Fully Automatic Self-Service Key Duplicating Kiosk

• US 20130138243A1
• Filed: 01/16/2013
• Published: 05/30/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hillman Group Incorporated (Hillman Solutions Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Minute Key, Inc. (Hillman Solutions Corp.)
• Inventors: Freeman, Daniel
• Granted Patent: US 8,532,809 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/233
• CPC Class Codes: B23C 3/35 Milling grooves in keys
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/18 involving self-service terminals [SST], vending machines, kiosks or multimedia terminals
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/70 in which the articles are formed in the apparatus from components, blanks, or material constituents
• 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: G07F 9/001 Interfacing with vending machines using mobile or wearable devices
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/009 User recognition or proximity detection
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 409/300952 to cut lock key
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 409/301064 Complete cycle
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 409/301624 Duplicating means

Abstract

A self-service, fully-automatic kiosk for duplicating keys includes a kiosk housing having a customer interface for receiving payment from a customer for the purchase of at least one duplicate of the customer'"'"'s key. A key analysis system within the housing analyzes the blade of a key inserted in the key-receiving entry to determine whether the inserted key matches one of a group of preselected key types and, if so, which preselected key type is matched. A key blank extraction system extracts from a magazine within the kiosk a key blank for the preselected key type matched by the blade of the key inserted in the key-receiving entry. Then a key duplicating system within the kiosk replicates the tooth pattern of the blade of the key inserted in the key-receiving entry, on the blade of the extracted key blank. The kiosk includes a processor coupled to sensors and controllable devices within the kiosk and to a communications port for communicating with a remote central server. The processor displays multiple available manual commands in response to an input signal requesting such a display, and, in response to manual selection of the commands, produces signals that energize and de-energize selected devices within the kiosk, thereby permitting remote manual control of the devices and mechanisms associated with those devices. The processor also transmits signals from a video camera within the kiosk, and signals representing the status of multiple devices within the kiosk.

Claims

1-12. -12. (canceled)

13. A network of self-service, fully-automatic kiosks for duplicating keys, individual kiosks comprising:

a kiosk housing having a customer interface for receiving payment from a customer for the purchase of at least one duplicate of the customer'"'"'s key,

a key-receiving entry in said housing for receiving at least a portion of the customer'"'"'s key to be duplicated,

a key analysis system within said housing for analyzing the blade of a key inserted in said key-receiving entry to determine whether the inserted key matches one of a group of preselected key types and, if so, which preselected key type is matched,

a key blank magazine within said housing for storing key blanks for each of said preselected key types,

a key blank extraction system for extracting from said magazine a key blank for the preselected key type matched by the blade of said key inserted in said key-receiving entry,

a key duplicating system within said kiosk for replicating the tooth pattern of the blade of said key inserted in said key-receiving entry, on the blade of said extracted key blank,

a processor within said kiosk and coupled to at least said customer interface, said key analysis system and said key blank extraction system, and

a communications port coupled to said processor for communicating with a remote central server, said communications including at least

information from said kiosk regarding the purchases made and attempted in said kiosk,

information regarding the key blanks contained in said key blank magazine in said kiosk, and

alert signals generated in response to operations conducted within the kiosk.

14. The network of self-service, fully-automatic kiosks of claim 13 in which said key blank magazine in said individual kiosks includes a sensor for generating a signal when the number of key blanks, of any of said preselected types, stored in said magazine is reduced to a preselected number.

15. The network of self-service, fully-automatic kiosks of claim 13 in which said customer interfaces in said individual kiosks include a payment device coupled to said processor in said individual kiosks, and said processor is programmed to transmit payment information from said payment devices to a remote payment processor.

16. The network of self-service, fully-automatic kiosks of claim 13 in which said processors in said individual kiosks are programmed to transmit information to customer addresses captured via said customer interfaces in said individual kiosks.

17. The network of self-service, fully-automatic kiosks of claim 13 in which said processors in said individual kiosks are programmed to transmit sales and transaction data to said remote central server via said communications port.

18. The network of self-service, fully-automatic kiosks of claim 13 in which said processors in said individual kiosks are programmed to transmit information regarding the status of multiple devices within said individual kiosks to said remote central server via said communications ports.

19. A method of duplicating keys, comprising:

providing a self-service, fully automatic kiosk having a customer interface for receiving payment from a customer for the purchase of at least one duplicate of the customer'"'"'s key,

receiving at least a portion of the customer'"'"'s key to be duplicated in a key-receiving entry in said kiosk,

analyzing the blade of said key inserted in said key-receiving entry and determining whether the inserted key matches one of a group of preselected key types and, if so, which preselected key type is matched,

storing key blanks for each of said preselected key types in a key blank magazine within said kiosk,

extracting from said magazine a key blank for the preselected key type matched by the blade of said key inserted in said key-receiving entry,

replicating the tooth pattern of the blade of said key inserted in said key-receiving entry, on the blade of said extracted key blank, within said kiosk,

providing customer access to the key with the replicated tooth pattern for removal from the kiosk, and

communicating with a central server remote from said kiosk to provide said central server with at least

information from said kiosk regarding the purchases made and attempted in said kiosk,

information regarding the key blanks contained in said key blank magazine in said kiosk, and

alert signals generated in response to operations conducted within the kiosk.

20. The method of claim 19 in which said key blank magazine in said individual kiosks includes a sensor for generating a signal when the number of key blanks, of any of said preselected types, stored in said magazine is reduced to a preselected number.

21. The method of claim 19 in which said customer interfaces in said individual kiosks include a payment device coupled to said processor in said individual kiosks, and said processor is programmed to transmit payment information from said payment devices to a remote payment processor.

22. The method of claim 19 in which said processors in said individual kiosks are programmed to transmit information to customer addresses captured via said customer interfaces in said individual kiosks.

23. The method of claim 19 in which said processors in said individual kiosks are programmed to transmit sales and transaction data to said remote central server via said communications port.

24. The method of claim 19 in which said processors in said individual kiosks are programmed to transmit information regarding the status of multiple devices within said individual kiosks to said remote central server via said communications ports.

25. A network of self-service, fully-automatic kiosks for duplicating keys, individual kiosks comprising:

a kiosk housing having a customer interface for receiving payment from a customer for the purchase of at least one duplicate of the customer'"'"'s key,

a key-receiving entry in said housing for receiving at least a portion of the customer'"'"'s key to be duplicated,

a key analysis system within said housing for analyzing the blade of a key inserted in said key-receiving entry to determine whether the inserted key matches one of a group of preselected key types and, if so, which preselected key type is matched,

a key blank magazine within said housing for storing key blanks for each of said preselected key types,

a key blank extraction system for extracting from said magazine a key blank for the preselected key type matched by the blade of said key inserted in said key-receiving entry,

a key duplicating system within said kiosk for replicating the tooth pattern of the blade of said key inserted in said key-receiving entry, on the blade of said extracted key blank,

a processor within said kiosk and coupled to at least said customer interface, said key analysis system and said key blank extraction system, and

a communications port coupled to said processor for communicating with a remote central server,

said processor being programmed to display the status of multiple devices within said kiosk in response to an input signal requesting such a display from said remote central server via said communications port, thereby permitting remote monitoring of the status of said multiple devices and mechanisms associated with those devices.

26. The network of self-service, fully-automatic kiosks of claim 25 in which said key blank magazine in said individual kiosks includes a sensor for generating a signal when the number of key blanks, of any of said preselected types, stored in said magazine is reduced to a preselected number.

27. The network of self-service, fully-automatic kiosks of claim 25 in which said customer interfaces in said individual kiosks include a payment device coupled to said processor in said individual kiosks, and said processor is programmed to transmit payment information from said payment devices to a remote payment processor.

28. The network of self-service, fully-automatic kiosks of claim 25 in which said processors in said individual kiosks are programmed to transmit information to customer addresses captured via said customer interfaces in said individual kiosks.

29. The network of self-service, fully-automatic kiosks of claim 25 in which said processors in said individual kiosks are programmed to transmit sales and transaction data to said remote central server via said communications port.

30. The network of self-service, fully-automatic kiosks of claim 25 in which said processors in said individual kiosks are programmed to transmit information regarding the status of multiple devices within said individual kiosks to said remote central server via said communications ports.

31. A network of self-service, fully-automatic kiosks for duplicating keys, individual kiosks comprising:

a kiosk housing having a customer interface for receiving payment from a customer for the purchase of at least one duplicate of the customer'"'"'s key,

a key-receiving entry in said housing for receiving at least a portion of the customer'"'"'s key to be duplicated,

a key analysis system within said housing for analyzing the blade of a key inserted in said key-receiving entry to determine whether the inserted key matches one of a group of preselected key types and, if so, which preselected key type is matched,

a key blank magazine within said housing for storing key blanks for each of said preselected key types,

a key blank extraction system for extracting from said magazine a key blank for the preselected key type matched by the blade of said key inserted in said key-receiving entry,

a key duplicating system within said kiosk for replicating the tooth pattern of the blade of said key inserted in said key-receiving entry, on the blade of said extracted key blank,

a processor within said kiosk and coupled to at least said customer interface, said key analysis system and said key blank extraction system, and

a communications port coupled to said processor for communicating with a remote central server,

said processor being programmed to display (1) the status of multiple devices within said kiosk and (2) available commands for said devices, adjacent the display of the status of said devices, thereby permitting remote monitoring and manual control of said devices and mechanisms associated with those devices.

32. The network of self-service, fully-automatic kiosks of claim 31 in which said key blank magazine in said individual kiosks includes a sensor for generating a signal when the number of key blanks, of any of said preselected types, stored in said magazine is reduced to a preselected number.

33. The network of self-service, fully-automatic kiosks of claim 31 in which said customer interfaces in said individual kiosks include a payment device coupled to said processor in said individual kiosks, and said processor is programmed to transmit payment information from said payment devices to a remote payment processor.

34. The network of self-service, fully-automatic kiosks of claim 31 in which said processors in said individual kiosks are programmed to transmit information to customer addresses captured via said customer interfaces in said individual kiosks.

35. The network of self-service, fully-automatic kiosks of claim 31 in which said processors in said individual kiosks are programmed to transmit sales and transaction data to said remote central server via said communications port.

36. The network of self-service, fully-automatic kiosks of claim 31 in which said processors in said individual kiosks are programmed to transmit information regarding the status of multiple devices within said individual kiosks to said remote central server via said communications ports.

37. The network of self-service, fully-automatic kiosks of claim 31 in which said processors in said individual kiosks are programmed to transmit information that enables said remote central server to maintain a record of the performance and maintenance history of individual kiosks

38. The network of self-service, fully-automatic kiosks of claim 31 in which said individual kiosks include webcams and said processors in said individual kiosks are programmed to transmit video outputs of said webcams to said remote central server via said communications ports.