FR2556764A1 - IMPROVEMENTS TO COMMAND AND CONTROL FACILITIES OF THE DIFFERENT LOCKED LOCKS OF AN ASSEMBLY - Google Patents

Abstract

THIS IS AN INSTALLATION FOR MONITORING AND ORDERING LOCKS 2 EQUIPPED WITH DOORS P, P ... IN HOTEL ROOMS. THE INSTALLATION, PARTIALLY "DECENTRALIZED", INCLUDES ON THE ONE HAND LOCAL MEANS ASSOCIATED WITH EACH LOCK AND DIRECTLY COMMANDABLE BY MAGNETIC CARDS 4 TO UNLOCK THESE LOCKS AND ON THE OTHER HAND CENTRAL EQUIPMENT 5, 7-10 CONNECTED BY WIRE 6 , 6 ..., 6 ... TO THE VARIOUS LOCKS AND ALLOWING TO GATHER INFORMATION ON THE STATES AND STORIES OF THESE LOCKS AND TO DISABLE THEM FROM A RANGE. NO LOCK UNLOCKING CODE IS TRANSMITTED BY THE WIRES.

Description

Improvements to control and monitoring installations

  control of the different coded locks of a set.

  The invention relates to installations for command and control of the different coded locks of an assembly comprising a relatively large number of such locks,

  this number preferably being greater than 50 and even more than 100.

  It concerns more particularly, because it is in their case that its application seems to have to offer

  most, but not exclusively, of these facilities

  lations, those equipping hotels with a large number-

  number of rooms, each of these rooms being accessible by a door fitted with a coded lock, which lock is electrically controllable using a corresponding coded key. The preferred embodiment of such a coded key being a magnetic card, the word "card" will be adopted in the following to designate said key, but of course as

  purely illustrative and not limiting.

  Known installations of the kind in question can-

  can be grouped into two categories A and B, one A of

  type "autonomous" and the other type B "centralized".

  In installations of the first category A, each coded lock is autonomous in the sense that it is not connected to any central command or control device and that it is directly provided with the memory and comparison devices necessary to ensure on-site decoding and unlocking upon receipt of appropriate coded cards. These installations have several advantages: - they are relatively reliable in the sense that only the bearer of a coded card assigned to a given lock can control this lock, - if a failure occurs on one of the hardware components

  used, this fault remains localized and limited to the service

  rure concerned: it leaves all orders intact

  other locks in the installation.

  But said Category A facilities pre-

  also feel drawbacks, and in particular the following two which can prove serious when the number of locks in the installation in question is very high and / or when their access is difficult: - the open or closed state and whether or not locked each door can only be known by going to the site,

  - it is not possible to remotely invalidate the locks

  res considered, for example from receipt of

  the hotel for the preferred application noted above.

  Category B "centralized" installations

  are more sophisticated than the previous ones.

  On the one hand, they include a central monitoring and management computer linked by wires to each

  lock and on the other hand means of reading and transmission-

  associated with each lock and making it possible to make known

  at all times be to the computer operator the state of this lock as well as the code of the card if necessary

  presented to this lock at that instant.

  In this case, the lock is locked

  controlled from the computer when the comparison

  cut at the level of the latter reveals the identity between said

  code and a specific reference code for the lock

  previously saved in the computer.

  The advantages of this formula lie in that the computer operator is informed at all times of the state of all the locks and in that he is able to invalidate each of these locks at any time remotely ,

  that is to say without being obliged to go there.

  But the said formula also has several drawbacks: - a computer failure can block the entire installation, the installation can also be put out of service, at least locally, by simple disruptions, voluntary or

  no, electrical wires connecting the computer to different

  your locks, - and especially the signals transmitted on the connecting wires in question and corresponding to the unlock codes of the different locks can be easily intercepted by

  sensor connections on these wires.

  The invention aims, above all, to provide a partially "decentralized" installation for command and control of multiple coded locks which remedies both

  to the drawbacks mentioned above of the two known formulas.

  To this end, the installations of the type in question according to the invention are essentially characterized in that they comprise: - on the one hand, decentralized equipment associated with each lock, comprising means for unlocking the lock on presentation thereof. an appropriate coded card and means for developing a certain amount of information on the history and condition of the lock, - and on the other hand central equipment connected by wires to each lock and comprising its own means to issue coded control cards for the various locks, means suitable for displaying and / or recording on request the local information produced at the level of the various

  locks and means for invalidating each lock with

  tance. In preferred embodiments, recourse is also had to one and / or the other of the following arrangements: - portable reading modules are provided allowing

  to read on the spot the information developed by the teams-

  decentralized elements of the different locks, which

  pements are then arranged to deliver said information

training in said modules,

  - the system locks are grouped together

  separate pes, and the information produced by the different locks of each group is gathered in a single "concentrator" relay specific to this group, hence

  they are routed to central equipment on an in-

terror by the latter.

  The invention includes, apart from these main provisions, certain other provisions which are used

  preferably at the same time and which will be more explicit-

question below.

  In what follows, we will describe a mode of realization

  preferred sation of the invention with reference to the drawing below

  appended in a way which is of course not limiting.

  The single figure of this drawing schematically shows an installation for monitoring and controlling coded locks fitted to the doors of hotel rooms, said installation being partially "decentralized"

according to the invention.

  The doors in question, the number of which is high and for example equal to several hundred, are represented in the drawing by some of them, shown diagrammatically in P10, Pll '' P20, P21, P22

  Each of these doors includes an operating button.

  vre 1 and a coded lock 2, in particular of electronic type, capable of being controlled by each introduction, in a

  slot 3, of a magnetic card 4 coded in correspondence.

  The lock 2 has a certain degree of autonomy in the sense that it is arranged so as to be able to operate itself for the purposes of unlocking the introductions of the

type indicated in slot 3.

  To this end, it comprises a memory allowing the recording of predetermined reference codes, means making it possible to compare with these reference codes the code characterizing each coded card inserted in the slot and unlocking means actuated automatically as soon as said comparison reveals an identity between the

two codes compared.

  The lock 2 is also associated with means making it possible to develop and store at least temporarily

a certain amount of information.

  This information is first of all that relating to the instantaneous state, locked or not, of the lock and to

  the instantaneous state, closed or not, of the door as well as

  them relating to the recent history of the lock and to that

  of the door, that is to say at the instants of the few openings

  res and closings of this door which preceded each ins-

given so much.

  The information in question may also be

  identification numbers of successive authorized customers

  opening the door and the identification numbers of the service personnel also authorized for this purpose, the

  numbers in question being carried by the cards 4 that use

  feels the different people empowered to order

the unlocking of the lock.

  A central computer 5 is further provided connected to the various locks 2 by electrical wires 6, 61,

62., 610, 611 -., 620 621, 622.

  This computer 5 is equipped with means for introducing

  tion of data schematized by a key keyboard 7, display means schematized by a video screen 8 and

  recording means not shown.

  It is associated with a member 9 capable of issuing the coded cards 4 empowered to successively control the

different locks 2.

  Each magnetic code reported on a new card

  vely empowered to control a given lock pre-

feels a cancellation prefix.

  This prefix and the means of operating the cards

  4 associated with each lock 2 are such that the simple introduction

  tion of the above card in the slot 3 of said lock automatically invalidates the card code previously

  empowered to control the same lock.

  The computer 5 is also associated with means suitable for clearly displaying and / or recording the various

  annuities information received by lock wire 2.

  The latter information does not reach the computer in bulk, but only in response to selective interrogations thereof, appropriate means being provided

  to selectively interrogate the different locks of-

  then the computer and possibly to collect a given type of information on a given lock or on a group

given locks.

  The recording in question of said information

  can be done automatically and in plain text by printing

  mantis which is advantageously locked in a chest 10 to

  safe from falsifications and / or indiscretions.

  In addition, the computer 5 is arranged in such a way

  that it is possible to invalidate at will from this

  any of the installation locks

  selectively seeing by wire to this lock an electrical signal

invalidation stick.

  The partially "decentralized" installation as well

  described harmoniously combines the advantages of the two formulas

  the previously known type of "autonomous" and type

  "centralized" which were mentioned in the preamble.

  This is how all the advantages of the central formula

  marked (category B above) - and in particular the possibility of knowing at all times at the reception of the hotel the

  states of all locks as well as the possibility of inva-

  bind any desired lock at any time from

  this reception - are kept as long as no breakdown has

  fect the computer, its environment and / or the connecting wires.

  On the contrary, the disadvantages of this formula

  are all practically discarded.

  In particular, the unlock codes for services

  rures never pass through the connecting wires or into

  one way or the other, which makes their inter-

  ception by connecting a sensor to one of these wires.

  This is a major advantage of the invention. In addition, during failures affecting the computer, its environment and / or one of the connecting wires, the entire installation continues to be able to function normally because each of the locks can be unlocked locally by presentation to those - appropriate coded cards.

  This last advantage is precisely the specific advantage

  essential specific of the autonomous formula (category A ci-

  above). In other words, the new formula proposed here, partially "decentralized", presents in normal operation all the advantages of the two autonomous formulas

  and centralized previously known.

  It does not add any significant disadvantage and the possible occurrence of breakdowns only has the effect of depriving the installation of some at least of the advantages

  specific to the centralized formula, and only for

during the duration of said breakdowns.

  A number of improvements can be

  made to the installation described above and in particular

link the following.

  Firstly, each lock 2 can be arranged so as to lend itself to the local reading of the information produced by it on its own history, said reading being carried out using appropriate portable reading modules (not shown) equipped with means display

  and / or recording and plugged in any way

ble on said locks.

  Secondly, the locks fitted to the different

  your hotel doors can be divided into several

  groups, to the number of n, corresponding for example respecti-

  on the different floors of the hotel.

  The locks of each of these groups, of order i (i being an integer between 0 and n) can then be connected, by wires 6i, 6i0, 6il ..., to a "concentrator" device 11i assigned to said group , each of these concentrators 11i being itself connected to the computer by a wire 6 or by a wire constituting the bundle 6 if

  the "wire 6" is constituted by such a bundle.

  Thirdly, the installation considered lends itself perfectly to the operation of card-receiving devices adapted to the "quick departures" of customers ("express

  check-out "), such as the one shown in 12.

  Such an apparatus, which is in the form of a shoemaker with a slot 13 for receiving cards 4, is connected to the network of wires 6 and the like and includes means for "swallowing" said cards just after the start

  of their introduction into this slot 13, means of reading

  ture of the indications carried by these cards, control means subject to the readings thus carried out and suitable for automatically deleting the validation of locks which

  previously corresponded to the codes read on said car-

  your swallowed and means for automatically recording in the central equipment 5 information relating to

  receiving cards in question and in particular at the ins-

many of these receptions.

  Such devices 12 can be placed in places

  away from the hotel reception, for example at the exit

  part of this hotel, or at the entrance to its garage or park

parking.

  Thus the regular customer of the hotel in question can leave this hotel without having to go to the reception, which is particularly precious when the number of customers wishing to leave the hotel at the same time is

  and that, as a result, the staff responsible for the preparation

  tion and collection of hotel bills is momentary-

  overwhelmed: in such a case, in fact, the contact details of the customer concerned are automatically recorded in the central equipment 5, at the same time as the sums due by this customer to the hotel for holding a coded card and therefore for provision of the room assigned to this card and the recovery of these sums can therefore be carried out in any desirable manner, in particular by direct debit

on an account or by post.

  Such automatic double processing of cards 4

  who have completed their mission (invalidation of the lock af-

  can also be triggered from the hotel reception by inserting the said cards in

  a suitable slot 14 of the central equipment 5, slot as-

  associated with means identical to those previously defined.

  Following this, and whatever the mode of reaction

  Once adopted, one finally obtains a command and control installation of multiple coded locks, the constitution and advantages of which are sufficiently

what precedes.

  It goes without saying that the invention is not limited to

  ment to those of its modes of application and embodiments which have been more especially envisaged; she embraces it, at

otherwise, all variants.

Claims (6)

  1. Installation of command and control of diff   different locks coded as a set, including a   decentralized element associated with each lock (2), equipment which itself comprises means making it possible to unlock the lock on simple presentation to the latter of a key (4) coded in correspondence carried by an authorized person, characterized in that the decentralized equipment of each   lock further comprises means for developing a   a lot of information on the history and condition of this   lock and in that the installation considered includes it   even further central equipment (5) connected by wire (6, 61 .., 61o ...) to each lock, equipment comprising means (7) suitable for transmitting the coded keys for controlling the different locks, means ( 8, 9) suitable for display   and / or to record local information on request   bounded at the level of the various locks and means for   invalidate each lock remotely.   2. Installation according to claim 1, character-   laughed at in that it further includes reading modules   portable to read on-site information   bounded by the decentralized equipment of the different locks (2), which equipment is then arranged   way to deliver said information to said modules.   3. Installation according to any of the claims   cations 1 and 2, characterized in that the locks (2) are   gathered in separate groups, and the information   The different locks of each group are flush   appear in the same "concentrator" relay (111, 112 ...) specific to this group, from where they are routed to   the central equipment (5) upon interrogation by the latter.   4. Installation according to any one of the preceding-   your claims, characterized in that it includes   at least one device (12, 13, 14) suitable for receiving the coded keys (4) at the end of use, device associated with means for automatically removing the validation of locks corresponding to these keys.   5. Installation according to claim 4, character-   laughed at in that it further comprises means for recording   automatically record in the central equipment (5), upon receipt of each coded key (4) by the device (12, 13, 14), information relating to this reception and in particular at the time of said receipt.   6. Application of the installation according to any one   conch previous claims to control and   control of the locks (2) fitted to the bedroom doors of a hotel.