FR2732396A1 - SELF-CONTAINED ELECTRONIC LOCK WITH PROXIMITY READER - Google Patents

Abstract

In this lock, the corresponding proximity reader unit (3) is associated with an autonomous power supply with electric batteries (4) which provides the energy necessary for the operation and the maintenance of the digital circuits (3a) in sleep consuming little in the 'waiting for operation; said reading unit (3) is provided with an electric switch which is actuated mechanically by the presentation of the proximity card (2), causing the activation of the dormant digital circuits (3a) and the subsequent transmission, by the coil antenna (3b) integrated in the reading unit (3), of the radio-frequency signal which feeds the chip (2a) of the card (2) so that through the coil antenna, it sends a information coded to the reader unit (3) and / or interacts with it.

Description

The new electronic lock to which the invention relates is

  especially advantageous for applications in which each installation point must be able to work independently, that is to say that there is no permanent power supply and that this power must be supplied by electric batteries. A typical example of this autonomous operation is that of

hotel room locks.

  In electronic locks, those with coded magnetic strips, in which this strip is incorporated in a card ("magnetic card") and its reading is carried out at the moment when it is brought into physical contact with a reading head. In this lock technology, it is only possible to read fixed or permanent information which has been previously coded on the card and which

  is available without any other action to be read at any time.

  Currently, this type of agntique card technology and that which is most widely used in hotels and the like - and, to give them autonomy, it suffices to mount an electric battery and an electric switch so that, under the effect of inserting the card, the switch is actuated and the battery provides the power supply necessary to read the magnetic tape,

  the device resetting when the card is extracted.

  During periods of non-operation, the battery provides the extremely low consumption that the digital circuits of the reader need to remain in a state of sluggishness or sleepiness while waiting to receive the activation signal from the switch. Another technology, which is applied in more recent times to electronic locks is that which uses proximity readers, which are so called because the communication of data between the reader and the card ("proximity card") or other coded medium equivalent (for example a keychain) is carried out without requiring contact

  physical, via radio frequency signals.

  In this technology, the card comprises a programmable chip which is capable of emitting a signal modulated by coded information which is demodulated and read by the proximity reader, but which therefore requires being supplied with energy; this supply is provided by the proximity reader, by means of a radio frequency signal that it does and permanently. In general, a proximity reader comprises a flat coil antenna placed under a protective plastic cover permeable to electromagnetic radio frequency waves, and an electronic circuit which excites this coil electrically, by

two wire connection.

  In this proximity technology, it is possible that the data flow is bidirectional (interactivity) between the card (or the medium in question) and the reader, which offers a wide range of interesting possibilities.

  applicable to electronic locks.

  Nevertheless, the need to make the proximity reader emit in enclosure and, consequently, to make it consume operating energy, is the cause for which there are currently no electronic proximity reader locks which are self-contained. (power supply by batteries), their use being limited & installations which, for safety or for other reasons, have a permanent power supply. As a result, a market as large as that of hotels and the like is currently deprived of this advantageous technological option, because, if not that they incur very high installation costs, which do not justify for new installations and even less for replacements and installation in conventional srrur of hotels already in service and which one requires a

modernization in this area.

  The object of the present invention does not relate to a novelty concerning the techniques used in the transmission or reception of radio frequency signals nor concerning integrated circuits (such as the chip which equips the proximity card) capable of activating with a power supply of a power as low as that offered by the electromagnetic field produced by the proximity reader no more than with regard to techniques capable of integrating into the thickness of a card of the card type credit antenna and electronic circuits necessary to store coded information

  and communicate with the reader by radio frequency.

  On the contrary, the object of the invention is a design of construction which makes possible the realization of an electronic lock with proximity reader capable of operating autonomously, powered by an electric battery and having a technical and formal configuration which makes it suitable, not only for 4 'new installations but also, with minimal modifications, to replace already existing locks fitted

  magnetic card or punch card readers.

  For this purpose, the invention provides an electronic lock which can be actuated, by means of radio frequency electromagnetic waves, by a proximity card, having a programmable chip interactive or not, and in which the reader unit of proiit corresponding is associated, on the one hand, & an autonomous power supply unit & base of electric batteries, which is intended to provide the energy necessary for the operation and for the maintenance of the digital circuits in the sleep state, & weak consumption while waiting to enter into operation, and, on the other hand, said reading unit is provided with an electric switch which is associated with it and which is actuated mechanically during the maneuver of presentation of said proximity card , by producing the activation of said dormant digital circuits and the consecutive emission, by the coil antenna, integrated into the reader unit, of the radiofrequency signal by which the chip of the the card is powered so that, via its own coil antenna, it sends its coded information to the reader unit and that it interacts

possibly with it.

  Indeed, now, it is not necessary that the proximity reader is in permanent activity of emission of a radio frequency nor that it therefore continually consumes its flow of normal operating current, but, on the contrary, it uses it effectively only in reduced time intervals in which an opening operation of the lock is carried out. On the contrary, now (as in the case of magnetic card readers), the digital circuits of the card reader

  proximity remain dormant (without transmitting radio-

  frequency), consuming minimal power from the electric battery, until the switch is actuated, which coincides with the fact that the card chip is located in the electromagnetic field created by the proximity reader, this which results in that the chip is powered and that it performs its data communication protocol with this proximity reader, in a normal operating operation which, thanks to its short duration (at the end, the card is removed and returns to sleep state with minimal consumption) can be repeatedly powered by a battery for one or more years without needing to be replaced. On the other hand, the simplicity of the proposed constitution allows it to be easily integrated into functional configurations, dimensions and

  geometries of existing electronic locks.

  According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, said presentation of the proximity card occurs inside a groove or groove which is formed in the carcass of the lock and with respect to which the coil antenna operates. of the proximity reader unit, the electric switch having its actuation lever placed inside the groove, by placing itself on the insertion path of the proximity card, or outside the carcass , in an ergonomically suitable place to be operated by the user, with his hand grasping the card and in the maneuver of

  presentation or insertion thereof.

  This preferred solution has the advantage that the coil antenna of the card chip is placed opposite the coil antenna of the proximity reader, very close to this coil antenna, which has the effect that achieves a high efficiency in the exchange of energy between the two, which makes it possible to read the card using a very weak signal in the reader, and advantageously providing the possibility of giving a very simple configuration to the circuit coil antenna exciter

  drive and lengthen the battery life.

  Another advantage of this solution is that

  the combination of the use of low radio power

  frequency and the fact that the communication occurs inside the carcass implies a much greater intrinsic security than in the case of readers exposed to the outside, since this cancels the possibility of spying the exchange of data between the reader and card even with

very elaborate receivers.

  From a construction point of view, this solution offers another important advantage, such as that of making it possible to easily transform a magnetic card lock so that it can read proximity cards. Mechanically, it suffices to replace the magnetic read head with the flat coil which will occupy a similar position; and, electrically, you just have to adapt circuits

  electronic so that they generate radio signals

  frequency in the coil, and the two wires that connect the magnetic read head to its control circuit will be the same as those that currently connect the coil to its

  radio frequency oscillator circuit.

  It should also be emphasized as an advantage that the mode of operation, which consists of inserting the card into a

  groove is already familiar to users.

  According to another preferred embodiment, said presentation of the card takes place outside the carcass, by actuation of a separate pusher which is mounted in the front face of the carcass and which acts on the lever of said electrical switch and contains

  internally said coil antenna of the reading unit.

  To open the lock, press the push-button in any of the following modes: directly with the face of the proximity card; with the very hand that properly holds the card; with the hand other than that

presents the map.

  Among the advantages of this second solution, we can point out the reduction in vulnerability during periods of inactivity, by elements that would be introduced into the groove of the reader, since the latter does not exist; and the ability to read chip carriers or carriers that are separate from cards, for example, a species

  label ("tag" in English) suitable for a keychain.

  Other characteristics and advantages of the invention

  will be better understood & reading the description that goes

  follow from an exemplary embodiment and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 shows in perspective a lock

  electronics according to the invention mounted in a door 9.

  FIG. 2 shows schematically and on a larger scale a front view of the detail 10 circled in FIG. 1 and it corresponds to a first embodiment

preferred of the invention.

  Figure 3 shows schematically the section taken along line 11 of Figure 2, including a card 2 in

  position to be inserted during operation.

  Figure 4 is similar to Figure 3 but with the

  card 2 inserted functionally.

  Figure 5 is a view equivalent to Figure 1, but

  which relates to a second preferred form of the invention.

  Figure 6 is a schematic view which corresponds to the section along line 12 drawn in Figure 5, and in

  which card 2-is presented for reading.

  Figures 7 and 8 show a third preferred form

of achievement.

  In the drawings, two preferred versions of an electronic lock are shown, which, being those which use a proximity reader, have the particularity of having operating autonomy and of offering a formal and operating configuration compatible with that electronic card locks

magnetic.

  The principle of constitution of the new electronic proximity lock is based on the fact that the switch 5 is arranged in such a way that, in the maneuver of presentation of the proximity card 2 for its reading, the actuation of this switch has so that, at this moment and only at this moment, the digital circuits 3a of the proximity reader are activated and its coil antenna 3b transmits the radio-frequency signal which feeds the coil antenna (not shown) associated with the chip 2a of card 2 and sends its coded information so that it is processed by reader 3 and so that, if it is recognized as valid, it orders the opening of the lock mechanism and so that, if chip 2a is interactive , it can also establish a data flow in the opposite direction which informs the chip 2a from the reader 3. The energy necessary for these opening maneuvers (and, of course, to ensure the low consumption of the state sum il of the digital circuits 3a), is supplied by the unit of electric cells 4 which, in these circumstances, provides sufficient energy for one or more years of

autonomous operation.

  Figures 2 to 4 illustrate the constitution and operation which relate to the embodiment in which the card 2 is presented inside the groove 6, where it actuates the lever 5a of the switch 5 and is in a position o the chip 2a is placed in front of and near the coil antenna 3b. A variant of this solution consists in that the lever 5a emerges outside the carcass 1 and is actuated by the hand of the user who holds the card 2 at the time of the maneuver.

card insertion.

  Figures 5 and 6 relate to the contrary in the embodiment in which the actuation of the lever 5a of the switch 5 is entrusted to the pusher 7 which encloses the coil antenna 3b and which, in the presentation operation of the card 2 , can be activated by the very plane of the card 2, by the hand holding it or by the free hand. In this version, instead of being mounted in the card 2, the chip 2a can be mounted in a label ("tag") adapted to the key ring. In both solutions, provision is made for the use of pilot operation indicators 8 which are placed on the

  the carcass or, in the second version, on the pusher 7.

  In FIGS. 7 and 8, a third preferred embodiment is shown, on which it can also be seen that it is intended that the reader unit 3 is associated with a keyboard 13 having the following two possible functions: depression d '' any key produces the activation of said dormant digital circuits 3a, activation which is possible with or without the introduction of a personal code materialized by the depression of the appropriate keys for validation, and, at this time, said integrated circuits 3a cause the emission, by their coil antenna 3b, of the appropriate signal

to power the card 2.

  When the power signal is received by card 2, the actuation or interaction that is deemed appropriate

can be established.

  In this case, it is shown that, in this embodiment, the keyboard 13 can be of the membrane type and be produced on a fixed support 14 and contain

  internally the coil antenna 3b.

  The possible functional options are numerous, combining the simple depression of the keys on the keyboard 13; this depression having to be in agreement with a code and combinations of manipulations of the keyboard having to be in agreement with readings of the data of the proximity card. Of course, various modifications and variants may be made by those skilled in the art to the device which has just been described by way of nonlimiting example, without

depart from the scope of the invention.

Claims (4)

R E V E N D I C A T I 0 N S   1. Autonomous electronic lock with proximity reader, more particularly, electronic lock (1) which can be actuated, by means of electromagnetic radio frequency waves, by a proximity card (2) provided with a programmable chip (2a), interactive or not, characterized in that the corresponding proximity reading unit (3) is associated, on the one hand, with an autonomous power supply unit based on electric batteries (4), which is intended for supply the energy necessary for the operation and for the maintenance of the digital circuits (3a) in the sleep state with low consumption, while waiting to enter into operation; and, on the other hand, said reading unit (3) is associated with an electric switch (5) which, in the presentation operation of said proximity card (2), is actuated mechanically by producing the activation of said circuits digital dormant (3a) and the consecutive emission, by the coil antenna (3b) integrated in the reader unit (3), of the radio-frequency signal by means of which the chip (2a) of the card is supplied (2) so that, via its own coil antenna, it sends its coded information to the reader unit (3) and interacts possibly with it.   2. Autonomous electronic proximity reader lock according to claim 1, characterized in that, preferably, said presentation of the proximity card (2) occurs inside a groove or groove (6) which is formed in the frame (la) of the lock (1) and with respect to which the coil antenna (3b) of the proximity reader unit (3) operates, the electric switch (5) having its actuation lever (5a) placed inside the groove (6), by placing itself on the insertion path of the proximity card (2) or outside the carcass (1) at a point ergonomically suitable for be operated by the user, by his hand holding the card (2), and in the   presentation or insertion maneuver thereof.   3. Autonomous electronic lock with proximity reader according to claim 1, characterized in that said presentation of the card (2) occurs preferably outside of the carcass (la) by actuation of a separate pusher (7) which is mounted in the front face of the carcass (la) and which acts on the lever (5a) of said electrical switch (5) and internally contains said   coil antenna (3b) of the reading unit (3).   4. Autonomous electronic lock with proximity reader   according to the preceding claims, characterized in that it   provision is made, in addition, for the reader unit (3) to be associated with a keyboard (13) having the possible dual function consisting in that the depression of any key causes the activation of said dormant digital circuits (3a ), with or without introduction of a personal code materialized by the depression of keys for validation by said digital circuits (3a), and the consecutive emission, by the coil antenna (3b) of the reader unit (3 ), of the signal which feeds the card (2) so that it acts or interact with it.