Patent ID: 7305563

Claim:
A biometric key comprising a housing and a biometric sensor, a key circuit, and a plurality of electrical contacts connected to the housing wherein: the key circuit incorporates a power supply circuit and a communications circuit; at least two of the plurality of contacts are in electrical communication with the power supply circuit; the communications circuit is in electrical communication with at least two of the plurality of contacts; at least two of the plurality of contacts can transmit and receive data, enabling the biometric key to be received in a receptor in a first configuration or a second configuration inverted relative to the first configuration such that the biometric key can be inserted into the receptor in either of the two configurations to provide access to a facility; wherein the biometric sensor reads biometric data from a key operator; wherein the receptor has a plurality of mating contacts; wherein the receptor incorporates a receptor circuit that incorporates a power supply and a communications circuit; and wherein the communications circuit comprises an arrangement of a plurality of 2-input nand gates and a switch, wherein communication data is electrically communicated to both inputs of a first nand gate, an output of the first nand gate is electrically connected to an input of a second nand gate, both inputs of a third nand gate are electrically connected to a second input of the second nand gate, the output of the second nand gate provides a received data signal and a transmitted data signal is provided to both inputs of the third nand gate.