Programmable lock and security system therefor

• US 6,097,306 A
• Filed: 12/02/1997
• Issued: 08/01/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Stevens Institute Of Technology
• Original Assignee: E J Brooks Company, Stevens Institute Of Technology
• Inventors: Nazalewicz, Jan, Amis, Lynn Frederick, Leon, Jeremy Phelps, McKee, Thomas Glenn Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Zimmerman, Brian
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dalencourt, Yves
• Application Number:
  US08/982,434
• Time in Patent Office: 973 Days
• Field of Search: 340/825.31, 340/825.56, 340/825.54, 340/826.69, 340/426, 340/825.34, 340/10.1, 235/380
• US Class Current: 340/5.1
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 1/32 Time-recording locks
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/0092 for cargo, freight or shipping containers and applications therefore in general
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00571 operated by interacting with a central unit
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00817 where the code of the lock can be programmed
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00896 specially adapted for particular uses
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/38 with central registration

Abstract

Locks for the transportation industry are programmable with a keypad and with handheld activators, the activators being programmable by a central system and activators via IR transmitters and receivers. Operator PIN numbers and access codes manifesting the supervisory level of authority are encoded in each lock which are programmed to open a given number of times in a given time period with or without entry of a code and include a lockout feature for disabling the lock in case of invalid code entry. Each lock has a log history containing the number of complete and incomplete opening transactions, when they occurred and the operator codes associated therewith. The locks are opened by IR transmission of the appropriate codes or by keypad entries. One or more individuals at different levels of authority may open one or more locks in a given time frame a given number of times. Each lock records its transaction history which is displayed and downloaded for system evaluation.

Claims

1. A lock device comprising:

a lock including a locking member having a first lock position and a second unlock position;

log means associated with the lock for electronically recording and displaying data manifesting the number of times from a reference value the locking member is placed in the unlock position;

coding means associated with the lock including a personal identification (ID) code means having an ID code associated with at least one individual and access (ACC) code means having an ACC code associated with the level of authority of the at least one individual for cooperatively permitting the at least one individual to unlock the lock upon entry of said codes;

lock enable means associated with said coding means for said permitting the unlocking of said lock by said at least one individual in a predetermined time period; and

disabling means for disabling said coding means prior to a given time period for causing the lock to automatically become unlocked without entry of said ID and ACC codes after the end of said given time period.

2. The lock device of claim 1 including optical transmitting means including a second personal identification (ID) code means having a second ID code associated with the at least one individual and second access (ACC) code means having a second ACC code associated with the level of authority of the at least one individual, said first and second ID and ACC code means for said permitting when the second ID and ACC codes are transmitted and entered into said lock coding means and match the first ID and ACC codes in the lock.

3. The device of claim 1 including means for disabling the disabling means.

4. The device of claim 1 further including means for electrically assigning a serial number to the lock comprising adding a further number to a reference number each time the lock is opened.

5. The device of claim 1 wherein the lock is for securing a cargo door in a transportation vehicle having a unique identification, said lock being assigned an identification corresponding only to the unique identification of the vehicle.

6. The device of claim 1 including first and second electronic keys for opening the lock, the first key including communication means for communicating with the lock, a central processing unit, memory associated with the unit, a keypad and display means for entering said codes into said memory and for entering said codes into said lock, said second key including communication means for communicating with the lock and preprogrammed programmable means programmed with said codes and a single switch for selectively communicating and entering said codes into said lock.

7. The lock device of claim 1 including a manually operated keypad and display means attached to the lock for manually inputting said codes into said lock for opening said lock.

8. The lock device of claim 7 further including an electronic programmable key and communication means for inputting said codes from the key into said lock.

9. The lock device of claim 7 wherein the key includes a single switch for inputting said codes into said lock.

10. The lock of claim 1 including means for disabling the disabling means to thereafter require entry of said codes to unlock said lock after the lock is automatically unlocked.

11. The device of claim 1 wherein the lock is for securing a cargo door in a transportation vehicle, the door being secured by a latch having locked and unlocked positions, said locking member including a plunger for locking engagement with said latch for selectively locking the latch in the lock position, said plunger exhibiting an initial displacement upon displacement of the locked latch toward the unlocked position, said lock including switch means for sensing the plunger initial displacement and for sensing the locked position of the plunger, said enabling means including means responsive to said plunger initial displacement for unlocking the lock in response to entry said ID and ACC codes and for locking the lock upon return of an unlocked plunger to the locked position.

12. A security system comprising:

a plurality of locks each including a keypad, a display and central processing means for recording the successful and unsuccessful opening and closing thereof, the unique ID code of an individual accessing the lock and for entering said unique ID code of an individual accessing a lock;

control means for programming at least one different unique ID code corresponding to each lock;

a first programmable activator key means responsive to and programmed by the control means for enabling the first key means to unlock only a selected one of the locks corresponding to one unique ID code;

a second programmable activator key means responsive to and programmed by the control means for enabling the second key means to selectively unlock a plurality of said locks corresponding to a plurality of different ID codes; and

the second key means including means responsive to and programmed by the control means for selectively retrieving information from each selected lock regarding the unlocking of the at least one lock, the second key means including a keypad and a display for manually inputting said at least one ID code and optical means for outputting to at least one of said locks said manually inputted at least one code;

the first means comprising optical input means, a programmable central processing unit and memory means for optically receiving preprogrammed said at least one ID code and a single switch for optically outputting said preprogrammed at least one ID code to at least one of said plurality of locks.

13. A security lock system for transportation cargo storage apparatus each apparatus having a door secured by a lock comprising:

a plurality of locks each assigned a unique serial number and a different unique storage apparatus for transportation to corresponding different geographic regions, each lock including a keypad, a display and central processing means for unlocking the lock upon entering of the unique ID code of an individual corresponding to that lock, means for recording the successful and unsuccessful opening and closing of each lock and the unique ID code of an individual accessing the lock, each lock for being programmed to be opened in at least one preselected time period, a preselected number of times by a preselected individual, said key pad for entering a unique ID code of said individual for unlocking the lock;

control means for programming each lock with said at least one different unique ID code corresponding to each lock, said preselected time periods and preselected times;

means for assigning each lock a unique serial number associated with the corresponding storage apparatus;

first and second electrically programmable activator keys responsive to and programmed by the control means for selectively unlocking at least one of the locks corresponding to one ID code of at least one individual;

the first key having a key pad, a display and processing means for entering said unique ID code corresponding to the at least one individual and including communication means for communicating said entered code to the corresponding lock and the second key including a single switch, preprogrammable processing means selectively programmable with a unique ID code corresponding to the at least one individual and communication means for entering the unique code into a corresponding lock associated with the corresponding at least one individual upon operation of the single switch;

the first key including means responsive to and programmed by the control means for selectively retrieving information from each selected lock regarding the unlocking of the at least one lock.

14. A lock device for securing a cargo door in a transportation cargo carrier having a unique identification comprising:

a lock including a locking member having a first lock position and a second unlock position;

log means associated with the lock for electronically recording and displaying data manifesting the number of times from a reference value the locking member is placed in the unlock position;

coding means associated with the lock including a personal identification (ID) code means having an ID code associated with at least one individual and access (ACC) code means having an ACC code associated with the level of authority of the at least one individual for cooperatively permitting the at least one individual to unlock the lock upon entry of said codes; and

lock enable means associated with said coding means for said permitting the unlocking of said lock by said at least one individual in a predetermined time period;

said lock being assigned a settable unique identification corresponding only to the unique identification of the carrier.

15. The device of claim 14 further including means for electrically assigning the unique identification to the lock comprising adding a further number to a unique reference number each time the lock is opened.