Electricity: electrical systems and devices – Control circuits for electromagnetic devices – For relays or solenoids
Utility Patent
1998-05-11
2001-01-02
Gaffin, Jeffrey (Department: 2836)
Electricity: electrical systems and devices
Control circuits for electromagnetic devices
For relays or solenoids
C361S172000, C070S389000
Utility Patent
active
06169650
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of The Invention
Applicant's invention relates to the field access control devices. Specifically, applicant's invention is a novel method of access control for golf carts.
2. Background Information
Currently, access to golf carts are controlled by metal keys. Individuals obtain a metal key after paying the golf cart rental fee. However, golfers often fail to return the keys after finishing their rounds. Sometimes, the keys are simply forgotten and left in the cart. Other times, renters deliberately remove the keys so that they can keep and/or duplicate the keys for future free access to the golf carts.
Unauthorized access to golf carts creates several major problems for country clubs around the world. First, the stolen and/or duplicate keys allow golfers to use the golf carts without paying a rental fee. Second, because some facilities charge golf cart access on an individual rather than a per cart basis, two golfers can have access to the golf cart while only paying the rental fee for one golfer. Third, unauthorized access of golf carts increases the legal liability of the country club because the club cannot prevent unauthorized persons such as minors or highly intoxicated individuals from access to the golf carts. Finally, unauthorized use of golf carts increases the carts' maintenance costs such as washing, hours-based maintenance, battery replacement, damage repair, and wear and tear. All of the above factors result in significant revenue loss for country clubs around the world.
Inventions currently in the marketplace cannot solve the above problems. In order to prevent users of bus or gym lockers from removing and retaining locker keys for repeated future use, many lockers use a “captured” key principle. The locker key is secured in the keyhole until a user inserts payment in, for example, the form of coins. Once payment is inserted, the key is released from the keyhole and the user can lock the locker and remove the key. When the user reinserts the key to unlock the locker and gain access to his property, the key is captured by the keyhole until additional payment is inserted.
The above invention relies on the fact that the need to retrieve the property placed in the locker induces the keyholder to reinsert the key, thereby providing the opportunity for the lock mechanism to recapture the key. For golf carts, the inducement to reinsert the key will not occur until the first unauthorized access is attempted, rewarding the key-napper with at least one free use of the golf cart. Therefore, the gym locker key capture mechanism is unsuited for golf carts.
Another type of access control can be found in the protocol and mechanism used for safety deposit boxes. To open a safety deposit box, two keys, one in the possession of the safety deposit box renter and the other in the possession of a bank employee, must be used simultaneously to unlock the box. Applying this concept to golfcarts is impractical because it would require a country club employee to be present every time a golf cart is started up, thereby increasing the labor costs for country clubs.
Specialized magnetic lock and key combinations are sometimes used to prevent unauthorized copying of the key. The combination consists of a key with very small embedded magnets that can magnetically attract or repel magnetized tumbler elements in the lock. Once the appropriate tumbler elements have been attracted, the key can be rotated in the lock. Such a magnetic key cannot be easily duplicated. This concept, when applied to golf carts, would prevent renters from duplicating the keys. However, the inability to duplicate keys would only increase the number of stolen keys. Because stolen keys will continue to allow unauthorized golf cart access, not to mention requiring a costly replacement fee for each key, a magnetic lock and key combination will not give country clubs more control of their golf carts.
Finally, some country clubs control access to their golf carts by using radio controlled devices to activate or deactivate the golf carts. Although controlling golf cart access by remote control can limit unauthorized use of the carts, the radio controlled mechanism may break down easily. Furthermore, in order to prevent unauthorized access to golf carts, the country club must first know that the golf cart is being used by unauthorized personnel before it can deactivate the golf cart. In other words, the access control is not immediately effective. Because country clubs cannot immediate prevent a golf cart from being used by unauthorized personnel, radio controlled devices do not provide ideal golf cart access control.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide a novel single access control system that allows an authorized individual a single time access to a locked or deactivated device.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a single access control system that will physically capture a user-key so that the key can only be removed by using a special key removal tool.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a single access control system in which the user-key is difficult to duplicate due to both the mechanical tolerances of the key and the varied combination of magnetic polarity and field strength of the magnets embedded in the key.
It is another object of the present invention to provide single access control system that requires a special key removal tool that is difficult to duplicate due to mechanical tolerances of the key removal tool and the varied combination of magnetic polarity and field strength of the magnets embedded in the key-removal tool.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide specially coded user-keys that permits tracking golf cart usage back to the last user.
It is another object of the present invention to provide user-keys that are specially coded so as to enable inventory tracking by the owner of the single access control system.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide user-keys that are physically sized and shaped to help deter theft and accidental pocketing.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide specially coded user-keys that will reduce cross-facility compatibility and potential misuse by adjacent facility renters, staff, or other individuals.
In satisfaction of these and related objectives, Applicant's present invention provides a novel method and mechanism that allows a single access to a device. Currently, Applicants's invention is being used on golf carts only.
Applicant's invention, the single access control system and method, has three major components: the user-key, the control unit, and the combination removal and staging key. The user key comprises of a flat, steel cap perpendicularly attached to a generally elongated body. The elongated body is irregularly shaped in cross section to allow differently shaped keys to reduce cross facility compatibility. To prevent further cross facility compatibility, the size and shape of the steel cap can also be varied. User-key is larger than conventional metal keys to prevent accidental pocketing.
A plurality of magnets are embedded along the longitudinal axis of the elongated body of the user-key in a certain orientation and spacing such that, when the user-key is inserted into the control unit, the magnets line up with a plurality of hall-effect sensors located in the control unit. Furthermore, a notch is located near the distal end of the user key so that, when the user-key is inserted into the key receptacle, the notch provides a place for the user-key capture-plunger (to be described in the following paragraphs) to latch on and secure the user-key to the control unit, thus preventing unauthorized removal of the user-key.
The control unit comprises a generally flat face plate, a receptacle for key insertion, a leaf spring-capture-plunger assembly, a mechanism used to electronically activate the locked device (in the preferred embodiment a relay to activate the g
Gaffin Jeffrey
Gunn, Lee & Keeling
Huynh Kim
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