Electronic lock having usage and wear leveling of a touch surface through randomized code entry

• US 9,424,700 B2
• Filed: 10/22/2014
• Issued: 08/23/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/25/2014
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Spectrum Brands, Inc. (Spectrum Brands Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Spectrum Brands, Inc. (Spectrum Brands Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Lovett, Matthew, Magnani, Michael, Brewer, Timothy, Schneider, Elliott B.
• Primary Examiner(s): HUNNINGS, TRAVIS R
• Application Number:
  US14/520,979
• Publication Number:
  US 20150279136A1
• Time in Patent Office: 671 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 47/00 Operating or controlling locks or other fastening devices by electric or magnetic means electric permutation locks E05B49/00
• CPC Class Codes: E05C 1/08 with latching action
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2209/65 using means for sensing the user's hand
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00174 Electronically operated locks; Circuits therefor; Nonmechanical keys therefor, e.g. passive or active electrical keys or other data carriers without mechanical keys mechanical locks with electric permutation E05B49/00; arrangements for sensing or reading record carriers G06K7/00; electronic switching H03K17/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/0069 actuated in a predetermined sequence
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/30 not involving the use of a pass
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/7068 Actuated after correct combination recognized [e.g., numerical, alphabetical, or magnet[s] pattern]

Abstract

An electronic lock that requires the user complete a wear leveling action prior to entering in the passcode. The wear leveling action causes the user to touch one or more portions of the touch interface that may not be associated with the passcode to distribute wear of the touch interface. These area(s) of the touch interface selected for the wear leveling actions could be determined based on a pseudorandom number generator and/or by tracking usage of the touch interface to identify less used areas.

Claims

1. An electronic lock comprising:

a latch assembly including a bolt movable between an extended position and a retracted position;

a touch interface; and

a circuit in electrical communication with the touch interface, wherein the circuit is configured to control movement of the bolt from the extended position to the retracted position responsive to a valid passcode being entered into the touch interface; and

wherein the circuit is configured to require a wear leveling action that requires selection of one or more portions of the touch interface by a user prior to entering a passcode, wherein the selection requires a user to touch and hold the one or more portions of the touch interface for a predetermined period of time and the predetermined period of time is longer than a time period needed to enter a passcode on the touch interface.

2. The electronic lock as recited in claim 1, wherein the wear leveling action requires at least one input on the touch interface prior to entering a passcode.

3. The electronic lock as recited in claim 2, wherein the wear leveling action requires a plurality of inputs on the touch interface prior to entering a passcode.

4. The electronic lock as recited in claim 3, wherein the circuit is configured to provide a visual indication on the touch interface as to the portion of the touch interface to be selected to complete the wear leveling action.

5. The electronic lock as recited in claim 4, wherein the circuit is configured to illuminate one or more portions of the touch interface to be selected for the wear leveling action.

6. The electronic lock as recited in claim 5, wherein the wear leveling action is completed by selecting the illuminated portions of the touch interface.

7. The electronic lock as recited in claim 5, wherein the illuminated portions of the touch interface are generally coaxial.

8. The electronic lock as recited in claim 4, wherein the circuit is configured to sequentially provide a visual indication of the portions of the touch interface needed to complete the wear leveling action responsive to receiving input on the touch interface as to a portion of the wear leveling action.

9. The electronic lock as recited in claim 2, wherein the circuit is configured to track wear usage of the touch interface.

10. The electronic lock as recited in claim 9, wherein a portion of the touch interface to be selected to complete the wear leveling action is based at least in part on the wear usage of the touch interface by requiring one or more portions of the touch interface that are less heavily used to be selected during the wear leveling action.

11. The electronic lock as recited in claim 2, wherein a portion of the touch interface to be selected to complete the wear leveling action is based at least in part on a pseudorandom number generator.

12. The electronic lock as recited in claim 2, wherein the circuit is configured to visually and/or audibly indicate that the wear leveling action has been completed.

13. The electronic lock as recited in claim 12, wherein the circuit is configured to illuminate by blinking at least a portion of the touch interface to indicate the wear leveling action has been completed.

14. The electronic lock as recited in claim 1, wherein the touch interface comprises one of a touch keypad or a touch screen.

15. An electronic lock comprising:

a latch assembly including a bolt movable between an extended position and a retracted position;

a touch interface; and

a circuit in electrical communication with the touch interface, wherein the circuit is configured to control movement of the bolt from the extended position to the retracted position responsive to a valid passcode being entered into the touch interface;

wherein the circuit is configured to track wear usage of the touch interface;

wherein the circuit is configured to require a wear leveling action that requires selection of one or more portions of the touch interface prior to entering a passcode;

wherein the circuit is configured to determine the one or more portions of the touch interface to be selected to complete the wear leveling action based at least in part on the wear usage; and

wherein the circuit is configured to provide a visual indication on the touch interface as to the one or more portions of the touch interface to be selected by a user to complete the wear leveling action;

wherein the wear leveling action requires a selection of one or more portions of the touch interface for at least a predetermined period of time; and

wherein the predetermined period of time is longer than a time period needed to enter a passcode on the touch interface.

16. The electronic lock as recited in claim 15, wherein the circuit is configured to determine the one or more portions of the touch interface to be selected to complete the wear leveling action by selecting the less heavily used portions of the touch interface based on the wear usage.

17. The electronic lock as recited in claim 15, wherein the circuit is configured to determine the one or more portions of the touch interface to be selected to complete the wear leveling action based at least in part on a pseudorandom number generator.

18. The electronic lock as recited in claim 15, wherein the circuit is configured to provide a visual indication on the touch interface as to the portion of the touch interface to be selected to complete the wear leveling action.

19. The electronic lock as recited in claim 18, wherein the circuit is configured to illuminate the one or more portions of the touch interface to be selected to complete the wear leveling action.

20. The electronic lock as recited in claim 19, wherein the wear leveling action is completed by selecting the illuminated portions of the touch interface.

21. The electronic lock as recited in claim 20, wherein the illuminated portions of the touch interface are generally coaxial.

22. The electronic lock as recited in claim 15, wherein the circuit is configured to sequentially illuminate the portions of the touch interface needed to complete the wear leveling action responsive to receiving input on the touch interface as to a portion of the wear leveling action.

23. A method of leveling wear on a touch surface for an electronic lock, the method comprising the steps of:

determining one or more portions of a touch interface of an electronic lock that need to be selected to complete a wear leveling action;

visually indicating on the touch interface the one or more portions of the touch interface that need to be selected to complete the wear leveling action; and

indicating visually and/or audibly that the wear leveling action has been completed upon selection of the one or more portions of the touch interface needed to be selected to complete the wear leveling action, wherein the selection requires a user to touch and hold the one or more portions of the touch interface for a predetermined period of time and the predetermined period of time is longer than a time period needed to enter a passcode on the touch interface.

24. The method as recited in claim 23, wherein the determination of the one or more portions of a touch interface that need to be selected to complete the wear leveling action is made, at least in part, using a pseudorandom number generator.

25. The method as recited in claim 23, further comprising the step of tracking wear usage of the touch interface.

26. The method as recited in claim 25, wherein the determination of the one or more portions of a touch interface that need to be selected to complete the wear leveling action is made, at least in part, using the wear usage of the touch interface.

27. The method as recited in claim 23, wherein the visual indication of the one or more portions of the touch interface that need to be selected to complete the wear leveling action is made by illuminating these portions of the touch interface needed.

28. The method as recited in claim 23, wherein the visual indication of the one or more portions of the touch interface that need to be selected to complete the wear leveling action is made by sequentially illuminating the one or more portions of the touch interface needed to be selected to complete the wear leveling action responsive to receiving selections on the touch interface of the portions needed be selected for the wear leveling action.