System for controlling access to subsystems
First Claim
1. A control system for limiting the operation of appliances at a first site to authorized users, the control system comprising:
- A. a plurality of cards individually encoded with identifying information for a prospective operator of said appliances;
B. a card reader at the first site for reading said identifying information encoded on said cards exposed thereto;
C. a plurality of relays individually connected to said appliances and individually deployable in a first mode, wherein said relay is available for operation but not operative, and a second mode, wherein said relay operates to render its respective appliance operative;
D. a control board for receiving authorizing information indicating those perspective operators authorized to use the appliances, for interpreting said identifying information read by said card reader relative to said authorizing information to determine whether or not the prospective operator identified by said identifying information is authorized to operate the appliances and, if so, to place one of said relays in the second mode;
E. a computer, located at a second site remote from said first site, for receiving said authorizing information identifying prospective operators who are authorized to use said appliances and transmitting said authorizing information to said control board at the first site; and
F. communication means linking the computer, the card reader, the control board, and the relays for supplying said authorizing information to the control board from the computer, for supplying said identifying information read by the card reader to the control board for determination of whether or not the prospective operator identified by said identifying information is authorized to operate the appliances and for placing one of said relays in the second mode upon the control board determining that said prospective operator is authorized to operate the appliances whereby said appliances are discriminately made available for operation only by authorized prospective operators.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A control system for controlling the operation of a subsystem, such as an appliance, through independent cycles of operation, the system having, in the preferred embodiment, a magnetically encoded card for receiving and storing information identifying an operator; a relay operably connected to the subsystem for initiating operation of the subsystem through a cycle of operation; a card reader for reading the magnetically encoded card to identify the operator; a control board operable individually to determine, according to predetermined criteria, if an operator is entitled to a cycle of operation of the subsystem; and a communications network interconnecting the card reader, control board and relay whereby, upon presentation reading of the magnetically encoded card by the card reader to determine the operator, the control board determines if the operator is entitled to a cycle of operation and, if so determined, the relay is operated to initiate a cycle of operation of the subsystem.
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Citations
16 Claims
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1. A control system for limiting the operation of appliances at a first site to authorized users, the control system comprising:
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A. a plurality of cards individually encoded with identifying information for a prospective operator of said appliances; B. a card reader at the first site for reading said identifying information encoded on said cards exposed thereto; C. a plurality of relays individually connected to said appliances and individually deployable in a first mode, wherein said relay is available for operation but not operative, and a second mode, wherein said relay operates to render its respective appliance operative; D. a control board for receiving authorizing information indicating those perspective operators authorized to use the appliances, for interpreting said identifying information read by said card reader relative to said authorizing information to determine whether or not the prospective operator identified by said identifying information is authorized to operate the appliances and, if so, to place one of said relays in the second mode; E. a computer, located at a second site remote from said first site, for receiving said authorizing information identifying prospective operators who are authorized to use said appliances and transmitting said authorizing information to said control board at the first site; and F. communication means linking the computer, the card reader, the control board, and the relays for supplying said authorizing information to the control board from the computer, for supplying said identifying information read by the card reader to the control board for determination of whether or not the prospective operator identified by said identifying information is authorized to operate the appliances and for placing one of said relays in the second mode upon the control board determining that said prospective operator is authorized to operate the appliances whereby said appliances are discriminately made available for operation only by authorized prospective operators. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A system for controlling access to a plurality of subsystems at a first site for discriminately rendering the subsystems available for operation only by authorized prospective operators, the system comprising means connected to said subsystems for rendering the subsystems individually operable through predetermined periods of operation;
- an identifier for designating a prospective operator;
a reader for reading the identifier to identify said prospective operator designated thereby;
a control means interconnecting said rendering means, identifier and reader for identifying said prospective operator, upon the reader reading the identifier and rendering a subsystem operable through said predetermined period of operation; and
a computer at a second site remote from said first site for supplying authorizing information to the rendering means indicating those prospective operators who are authorized to use said subsystems and permitting the rendering means to render a subsystem operable through said predetermined period of operation. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
- an identifier for designating a prospective operator;
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16. A control system for limiting the operation of appliances at a first site to authorized users, the control system comprising:
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A. a plurality of cards individually bearing identifying information for a prospective user of said appliances; B. a card reader at the first site for reading said identifying information borne by a card exposed thereto; C. a plurality of mechanisms individually connected to said appliances and individually deployable in a first mode, in which said appliance thereof is not operative, and a second mode, in which said appliance thereof is operative; D. a control board for receiving and storing authorizing information indicating those prospective users authorized to use the appliances and, where the card reader reads identifying information borne by a card exposed thereto which identifies a prospective user authorized to use said appliances as indicated by said authorizing information, for placing one of the mechanisms of one of said appliances in said second mode; E. a computer, located at a second site remote from said first site, for receiving said authorizing information identifying prospective users who are authorized to use the appliances and transmitting said authorizing information to said control board; and F. a communication system for interconnecting the computer, control board, card reader and mechanisms for transmission of said authorizing information from the computer to the control board and for placing one of said mechanisms of an appliance in said second mode upon the card reader reading a card bearing identifying information which corresponds to said authorizing information received from the computer thereby indicating that the prospective user is authorized to use said appliances at the first site.
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Specification