Patent ID: 11866957
Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
Field: Civil engineering (Other fields)
Classification: CPC E  G | IPC E

Claim 0:
1. An apparatus for a lock housing and a key structure, the lock housing and the key structure being for use with a locking mechanism, where the lock housing and the key structure are separate components, the apparatus comprising:
an enclosure of the lock housing, the enclosure extending in a longitudinal direction from a first end of the enclosure to a second end of the enclosure, the enclosure provided with a central processing unit, a power source, a first distance measuring device, at least a first compressible member, and at least a first housing pin disposed in the enclosure, wherein the central processing unit is electrically coupled to the power source and the first distance measuring device;
a first end of the first compressible member is mechanically coupled to a first end of the first housing pin and a second end of the first compressible member is mechanically coupled to an inner surface of the enclosure;
the first distance measuring device positioned at the second end of the first compressible member;
a first key pin of the key structure insertable along the longitudinal direction into an opening in the first end of the enclosure of the lock housing, where a second end of the first housing pin engages with an end of the first key pin, wherein the first end of the first key pin at least partially aligns with the second end of the first housing pin when inserted into the enclosure of the lock housing, such that the first end of the first key pin is configured to press the second end of the first housing pin;
wherein the first compressible member is compressible in the longitudinal direction by the first key pin of the key structure inserting into the enclosure of the lock housing;
wherein the first distance measuring device is configured to measure a first distance from the second end of the first compressible member to the first end of the first housing pin along the longitudinal direction, where a first distance measurable by the first distance measuring device and a distance of insertion of the first key pin is the same as a distance of compression of the first compressible member;
wherein the central processing unit is configured to generate a signal to the locking mechanism based on the first distance measurable by the first distance measuring device.