SELF RE KEYING SECURITY DEVICE WITH CODED KEY

• US 3,821,704 A
• Filed: 04/16/1973
• Issued: 06/28/1974
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/1972
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sabsay D
• Original Assignee: Sabsay D
• Inventors: SABSAY D
• Application Number:
  US05/351,298
• Time in Patent Office: 438 Days
• US Class Current: 340/5.23
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 49/006 actuating opto-electronic devices
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00904 for hotels, motels, office buildings or the like
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/215 the system having a variable access-code, e.g. varied as a function of time

Abstract

A security system for use in secure areas, buildings, hotels, automobiles and so forth. Each lock mechanism is controlled by a decoding circuit having a changeable binary memory. A basic key has two decodable information fields: a key field and an authorization field. When a key field is sensed by the decoding circuit and found to contain a number equal to the combination previously stored in the decoding circuit memory, the lock mechanism is opened. If the comparison does not find a match, the authorization field number and the combination are then compared. If they are found to be equal, the decoding circuit memory changes itself to the number found in the key field and the lock mechanism opened. In this way, lock combinations may be changed. In addition, the key may contain other information fields, such as various levels of master combinations, key insertion information, and so forth.

Claims

1. The method of operating security device, comprising the steps of entering into said security device a key number and an authorization number, comparing the key number with a combination number previously stored in said security device, operating said security device, if the compared numbers are found to match, comparing the authorizaTion number with the combination number previously stored in said security device, if the key number was found not to match the combination number, causing the key number to be stored in said security device in place of the previously stored combination number, if the authorization number was found to match the combination number, and, operating said security device, if the authorization number was found to match the combination number.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of operating the security device if the authorization number was found to match the combination number comprises the steps of comparing the entered key number with the number stored in place of the previously stored combination number and operating said security device if the numbers are found to match.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said entering step further includes the step of entering two combination identification numbers, each of said combination identification numbers associated with one of said key or authorization numbers.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising the step of first storing a plurality of combination numbers in said security device, and, wherein said step of comparing the key number with a combination number previously stored includes the step of selecting the combination number to be compared from the plurality of such members on the basis of the combination identification number associated with said key number.

5. The method of claim 3, further comprising the step of first storing a plurality of combination numbers in said security device, and, wherein said step of comparing the authorization number with the combination number previously stored in said security device includes the step of selecting the combination number to be compared from the plurality of such numbers on the basis of the combination identification number associated with said authorization number.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of entering comprises the step of decoding said numbers from information encoded on a user'"'"''"'"'s key.

7. The method of operating an electrically controlled security device, comprising the steps of retrievably storing a plurality of combination numbers in said security device, decoding from information encoded on a user'"'"''"'"'s key a key number and an associated first combination identification number and an authorization number and an associated second combination identification number, comparing the key number with a particular one of said combination numbers determined by said first combination identification number, operating said security device, if the compared numbers are found to match, comparing the authorization number with a particular one of said combination numbers determined by said second combination identification number, if the compared key number and combination number were found not to match, causing the key number to be stored in said security device in place of the combination number selected by said first combination identification number, if the compared authorization number and combination number were found to match, and, operating said security device, if the compared authorization number and combination number were found to match.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said step of operating said security device if the compared authorization number and combination number were found to match, comprises the steps of comparing the key number with the number stored in place of the combination number selected by said first combination identification number and operating said security device if the numbers are found to match.

9. The method of operating an electrically controlled security system comprised of a plurality of security devices, comprising the steps of storing a plurality of combination numbers in each of said security devices, decoding from a user'"'"''"'"'s key or key number and associated first combination identification number and an authorization nUmber and associated second combination identification number, comparing the key number with the one of said stored combination numbers selected by said first combination identification number, operating one of said security devices, if the numbers are found to match, comparing the authorization number with the one of said stored combination numbers selected by said second combination identification number, if the key number was found not to mach the selected combination number, causing the key number to be stored in said security device in place of the one of said stored combination numbers selected by said first combination identification number, if the authorization number was found to match the selected combination number, and, operating said security device, if the authorization number was found to match the selected combination number.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein said step of operating said security device if the authorization number was found to match the selected combination number includes the steps of comparing the key number decoded from the user'"'"''"'"'s key with the number stored in the location of the combination number selected by said first combination identification number and then operating said security device.

11. In a security device for electrically controlling a lock, said security device having stored therein at least one combination number for operating said device, means for entering a key number and an authorization number into said security device, means for comparing said entered key number with one of said stored combination numbers, means for operating said security device if said key number is found to match said combination number, means for comparing said authorization number with said combination number, if the key number is found not to match said combination number, means for storing the key number in said security device in the place of said combination number, if the authorization number was found to match said combination number, and, means for operating said security device if the authorization number was found to match said combination number.

12. The combination of claim 11, wherein said security device comprises means for retrievably storing a plurality of combination number, and, said entering means comprises means for entering a first combination identification number associated with said key number and a second combination identification number associated with said authorization number.

13. The combination of claim 12, wherein said means for comparing said key number with one of said combination numbers includes means for selecting for said comparison a particular one of said plurality of combination numbers as determined by said first combination identification number.

14. The combination of claim 12, wherein said means for comparing said authorization number with one of said combination numbers includes means for selecting for said comparison a particular one of said plurality of combination numbers as determined by said second combination identification number.

15. The combination of claim 11, wherein said key number storing means retrievably stores said key number in the location of the combination number determined by said first combination identification number.

16. The combination of claim 11, wherein said means for operating said security device if the authorization number was found to match said combination number comprises means for comparing the key number with the number stored in place of the previously compared combination number and for then operating said security device if the numbers match.

17. The method of operating an electrically controlled security system comprised of a plurality of security devices, each of said devices operable by entry of an assigned key number, comprising the steps of storing at least one combination number in each of said security devices, controlling a computer to retrieve from its Memory the combination number previously stored in a designated one of said security devices, controlling said computer to obtain a randomly valued number and store said number in the memory in place of the retrieved number, producing a key encoded with said retrieved combination number as an authorization number and said randomly valued number as a key number, decoding from the key said key number and said authorization number and entering said numbers into said designated security device, comparing said key number with said previously stored combination number, operating said designated security device, if the numbers are found to match, comparing the authorization number with the combination number previously stored in the security device, if the key number was found not to match the combination number, causing the key number to be stored in said designated security device in place of the previously stored combination number, if the authorization number was found to match the combination number, and, operating said designated security device, if the authorization number was found to match the combination number.

18. The method of operating a security device comprising the steps of storing a plurality of combination numbers in said security device, entering into said security device a key number, an authorization number, and two combination identification numbers, each of said combination identification numbers being associated with one of said key or authorization numbers, comparing said key number with one of said combination numbers previously stored in said security device, selected on the basis of the combination identification number associated with said key number, operating said security device, if the compared numbers are found to match, comparing said authorization number with one of said combination numbers previously stored in said security device, selected on the basis of the combination identification number associated with said authorization number, if said key number was not found to match said combination number, causing said key number to be stored in said security device in place of a previously stored combination number, said combination number being replaced being selected on the basis of the combination identification number associated with said key number, if said authorization number was found to match the combination number with which it was compared, operating said security device, if the authorization number was found to match the combination number with which it was compared.

19. The method of operating a security device comprising the steps of retrievably storing a plurality of combination numbers in said security device, entering into said security device a key number, an authorization number, and a combination identification number, comparing the key number with a particular one of said combination numbers determined by the combination identification number, operating said security device, if the compared numbers are found to match, comparing the authorization number with said particular combination number, if the key number was found not to match the selected combination number, causing the key number to be stored in said security device in place of said previously stored particular combination number, if the authorization number was found to match said particular combination number, and, operating said security device, if the authorization number was found to match said particular combination number.

20. The method of operating a security device comprising the steps of retrievably storing a plurality of combination numbers in said security device, entering into said security device a key number and an authorization number, comparing the key number with all combination numbers previously stored in said security device, operating said security device, if any of the compared combination numbers are found to match said key number, comparing the authorization number with all combination numbers previously stored in said security device, if no combination numbers were found to match the key number, causing the key number to be stored in said security device in place of the previously stored combination number which matched the authorization number if such a match occurred, and, operating said security device, if the authorization number was found to match any of the stored combination numbers.

21. The method of operating security device, comprising the steps of entering into said security device a key number and an authorization number, comparing the key number with a combination number previously stored in said security device, operating said security device, if the compared numbers are found to match, comparing the authorization number with the combination number previously stored in said security device, if the key number was found not to match the combination number, causing the key number to be stored in said security device in place of the previously stored combination number, if the authorization number was found to match the combination number.