AN ELECTRONIC LOCK

Abstract: In an electronic/electromagnetic lock there is provided an input (113) of a picklock. Via the picklock input an electronic picklock can be connected in order to open the lock if the lock cannot be opened in a normal manner, for example at a power failure. Preferably also power and a reset signal can be connected via the same input. When picklocking the lock at least two and preferably three independent codes are required in order to open the lock.

Description: AN ELECTRONIC LOCK TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to an electronic lock and in particular to a method for coding an electronic lock BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION AND PRIOR ART In conventional locks of an electronic type there is often a problem of how these should be picklocked when a normal key hole is not present. It is thus desirable that an authorized locksmith should be able to open a lock of electronic type but that a non-authorized person shall not be able to perform this, not even having access to an advanced electronic equipment . DETAILED DESCRIPTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a door lock in an electronically controlled door which is possible to picklock by an authorized person but which is difficult to open for a non-authorized person. This object and other objects is obtained by means of an electronic/electromechanical door lock comprising a lock housing arranged to cooperate with a securing plate. The lock housing is normally fed with power from an external power source. In the lock there is at least one input provided to interwork with an electronic picklock through which input power supply and a data signal can be transmitted to the lock. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The present invention will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein - Fig. 1 is a schematic view of an electromechanical lock. - Fig. 2 is a schematic view of an alternative embodiment of an electromechanical lock. DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS In Fig. 1 a schematic view of an electromechanical lock 101 is shown. The lock 101 is located in a door comprising a door leaf 103 in a door frame 105. In the door frame there is an electronic bus 107 provided, which preferably supplies the lock with electrical power as well as data signals. In particular the bus 107 is a so-called LanCap-bus. In the frame there is further provided a bus interface 109 having an integrated microcomputer. The interface 109 is connected to a memory 111, to a picklock interface/picklock terminal 113, to position sensors 115 and to an electromagnetic manoeuvring means 117 cooperating with a lockhead 119 in the doorframe by means of transmission of an electromagnetic field. By means of controlling the electromagnetic field from the microcomputer via the manoeuvring means 117 both power and information about to which position a bolt 120 in the doorframe is to be driven is transmitted. The bolt can for example be driven using an electrical motor 121 which is fed with electric power transmitted from the doorframe via the electromagnetic field. The memory 111 in the doorframe comprises lock algorithms, a picklock code and a lock identity. The position sensors 115 are arranged to sense the position of the bolt 120. By means of continuously sensing the position of the bolt it can be checked that the lock is working properly and in case it is not, an alarm can be given. Preferably the part of the lock located in the door comprises the corresponding position sensors 123 in order to ensure that the lock is working properly and in order to make manipulation of the lock more difficult. In the case when the bolt leaves the securing plate, an alarm is given directly from the motor electronics. In other types of lock a separate sensor must be provided for house breaking alarms, since no indication is given if for example the frame is pressed from the door panel . A lock as described above can directly sense that the bolt is located in the correct position in the securing plate and the lock can then interwork intimately and directly with an alarm system. In a preferred embodiment, the lock is provided with alternating codes, so-called running codes. A code which relies on automatic incrementation of the code at every command that an element performs, of course results in that old codes are blocked or become invalid. It will also be more difficult to crack the code when segments can be given at different occasions and data can then be concealed in the transmission. The lock as described above can also comprise a capacitor (not shown) in the door. This capacitor is provided in order to store energy before a control command (lock or unlock) is given to the lock, so that additional energy is available in order to cut off the current peak initially present in the lock at the start of the bolt movement . The result is a faster start and shorter manoeuvring times. In order to obtain information about the position of the bolt normally electronic sensors located in connection to the bolt or to mechanical parts connected to the bolt are used. This is easy to perform in a motor lock mounted in a door panel having a direct electrical connection to external electronics . In a lock as described above electromagnetic transmission of data and power is used and the transmission is usually only directed from the securing plate to the lock housing. At the securing plate sensing can take place when the bolt is located in a locked position. This is advantageous from an alarm point of view, since the locking joint easily can be monitored. When the bolt is located in the other position and the lock is unlocked there is no possibility of directly sensing the position of the bolt in the securing plate. This can however easily be taken care of by means of letting the bolt act on a lever or a wire placed in a 180° position having a coating which pushes a magnet suspended in the lock housing towards the securing plate. The sensor which is located in the lock then senses the presence of the magnet and informs that the lock is unbolted. Gearing in the lever or a blind movement before the wire acts on the magnet can be used in order to improve the accuracy. An electronically controlled lock as described above cannot be picklocked using conventional techniques. However, the possibility should as far as possible exist. Disregarding pure mechanical malfunctions such as for example a jammed bolt there are a number of different possible electrical errors. A limitation of the number of electrical components is advantageous and particularly components working using a high power or being of an active type (transistors, diodes and IC-circuits) . In the lock as described above there is a terminal 113 for a picklock. Through this terminal data signals can be fed to the microcomputer in the bus interface of the lock. Preferably the picklock can also feed the lock with power and a reset signal through the same terminal/line. The power supply and reset signal respectively can of course be connected using separate terminals/inputs if required. Besides feeding the lock with power, the provision of the picklock will block the regular data traffic which possibly can be erroneous and thereby damage the function. The remaining logic is restarted using the picklock in order to further ensure that the picklock can communicate with the electronic in the lock housing. In order to ensure that a picklock only can be used by authorized personnel and otherwise remains useless the picklock is preferably designed so that it only can operate after that the user code has been given, normally the user code of the locksmith. The identity of the lock, which normally corresponds to an apartment number, shall be given, further, preferably also a code obtained from the housing company or a system operator is required. The latter code can preferably be changed at a central location if required in order to even further increase the protection. Thus, it does not matter if the electronic picklock is lost even if the code to the picklock should disappear at the same time, since at least the individual code of the door lock also is required to picklock the lock. If also a third code, such as the code of a system operator is required, it will in practice be impossible to picklock the lock in a reasonable time. Also, in a preferred embodiment, an alarm signal is generated when a picklock is connected to the input 113. By means of locating logic at the securing plate for data communication with the network and sensors for lock status provision of cables between the door panel and the frame and through the door is avoided. The lock housing located in the door must however be driven and this can be carried out by means of directing an electromagnetic field towards a receiver in the lock housing. The magnetic field can further be modulated at different frequencies in order to transmit data and commands in this manner to the logic in the lock house in the door leaf. The lock only comprises electronics and no moving mechanics. This entire module can thus be encapsulated by means of, for example, casting. The energy to the motor is provided from the pulses generated by the magnetic field by means of positive or negative rectification. This results in that the drive electronics can be much simplified compared to, for example, a bridge connection. In order for the bolt to be positioned in well defined positions, where flywheel effects can have a considerable effect, a breaking system designed in such a way that the motor is applied as a generator having a relatively large load. The motor is then brought to a stop very quickly and the bolt will then be possible to be positioned with high accuracy. The transmission of power which takes place using the electromagnetic power field is preferably pulsing and can have a relatively large frequency range. This can be utilized so that one frequency is kept unused and is only used in order to transmit power. Other frequencies can correspond to binary zeros and ones in order to transmit information. This can be used for more qualified data communication, primarily in order to load parameters and encryption keys . An additional number of frequencies can be directly connected to commands of the type lock or unlock. In Fig. 2 an alternative embodiment of the lock in Fig. 1 is shown. In the embodiment in Fig. 2 the control electronics for control of the lock is located in the lock housing in the door leaf which can be advantageous in some applications. Thus, an electric/electromagnetic lock is provided having an input for a picklock. Through the picklock input an electronic picklock can be connected in order to open the lock if the lock cannot be opened in the normal way, for example during a power failure. Preferably, also power and a reset signal can be applied via the same input. For picklocking a lock, preferably at least two and preferably three independent codes are required in order to open the lock. By means of such a lock provided with a picklock input the problems associated with the prior art in conventional electronic locks when these cannot be opened in a normal manner are avoided.

Claims: CLAIMS 1. An electronic/electromagnetic lock comprising a lock housing arranged to cooperate with a securing plate, the lock being supplied with power from an external power supply, characterized by at least one input in the lock for cooperation with an electronic picklock, via which picklock input a data signal is transmittable to the lock. 2. A lock according to claim 1, characterized in that a power supply and/or a reset signal is connectable via the same input. 3. A lock according to any of claims 1 or 2 , characterized in that the lock has an individual code which must be given in order for the lock to be possible to open via the picklock input. 4. A lock according to claim 3, characterized in that at least a third code is required in order to open the lock via the picklock input . 5. A lock according to any of the claims 1 - 4, characterized by an alarm arranged to generate an alarm signal when a picklock is connected to the picklock input .

Inventors: PONTRAM NILS, PONTRAM, NILS
Applicants: LANCAP AB, PONTRAM NILS, PONTRAM, NILS
Application year: 1999
Main classification: E05B49
IPC codes: G07C9