Door control system

• US 4,415,893 A
• Filed: 03/16/1981
• Issued: 11/15/1983
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/1978
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: ILCO Unican Corp.
• Original Assignee: All-Lock Electronics, Inc.
• Inventors: Roland, Manfred W., Roland, Max G.
• Primary Examiner(s): YUSKO, DONALD
• Application Number:
  US06/243,739
• Time in Patent Office: 974 Days
• Field of Search: 70/277, 70/278, 70/402, 70/407, 70/DIG. 52, 70/283, 235/380, 235/382, 361/172, 340/825.31, 340/543
• US Class Current: 340/5.33
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 49/006 actuating opto-electronic devices

Abstract

A door control unit for electronically locking and unlocking one or more doors. The door control unit includes door locking means having a rotatable lock cylinder for locking and unlocking a door, means engaging the lock cylinder for normally locking the door, and means responsive to a control signal for unlocking the door. A key is included having a first and second series of light-refractive discrete encoded clocking and data bars formed thereon. The lock cylinder includes photodiode means for reflectively decoding the encoded data on the key upon insertion of the key into the lock cylinder, thereby generating a first identification code. The first code is compared with at least one other predetermined identification code by processor means and if the two signals correspond, the control signal is generated thereby unlocking the door.

Claims

1. A door control system for selectively controlling the locking and unlocking of a plurality of doors, comprising:

a door locking means at each of said doors for locking or unlocking that door,

a door control means located at each of said doors for operating the door locking means at that door to unlock that door,

each said door control means including;

(1) a microprocessor having means for storing a plurality of key codes, any one of which is capable of permitting unlocking of the door locking means at that door,

(2) key receiving means for receiving a key having a predetermined code thereon, key reading means for sensing that code and comparing means for comparing that code to the said code or codes stored in the microprocessor of that door, said sensing and comparing means being operable by referring to the microprocessor of that door control means, whereby upon matching of a key code and a code stored in that microprocessor, a signal is generated to unlock the door locking means,

(3) a battery means for operating its respective microprocessor, to generate a signal, in the absence of external power,

(4) said key receiving means including means for operating the unlocking means to unlock the door, by manual movement of the key, while still in the key receiving means, after said signal has been generated, and

a master control means located at a master station remote from said doors, means for providing two way electrical communication between the master control means and all of said door control means, said two way communication including means for transmitting from each door control means to the master control unit (a) a return signal verifying the code stored at that door control means and (b) an information signal concerning a condition in the vicinity of that door control means, said master control means having means for reading the code of a key which has a predetermined key code thereon, and said master control means further having;

(1) means for causing a first predetermined key code to be stored in any one door control means of the system,

(2) means for causing one or more additional predetermined key codes to be stored in a group of door control means of the system, and

(3) means for cancelling any predetermined key code from the memory of a single door control means, from the memories of any group of door control means or from the memories of all said door control means.

2. The system of claim 1, said key receiving means including a cylindrical key plug mounted in the door and having a key opening therein to receive the key, the key reading means being arranged to read the key as it is inserted into said opening, said key plug being operably connected to the door locking means such that upon generation of the said signal, the key plug is permitted to rotate by manual turning of a key located in the opening to in turn unlock the door locking means.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the key receiving means and the key reading means are located in the door, and the microprocessor is located in a stationary location adjacent the door and in electrical communication with the key reading means.

4. The system of claim 2, said key reading means including means for providing a light beam, and a photodiode for cooperation with the light beam, wherein the light beam is altered by moving coded portions of the key past the key reading means.

5. The system of claim 2, including a solenoid normally preventing operation of the door locking means by the key plug, the said signal operating the solenoid to allow operation of the door locking means by movement of the key plug.

6. The system of claim 1, including, in combination, a plurality of keys, each having a different predetermined code fixed thereon, which codes are readable by said key reading means at the master control means and also readable by the key reading means at each of said doors.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein each key has dimples formed in a side thereof to form the code.

8. The system of claim 1, further including smoke detector means connected to said microprocessors for sensing the presence of smoke and said information signal includes a signal conveying this information to the master control means.

9. Thy systemn of claim 1, wherein the microprocessor at each door includes an alarm means for indicating an attempt at an unauthorized opening of said door and said information signal includes a signal representing same.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein said master control means includes a timing means for selectively permitting the opening of some or all doors of the system only during predetermined times of the day.

11. The system of claim 1, including a printing means operatively connected to the master control means for providing a printed record of selected activities performed by the door control system.

12. The system of claim 1, said master control means including means for providing an alphanumeric readout of a room number or group of room numbers and also of a key code.