The present invention relates to access control systems, and more particularly, relates to access control systems having both mechanical security and electronic access control.
Current access control systems may electronically monitor and control access at an entryway to a secure area using, for example, a reader for reading an access card. Additionally, however, the secure area controlled by the access control system may include one or more entryways having a mechanical lock. For example, doors may have both mechanical security, e.g., a lock, and electronic access control, in this case, the mechanical lock mechanism takes precedence over the access control logic. Additionally, the doors having a lock may be opened by unlocking the lock using a typical door key, or alternatively a master key which overrides the access control system. Alternative access control systems and security systems may include electronically activated mechanical locks. Such control systems may also include multiple entryways, for example, on a floor of a building or the entire building, for example, as shown in commonly-owned, and co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. (11/782,557), the entire contents and disclosure of which is expressly incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
A shortcoming of such systems is that the access control system is not able to monitor when the door is opened by a key. Further, the access control system is not able to identify who is passing through the doorway. If the system has a door position switch, the access control system will have only a record of the door opening, but not an identity and record of the key which opened the lock mechanically. In an access control system which has a door position switch, the door opening event will appear as a forced entry. Another shortcoming of such systems is that a person who is authorized to enter and uses the key entry, either a typical key or a master key, will trigger the forced entry alarm. The system does not have the ability to authenticate and identify the access using one or more keys. This situation is disadvantageous since the accuracy of the access control system is compromised due to the unidentified entry.
It would therefore be desirable to provide a method and access control system utilizing the method for identifying a key used in a door lock. It would further be desirable for the method and access control system to determine if action is required based on the key identification. It would also be desirable for the method and access control system to identify the key and electronically allow access to a secure area by remotely opening a door based on the key identification.
A system for controlling access to a secure area including a lock having a locked and unlocked position for controlling access to a secure area. The lock includes pins for locking and unlocking the lock, and the pins include a predetermined position for unlocking the lock. An electronic access device communicates with the pins for electrically measuring movement of the pins and determining an unlock pin code for the predetermined position of the pins for unlocking the lock. The electronic access device electrically measures pin movement by a key and determines a key code for the key from the pin movement. A control device electrically communicates with the electronic access device, and the control device identifies the key code and determines when the key code matches the unlock pin code.
In a related aspect, the control device controls access to the secure area using an access interface proximal to the lock. The control device may control access to the secure area using at least one governing pin in the lock. The control device allows access using the governing pin when the key code matches the unlock pin code and denies access using the governing pin when the key code does not match the unlock pin code. The pins may each include shear points aligning with a cylinder shear line for unlocking the lock when the key code matches the unlock pin code.
In a related aspect, the pins are a first set of pins and the system further includes a second set of pins in the lock. Each pin of the second set of pins includes a shear point aligning with a cylinder shear line. An actuator in the lock communicates with the second set of pins, and the actuator is controlled by the control device for moving the second set of pins to align with the shear line for unlocking the lock when the key code matches the unlock pin code. In another embodiment, multiple pin codes allow respective multiple key codes from respective keys to allow access using the control device. The pin movement may be measured by a resistance measurement of a spring biasing the pin towards a key insertion passageway in the lock. The pin movement may be measured by a tension measurement of a spring biasing the pin towards a key insertion passageway in the lock. The pin movement may be measured using capacitance. The capacitance may be measured by sensing increased capacitance when the pin is pushed into a cylinder in the lock by the key. In another embodiment, the pin movement may be measured using inductance. The inductance my be measured by measuring the length of a spring biasing the pin towards a key insertion passageway in the lock.
In a related aspect, the control device determines a security event by determining when the key code matches the unlock pin code. The control device may also generate a signal when the key code does not match the unlock pin code.
In another aspect of the invention, a method for controlling access to a secure area comprises: controlling access to a secure area using a lock having a locked and unlocked position, the lock including pins for locking and unlocking the lock, the pins including a predetermined position for unlocking the lock; electrically measuring movement of the pins using an electronic access device communicating with the pin; determining an unlock pin code for the predetermined position of the pins for unlocking the lock; measuring pin movement by a key using the electronic access device; determining a key code for the key from the pin movement; identifying the key code using a control device electrically communicating with the electronic access device; and determining when the key code matches the unlock pin code for authenticating the key using the control device.
In another aspect of the invention, a computer program product comprises a computer readable medium having recorded thereon a computer program for enabling a processor in a computer system to control access to a secure area, the computer program performing the steps of controlling access to a secure area using a lock having a locked and unlocked position, the lock including pins for locking and unlocking the lock, the pins including a predetermined position for unlocking the lock; electrically measuring movement of the pins using an electronic access device communicating with the pin; determining an unlock pin code for the predetermined position of the pins for unlocking the lock; measuring pin movement by a key using the electronic access device; determining a key code for the key from the pin movement; identifying the key code using a control device electrically communicating with the electronic access device; and determining when the key code matches the unlock pin code for authenticating the key using the control device.
These and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of illustrative embodiments thereof, which is to be read in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:
a is a detail block diagram of the spring platform and the actuator shown in
b is a detailed block diagram of the spring platform and actuator shown in
Referring to
A control device 60 electrically communicates with the access device 22. The control device 60 includes a computer readable medium embodied as a data storage device 64 having a program 62 stored therein, and is connected to a processor 68. Using the program 62, the control device 60 identifies the key code received from the access device 22 and verifies the key code by determining whether the key code matches the unlock pin code for unlocking the lock to determine authentication of the key. Thereby, the control device 60 identifies and verifies or authenticates the key 70. The control device 60 also records entry into the secure area 15 using either card access or key entry. Further, the control device 60 identifies when the lock 20 is opened using an unidentified key, for example, a false or blank key used to compromise the lock. Additionally, the control device 60 generates an alarm or a signal 69, for example, using a transceiver 65, to communicate a security event, e.g., an unauthorized entry. The signal may be sent to a receiving entity such as authorized personnel or a remote monitoring station 69a. The security event is triggered when the key code does not match the unlock pin code for the predetermined position of the pins for unlocking the lock, and thus the key 70 is not authenticated.
An access interface embodied as a reader 50 communicates with the control device 60 and includes a microprocessor 54. A user provides identification to gain entry into the secure area 15 by presenting, for example, an access identification (ID) card (not shown) for swiping through the reader 50. The access device 50 includes the microprocessor (μP) 54 for reading the ID card and communicating with the control device 60. The access device 50 communicates with the control device 60 which analyzes and identifies the ID card.
Referring to
In one embodiment of the invention, referring to
Referring to
Referring to
In another embodiment, the measuring device 46 measures inductance for each pin 24. The inductance of each spring 34 is measured using the measuring device 46, which will be inversely proportional to the length of the spring 34. Thus, as the pin 24 is pushed upwards in the cylinder housing 36, the inductance increases. Similarly, the inductance reading is processed by the microprocessor 23 of the access device 22 to determine the measurement of the pin 24 movement and determine the key code from the pin movement.
Referring to
Additionally, referring to
Referring to
Thereby, the present invention solves the problem of identifying a key in a lock, particularly in a duel access security system having electronic access and a lock, by measuring how the key presses or moves the pins in the lock. The movement is analyzed to determine an identification number associated with the measurement or key code, which is sent to the control device 60. The control device 60 records the event and may control additional pins, such as the solid pins 90 in
Thereby, the embodiment of the present invention provide complete accountability of all entries into a secure area 15 through the door 18. Additionally, the lock is able to use more than one key to unlock the lock as the mechanical opening is controlled by the control device 60 in the embodiments shown in
While the present invention has been particularly shown and described with respect to preferred embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that changes in forms and details may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present application. It is therefore intended that the present invention not be limited to the exact forms and details described and illustrated herein, but falls within the scope of the appended claims.
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
3500326 | Benford | Mar 1970 | A |
3631301 | Goldman | Dec 1971 | A |
3764859 | Wood et al. | Oct 1973 | A |
3782148 | Goldman | Jan 1974 | A |
3911397 | Freeny, Jr. | Oct 1975 | A |
4050063 | Schull | Sep 1977 | A |
4322719 | Moorhouse | Mar 1982 | A |
4489359 | Suzuki | Dec 1984 | A |
4591852 | Brod | May 1986 | A |
4789859 | Clarkson et al. | Dec 1988 | A |
4833465 | Abend et al. | May 1989 | A |
4912460 | Chu | Mar 1990 | A |
4931789 | Pinnow | Jun 1990 | A |
5309152 | Krucoff | May 1994 | A |
5691711 | Jorgensen | Nov 1997 | A |
5771722 | DiVito et al. | Jun 1998 | A |
6237379 | Hotzl | May 2001 | B1 |
6382007 | Wright | May 2002 | B1 |
6496101 | Stillwagon | Dec 2002 | B1 |
6975202 | Rodriguez et al. | Dec 2005 | B1 |
20040051380 | Okada | Mar 2004 | A1 |
20050144995 | Russell et al. | Jul 2005 | A1 |
20090025435 | Popowski | Jan 2009 | A1 |
20100139340 | Gerner | Jun 2010 | A1 |
20100148918 | Gerner et al. | Jun 2010 | A1 |
Number | Date | Country |
---|---|---|
40 12 408 | Aug 1991 | DE |
44 39 744 | Apr 1995 | DE |
Number | Date | Country | |
---|---|---|---|
20100077809 A1 | Apr 2010 | US |