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Electrical/mechanical access control systems

  • US 5,848,541 A
  • Filed: 11/29/1994
  • Issued: 12/15/1998
  • Est. Priority Date: 03/30/1994
  • Status: Expired due to Term
First Claim
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1. An electronic lock system, comprising:

  • a retrofit door knob assembly including a handle, said door knob assembly being adapted to fit within an aperture formed within a door, said aperture being adapted to house a conventional mechanical lock assembly, said handle being substantially similar in appearance to a conventional door handle, said retrofit door knob assembly including a motor mechanically coupled to a latch for locking and unlocking the door;

    a mechanical key and an electrical key, said electrical key comprising a processor, a battery, a memory and communication means for communicating via a one-wire communications protocol;

    a mechanical key insert and an electrical key insert, which said latch can be actuated solely with said mechanical key received in said mechanical key insert;

    a data probe housed within said handle of said retrofit door knob assembly, said data probe being adapted to communicate with said electrical key via said one-wire communications protocol when said electrical key is received in said electrical key insert;

    a processor having a memory, said processor being coupled to said data probe for processing at least one signal received from said data probe, said processor for comparing ID information within said at least one signal to a list of IDs stored within said memory, wherein said processor is electrically coupled to said motor and actuates said motor to unlock the door whenever said ID information matches an ID within said list of IDs; and

    said electrical key further including means for gripping, said means for gripping being capable of engagedly mating with said retrofitable door knob assembly to cause said door knob assembly to rotate as said electrical key is rotated about said axial center of said door knob assembly, wherein said means for gripping only turns the door knob assembly after the electronic key is recognized by said processor and after said processor has activated said motor to unlock the door, whereby said means for gripping provides an alternative to grabbing and turning said door knob assembly.

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