Reduced power electronic lock system

Abstract

An electronic lock system including an electronic lock disposed in a door and a device external to the door disposed for wirelessly providing power to the electronic lock.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]This patent application claims priority to a provisional application that was filed on Jan. 27, 2005, Ser. No. 60 / 647,659, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. This application is also related to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60 / 647,741, filed on Jan. 27, 2005, the entire contents of which are herein incorporated by reference. This application is further related to U.S. Nonprovisional patent application Ser. No. ______, entitled “Proximity Wake-Up Activation of Electronic Circuits”, filed on Mar. 17, 2005, the entire contents of which are herein incorporated by reference.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002]The invention relates generally to lock systems and, more particularly, to an electronic lock system for allowing access to an individual unit of a multi-unit building.[0003]Electronic locks are typically powered by either batteries or a wired power source. In the case of hotels, motels, inns, a...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0010]To overcome the above problems, the invention eliminates the need for a battery pack in the door lock unit and in some embodiments relocates at least one of the access card read / write assembly and associated circuitry, control circuitry, and memory storage circuitry from the door lock unit to a location in close proximity to the door and to which continuous power is supplied. In some exemplary embodiments of the invention, this means that some or all of the lock system intelligence is removed from the door lock unit itself and transferred to a more convenient, accessible location to which continuous power can be supplied.

Problems solved by technology

For battery-powered locks, there is a significant purchase and labor expense associated with periodically replacing the batteries which is typically required about every two years.

Batteries in such lock systems can then be replaced on an “as required” schedule, but there is still significant expense involved in monitoring these locks and then, as needed, physically replacing lapsed batteries.

For electronic locks that are powered from a wired source external to the door, there is a very significant initial installation cost, since the power source must be installed; wires must be run from that location to the periphery of the door, and doors must typically be core drilled to permit running the wires from the point on the periphery to the lock device itself.

In either case, there is a mechanical failure rate inherent in the wired power supply, and there is also a significant risk that, if the power supply fails, the lock will cease functioning unless there is provision for a battery back-up, either in the lock or somehow interconnected with the external power source.

There are also potential fire code problems related to altering doors by core drilling or otherwise changing the structure of the door.

In addition to the problem areas noted above, battery-powered electronic locks are typically bulky and not aesthetically pleasing.

Principally, the bulkiness of the lock assembly is caused by the need to accommodate the battery pack (e.g., four AA batteries), an access card slot (for magnetic stripe and smart cards), and the circuitry needed to process and store entry and, in some cases, egress activities.