DE10046397A1 - Electronically-coded lock for door or container has each authorization key code blocked after use for long interval - Google Patents

Abstract

The electronically-coded lock has a number of authorization key codes, e.g. transaction numbers, held in a memory (6) of the lock, for comparison with an input key code, with an authorization key code blocked after its use and only supplied back to the authorization key code list after a long blocking interval, e.g. of the order of years.

Description

field of use

The invention relates to an electronic code lock, in which a Access authorization for a door or container lock by one-time, after keys that become invalid after use.

State of the art

The access of people to or the access by people to especially protective rooms, containers or other enclosed areas usually controlled by electronic control systems.

In this context, so-called Combination locks. These release a lock for a certain period of time, after the one entered via a keyboard or a reading device Key was recognized as valid. Often these locks work with one Variety of different keys; either by several people at the same time and without authorizing a master key or to  to grant people or user groups different rights. So can z. B. about a time-dependent validity of individual key groups Access period for certain user groups can be restricted. The goal Time restrictions are to protect against unauthorized access, e.g. B. increase at night. Because of this, people who are temporary as outsiders in companies work - if at all - mostly with this Kind of keys.

The German is also concerned with the security of access Patent application 100 33 664.7 "delivery of goods", which a Procedure for the delivery of goods in a lockable Delivery container which is opened by the deliverer using a key and / or can be closed.

In this case, the delivery container is protected against unauthorized use by a code lock Access protected. It is a code lock, which with one-time keys works. The code or codes are previously activated and communicated to the deliverer via the label on the consignment. The input or reading the respective code opens the door. After the deposit of the goods or after a certain period of time has expired Code and becomes unusable. The reopening of the container is now only possible again with the help of an unused code. In this way the procedure achieves a high security standard.

Disadvantages of the prior art

A major disadvantage of this method is the fact that the "Use up" codes over time and "reload" the key store make necessary. For this reason, in the above-mentioned invention Data interface provided on the lock, via the new one-time codes the lock can be transferred. The establishment of However, data interfaces on such a lock are undesirable.

On the one hand, there is additional effort in development and higher Material costs associated with the lock. On the other hand, that requires Transfer new codes to an appropriate hardware device such as for example chip cards, cables, radio modules or the like as well as the Execution of the activity related to the transfer.

Both components - the higher price and the "inconvenience" - increase the market barrier for such a control facility.

Object of the invention

The object of the invention is to provide a code lock solution which:

• - allows you to work with one-time access keys,
• - works without data interfaces for the transmission of new codes,
• - the effort caused by the activities related to the "Reloading" is created, saves and
• - with the lowest - acceptable to the requirements - Effort to produce as a mass article.

Solution of the task

The basic idea is with an "unlimited" Key store to work. Thereby, virtually "virtually" becomes an infinitely large one Amount of known keys held in a memory of the lock, to recharge with new keys and related ones Saving effort. Due to the limited lifespan of the lock you can in reality this situation by a correspondingly large Approach key stock.

The solution of the invention now consists more in one inexhaustible key supply of known keys by a rotating renewal of a larger key that has become invalid Generate "key pools" that start as soon as a code enters a particular one Lock-up period (order of magnitude: years) was invalid.

This ensures that there are enough keys at all times to perform the one-time access authorization.

For this purpose, many - e.g. B. thousand - key active. A suitable control ensures that keys that have become invalid are, at a time that is sufficiently far behind the last use back - for example after 2 years - to become active again. The For this purpose, "used" key remains in its storage space and will be just labeled. The indicator shows the controller / processor that the key is invalid.

This can be done by comparing it to the current date, if it is the indicator is the date.

From a manufacturing and economic perspective, it is particularly advantageous if the number plate is not a date but a date 1-bit information that only differentiates between "invalid" and "valid". In this case you use one to reactivate the keys Indicator counter that records the number of invalid codes and at The entire key store is reached again after a certain limit  set to active. That can e.g. B. be when a certain quota is reached. On this way you can save a clock in the circuit.

So on the day of the changeover, not just a short time ago used codes are activated again, it is also advantageous to use several small key stores that work in sequence or in arbitrary change can be used. Another advantage of small storage is that less arithmetic for comparing the input with the active codes accrues. This makes it possible to have simpler and cheaper components use.

You can switch between these memories manually, or you will by a signal about the automatically selected and currently active Memory informed. From the amount assigned to the respective memory known codes, the owner selects the one-time key that he assigns to the authorizing persons.

Prerequisite for the functioning of the access control system shown is the knowledge of the keys active in the lock by the location which the authorization causes, d. H. usually the owner.

There is a possibility here that the lock owner can use a Manage the list yourself. It is conceivable that with the description of the Key store in the code lock generated by the manufacturer which contains exactly the codes written in the memory chips. Out From this list, the owner strikes out the codes that he needs to authorize has passed on individual accesses or based on the accesses, e.g. B. by Delivered goods in a code lock secured container, as appear used up.

The process of personal TAN management (transaction number Administration) has proven itself in the context of home banking on the Internet. Here one usually works with lists in the order of up to 50 different transaction numbers.

A convenient way of managing is to use a simple PC program that uses codes of each Castle managed. In both cases, the code lock owner takes over Manage the codes yourself.

It may be from a customer convenience point of view advantageous if the device manufacturer manages the used Codes takes over. For this purpose, he operates an (Internet) server from which to register Lock owners using the code lock device number TAN lists for example, 50 downloads. If the output of the TAN list is longer When X days ago, he rolls the TAN back into the TAN set which the selection is made 50 pieces. In this way, the Suitable TAN always available to users.  

It’s a big advantage if the lock has a reset function, with the help of which the entire memory can be set to active. To this Problems can be solved by improper care of the consumed TAN arise, fix.

The invention also has a master key, with which at any time access to the container or the locked room is possible. For it is a conceivable use of the lock in delivery containers Context particularly favorable if the key is one mechanical or otherwise from the energy supply of the Code lock independent key.

Advantages of the invention

The invention shown has great advantages over the known prior art:
The main advantage of the invention lies in the fact that simple assemblies can be used in the electronic part of the lock. It is very important in this context to save a data interface for loading the key memory, the hardware components for the data transfer and the activities associated with the transfer.

The particularly secure authorization procedure, which is based on the award given by unique keys is inexpensive by this invention enabled and thus particularly interesting for marketing.

embodiment

An exemplary embodiment is shown schematically in FIG. 1 and is described below. The program flow according to FIG. 2 also serves for the description.

In a memory 6 of a code lock, several known key codes are assigned to fixed memory locations. The memory locations are uniquely assigned to an equal number of additional memory locations which can be described by the controller or microprocessor 7 when processing a program routine according to FIG. 2 with an identifier which identifies the key as valid or invalid.

After the code lock has been switched on by operating the input unit 3 , the code lock controller 7 is first initialized by means of program memory 1 , ie put into work mode. After entering a transaction number (TAN) 10 via a data input option 3 , the controller 7 accesses the memory 6 in order to search for this TAN 11 . If the TAN is not in the TAN memory 6 , the controller causes an interference signal 13 , which is transmitted to the operator via the signal generator 2 . If the TAN is found in the memory, its validity is checked 14 by evaluating the assigned identifier.

If the TAN is invalid, an interference signal is also triggered. If the TAN is valid, the switching output 4 of the code lock is activated to enable access that is controlled via this lock. Immediately afterwards, the flag assigned to this TAN is set to invalid 16 .

The controller now causes increment 17 of counter 5 and writes the value increased by 1 to flag memory 5 . He then compares the counter value with a specified limit. If this has not yet been reached, it writes the new counter reading into memory 6 without any further action. When a certain counter reading is reached and a corresponding number of the TAN are invalid, the controller resets the counter to 0 and at the same time all keys to "valid".

At the end of this routine, the electronics switch to a passive one Condition back.  

investment

Fig. 1 embodiment of a code lock (schematic);

Fig. 2 program flow, based on the embodiment.

Claims (1)

Code lock for access control with the help of unique key codes, characterized in that known keys (transaction numbers ) of a set of keys held in a memory of the lock are used for authorization, the keys becoming invalid after a single use and only returning to the available key supply after a longer blocking period ,