CA1057377A - Lock opening system activated by light matching code - Google Patents

Abstract

A B S T R A C T

An electronic key is known to activate the lock by some decoding device. The information supplied by the owner of the key has to match with the programmed code stored in the lock memory, and only under this situation will the lock open.

In this invention the key is a ring having inside an optical decoding unit.

The light source and the light receiver are situated into the key-hole. When the ring is introduced in the key hole, the light crosses through the ring decoding unit and after matching with the programmed code, the lock opens.

Description

_ 2 105737 S P E C I F I C A T I O N

This invention relates to a key and a key hole both operating by 119ht matching codes. The electron1c locks actually 1n use, have as keys one of the follow1ng features:
a) Magnet1c band. This type of key is ma1n1y used 1n computer1zed systems.
It cons~sts of a plast~c ID card with a magnetic band where the openlng code is recorded. The user has to introduce the card 1n the r19ht d1rection through a slot where the read1ng dev1ce is situated.
The magnet1c key apart from us~ng a delicate and expenslve read1ng device, has the following disadvantages:
- 1t can be lost as eas11y as a normal key - the magnetic code can be lost if the person walks near strong magnetic fields (transformers, high voltage 11nes,etc).
- it 1s not 1nstanly accessible.
b) Keyboard key. This cons1sts of a keyboard s1tuated in front of the door. The person who 1ntends to open it, has to remember the code and depress the right key buttons.
The keyboard key presents the follow1ng disadvantages:
- the person has always to remember the openlng code - anyone s~tuated beside the person who 1ntends to open the door, can catch the open1ng code.
- anyone can try to open the lock by success1ve trials pressing the buttons with d~fferent codes.

These keys are either ~nsecure or expensive and the implementation on small doors llke the ones for cars, mail boxes, etc, is complicated and too expens1ve for such applicat~ons.

I have found that these disadvantages may be overcome by us1ng a key hole cons~st~ng of a source of light and a light receiver. These two un~ts are sltuated at both sldes of the key hole where the r~ng key f1ts.

~05737'7 The smtll s~ze and s1mp11clty of both the key and the key hole makes th1s system cost effective and adequate to be used 1n cars, mail boxes, etc, places where all the other electronic keys~were not cost ~ustif~able.

It also offers the advantage of all electron~c locks: the same key can be used (by properly program0~ng the system) to open any personal lock.

In apartment buildings where many d~fferent codes ha~e to be used, a central1zed code-programming system would result ln enormous sav~ngs.

A deta~led description of the invent10n is g~ven below.

In drawings which 111ustrate embod~ments of the invention, F~gure 1 1s a perspective ~iew of the ring key Ftgure 2 is a deta~led view of the key internal construction Flgure 3 shows the operat~on of introducing the ring key into the key hole to open the door.
Figure 4 shows the main components of the key hole and electronic opening system.
The key. cons~sts of a r~ng having the light decoding un~t at the top of the ring. Th~s 1s shown in F~g.l.
Both sides 1 and 2 have 36 po~nts each which are the receivers and trans~itters of the light. Inside the ring top there ls a network of optlc /- -4 -:

., f~bers (3 tn F~g.2) connect~ng the 1nputs ln l to the outputs ln 2, accord~ng to the particular code of that key. When the opt1c f~ber ~s cont1nuous ~ns~de the rtng top, lt transm1ts the l~ght and ~ts slgnal represents a 'l' ~n b~nary code.

When the opt~c flber is cut ~nslde the ring top, so that it cannot transm1t the l~ght, thfs s19nal ~s represented by a 'O' (zero) ~n b~nary code.
'~
36 b~nary d1g~ts make a total of 68 b~ ons poss~ble comb~nations.

When the key 1s 1ntroduced ~nto the key hole (4 ln F1g.3), the lfght crosses the r1ng top and only the match1ng outputs rece~ve the 11ght at 2.

Th~s output pattern ~s sent through opt~c f1bers to a llght-current transducer (see F~g.4).

The current s~gnals are dr~ven into a comparator where the generated code ls checked aga~nst the lnternally programmed codes. If a part~cular code matches w~th the output pattern, a s19nal ~s sent to open the lock.

To close the door d~fferent standard methods are ava~lable (generated t~me-out, manually, etc) although the same light matchlng code method can also be used (e.g. by turn1ng the r~ng key 90).

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Claims (7)

"The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:"

1. A key operated locking system comprising a key hole, a key removably insertable into said key hole and an electro-magnetically operated mechanical lock, said key consisting of an opaque block having first and second opposite faces, a plurality of discrete optic fibers extending through said block and having a light receiver end flush with said first face and a light transmitter end flush with said second face, said light transmitter ends arranged in a pattern at said second face, said key hole having first and second opposite faces complementary to the respective first and second faces of said key, and contacted thereby when the key is inserted into said key hole in an operating position, stop means engageable with said key in the operating position of the latter to prevent said key from moving past said operating position, a light source mounted adjacent said key hole and emitting light through said first face of said key hols to be transmitted through said optic fibers to said transmitter ends of said fibers when said key is in operating position whereby said transmitter ends are illuminated in accordance with a predetermined light output pattern, light current transducing means exposed to said light output pattern to generate a code of current signals corresponding to the light output pattern, means to generate an internally programmed code of current signals, means to compare the light generated code of current signals with the current signals of the internally programmed code and means to transmit to the lock a lock opening signal actuated upon matching of the light generated code with the internally programmed code.

2. A key operated locking system as defined in claim 1 wherein said key hole is a cavity and its first and second faces converge towards each other in the direction of the bottom of said cavity and constituting said stop means.

3. A key operated locking system as defined in claim 1 wherein said key hole is a pyramid-shape cavity with its first and second faces converging towards each other in the direction of the bottom of said cavity and constituting said stop means, and said block has also a pyramid-shape complementary to the shape of said cavity.

4. A key operated locking system as defined in claim 3 wherein said block is fixed to a finger ring so that said key can be worn on a user's finger.

5. A key operated locking system as defined in claims 1, 3 or 4 wherein at least one of said optic fibers is cut inside said block so as not to transmit light to its light transmitter end.

6. A key operated locking system as defined in claims 1, 3 or 4 further including a second set of discrete optic fibers exposed at said second face of said key hole in a pattern matching with the pattern of said light transmitter ends of said first named optic fibers and connected to said light current transducing means.

7. A key operated locking system as defined in claims 1, 3 or 4 further including a second set of discrete optic fibers exposed at said second face of said key hole in a pattern matching with the pattern of said light transmitter ends of said first named optic fibers and connected to said light current transducing means, and wherein at least one of said first named optic fibers is cut inside said block so as not to transmit light to its light transmitter end.