Security system for lock and key protected secured areas

• US 3,906,447 A
• Filed: 01/31/1973
• Issued: 09/16/1975
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/1973
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Paul A. Crafton
• Original Assignee: Paul A. Crafton
• Inventors: Crafton, Paul A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pitts, Harold I.
• Application Number:
  US05/328,179
• Time in Patent Office: 958 Days
• Field of Search: 340/149A,149R,147MD 179/2CA 235/61.7B
• US Class Current: 235/382.5
• 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 security system including a control console and several remote secured areas, the entrance to each of the secured areas being controlled by an electronic lock mechanism responsive to a digital coded key. A key code is stored in each lock mechanism and compared with the key code on a digital coded key. If correspondence exists, entrance to the secured area is granted. The lock mechanism stored key code can be changed in response to an order code imprinted directly on the key. This obviates the requirement of wired or wireless wave communications links between the control console and each of the remote secured areas. A further feature of the invention resides in the provision of apparatus for automatically changing the stored key code at each secured area after a variable predetermined time interval.

Claims

1. A lock mechanism for generating an unlock trigger signal, said mechanism including storage means storing a key code and comparison means for comparing the stored key code with an applied key code to cause the generation of the unlock trigger signal when the two key codes coincide, the improvement comprising:

a machine readable card having formed thereon an order code and a key code enciphered together, means in said lock mechanism for reading said order code and key code in enciphered form, means for deciphering said order code and said key code, first comparison means for comparing the order code with a lock mechanism generated signal, and means responsive to said comparison for storing the key code read from said coded key in said storage means.

2. The lock mechanism of claim 1, wherein said order code represents time, said lock mechanism including means for generating a time representative signal, said first comparison means comprising means for subtracting the time represented by said order code from the time representative signal, said lock mechanism further including threshold means responsive to the output of said subtracting means for producing a key code accept signal when the value of the output of the subtracting means is below the threshold level of said threshold means.

3. The lock mechanism of claim 2, wherein said key has further formed thereon an identification code, said lock mechanism further including means for storing a lock mechanism identification code, means for reading the identification code from the key, second comparison means for comparing the stored lock mechanism identification code with the read identification code and means for blocking said key code accept signal when the stored lock mechanism identification code does not correspond to the read identification code.

4. The lock mechanism of claim 3, wherein said lock mechanism further includes a lock bolt control circuit responsive to said unlock trigger signal and a lock bolt responsive to the lock bolt control circuit, said lock mechanism being coupled to an entrance door of a room, said key having further formed thereon a time of departure code, said lock mechanism including third comparison means responsive to said time of departure code and lock mechanism generated time representative signal for producing a key code non-accept signal when said time representative signal is greater than the time of departure code, means for storing a randomly generated key code and means responsive to said non-accept signal for resetting said key code storage means and entering said randomly generated key code therein.

5. A security system for a lock mechanism comprised of a lock belt, a lock bolt control circuit and unlock trigger command circuitry, said unlock trigger command circuitry including means for storing a key code and means for comparing the stored key code with a key code read from a key, said security system including apparatus for encoding said key comprising:

means for generating a random key code, shift register means for storing the output of said generating means, means for storing an order code, adder means for adding said order code and said key code, pseudorandom sequence generator receiving said key code and the output of said adder, a first binary counter receiving the output of said adder to preset said first counter, means for simultaneously incrementing said first counter and pseudorandom sequence generator until the binary counter reaches its full count, and key card writer means, for forming the number contained in the pseudorandom sequence generator on a key card said number being said order code and said key code enciphered together.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein said order code represents time, said apparatus further comprising a second binary, counter clock means for incrementing the count in the binary counter at predetermined time intervals, and means responsive to a request for coding said key for transferring the contents of said counter to said order code storage means.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein said lock mechanism is coupled to an entrance door of a hotel room further including means for storing a room number, said adding means including means for adding said room number to said order code, departure time and key code, said key card writer means including means for forming the room number on said key in decimal form.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, further comprising a central memory means storing the key code and its associated room number, card reader means for reading the codes on said key, comparison means for comparing the key code and room number stored in said central memory with the read codes from said key and means for producing a billing accept signal when correspondence is determined.

9. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein said lock mechanism is attached to a baggage locker.

10. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein said lock mechanism is attached to an automobile starter circuit.

11. The security system including the apparatus of claim 5 wherein said lock bolt control circuitry comprises:

means in said lock mechanism for reading the order code and the key code as formed on said key card, first comparison means for comparing the order code with a lock mechanism generated signal, and means responsive to said comparison for storing the key code read from said coded key in said means for storing a key code.

12. The security system of claim 11 wherein the apparatus for encoding further includes means for storing a departure time code, and said lock bolt control circuit further includes means for generating a time representative signal, second comparison means for comparing the time representative signal with the departure time code to produce a non-accept signal when a one-to-one comparison exists, and means responsive to the non-accept signal for changing the lock mechanism stored key code;

said adder means in said apparatus for encoding further including means for adding said departure time code to said key code, said pseudorandom sequence generator receiving as the output of the adder the sum of the key code, order code and departure time code.

13. ThE apparatus of claim 6 further including means for storing a departure time code, said adder means further including means for adding said departure time code to said key code, said pseudorandom sequence generator receiving as the output of the adder the sum of the key code, order code and departure time code.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, further including first transformation matrix means for scrambling said order code and departure code prior to their application to the adder means, second transformation matrix means for scrambling the output of the adder means and key code prior to their application to the pseudorandom sequence generator, and third transformation matrix means responsive to the output of said adder means and pseudorandom sequence generator for scrambling and means for applying the output of said third transformation matrix means to said key writer means.

15. The security system including the apparatus of claim 14 wherein said lock bolt control circuitry comprises:

means in said lock mechanism for reading the scrambled order code, departure code and key code as formed on said key card, fourth transformation matrix means connected to said means for reading and being the reverse of said thrid transfer matrix means for unscrambling to provide outputs corresponding to the outputs of said adder means and pseudorandom sequence generator, second pseudorandom sequence generator receiving the second of the outputs of said fourth transformation matrix, third binary counter initially preset to its full count, third comparison means for comparing the output of said third binary counter with the first of the outputs of said fourth transformation matrix, means for simultaneously decrementing said third counter and said second pseudorandom sequence generator until said third comparison means produces an output, fifth transformation matrix means connected to said second pseudorandom sequence generator and being the reverse of said second transfer matrix means for unscrambling to provide outputs corresponding to the output of said adder means and said key code, subtractor means for subtracting the two outputs of said fifth transformation matrix means to recover said order code scrambled with said departure code, sixth transformation matrix means connected to said subtractor means and being the reverse of said first transformation matrix means for unscrambling said order code and said departure code, fourth comparison means for comparing the order code with a lock mechanism generated signal, and means responsive to said fourth comparison means for storing the key code from said fifth transformation matrix means in said means for storing a key code.

16. The security system of claim 15 further including means for generating a time representative signal, fifth comparison means for comparing the time representative signal with the departure time code to produce a non-accept signal when a one-to-one comparison exists, and means responsive to the non-accept signal for changing the lock mechanism stored key code.

17. The security system of claim 11 wherein said order code represents time, said apparatus for encoding further comprising a second binary counter, clock means for incrementing the count in the binary counter at predetermined time intervals, and means responsive to a request for coding said key for transferring the contents of said counter to said order code storage means.

18. The security system of claim 17, said lock bolt control circuit including means for generating a time representative signal, said first comparison means comprising means for subtracting the time represented by said order code from the time representative signal, threshold means responsive to the output of said subtracting means for producing a key code accept signal when the value of the output of the subtracting means is below the threshold level of said threshold means.

19. The security system of claim 11, said encoding appAratus further including means for storing a departure time code, said adder means further including means for adding said departure time code to said key code, said pseudorandom sequence generator receiving as the output of the adder the sum of the key code, order code and departure time code.

20. The security system of claim 19 wherein said reading means also reads said departure time code, said lock bolt control circuitry including means for generating a time representative signal, second comparison means for comparing the time representative signal with the departure time code to produce a non-accept signal when a comparison exists, and means responsive to the non-accept signal for changing the lock mechanism stored key code.

21. The security system of claim 20, said second comparison means comprising means for subtracting the time represented by the departure time code from the time representative signal, threshold means responsive to the output of said subtracting means for producing a non-accept signal when the value of the output of the subtracting means is above the threshold level of said threshold means.