded means which contain a representation of said randomlygenerated access data for actuating said lock release means when the randomly-generated access data of said coded means corresponds to the randomly-generated access data in said storage means.

2. The electronic lock system as defined in claim 1 wherein said storage means includes a shift register and the access data is stored in said shift register.

3. The electronic lock system as defined in claim 2 further including data retrieval means for retrieving said access data from said coded means, and comparator means for comparing the retrieved data with the access data stored in said register.

4. The electronic lock system as defined in claim 3 further including means for transmitting said access data from a point remote from said register to said register.

5. The electronic lock system as defined in claim 4 wherein the access code generated by said random access code-generating means includes both access data and clock signals.

6. The electronic lock system as defined in claim 5 wherein said register stores access data upon a command received from the clock signals.

7. The electronic lock system of claim 6 wherein the coded means comprises a binary-coded key card, said data retrieval means includes a card reader which provides a binary-coded output that corresponds to the binary code on said key card, and said comparator means is a binary comparator which compares the access data stored in said register with the binary-coded output from said data retrieval means, whereby when the comparison is satisfactory, a command is provided to said lock release means for releasing said lock.

8. The electronic lock system of claim 1 wherein said storage means includes a pass key register for storing pass key access data and a room key register for storing room key access data.

9. The electronic lock system as defined in claim 8 further including data retrieval means for retrieving access data from said coded means, said data retrieval means being further capable of providing a control signal indicating whether said access data is room key access data or pass key access data, switch means responsive to said control signal for selecting either said pass key register or said room key register, and comparator means for comparing the retrieved data with the access data stored in the selected register, whereby when the comparison is satisfactory, the lock will be actuated.

10. The electronic lock system as defined in claim 8 wherein said storage means further includes means for selecting which of said pass key register or said room key register is to store said access data, and means for storing the access data therein upon command from the clock signals generated by said access code generating means.

11. The electronic lock system as defined in claim 1 wherein the access-code generating means includes means for electronically generating a random number, whereby said access data are randomly generated.

12. The electronic lock system as defined in claim 11 wherein said access-code-generating means includes means for generating a clock signal, meaNs for storing said random number, and multiplexing means for providing an access data signal by reading out said store random number in serial form in accordance with said clock signals.

13. The electronic lock system as defined in claim 12 further including means for transmitting said access data signals and said clock signals to said storage means.

14. The electronic lock as defined in claim 12 further including means for encoding said coded means to correspond with said stored random number.

15. The electronic lock system as defined in claim 14 wherein said encoding means encodes said coded means in response to a command from said access-code-generating means.

16. The electronic lock system as defined in claim 15 further including means for counting the number of binary one states in said data signal to determine whether said number is between predetermined limits.

17. The electronic lock system as defined in claim 16 further including means responsive to said counting means to enable said encoding means when the number of binary one states is satisfactory and to enable the generation of another random number if the number of binary one states is unsatisfactory.

18. The electronic lock system as defined in claim 12 wherein said coded means is a key card, and said encoding means includes a punch press comprising means for perforating said key card at predetermined positions in a manner which corresponds to the stored random number.

19. The electronic lock as defined in claim 18 wherein said perforating means include a plurality of punches disposed in an array, a plurality of retractable members located so that when one of said members is in a first position, an opening will be punched into the card, and further including solenoid means for controlling the positioning of said member between said first position and said second position in response to the stored random number.

20. In a lock system of the type in which a lock which may be actuated by access data will be released by coded means containing corresponding access data, the combination of:

electrical means for electronically and randomly generating said access data, means for rendering said lock operable by said randomly-generated access data and means for encoding said coded means to contain said randomly-generated access data.

21. The lock system as defined in claim 20 wherein said access data generating means and said encoding means are located at a central control location remote from said lock, and further including means for transmitting said access data to said lock, and means for storing said access data at said lock for comparison with the data encoded on said coded means, whereupon if the stored access data and the encoded access data correspond, the lock will be opened.

22. In a lock system which comprises a plurality of locks which may be actuated by access data, the combination of:

a central control station which includes electrical means for electronically and randomly generating access data for one of said locks, means for encoding coded means with said randonly-generated access data, a plurality of substations, each of which services a predetermined subgroup of locks, wherein each substation includes means for transmitting said randomly generated access data, and wherein each of said locks includes means capable of storing said randomly generated access code so that each lock which stored said access code is capable of being actuated by said coded means.

23. The system as defined in capable 22 wherein said control station further includes means for providing lock selection data and substation selection data, which are capable of addressing said one of said locks, and means responsive to said substation selection data for selecting the substation which services said one of said locks.

24. The system as defined in claim 23 wherein said selected substation includes means for transmitting said lock selection data to said locks.

25. The system as defiNed in claim 23 wherein each of said locks serviced by said selected substation includes means responsive to said lock selection data for selecting said one of said locks to store the transmitted, randomly generated access code.