Patent ID: 6745941
Filing Date: 2004-06-08
Classification: G07C

Abstract:
An electronic key for accessing an electronic lock, the key comprising:a key case sized for holding in one hand; an optical scanner coupled to the key case and storable within the key case, the optical scanner comprising an optical scanning element connected to an optical scanning circuit, a user interface on the exterior of the key case that can receive user input for accessing locks and performing scanning operations; and a circuit housed within the key case and being connected to the user interface and the optical scanner, the circuit comprising: a first memory serving to store access data detailing identities of locks accessed by the key, a second memory serving to store data scanned by the optical scanner, and a shared data transfer circuit by which both the access data and the scanned data can be downloaded from the keys, wherein the key allows for single-handed scanning of optically readable media.