ELECTRONIC COMBINATION LOCK AND LOCK SYSTEM

• US 3,860,911 A
• Filed: 11/01/1973
• Issued: 01/14/1975
• Est. Priority Date: 11/01/1973
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Bruce E. Hinman, Gregory M. Cinque, William D. Soltow Jr
• Original Assignee: Bruce E. Hinman, Gregory M. Cinque, William D. Soltow Jr
• Inventors: Hinman, Bruce E., Cinque, Gregory M., Soltow, William D. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Yusko,, Donald J.
• Application Number:
  US05/411,650
• Time in Patent Office: 439 Days
• Field of Search: 340/147MD,149A,149R
• US Class Current: 340/5.24
• 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

Abstract

An electronic lock system utilizes a plurality of remote locking units, each lock unit including a key decoder with a functionally assigned pair of registers containing prestored code combinations. The first register of a pair is designed to store the current combination code. The other register of the pair stores the next or change combination code. When a key coded with said current and change combinations is inserted, the current combination carried by the key is compared with the data stored in each register. If a comparison is made with the first register or the second register, an appropriate access enable signal is provided. In addition, if a comparison is made with the second register, logic circuitry responds to provide a control sequence resulting in a transfer of the change combination code in the second register to the first register, thus becoming therein the current combination code. The key codes can be placed in set positions for current and next codes, or can be separately identified by means of tag codes or the like. The control sequence further causes a new combination code, derived from the multi-coded key, to be placed in the second register as the new change combination code. Thus, the system provides for the use of a multi-coded key for establishing both unlocking and data source functions. A central station utilizes a code generator to appropriately encode the various keys which constitute the sole communication link between the central station and plural access points.

Claims

1. A combination lock comprising, in combination:

A. entry means for accepting first and second lock combination entries;

B. first logic means for establishing first and second stored lock combinations;

C. comparing means responsive to a match between a first lock combination entry and either one of said first and second stored lock combinations for developiNg an access enabling signal; and

D. second logic means responsive to a match between a first lock combination entry and said second stored combination for controlling said first logic means to replace said first stored combination with said second stored combination, and said second stored combination with the second lock combination entry associated witth said first lock combination entry.

2. second means for generating a next successive lock combination code, and

3. means for storing first and second digitally encoded lock combination codes,

4. The combination of claim 3 wherein said first means includes a memory for storing digitally encoded lock combination codes.

5. a second comparator responsive to a comparison between said second stored lock combination code and a key readout code for generating a second compare signal effective to initiate actuation of said lock mechanism, and

6. logic means responsive to said second compare signal for respectively replacing said first stored lock combination code with said second stored lock combination code and said second stored lock combination code with a key readout code, and B. a central station including

7. The combination of claim 5 wherein said second means includes a random number generator for deriving the said next successive lock combination code in respect to said retrieved lock combination code in a random sequence for said selected one of said electronic combination locks, and means for entering said next successive lock combination code in said memory.

8. A lock system comprising a multiple coded key having at least first and second combination code positions, a lock including storage means having a first storage location for storing a first code and a second storage location for storing a second code, the lock including means responsive to a match between a key combination code in said first combination code position and said first stored code for providing an access enabling signal, and the lock including means responsive to said control signal for transferring said second stored code from said second storage location to said first storage location and for placing the key combination code in said second combination code position into said second storage location.

9. The lock system of claim 8 wherein said storage means includes first and second registers respectively having said first and second storage locations, and wherein said lock system includes means for resetting said first and second registers to a predetermined condition.

10. The lock system of claim 8 wherein said first and second storage locations include a plurality of sections, each of said sections having first and second storage locations, and said lock includes means responsive to a predetermined combination code for rendering selective ones of said sections inoperative.

11. The lock system of claim 8 wherein said lock includes a reset circuit, said reset circuit including means for providing a reset signal, and said lock includes compare means responsive to said reset signal and a further combination code on said key for resetting said first and second codes to codes derived from codes at said first and second combination positions of said key, and said reset circuit being further responsive to said compare means for disabling said reset signal.

12. An electronic combination lock system comprising in combination a multiple coded key having at least first and second combination code positions, a lock including storage means having a first storage location for storing a first code and a second storage location for storing a second code, the lock including means responsive to a match between the combination code in said first combination code position and said first stored code for providing an access enabling signal, the lock including means responsive to a match between the combination code in said first combination code position and said second stored code for providing an access enable signal and a control signal, the lock including means responsive to said control signal for respectively transferring said second stored code from said second storage location to said frist storage location and placing the combination code in said second combination code position into said second storage location, a central station including first means for providing at least said second combination code for a selected one of said electronic combination locks, and said central station including second means for generating a next successive combination code and recording means for entering said second combination code and said next successive combination code on said key.

13. The combination of claim 12 wherein said storage means includes a first register having said first storage location and a second register having said second storage location, and wherein said lock system includes reset means for resetting said first and second storage registers to a predetermined condition.

14. The combination of claim 12 wherein said first and second storage locations include a plurality of sections, each of said sections having first and second storage locations, and said lock including means responsive to a predetermined combination code for rendering selective ones of said sections inoperative.

15. The combination of claim 12 wherein the lock includes a reset circuit, said reset circuit including means for providing a reset signal, compare means responsive to said reset signal and a further code combination on said key for resetting the codes in said first and second storage locations in accordance with codes derived from the codes at said first and second combination code positions of said key, and said reset circuit being further responsive to said compare means for disabling said reset signal.

16. The combination of claim 12 wherein said first means includes a memory for storing digitally encoded lock combination codes. 17. The combination of claim 16 wherein said first means includes means for accessing said memory to retrieve the stored lock combination code for a selected one of said electronic combination locks.

18. The combination of claim 12 wherein said second means includes a random number generator. sequence and means

19. The combination of claim 17 wherein said second means includes a random number generator for deriving the next successive lock combination code in respect to said retrieved lock combination code in a random sequence for said selected one of said electronic combination locks, and means for entering said next successive lock combination code in said memory.

20. A combination lock programmable by means of a code bearing key, said lock comprising, in combination:

A. means for accepting first and second lock combination entry codes borne by the key;

B. lock programming means programmed to store first and second lock combination access codes;

C. comparing means responsive to a match between a first lock combination entry code and either one of said first and second lock combination access codes for developing an access enabling signal, and D. logic means responsive to a match between a first lock combination entry code and said second lock combination access code for controlling said lock programming means to respectively replace the first and second stored access codes with the second stored access code and second entry code, whereby the second stored access code becomes a new first stored access code and the second entry code becomes a new second stored access code.