Abstract:
An electronically controlled lock with a single throw acting as a passage lock and also as a deadbolt lock is provided by the invention. The lock is equipped with an electronic activation device on its exterior housing and a door lever on its internal housing. A user unlocks the door from outside by touching an electronic key against the electronic activation device. After the door is unlocked, the throw acts as a passage lock. The door can be locked internally by moving the door lever from a horizontal position upwardly to a vertical position.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   The present invention generally relates to locks, and more specifically, relates to single bolt lock with both a passage and deadbolt state and an electronic control of locking. 
   2. Description of the Related Art 
   Locks are well known and used by every household. Generally speaking, there are two types of locks commonly used as door locks, passage lock and deadbolt lock. The passage lock typically includes a bolt mounted on a door frame along with a door knob and other connecting mechanism. The bolt usually has a surface slanted in relation to a longitudinal direction to which the bolt moves. The bolt that can slide, along the longitudinal direction, in and out of a receiving hole on a door frame with turn of the door knob. The bolt can be fixed on its extended position when a button on the door knob is pressed, thus locking the door. The deadbolt lock, on the other hand, typically includes a bolt that has a longer body and a surface that is perpendicular in relation to the longitudinal direction. The bolt can slide in and out of a receiving hole on the door frame with movement of a key inserted into the deadbolt lock. When a user wants an added security to his house, he usually installs a deadbolt lock in addition to the passage lock. 
   Electronic door locks are also well known and commonly used in the hotel industry. An electronic door lock generally includes an electronic control mechanism and a locking mechanism. The locking mechanism generally includes a deadbolt lock and a passage lock, each separated from the other. The electronic control mechanism typically unlocks the deadbolt and engages the passage lock. From inside, the deadbolt lock is usually activated by a turn knob placed above the door handle, putting the lock in passage mode. These electronic door locks are widely used by hotels, but they are not easily retrofitted into older doors where there is only one opening on the door frame for the passage lock. For hotel operators and residential home owners who like to have security of a deadbolt lock, they have to go through the job of modifying both the door and the door frame before a deadbolt lock can be installed. 
   Therefore, it is desirous to have an apparatus that can easily replace a passage lock and provide added security of a deadbolt without needing to modify the door frame. It is to such apparatus and method the present invention is primarily directed. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   Briefly described, the electronic lock of the present invention can be easily retrofitted into an existing lock and provides easy use through electronic control and the added security of a deadbolt engagement. In one embodiment, the invention is an electronic lock capable of acting as a passage lock and as a deadbolt lock. The electronic lock comprises an external housing, an electronic access device on the external housing, a control circuit enclosed by the external housing and coupled to the electronic access device, an electrically activated mechanism coupled to the control circuit, a latch having a throw and being capable of extending the throw into a passage position and a locking position, a tail piece having a first end and a second end, an internal housing, and an inside lever mounted on the internal housing and engaged to the first end of the tail piece. The tail piece is engaged to an outside door lever, and the latch being engaged and disengaged by the electrically activated mechanism. Moving the inside lever from a horizontal position upwardly to a vertical position further engages the latch to extend the throw into the locking position, and activating the electronic access device from the outside disengages the outside door lever when the throw is in the locking position. The throw in the passage position enables the electronic lock to act as a passage lock and the throw in the locking position enables the electronic lock to act as a deadbolt lock. 
   In another embodiment, the invention is a method for using a single deadbolt lock as a passage lock and as a deadbolt lock. The method includes the steps of receiving an activation request from an activation access device, validating the activation request, recording the activation request into a log, engaging an external lever to a latch, and retracting a throw in the latch to a passage lock position. 
   In yet another embodiment, the invention is a method for using a single bolt of an electronic lock as a deadbolt and as a passage lock. The electronic lock is mounted on a door and has an internal lever, an external lever, a latch, and a throw. The method comprises providing on a door an electronic locking mechanism that has an activation access device, an internal lever, external lever, and a single bolt that has a passage position and locking position, and electronically disengaging the bolt while in the locking position by activating the activation access device, or alternatively, engaging the bolt into a locking position by rotating the internal lever from a horizontal position to a vertical position. 
   Other advantages and features of the present invention will become apparent after review of the hereinafter set forth Brief Description of the Drawings, Detailed Description of the Invention, and the Claims. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is an exploded view of an exterior portion of the electronic lock. 
       FIG. 2  is an exploded view of a latch assembly for the electronic lock. 
       FIG. 3  is an exploded view of an interior portion of the electronic lock. 
       FIG. 4  illustrates the throw in a passage lock position. 
       FIG. 5  illustrates the throw in a deadbolt lock position. 
       FIG. 6  is an exemplary block diagram for a control circuit. 
       FIG. 7  is a flow chart for an unlocking process 
       FIG. 8  is a flow chart for a locking process; and  FIGS. 9-11  illustrate additional views of the lock. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
   In this description, the terms “door lever,” “lever,” and “door handle” are used interchangeably; the terms “bolt” and “throw” are used interchangeably. The term “application” as used herein is intended to encompass executable and nonexecutable software files, raw data, aggregated data, patches, and other code segments. Further, like numerals refer to like elements throughout the several views, and the articles “a” and “the” includes plural references, unless otherwise specified in the description. 
   In overview, the apparatus is a single throw electronically controlled deadbolt lock that can operate as a passage lock as well as a deadbolt lock. The single throw electronic lock can easily retrofit the doors with traditional locks without the need for major modifications to the doors or the door frames. The single throw electronic lock includes an external mechanism mounted on outside of a door, a latch assembled inside of the door, and an internal mechanism mounted on inside of the door.  FIGS. 1-3  will describe the electronic lock according to the invention; however, the details of elements a passage lock and a deadbolt lock are well known to those skilled in the art and will be described briefly herein.  FIG. 1  illustrates the external mechanism in an exploded view  100 . The single throw electronic lock has an external lever (handle)  102  mounted on an external housing  104 . The external lever  102  is normally engaged to the outside lever post  110  through a flying gear  113 , but the external lever  102  is disengaged from the tailpiece gear  114  (shown in  FIG. 3 ) when the lock is in the deadbolt lock position. The lock is also equipped with an activation access device  103 , which can be touch coupling reader (e.g. iButton reader), a magnetic card reader, and a RFID card reader, a bar code reader, a biometric input, or other suitable mechanisms. The activation access device  103  may be equipped with a light emitting diode (LED) that gives a visual indication of different states of the lock, for example, if activation by an activation device has been successful or rejected. The activation access device  103  is mounted on the external housing  104  and connected to a control circuit  106  (connections not shown). The control circuit  106  is connected to and controls an electrical motor  108 , which engages through a series of gears a tail piece gear  114 . The external mechanism is enclosed by an external housing backplate  116 . A data retrieval connector  616  can also be mounted on the external housing. The data retrieval connector allows a user to retrieve an access log from the control circuit  106 . The data retrieval connector may be the same as the activation access device  103  when the activation access device  103  is a bi-directional device. The data retrieval connector may also be an independent access port such as a USB port, a serial port, or other type of data ports. 
     FIG. 2  illustrates an exploded view  200  of a latch. The latch has a single throw  202  enclosed inside the latch housing formed by two parts,  204  and  206 . The single throw  202  can act as a passage lock and as well as a deadbolt lock. The throw  202  can move longitudinally along the latch housing and its position is controlled by a slider  208  moving inside the latch housing. The throw  202  has an end surface that is not perpendicular to the longitudinal direction but slanted in relation to the longitudinal direction. Depending on the position of the slider  208 , the throw  202  may be resting at the passage lock position or the deadbolt lock position. The movement of the slider  208  is controlled by a pivot  210  and a combination of mechanisms  212  formed by at least one spring and a pin among others. The entire assembly of throw  202 , slider  208 , and latch housing  204 ,  206  are fitted in an outer latch housing  214  and mounted on a door. On the door frame, a hole is made at a position corresponding to the throw  202 &#39;s position and a door face plate (not shown) is placed on the door frame. 
     FIG. 3  is an exploded view  300  of an internal mechanism. The internal mechanism includes a door lever (handle)  302  mounted on an internal housing  304 . The door lever  302  is coupled to an indoor handle post  306 , which engages a tail piece  308 . The tail piece  308  goes through an opening on the door and the pivot  210  in the latch and engages the tail piece gear  114  in the external mechanism. Moving the internal door lever  302  from a horizontal position, when the throw  202  is in the passage lock position, downwardly will retract the throw  202  into the door and thus opens the door. Moving the internal door lever  302  upwardly from the horizontal position to a vertical position will move the throw  202  into a deadbolt lock position. After placing the throw  202  in the deadbolt lock position, the internal door lever  302  can return to the horizontal position without moving the throw  202  back to the passage position. When the throw  202  is in the deadbolt position, moving the internal door lever  302  downwardly will first move the throw  202  from the deadbolt position into the passage lock position and continuing moving the internal door lever  302  downwardly will retract the throw  202  inside the door and thus opening the door. Releasing the internal door lever  302  afterward will release the throw  202  back to its passage lock position and thus allowing the lock to function as a passage lock. It is also shown in  FIG. 3  a power unit  310  that is mounted on the internal housing  304 . The power unit  310  can be a compartment for holding multiple batteries and it can also be a rechargeable battery. 
   The internal mechanism may also include a visual lock indicator  618  mounted on the internal housing  304 . The visual lock indicator is connected to the control circuit  106  and will indicate whether the throw  202  is in the deadbolt position. The visual indicator may be a light emitting diode (LED) or other light emitting devices, and the LED may blink when the lock is functioning as a passage lock and remain lighted when the lock is functioning as a deadbolt lock. The visual indicator helps a user to identify the status of the lock visually at distance. Alternatively, the internal door lever  302  may remain in a vertical position when the throw  202  is in the deadbolt position, thus the status of the lock may also be visually identified by the position of the internal door lever  302 . 
     FIG. 4  is an illustration of the lock with the throw  202  in the passage lock position. At this position, the lock (throw) can be operated by moving either the internal door lever  302  or the external door lever  102 .  FIG. 5  is an illustration of the lock with the throw  202  in the deadbolt lock position. The throw  202  is moved into the deadbolt lock position by moving the internal door lever  302  upwardly as shown in  FIG. 5 . The throw  202  can also be moved into the deadbolt lock position by moving the external door lever  102 . However, if the throw  202  is moved into the deadbolt lock position by the external door leverlO 2 , the visual lock indicator on the internal housing  304  will flash, indicating that the door is not locked even the throw  202  is in the deadbolt lock position. The external door lever  102  is not disengaged even if the throw  202  is in the deadbolt lock position, and a person can still open the door from outside by moving downwardly the external door lever  102 . From outside, the door can be locked and the throw  202  can be moved from the passage lock position into the deadbolt lock position. By using an access device such as an iButton, a magnetic card, etc., the external door lever can be disengaged so that the door cannot be opened from the outside. 
     FIG. 6  is a block diagram  600  of the control circuit  106 . The control circuit  106  includes a controller  602 , an interface reader  604 , a data output port  608 , a user interface port  610 , a storage unit  612 , and a power unit  614 . The controller  602  controls operations of the control circuit  106 . The interface reader  604  communicates with the activation access device  103 . The information from the activation access device  103  is received by the interface reader  604 . The data output port  608  is connected to the data retrieval connector  616  that is mounted on the external housing  104  and allows an external data retriever to retrieve an access log stored in the storage unit  612 . In an alternative embodiment, the interface reader  604  and the data output port  608  may be combined into a single unit with dual functions. The user interface port  610  is connected to the visual lock indicator  618  mounted on the internal housing  304 . The user interface port  610  may also include an audio alarm circuit  620  that provides audio alarm every time the throw  202  moves from the deadbolt lock position to the passage lock position. This audible alarm tells the user that the lock has been successfully unlocked and also gives a warning to a user who is inside a room that the door is being unlocked. The power circuit  614  is connected to the power unit  310  on the internal housing  304 . The power circuit  614  receives electricity from the power unit  310  and powers the control circuit  106 . In an alternative embodiment, the power circuit  614  is also connected to an external power input connector mounted on the external housing (not shown) that allows a user to supply current from an outside source in the event of the power unit  310  failure. The storage unit  612  is an internal memory that stores a control program that controls the control circuit  106 . The storage unit  612  also stores a log that records all access attempts. The control circuit  106  may also include a timing circuit (not shown). The timing circuit provides timing information that may be logged along with any access attempt. The timing circuit also provides a timer that can be used with all accesses. For example, when a user uses an access device to activate the activation access device  103 , the control circuit  106  will engage the external door lever  102  to the outside lever post  110  and staffs the timer. If the timer expires before the external door lever  102  is activated to move the throw  202  from the deadbolt lock position to the passage lock position, the control circuit  106  will disengage the external door lever  102  from the outside lever post  110  and the lock will remain in the deadbolt lock position. 
     FIG. 7  illustrates a flow chart  700  for an unlocking process. When the lock is in the locked state (the throw in the deadbolt lock position), a user can activate the activation access device  103  with an activation device, and the activation request is then received by the control circuit  106 , step  702 . The control circuit  106  validates the activation request, step  704 , by comparing the information from the activation request with information stored in the storage unit  612 . If the activation request is not from a valid activation device, the lock will remained locked. If the activation request is from a valid activation device, the control circuit  106  will record the activation request along with timing information on a log stored in the storage unit  612 , step  706 . The control circuit  106  will also engage the outside door lever  102  to the tailpiece gear  114 , step  708 , and move the throw  202  from the deadbolt lock position to the passage lock position, step  710 . After the throw  202  enters the passage lock position, the lock will be in the unlocked state. 
     FIG. 8  illustrates a flow chart  800  for a locking process. When the lock is in the unlocked state (the throw in the passage lock position), a user can activate the activation access device  103  with an activation device, and the activation request is then received by the control circuit  106 , step  802 . The control circuit  106  validates the activation request, step  804 , as described above for step  704 . If the activation request is not from a valid activation device, the lock will remained unlocked. If the activation request is from a valid activation device, the control circuit  106  will record the activation request along with timing information on a log stored in the storage unit  612 , step  806 . The user moves the throw  202  from the passage lock position to the deadbolt lock position, step  810 , and the outside door lever is disengaged. After the throw  202  enters the deadbolt lock position, the lock will be in the locked state. Alternatively, the control circuit  106  may set a timer after validating and recording the activation request and before disengaging the external door lever  102  from the outside lever post  110 . This would allow a user to use the external door lever  102  to close the door properly. 
   In operation, a hotel operator can purchase a lock according to the present invention and easily replace it on a door with a traditional single throw door without the need to modify either the door or the door frame. After replacing the lock, a guest can open the door with an access device, such as an iButton. By touching the iButton to an iButton reader, the control circuit  106  will receive the activation request from the iButton reader and will validate the activation request. If the guest uses the iButton for room  101  to touch the iButton reader for room  102 , the control circuit  106  for the door on room  102  will not validate the access request and the lock will not open. If the control circuit  106  validates the activation request, the throw  202  inside the lock will be moved from the dead lock position to the passage lock position and the external door lever  102  will be engaged to the outside door post  110 . The guest then will be able to move the lever  102  and open the door. The control circuit  106  may also emit an audible sound to indicate that the lock is being unlocked. 
   After entering to the room, the guest can use the internal door lever  302  to close the door. The guest can also move the same door lever  302  from a horizontal position upwardly to a vertical position, thus setting the lock to a deadbolt lock position. After the lock is set to a deadbolt lock position, the internal door lever  302  will return to the horizontal position and the throw  202  will remain in the deadbolt lock position. After the lock is locked, the external door lever  102  is disengaged and a third party can no longer open the door by moving the external door lever  102 . When the external door lever  102  is disengaged, the external door lever  102  can move freely upward and downward without affecting the throw  202 . Alternatively, the external door lever  102  can also remain at a fixed position when it is disengaged. The guest can easily verify that the lock is in the deadbolt lock position through the visual indicator (LED). Alternatively, the guest can also learn the status of the lock through the position of the internal door lever. The guest&#39;s access is recorded in a log inside the control circuit  106 . 
   When the guest is ready to leave the room, the guest can unlock the lock by moving the internal door lever from a horizontal position downwardly to a vertical position, thus setting the lock to the passage lock position. By further moving the internal door lever  302  downwardly, the guest will open the door. The guest can leave the room and close the door; the guest can also return to the room by using the external door lever  102  to open the door. When the guest is ready to leave the room for an extended time period, the guest can use the iButton to lock the door. The guest exits the room, closed the door and touches the iButton to the reader, and then engages the deadbolt by moving the outside door lever upward to the vertical position within a grace time period. After the grace time period, the control circuit  106  disengages the outside door lever from the tailpiece gear  114 . At this time the door cannot be opened from the outside until the iButton is touched again. 
   Periodically the hotel operator can retrieve and review the access log stored inside the control circuit  106 . The hotel operator uses his special iButton equipped with a special retrieval feature and sends a retrieval command to the control circuit  106 . The retrieval command is received and interpreted by the control circuit  106  and the access log file is retrieved and sent to the special iButton. The hotel operator can then use the special iButton to transfer the access log information to his computer. Alternatively, the hotel operator may connect a portable memory to the data retrieval connector and then activate the log transfer by touching the iButton reader with his special iButton. 
   In the context of  FIGS. 7 and 8 , the method may be implemented, for example, by an operating system on the control circuit or a state machine implemented on the control circuit. The instructions can reside in various types of data storage primary, secondary, or tertiary media. The media may comprise, for example, RAM (not shown) accessible by, or residing within, the components of the control circuit. Whether contained in RAM or other secondary storage media, the instructions may be stored on a variety of machine-readable data storage media, such as read-only memory (e.g., ROM, EPROM, or EEPROM). 
   While the invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to a preferred embodiment thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and detail may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as set forth in the following claims. Furthermore, although elements of the invention may be described or claimed in the singular, the plural is contemplated unless limitation to the singular is explicitly stated.