Key duplication machine

• US 9,656,332 B2
• Filed: 09/12/2016
• Issued: 05/23/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/23/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hy-Ko Products Company
• Original Assignee: Hy-Ko Products Company
• Inventors: Bass, Michael A., Mutch, William R., Drake, Robert E., Ryai, Sr., Richard W., Porras, Randall A., Thompson, Chester O. D.
• Primary Examiner(s): HOWELL, DANIEL W
• Application Number:
  US15/262,714
• Publication Number:
  US 20160375502A1
• Time in Patent Office: 253 Days
• Field of Search: 382141-143, 382145-150, 382152, 348125-126, 348129
• CPC Class Codes: B23B 2270/32 Use of electronics
• CPC Class Codes: B23C 2235/08 Brushes
• CPC Class Codes: B23C 2235/12 Using a database to store details of the key, the information in the database being used for the generation of the profile of the key
• CPC Class Codes: B23C 2235/32 Measurement systems
• CPC Class Codes: B23C 2235/41 Scanning systems
• CPC Class Codes: B23C 3/35 Milling grooves in keys
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/18 involving self-service terminals [SST], vending machines, kiosks or multimedia terminals
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/145 Illumination specially adapted for pattern recognition, e.g. using gratings
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/46 Descriptors for shape, contour or point-related descriptors, e.g. scale invariant feature transform [SIFT] or bags of words [BoW]; Salient regional features colour feature extraction G06V10/56
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/60 relating to illumination properties, e.g. using a reflectance or lighting model
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/66 Trinkets, e.g. shirt buttons or jewellery items recognising microscopic objects G06V20/69
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 2201/121 using special illumination
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/26 for printing, stamping, franking, typing or teleprinting apparatus ticket printing or the like apparatus G07F17/42
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 409/300952 to cut lock key
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 409/301008 Using templet other than a key
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 409/303808 including infeeding

Abstract

Apparatus, methods, and other embodiments associated with a key duplication machine are described. In one embodiment, an assembly for duplicating a master key includes an optical imaging device, a logic, a clamping assembly, and a cutting member. The optical imaging device is capable of capturing an optical image of at least a portion of the master key. The logic is capable of determining a key pattern of the master key from the optical image of the master key. The clamping assembly is capable of clamping a key blank and the cutting member is capable of cutting a key pattern into said key blank.

Claims

1. An identification system for duplicating keys, comprising:

an outer shell having a slot formed therein to receive a master key;

a retention mechanism configured to receive at least a portion of a master key;

a backlight;

at least one additional light configured to direct at least a portion of the light toward a front surface of the master key; and

an optical imaging device configured to capture a silhouette image while the backlight is turned on, and to capture a second image when said at least one additional light is turned on;

wherein;

the silhouette image is used to aid in determining the proper key blank; and

the second image is selectively used to quantify surface features of the existing key based on the type of key blank.

2. The identification system of claim 1 wherein said at least one additional light includes front lighting that is emitted when said optical imaging device is capturing said surface lit image of said master key.

3. The identification system of claim 1 further comprising a tube to facilitate the channeling of light to said optical imaging device.

4. The identification system of claim 1 further comprising a lighting panel to provide backlighting to said master key.

5. The identification system of claim 4 further comprising a reflector plate wherein the lighting panel emits light that is reflected off the reflector plate and directed towards said master key.

6. The identification system of claim 4 further comprising a blocking plate.

7. The identification system of claim 4 wherein a logic is arranged to analyze said silhouette image and adjust the lighting panel to capture said second image.

8. The identification system of claim 1 wherein said second image is analyzed by a logic to define features of said master key to aid in determining a proper key blank or to create a duplicate of said master key.

9. The identification system of claim 1 wherein a logic is arranged to analyze said silhouette image and adjust the backlight to capture said second image.

10. The identification system of claim 1 wherein the surface features of the existing key include a key pattern.

11. A method of identifying a master key, comprising:

receiving from a user at least a portion of said master key;

positioning said master key to a desired location to align the master key with an optical imaging device;

capturing a back lit image of at least a portion of said master key with an optical imaging device;

determining a key blank type based at least in part on the back lit image;

selectively capturing a second image; and

performing a laser scan across a blade of said master key.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the step of selectively capturing said second image is performed when the key blank type is classified as a sidewinder key.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein the step of performing the laser scan across said blade is performed when the key blank type is classified as a standard cut key.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein the second image is a cross-sectional view or a substantially cross-sectional view of the master key.

15. The method of claim 11 further comprising positioning said optical imaging device at an angle with respect to a surface of the key.

16. The method of claim 11 further comprising providing an array of structured light about said blade to capture at least one of a tip view, a substantially tip view, a cross-sectional view, or a substantially cross-sectional view of said master key.

17. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

projecting a shadow across a surface of said blade; and

measuring variations in a shadow contour related to a surface contour of said key.