GB2495321A

GB2495321A - Mechanical lock and key with electrical contacts for data transfer

Info

Publication number: GB2495321A
Application number: GB1117332.5A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Steven John Bane
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2011-10-07
Filing date: 2011-10-07
Publication date: 2013-04-10
Also published as: GB201117332D0

Abstract

A lock assembly 10 having a mechanical locking mechanism and a key 30 for operating the locking mechanism. Electrical terminals/contacts 38 are provided in the key and lock for transferring data between memory 22 and circuit 32 provided in respective one of the key and lock upon insertion of the key in the lock. The key may include a clock and rechargeable battery, the electrical terminal in the key may be of two part telescopically spring biased form. Memory 22 may contain a lock ID which is copied and stored in key memory along with the time of unlocking/locking; the key may be connected to a docking station to recharge the key and download locking history data. The lock may also include circuitry to store unlocking data which may include unauthorized unlocking by keys not having terminals 38 connected to ID memory.

Description

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LOCK ASSEMBLY

Field of the invention

The presenc invention relates to a lock assembly intended for use in a vending or gaming machine.

Background of the invention

Vending and gaming machines store the payments made by users. For security, the machines need to be kept looked.

The stored money is collected periodically by personnel employed by the operators of the machine and such personnel are provided wi-ih keys for unlocking the machines.

A problem encountered by machine operators is that they cannot rely on The honesty of their personnel and the invcntion seeks to provide a simplc lock assombly that allows an audit to be kept of the keys used to access a machine.

Summary of the invention

According to a first aspect of the invention, invention, there is provided a lock assembly having a mechanical locking mechanism and a key for operating the locking meohanism, wherein an electronic memory device is mounted within one of the locking mechanism and the key and an electronic circuit is mounted in the other of the locking mechanism and the key, the memory device and the electronic circuit having respective electrodes positioned to come into electrical contact with one another when the key is used to operate the locking mechanism to allow data to be exchanged between the memory device and the electronic circuit.

In one embodiment of the invention, the memory device is mounted in the locking mechanism and the electronic circuit forms part of the key. Such an embodiment offers the advantage that minimal modification is required to the locking mechanism.

In an alternative embodiment cf the invention, a memory device is mounted in the key with cr without an electronic circuit. While such an embodiment requires the locking mechanism in the vending machine to include an electronic circuit and a power supply, it offers the advantage that if a circuit is provided for sensing mechanical operation of the locking mechanism, it will aiso be possible to record access to the machine by an unauthorised key, that is to say a key that does not include a memory device.

According no a second aspect cf the invention, there is provided a key for a mechanical locking mechanism having a memory device fitted with a contact electrode, the key having an electrodc positionod to cstablish clectrical contact with the electrode of the lock mounted memory device during operation of the lock, a source of electrical power, a clock, a key mounted memory device and a circuit for recording in the key mounted memory device during operation of the locking mechanism by the key data read from the lock mounted memory device and data identifying the tine at which the key was used to operate the lock.

The electrode mounted in the key may be formed of two axially aligned and telescopically collapsible parts that are spring biased apart.

A docking station may be provided having a socket for receiving the key and a data output port connectible to a computer, to allow data stored in the key mounted memory device to be read and transferred to the computer.

In an embodiment, the source cf electrical power is a rechargeable ba-itery, and the docking station is operative to recharge the battery of the key when the key is docked at the docking stacion by supplying a charging current through the key mounted contact electrode.

The invention, in its different aspects, allows a record to be kept on a key of which machines it has been used to access and/or on a machine lock assembly of which keys have been used to access it.

The advantage of storing access data in each key is that the only modification required to the lock assembly is the insertion of a memory chip. The electrical circuitry and the battery supplying the necessary electrical power can both form part of the key, as is nowadays common in many car keys.

The disadvantage of only storing access data in the keys is that if thc machine is accossod using an unauthorised key, there would be no record kept in the lock.

The lock mechanism may be of any conventional type but a lock available under the Mlzmatic trade name is particularly suitable as it has a region at the axial centre of its barrel that can readily be adapted to receive a memory chip without requiring major modification of the

Brief description of the drawings

The invention will now be described further, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a section through a lock mechanism, Figure 2 is a front view of the lock mechanism in Figure 1, and Figure 3 is a schematic section through a key.

Detailed description of the preferred embodiment(s) Figures 1 and 2 show a section through a look or barrel of a known lock mechanism. The construction of the lock mechanism is shown in the Figure 1 for completeness and described briefly below but its design is not of fundamental importance to the invention, which is not restricted to this form of lock mechanism.

The barrel 10 has a stationary outer housing 12 that is retained by a retractable tongue 11 in a handle which is rotatably mounted in a panel of the gaming or vending machine.

Within the barrel 12, there are mounted three coaxial tumbler cylinders 14, 16 and 18. Each of the cylinders 16 and 18 has an extension received in an axial bore of the next cylinder in line, to maintain all thrco cylinders in axial alignment. Each of the three cylinders has a ring of axially extending bores that receive tumbler pins 20 of varying lengths. The rear tumbler cylinder 14 is fixed to the housing 12. The front cylinder interacts with the key and the intermediate cylinder 14 acts the output member of the lock, and carries a latch which engages behind a striker plate when the machine is closed.

The position of the tumbler pins 20 determines whether or not the key and the intermediate cylinders 16 can be turned. In the absence of the correct key, at least one set of the tumbler pins adopts a position such as that shown in the top half of Figure 1 where the cylinder 16 cannot rotate relative to the stationary cylinder 14. When the correct key is inserted, on the other hand, the pins of each set adopt the position shown in the bottom half of the drawing in which the intermediate cylinder 16 is locked for rotation with the key and the key cylinder 18 but is free to rotate relative to the stationary cylinder 14.

r4hile it would be possible for one cylinder to replace the key cylinder 18 and the intermediate cylinder 16, the provision of a separate intermediate cylinder allows the code of the locking mechanism to be changed.

As the described locking mechanism is known it need not be described in further detail in the present context and both its construction and method of operation will be understood by persons skilled in the art. The mechanism has been described primarily for the purpose of demonstrating that the front key 18 can be formed with an axial blind bore to receive a memory chip such as the chip designated 22 in Figures 1 and 2.

The memory chip 22 is a passive device with no connection to a power supply; its purpose is only to store a digital code identifying the lock. The code is read and storcd by a circuit incorporated in thc key used to operatc the lock.

A key 30 is shown schematically in Figure 3. The key 30 houses a circuit 32 incorporating a rechargeable battery 34.

The circuit 32 has various integrated circuits 36, including a memory and a processor, and a contact electrode 38 in the form of a resiliently and telescopically retractable bayonet to make contact with the memory chip 22 residing in the lock mechanism.

rdhen the key 30 is inserted into the lock 10, the electrode 38 contacts the memory chip 22 and reads the identification data of the machine. That data, along with the time of access if them stored in the internal memory of the key for later retrieval.

To read the data stored in the key's memory, the key is inserted into a docking station in which the same electrode 38 is used to transfer data between the key circuit 32 and a suitable device, such as & personal computer, to which it may be connected using a USE port. The docking station may also supply current to recharge the battery 34, if desired.

As so far described, the invention allows the machine operator to read from a key given to an employee, all the machines that have been accessed using the key and at what time access occurred. The invention thus allows the movements of the employee to be monitored ensuring that all the machines to be serviced have been visited together with an indication of how long it has taken the employee to go from one machine to the next.

If money is missing from a machine, the storing of data exclusively in The keys does not provide any indication if or when a machine has been accessed without authorisation.

In an altcrnative ombodiment of thc invontion, a circuit is mounted in the machine on or adjacent to the lock 10 and connected to the contact electrode of the memory chip 22 by a wire passing through an axial bore passing through the centre of the lock 10. Each key in this embodiment of the invention will also have a code stored in a readable memory to identify the key. The machine circuitry will also include a deteccor to sense each time the machine is opened.

Such a detector may take the form cf a Hall effect switch that is closed by a magnet movable upon rotation of the intermediate cylinder 16.

Each time the lock is opened, the machine mounted circuitry will now be in a position to record the identifying code of the key used to open it and the time at which it was opened. Should the key not have an internal memory, then that fact may itself be recorded to avoid suspension from falling on any of the authorised key holders.

Claims

<claim-text>CLAIMS1. A loc.K assembly having a mechanical locking mechanism and a key for operating the looking mechanism, wherein an elecoronic memory device is mounted within one of the looking mechanism and the key and an electronic circuit is mounted in the other of the locking mechanism and the key, the memory device and the electronic circuit having respective electrodes positioned to come into electrical contact with one another when the key is used to operate the locking mechanism to allow data to be exchanged between the memory device and the electronic circuit.</claim-text> <claim-text>2. A lock assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the memory device is mounted in the locking mechanism and the electronic circuit forms part of the key.</claim-text> <claim-text>3. A Jock assembly as claimod in claim 1 or 2, wherein the or an additional memory device is mounted in the key and the or an additional electronic circuit is associated with the locking mechanism.</claim-text> <claim-text>4. A lock assembly as claimed in claim 3, wherein the electronic circuit associated with the locking mechanism includes a circuit sensing mechanical operation of the locking mechanism and is operative to record the time that a machine is accessed using an unauthorised key that does not include a memory device.</claim-text> <claim-text>5. A key for a mechanical locking mechanism having a memory device fitted with a contact electrode, the key having an electrode positioned to establish electrical contact with the electrode of the lock mounted memory device during operation of the lock, a source of electrical power, a clock, a key mounted memory device and a circuit for recording in the key mounted memory device during operation of the locking mechanism by the key data read from the lock mounted memory device and data identifying the tine at which the key was used to operate the lock.</claim-text> <claim-text>6. A key as claimed in claim 5, wherein the electrode mounted in the Icey is two axially aligned and telescopically collapsible pans that are spring biased apart.</claim-text> <claim-text>7. A key as claimed in claim 5 or 6, further provided with a docking station having a socket for receiving the key and a data output port connectible to a computer, to allow data stored in the key mounted memory device to be read and transferred to the computer.</claim-text> <claim-text>8. A key as claimed in claim 8, wherein the source of electrical power in the key is a rechargeable battery, and the docking starion is operative to recharge the battery of the key when the key is docked at the docking station by supplying a charging current through thc koy mounted contact electrode.</claim-text>