Patent Application
20190304223
This application is based upon and claims the benefit of priority from the prior Japanese Patent Applications No. 2018-68967 filed on Mar. 30, 2018 and No. 2018-133311 filed on Jul. 13, 2018, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
This disclosure relates to a digital key system for locking and unlocking a digital lock by use of a digital key.
As a conventional art, Patent Document 1 discloses a digital key system. This digital key system includes a digital lock attached to a storage cabinet, a digital key to be used in common by a plurality of users to unlock the digital lock, and a digital key box that includes personal authentication means and is configured to storage and manage digital keys centrally.
Further, Patent Document 2 discloses an electronic lock system configured to transmit and receive data mutually between a key and a lock body to lock or unlock. Patent Document 3 discloses a user specification system configured to identify a user who uses an electronic key. Patent Document 4 discloses a control system configured to perform action control such as activation of an information device and so on in synchronization with opening/closing using a key. Furthermore, Patent Document 5 discloses a key system with a key having an RFID tag.
Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent No. 5727845
Patent Document 2: Japanese patent unexamined application publication No. H09-132977 (1997)
Patent Document 3: Japanese patent unexamined application publication No. 2016-215779
Patent Document 4: Japanese patent unexamined application publication No. 2014-58854
Patent Document 5: Japanese patent unexamined application publication No. 2014-173376
In the digital key system disclosed in Patent Document 1, the digital lock is a lock to be powered by a battery. Thus, when the battery has run out or is running low, a troublesome work for battery change is required. In particular, when a storage cabinet is installed on a place or site not easily accessible (for example, facilities to which access is restricted or some places deep in the mountains), it is not easy to change the battery of the digital lock. In such a case, when a user intends to unlock the digital lock with the digital key, the digital lock may not be unlocked because of shortage of battery power.
It is thus conceivable to derive power for the digital lock from an external power source. However, when a storage cabinet is installed on a site where external power is not easily available, the digital lock also may not be unlocked.
Since a digital key is to be used in common by a plurality of users, therefore, it is necessary to authenticate the authority required to unlock a digital lock with the digital key to be used. Thus, a controller of the digital lock has to authenticate the authority while obtaining drive power. However, this may lead to a complicated structure of the digital key system.
In the system disclosed in Patent Document 2, the lock body is operated by power (electric current) supplied from the key. However, an exciting unit needs to be provided to convert DC current supplied from a battery provided in the key to AC current (e.g., high-frequency (HF) energy, high-frequency signal) through an exciting circuit. For this purpose, the system structure tends to be complicated and the exciting circuit of the exciting unit has to be activated to supply the power from the key to the lock body. This activation of the exciting circuit of the exciting unit may generate power loss and cause additional power consumption. Therefore, when a lock is placed in a mountainous secluded area that few people usually go to, the key needs to be provided with a power switch to cut normal power consumption in order to save management of power consumption.
The system disclosed in Patent Document 3 is premised on a key and a lock each of which is provided with a power supply. This system is intended to specify a user by authenticating ID information through communication means, such as radio transmission.
The system disclosed in Patent Document 4 is premised on a key and a lock each of which is provided with a power supply. This system is intended to reduce management cost by authenticating ID information through some communication means and further by registering an operation or action record on an IC tab of a key.
In the system disclosed in Patent Document 5, the key is provided with an antenna to be connected to an IC tag, and a terminal part of a conductive substrate to be connected to the antenna. Furthermore, the lock is provided with a power supply and configured to contact with the key to exchange information when the key is inserted in the lock. For supply of power to the IC tag, high-frequency energy is supplied from the lock through a contact portion of the conductive substrate.
The present disclosure has been made to address the above problems and has a purpose to provide a digital key system with a simple structure to enable a controller of a digital lock to obtain drive power from a digital key and authenticate authority information of the digital key.
To achieve the above-mentioned purpose, one aspect of the present disclosure provides a digital key system comprising: a digital key; a digital lock to be locked and unlocked with the digital key; and a controller configured to control the digital lock, wherein the digital key includes a battery and a non-contact memory configured to store unlocking authority information corresponding to information of an authority needed to unlock the digital lock, the controller includes: a near field communication unit configured to perform communication with the digital key; and a microcomputer configured to control the near field communication unit, the digital key and the digital lock each include two terminals and are configured to provide an electric circuit when the digital key and the digital lock are connected to each other through the respective two terminals, the electric circuit being configured to superimpose and separate a high-frequency signal and a DC current, and when the microcomputer starts operating upon receiving the DC current supplied from the battery through the electric circuit when the digital key is connected with the digital lock, the microcomputer being configured to cause the near field communication unit to perform communication by the high-frequency signal with the digital key through the electric circuit to read the unlocking authority information from the non-contact memory, and authenticate the read unlocking authority information.
According to the above configuration, the digital key and the digital lock use respective two terminals to perform communication by a high-frequency signal and supply DC current through an electric circuit configured to superimpose and separate the high-frequency signal and the DC current. Thus, the digital key system can be simplified in structure with the small number of terminals necessary to connect the digital key and the digital lock. Thus, the controller of the digital lock can obtain drive power from the digital key and authenticate authority information of the digital key through the simple structure.
According to a digital key system of the present disclosure, a controller of a digital lock is enabled with a simple structure to obtain drive power from a digital key and authenticate authority information of a digital key.
A detailed description of an embodiment of a digital key system which is one of typical embodiments of this disclosure will now be given referring to the accompanying drawings.
As shown in
The digital key 11 will be described below. As shown in
The key body 11a is provided with an electric circuit shown in
The battery 31 is a rechargeable battery, such as a polymer lithium battery. The electromagnetic induction coil 32 is a coil to read information from the non-contact memory 35 in a non-contact manner. The inductance coils 33 are electronic components configured to pass DC current and block a high-frequency signal. The condensers 34 are electronic components configured to pass a high-frequency signal and block DC current. The non-contact memory 35 is a memory configured to store the unlocking authority information and unlocking execution information. The unlocking authority information is the information on authority needed to unlock the digital lock 12. The unlocking execution information is the information indicating that unlocking of the digital lock 12 was executed.
The schematic configuration of the digital lock 12 will be described below. The digital lock 12 is configured to be unlocked and locked with the digital key 11. This digital lock 12 includes a first terminal 41 (i.e., a first lock terminal) and a second terminal 42 (i.e., a second lock terminal). These first terminal 41 and second terminal 42 will be connected respectively to the first terminal 21 and the second terminal 22 of the digital key 11 when the digital key 11 is inserted in the key hole of the lock connected to the digital lock 12. In the present embodiment, specifically, the digital key 11 and the digital lock 12 are connected to each other through the respective two terminals.
Furthermore, the digital lock 12 is provided with an electric circuit shown in
In the digital key 11 and the digital lock 12 in the present embodiment, moreover, the electric circuit of the digital key 11 and the electric circuit of the digital lock 12 are connected to each other through two terminals, that is, the first terminals 21 and 41 and the second terminals 22 and 42 as shown in
The schematic configuration of the controller 13 will be described below. The controller 13 is configured to control the digital lock 12 and includes the NFC unit 61 and a microcomputer 62. The NFC unit 61 is one example of a near field communication unit in the present disclosure. Specifically, the NFC unit 61 is configured to perform near-field radio communication and communicate with the digital key 11. The microcomputer 62 is configured to control the NFC unit 61.
The above configured digital key system 1 is operated as below. Firstly, the unlocking authority information is written into the non-contact memory 35 of the digital key 11. This writing of the unlocking authority information into the non-contact memory 35 is performed through a network by use of a terminal; for example, a smartphone. It is to be noted that writing of the unlocking authority information, into the non-contact memory 35 may be carried out for example by insertion of the digital key 11 into a digital key box (not shown).
Secondly, a user inserts the digital key 11 into a key hole of a lock to connect the digital key 11 to the digital lock 12. Accordingly, the first terminal 21 of the digital key 11 is connected to the first terminal 41 of the digital lock 12 and also the second terminal 22 of the digital key 11 is connected to the second terminal 42 of the digital lock 12. In the above manner, the digital key 11 and the digital lock 12 are connected to each other through the two terminals.
Since an inductance coil allows DC current to pass, the DC current from the battery 31 of the digital key 11 passes through the inductance coils 33 and the inductance coils 51 and then is transmitted to the controller 13 through the stabilized power supply 53. On the other hand, since a condenser does not allow DC current to pass, the DC current from the battery 31 of the digital key 11 is blocked by the condensers 34 and the condensers 52 and therefore is not transmitted to the electromagnetic induction coil 32 and the NFC unit 61. In the above manner, the microcomputer 62 starts operating upon receiving the DC current (i.e., drive current) supplied from the battery 31 of the digital key 11 through the electric circuit EC.
The microcomputer 62 to be operated as above causes the NFC unit 61 to perform communication by a high-frequency signal (a signal having for example a frequency of 13.56 MHz) with the digital key 11 through the electric circuit EC to read unlocking authority information from the non-contact memory 35. Specifically, the NFC unit 61 performs communication by a high-frequency signal with the non-contact memory 35 to obtain the unlocking authority information stored in the non-contact memory 35. Herein, since a condenser allows a high-frequency signal to pass, the high-frequency signal passes through the condensers 52 and the condensers 34 to transmit between the NFC unit 61 and the electromagnetic induction coil 32. On the other hand, since an inductance coil does not allow a high-frequency signal to pass, the high-frequency signal is blocked by the inductance coils 51 and the inductance coils 33 and thus is not transmitted to the battery 31 and the stabilized power supply 53. Thus, the microcomputer 62 performs authentication of the unlocking authority information read as above.
In the present embodiment, specifically, the electric circuit EC operates to superimpose the DC current from the battery 31 of the digital key 11 and the high-frequency signal transmitted from the non-contact memory 35 via the electromagnetic induction coil 32, and transmit the superimposed signal from the digital key 11 to the digital lock 12. In the digital lock 12, thereafter, the superimposed signal is separated into the DC current and the high-frequency signal so that they are transmitted respectively to the microcomputer 62 and the NFC unit 61.
When the unlocking authority information is successfully authenticated, the microcomputer 62 unlocks the digital lock 12. Thus, the digital key 11 inserted in for example a key hole of a lock of a storage cabinet is enabled to rotate, thereby allowing a door of the storage cabinet to be opened. At that time, furthermore, the non-contact memory 35 of the digital key 11 stores the unlocking execution information.
In the present embodiment, the unlocking authority information written in the non-contact memory 35 enables only one-time unlocking of the digital lock 12. Therefore, after the digital lock 12 is unlocked once, if this digital lock 12 is to be unlocked again, the unlocking authority information has to be written in the non-contact memory 35 again.
The digital key system 1 in the present embodiment can be applied to for example a storage cabinet 71 as shown in
Hereinafter, differences of the digital key system 1 in the present embodiment from the foregoing conventional arts, i.e., Patent Documents 2 to 5, will be mentioned.
The digital key system 1 in the present embodiment is configured such that the lock (e.g., the digital lock 12) is not provided with a power supply (e.g., a battery) in order to reduce man-hour for managing consumption of a battery and keep records of authentication and operation of the system even when the lock is placed in a mountainous secluded area that few people usually go to. As above, the digital key system 1 in the present embodiment is intended to achieve a lock with no power supply. This configuration is therefore different in purpose to be achieved from the systems disclosed in Patent Documents 3 to 5 in which each lock includes a power supply.
Herein, the foregoing system in Patent Document 2 is configured such that the lock includes no power supply. In other words, the digital key system 1 in the present embodiment and the system in Patent Document 2 are common in the configuration that a key is provided with a battery (e.g., a DC power supply) and the power energy (i.e., electric power, electric current) from this battery is supplied to a lock through a connection part in which the key and the lock are connected to each other. However, regarding the flow of supply of the power energy in the connection part in which the key and the lock are connected, the digital key system 1 in the present embodiment is obviously different from the system in Patent Document 2.
In the system 101 in Patent Document 2, as shown in
In the system 101 in Patent Document 2 configured as above, the power transmission circuit 122A (e.g., the exciting circuit) of the exciting unit 122 has to be activated in order to supply power from the key 111 to the lock 112. This generates power loss due to activation of the power transmission circuit 122A (e.g., the exciting circuit) of the exciting unit 122, resulting in power consumption. When the lock 112 is placed in a mountainous secluded area that few people normally go to, therefore, the key 111 needs to be provide with a power switch to cut normal power consumption in order to save management of power consumption caused by activation of the power transmission circuit 122A (e.g., the exciting circuit).
In contrast, as shown in
In the digital key system 1 in the present embodiment configured as above, there are not the power transmission circuit (e.g., the exciting circuit) and the rectifier needed for the system 101 in Patent Document 2. Accordingly, the digital key system 1 in the present embodiment does not generate any power loss due to activation of the power transmission circuit (e.g., the exciting circuit) and hence does not cause power consumption. Thus, when a lock (e.g., the digital lock 12) is placed in a mountainous secluded area that few people usually go to, it is unnecessary to manage power consumption caused by activation of the power transmission circuit (e.g., the exciting circuit) and hence a power switch does not need to be provided to cut normal power consumption.
In the digital key system 1 in the present embodiment, furthermore, when the lock receives supply of DC current, an RFID (radio frequency identifier) reader-writer 54 (which is provided for example in the NFC unit 61 shown in
In the digital key system 1 in the present embodiment, accordingly, in the connection part 23, the DC current and the high-frequency signal are superimposed to mutually supply power energy (electric power) between the lock and the key. In
In the system in Patent Document 4, as shown in
The foregoing configuration of the digital key system 1 in the present embodiment is summarized below.
(1) When the battery 31 of the key is connected to the lock, power is supplied from the battery 31 to the RFID reader-writer 54. The RFID reader-writer 54 generates a high-frequency (HF) signal of e.g. 13.56 MHz upon receiving power in the form of the DC current supplied from the battery 31.
(2) The generated high-frequency signal can be supplied to an antenna of the key through the use of a DC current line (i.e., a transmission path of the DC current). At this time, the high-frequency signal can be mixed with, or superimposed on, the DC current.
(3) The high-frequency signal transmitted to the antenna (i.e., the electromagnetic induction coil 32) of the key is connected by electromagnetic induction to the RFID placed near the antenna.
(4) Since the RFID is placed near the antenna, the RFID can use part of the high-frequency signal as power (i.e., HF energy, AC current) to allow communication with the RFID reader-writer 54.
(5) Specifically, even when the lock has no power supply, the battery 31 of the key can operate the lock to allow access management using the RFID.
<Differences from General RFID System>
The digital key system 1 in the present embodiment is basically identical in structure to a general RFID system, but greatly differs from the general RFID system in a power supply method used to utilize the digital key system 1. Specifically, the digital key system 1 in the present embodiment is configured with a different method for power supply to an RFID system from a conventional method, so that the digital key system 1 can be beneficially used.
Therefore, the structure of the RFID system in the digital key system 1 in the present embodiment and the position of a power supply thereof will be explained below by comparison with the structure of the general RFID system and the position of a power supply thereof.
In the general RFID system, as shown in
In contrast, the digital key system 1 in the present embodiment is identical in the structure of an RFID system to the general RFID system shown in
The digital key system 1 in the present embodiment is provided with the system structure identical to the conventional general RFID system and improved in power supply method to eliminate the need to additionally provide a power supply device, such as a battery, which is needed in the lock. If the lock includes a battery, this battery needs to be replaced regularly before it runs out and thus such a replacement work leads to an increase in management load. In the digital key system 1 in the present embodiment, however, there is no need to manage a power supply (e.g., a battery) on the lock side. Consequently, the lock can be placed even in mountainous secluded areas or isolated islands where the lock could not be placed heretofore. Furthermore, the digital key system 1 in the present embodiment can provide the following advantages. One advantage is that the RFID system is almost identical in structure to currently widely available RFID systems and thus mass-produced electronic parts or components can also be directly utilized for the digital key system 1. Another advantage is that availability of such mass-produced parts enables a digital key system (i.e., an electronic lock system) to be provided at low cost.
Furthermore, the RFID in the key in
In the digital key system 1 in the present embodiment, as described above, the digital key 11 and the digital lock 12 are connected to each other through the two terminals, thereby forming an electric circuit EC to superimpose and separate a high-frequency signal and a DC current. The microcomputer 62 starts operating upon receiving the DC current supplied from the battery 31 provided in the digital key 11 through the electric circuit EC when the digital key 11 is connected to the digital lock 12. The microcomputer 62 operated in such a way causes the NFC unit 61 to perform communication by the high-frequency signal with the digital key 11 through the electric circuit EC to read the unlocking authority information from the non-contact memory 35, and authenticate the read unlocking authority information.
As above, the digital key 11 and the digital lock 12 perform intercommunication by the high-frequency signal and supply of the DC current through the electric circuit EC by use of the two terminals. Thus, the digital key system 1 can be simplified in structure with a reduced number of terminals for connecting the digital key 11 and the digital lock 12. With this simple structure, therefore, the microcomputer 62 can obtain DC current from the digital key 11 and authenticate the unlocking authority information.
Accordingly, even when the storage cabinet 71 provided with the digital lock 12 is installed on a site not easily accessible (for example, facilities to which access is restricted or some places deep in the mountains), the digital lock 12 does not need battery change and further the microcomputer 62 can obtain drive power from the digital key 11 to perform authentication of the unlocking authority information.
Moreover, even when the storage cabinet 71 provided with the digital lock 12 is placed on a site where external power is not easily available, the digital lock 12 does not need to obtain the external power and further the microcomputer 62 can obtain drive power from the digital key 11 to authenticate the unlocking authority information.
Furthermore, the battery 31 of the digital key 11 has only to be used as a drive power supply at least for the microcomputer 62 to perform authentication of the unlocking authority information and therefore power consumption can be kept down, leading to a long battery life. Since the digital key 11 needs no microcomputer, the structure of the digital key 11 can be simplified.
The electric circuit EC includes the inductance coils 33 provided in the digital key 11 and configured to pass DC current and block a high-frequency signal and the condensers 34 provided in the digital key 11 and configured to pass a high-frequency signal and block DC current. The electric circuit EC further includes the inductance coils 51 provided in the digital lock 12 and configured to pass DC current and block a high-frequency signal and the condensers 52 provided in the digital lock 12 and configured to pass a high-frequency signal and block DC current. Accordingly, the above simple structure enables superimposition and separation of the high-frequency signal and the DC current.
In the connection part 23 where the two terminals; that is, the first terminals 21 and 41 and the second terminals 22 and 42, are connected with each other, a DC current and a high-frequency signal are superimposed, so that power (electric energy) is mutually supplied between the digital key 11 and the digital lock 12. Thus, even when the digital lock 12 includes no power supply, the battery 31 of the digital key 1 can operate the digital lock 12 to allow access management using the RFID.
In the digital key system 1 in the present embodiment, the unlocking authority information is the information that enables unlocking of the digital lock 12 until the unlocking authority information itself is deleted or within the limit of the number of times of using the digital lock 12. For example, the unlocking authority information is only valid until it is deleted or within the limited number of times of usage. This makes it possible to prevent the digital lock 12 from being unlocked without authority by use of the digital key 11 which can be commonly used by more than one user.
In the digital key system 1 in the present embodiment, moreover, the non-contact memory 35 is configured to store unlocking execution information representing that unlocking of the digital lock 12 was executed. This allows a user to check of the unlocking history that the digital lock 12 was executed.
In the digital key system 1 in the present embodiment, the non-contact memory 35 is configured to write therein the unlocking authority information through a network. Accordingly, even when no dedicated device (e.g., a digital key box) for writing unlocking authority information into the non-contact memory 35, the unlocking authority information can be written into the non-contact memory 35 by use of a terminal connected to a network. Thus, in any places as long as under an environment where a network is available, the unlocking authority information can be written into the non-contact memory 35.
The non-contact memory 35 has only to store at least the unlocking authority information and the unlocking execution information. For the non-contact memory 35, therefore, a low-cost memory having a low memory capacity can be used.
The digital key system 1 may be configured such that the digital lock 12 includes for example an LED (one example of a display unit) which is turned on to indicate that the microcomputer 62 has started operating by connection of the digital key 11 to the digital lock 12. This enables a user to externally check that the microcomputer 62 is operating, so that the user can verify that the digital key 11 currently being used is undergoing authentication of the unlocking authority information. Furthermore, the LED may be lighted on or blinked to indicate that the microcomputer 62 has checked the unlocking authority information and successively authenticated the digital lock 12, that is, the digital lock 12 has been unlocked.
The foregoing embodiments are mere examples and give no limitation to the present invention. The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the essential characteristics thereof.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-068967 | Mar 2018 | JP | national |
| 2018-133311 | Jul 2018 | JP | national |
