Patent ID: 6700475
Filing Date: 2004-03-02
Classification: G07C

Abstract:
An electronic closure system, comprising:a plurality of lockable and unlockable closure control units each associated with a different opening element of an object to be secured; and at least one authentication element which can be carried by a user; wherein; each respective closure control unit has at least one authentication element identification sensor which is arranged on the object and has a predetermined detection area outside the object, for producing differing closure control commands related to locking and/or unlocking of the said respective closure control unit, based on an external detection range of said detection area in which an authentication element is detected; external detection zones of said closure control units do not overlap, being separated by areas that are insensitive to any authentication element located there; each closure control unit includes an authentication element range sensor system for determining whether an authentication element identified in a particular external detection area is located in a range of the particular external detection area relatively closer to the object, or in a range relatively farther away from the object; each closure control unit automatically produces differing closure control commands for the closure unit upon identification of an authorizing authentication element, based on whether the identified authentication element is located in the range relatively closer to the object or relatively farther away from the object; in a particular detection area, the range relatively farther away from the object overlaps the range relatively closer to the object in a transitional area whereby hysteresis of the closure control command production process is provided; and each closure control unit produces a closure control command only when an authorizing authentication element has crossed into the inner range or the outer range from the overlap area, and does not produce a closure control command when the authorizing identification element enters the inner range or the outer range other than from the overlap area.