Patent ID: 6318137
Filing Date: 2001-11-20
Classification: E05B,G05B,G07C,Y10T

Abstract:
An electronic lock system for use with flat rigid cylinder-lock type keys, the electronic lock system comprising:a keyway channel configured to accept one at a time, a plurality of purely mechanical, flat rigid cylinder-lock type keys, each of said keys having a keyway portion configured to be inserted into a corresponding keyway channel of a different purely mechanical lock, said keyway portion having a length dimension, a height dimension, and a thickness dimension, said length dimension, said thickness dimension, and said height dimension being mutually orthogonal and descending in size, said keyway portion having bitting cuts intended to position corresponding lock tumblers at corresponding heights, said bitting cuts perpendicular to said length dimension and said height dimension, each of said bitting cuts reducing at least a portion of a height of said keyway portion to form a bitting profile shape, said thickness dimension equal or less than approximately 0.1 inches, said keyway portions having different warding grooves parallel with the length dimension, the plurality of keys intended for use with the corresponding different purely mechanical locks, wherein the different purely mechanical locks have independent and incompatible warding and tumbler spacings and the plurality of keys have not been modified to be used with the electronic lock system;a memory configured to store corresponding shape related information of said bitting profile shapes;a sensor configured to sense at least a portion of the bitting profile shapes of flat rigid cylinder-lock type keys inserted into said keyway channel of the electronic locking system;a comparator coupled to the memory and the sensor, the comparator configured to compare a sensed bitting profile shape with the stored shape related information stored in said memory; andan actuator configured to unlock the electronic locking system at least partially in response to the comparator determining that the sensed bitting profile shape corresponds to at least the portion of the stored shape related information.