Access control apparatus with modular encoder subassembly

• US 9,721,402 B2
• Filed: 08/14/2013
• Issued: 08/01/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/17/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Onity Inc. (Carrier Global Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Onity Inc. (Carrier Global Corporation), UTC Fire & Security Corporation (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
• Inventors: Bonnett, Craig, Vecchiotti, Alberto, Bailey, Dennis, Gosterisli, Levent
• Primary Examiner(s): WANG, TED M
• Application Number:
  US14/422,057
• Publication Number:
  US 20150193998A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,448 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00873 by code input from the lock
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00904 for hotels, motels, office buildings or the like
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00944 Details of construction or manufacture
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/20 involving the use of a pass

Abstract

Apparatuses are provided for performing physical access control using various types of encoding technologies by removably incorporating modular encoder subassemblies. An access control apparatus includes access control electronics and at least one docking bay or slot for removably housing at least one modular encoder unit. The encoder unit can be removably house in the docking bay or slot of the access control apparatus and be removably linked, communicatively and/or physically, to the access control electronics when housed in the access control apparatus, and can interface with and write or read information to or from a credential. When removably housed in the docking bay or slot, the encoder unit can receive identity data from the access control electronics and bind the identity data to the credential.

Claims

1. An apparatus for performing physical access control, comprising:

a housing having a dock formed in the housing;

access control electronics contained in the housing; and

a modular encoder unit removably incorporated in the dock, the modular encoder being communicatively linked to the access control electronics when removably incorporated in the housing,

wherein the modular encoder unit receives identity data from the access control electronics and binds the identity data to a credential, the credential being separate from the modular encoder and removable from the modular encoder;

wherein the credential is selected from a group consisting of a magnetic stripe card, a proximity card, a contact smart card, a contactless smart card, and a radio frequency identification device.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a communication interface that communicatively links the modular encoder unit to the access control electronics when the modular encoder unit is removably incorporated in the dock.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a user interface on a surface of the housing, wherein the access control electronics receives authentication data via the user interface and binds the authentication data to the credential.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the authentication data includes at least one of a personal identification number, a password, or a biometric feature.

5. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the access control electronics retrieves authentication data associated with the credential and presents the authentication data via the user interface.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the authentication data includes at least one of a personal identification number, a password, or a biometric feature.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a securing mechanism attached to the housing for securing the modular encoder unit to the housing when the modular encoder unit is in a registered position within the dock.

8. An apparatus for performing physical access control, comprising:

a housing having a dock formed in the housing;

access control electronics contained in the housing; and

a modular encoder unit removably incorporated in the dock, the modular encoder being communicatively linked to the access control electronics when removably incorporated in the housing,

wherein the modular encoder unit retrieves identity data from a credential and provides the identity data to the access control electronics, the credential being separate from the modular encoder and removable from the modular encoder;

wherein the credential is selected from a group consisting of a magnetic stripe card, a proximity card, a contact smart card, a contactless smart card, and a radio frequency identification device.