Communications: electrical – Condition responsive indicating system – Specific condition
Reexamination Certificate
1999-08-16
2001-07-03
Wu, Daniel J. (Department: 2632)
Communications: electrical
Condition responsive indicating system
Specific condition
C340S542000, C340S005320, C340S005330, C070S278200, C070S278400, C070S432000, C070S433000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06255957
ABSTRACT:
The present invention relates to processes and devices for detecting and displaying to a user the changes in the locking state of a lock or the absolute locking state.
Today, a single user frequently carries a number of keys for locking different locks. A single key often locks not only one but several locks. In day-to-day practice, this often means that the user forgets even shortly after the locking operation whether he actually locked the lock in question. In many areas he then has to check, irrespective of the distance involved, whether the lock has indeed been locked. This can cause significant trouble and involve a considerable amount of time.
Prior art essentially describes three different systems for solving this problem.
One principle, which works independently of the lock, is described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,440,011 and 5,435,160. The basic idea behind these two U.S. patents is to attach a rotatable key cap to the head of the key. This key cap is rotated when a lock is opened/closed and subsequently shows the rotational direction through a displaceable pin or similar device.
This principle has a number of disadvantages. The first and most serious is that such a mechanical indicator cannot distinguish between unlocking a door from the inside and locking it from the outside. Thus, if the key cap indicates, for example, a locked state, this can mean that the user of the key has unlocked a door. This system furthermore can be used only for the most recent locking of a lock. An additional drawback occurring in practice is the susceptibility of this system to the key being turned in opposite direction after unlocking or locking. It is relatively frequent that the key is turned beyond the position in which it can be pulled out of the lock. For the key to be withdrawn, it has to be rotated back in the opposite direction, which automatically causes the mechanical display to reset.
Prior art also knows a lock-dependent system described, for example, in JP 07054524 and JP 04038382. This system provides that when a certain position of the key is reached in relation to the lock, magnets mounted on the lock displace a magnet attached to the head of the key. There is a first position for locking the lock and a second position for locking [sic].
This system has the aforementioned drawbacks cited under lock-independent systems.
DE 43 27 294 shows a key equipped with a device for sensing a rotational movement. This system distinguishes between rotation to the left and to the right. A ball-type rotary transducer, a sliding tab, or a wheel turning within the lock during the rotation of the key is provided. The device does not detect whether the lock is being unlocked or locked. The system is preprogrammed as to whether the analyzing unit interprets a rotation toward the right as unlocking or locking so that each rotation to the right is displayed, for example, as unlocking. An actual verification whether unlocking took place is not provided and is not possible.
This document recognizes the problem that unlocking a door from one side requires the same direction of rotation as locking it from the other. To solve this problem, it is proposed to passivate one side of the door and thus of the lock so that the rotational movement of the key is either not detected or is ignored. This solution is unsatisfactory. Only one single lock can be taken into account and only from one side, e.g., from the outside. If the key used for this lock can also be used to lock other locks, these other locks must all be passivated on both sides. In other words, the lock that is to be sensed has to be passivated on one side and all other locks on both sides. As soon as passivation of only one side of a lock becomes ineffective, the system fails.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,908,605 deals with a key used in conjunction with a special, fixed analyzing unit. The key is provided with magnet switches that are actuated as the key is turned within the lock to indicate right or leftward rotation. Whether the lock is being unlocked or locked is not detected in the key but in an additional device into which the key is inserted. The magnet switches used are unreliable in practice since shocks may cause them to switch. The state of only a single lock can be detected.
DE 43 15 892 deals with a networked system including a master control station. Here, cables connect several locks to a master control station, which is fixed in relation to the locks. Each lock transmits its locking state to the master control station from where each individual lock can be polled. If required, transmission is possible from the master control station to a user located nearby. Specific sensing of a single lock is not possible; the master control station transmits only information regarding all locks being sensed. For example, if only one of these locks remains unlocked, the information “Open” is transmitted. An association of this information with the open lock is not possible.
The information is furthermore to be transmitted from the master control station to the key only if the key has been recognized as authorized. Thus, the data exchange preferably takes place in two directions. In addition, the signal sent by the master control station is encoded.
This system has a number of further disadvantages. First of all, it is a very costly and complex system that moreover cannot be upgraded. Furthermore, the user cannot directly check the locking state, but has to wait until the master control station transmits the information. This requires physical contact between key and lock. Moreover, such a system fails completely as soon as the distances between the individual locks to be locked are relatively great, e.g., from the house or apartment door to the office.
The object of the present invention is to provide processes and devices of the initially described type, which are simple, safe, reliable, and practically error-free in operation, are usable for a wide variety of keys/locks, and can be upgraded at little cost.
According to the invention, this objective is attained by the technical teaching of the independent claims.
The invention essentially proposes two different methods for attaining this objective. The first method, described in Claims
1
,
2
and
17
as well as in the associated subclaims, essentially detects the rotation of a key inserted in the lock. Simultaneously to the rotation, a signal is generated. This signal either directly indicates the unlocking or locking of the lock (Claim
1
) or it is a coded signal associated with the locking direction, which must first be decoded by data matching (Claim
2
). As a function of this signal, data as to whether the lock has been unlocked or locked is subsequently stored and a corresponding display is activated.
The present invention is not necessarily intended to detect a rotation to the left or right. A first embodiment determines whether the key is rotating. At the same time it determines whether the lock is being unlocked or locked, independent of the actual direction of rotation. Thus, the direction of rotation is not determined first with a subsequent check whether this direction of rotation causes unlocking or locking. Rather, locking or unlocking is determined directly during the rotation.
The process according to Claim
2
can provide that the determination of the rotation including detection of the direction of rotation and the association with the locking direction are executed separately from each other. Thus, the system detects whether the key is being turned to the left or right and at the same time detects whether the lock locks toward the left or right. This detection is advantageously effected by markers mounted near the lock. The signal can thus include either only the direction of rotation (toward the left or right) or the direction of rotation and the locking direction.
This process can be further developed in that only sensors attached to the key itself, e.g., position sensors or ball sensors, detect the rotation of the key. Thus the key itself determines its own direction of ro
Hupp Thomas
Kuehne Georg
Sonderegger Wilhelm
Knobbe Martens Olson & Bear LLP
Pham Toan
VOS Verkehrs-Optimierungs-Systeme GmbH & Co. KG
Wu Daniel J.
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