Method for configuring an electromechanical lock

Abstract

Method for setting up an electromechanical lock (10), comprising at least the steps of: - Transfer of at least one parameter (33) from a first data carrier (20) to the lock (10) according to a first communication protocol, wherein at least one parameter (33) is transferred which represents at least one memory address in at least one key (24) from which data is read to check the authorization of the key (24) and - Determining at least one second communication protocol by the lock based on the parameter transmitted after the first communication protocol (33).

Description

[0001] There are numerous methods for verifying the authorization of electronic keys, such as radio keys. For example, published patent applications DE 43 42 641 A1, DE 199 13 931, and EP 0 671 712 A1 describe such methods for verifying key authorization. Such methods are generally based on whether the data stored in the key matches the data stored in the lock. At least some of this data is transmitted between the lock and the key via a communication protocol.

[0002] DE 102 37 715 A1 describes a gateway control unit for accessing a vehicle control system. The gateway control unit can receive data from a server via a wireless data link and is connected to several vehicle control units via at least one vehicle bus in order to apply new program codes to the control units via software download or remote flashing. The gateway control unit can be freely configured for this purpose. In short, the gateway control unit is configured via a wireless data link so that the gateway control unit subsequently serves as a programming device for a control unit.

[0003] DE 197 01 740 A1 describes a "Keyless Go" locking system for a motor vehicle. The locking system has a key in which a first, relatively long code is stored, which is queried by the immobilizer and, if necessary, unlocks it. This key also has a second, shorter code, which can be transmitted quickly and is queried to unlock the door. The codes are transmitted encrypted, as usual. The corresponding code is selected by the respective "lock" either through a precommand or by the length of a random number transmitted by the lock, which is encrypted using the corresponding code and then transmitted back to the lock.

[0004] DE 101 38 217 A1 proposes that, in communication between a transponder and a base station, the header of the data packets should contain information about the data transmitted in the middle section of the data packets, e.g. their identifier.

[0005] WO 2010 / 039598 A2 describes a method for integrating a lock into a locking system. To do this, the corresponding lock is first put into learning mode by holding a special smart card. In this learning mode, a second communication channel to a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant) is opened. Information about the locking system is transmitted to the lock via this previously known second communication channel. In learning mode, the PDA can also, among other things, install a firmware update.

[0006] The technical teaching of WO 00 / 55796 A1 is based on the observation that ATM card readers are unable to read subsequent, and therefore faster, generations of data cards. The proposed solution is for a more modern data card to initially transmit the information in a standard mode, indicating that it can also transmit in a faster mode. The card reader then reads the information from the card using the new transmission mode and always applies the new transmission mode to this card in the future. The new transmission mode is defined using two tables that indicate the times of a reference clock at which certain information is read from a defined data frame by the lock or written into a data frame by the lock.

[0007] WO 2008 / 144 804 A1 discloses a lock with a card reader. The card reader is integrated into a locking system by holding up a learn card. Description of the invention

[0008] The invention is based on the observation that there are numerous suppliers of electromechanical locking systems whose components are not interchangeable or combinable with one another, even though they use identical radio keys that, for example, originate from a common supplier or are standardized. Once a locking system from a first supplier has been chosen, the locking system type is fixed, and a lock from another supplier cannot be later integrated into the existing locking system. This means that, as a rule, it cannot be unlocked and / or locked with the existing keys from the first supplier and / or added to existing locking groups.

[0009] The invention is based on the object of providing a method with which electromechanical locks from different manufacturers can be integrated into a locking system.

[0010] This object is achieved by a method according to claim 1. Advantageous embodiments of the invention are specified in the subclaims.

[0011] The invention is based, on the one hand, on the realization that a lock from one manufacturer could theoretically communicate with keys from a locking system from another manufacturer. However, in practice this fails because the manufacturers use different communication protocols. These communication protocols are currently encoded in the respective firmware of the locks and thus can no longer be changed after delivery or can only be changed with great effort. Secondly, the invention is based on the realization that the communication protocols used between a lock and a key can be parameterized. Therefore, it is sufficient to transmit information about the parameters of the communication protocol used within a specific locking system type to a lock so that it can then communicate using these parameters and thus with other components of the corresponding locking system type.

[0012] The method for setting up an electromechanical lock has at least two steps: the first step involves transmitting at least one parameter from a first data carrier to the lock according to a first communication protocol, and the subsequent step involves determining at least one second communication protocol based on the parameter(s) transmitted according to the first communication protocol. According to the method, a lock can be adapted, or "trained," to this specific locking system by transmitting information necessary for communication between components of a specific locking system type. Typical components of a locking system are usually programmable keys and locks, and usually also programming devices.It is therefore sufficient to provide a first communication protocol by means of which the parameters of at least one locking system type, i.e. the parameters of a second communication protocol, can be transferred to the lock and / or at least one key. After the parameters of the second communication protocol have been transferred, the lock can be adapted to a specific locking system type; this can be triggered, for example, by the transfer. The lock can then be integrated, for example, into an existing locking system of this locking system type. Loading manufacturer-specific firmware is not necessary to adapt to the locking system type. Only the transferred parameters ensure that the data transmitted according to the second communication protocol can be correctly interpreted by the lock.

[0013] The method can be used for all communicating components of a locking system, not just locks. Strictly speaking, it is therefore a method for setting up a component of an electromechanical locking system. For the sake of clarity, the invention will be explained using a lock as an example.

[0014] After the parameters have been transmitted, the component, i.e., the lock, generates the second communication protocol, meaning it has all the information it needs to exchange data with other components of the locking system type determined by the second communication protocol. Data exchange can, for example, involve performing an authorization query. The result can therefore also be that a key (as a synonym for another component) does not have the necessary authorization.

[0015] Preferably, information about the authorization of keys of a specific locking system is transmitted to the lock using the second communication protocol. This allows this information to be transmitted using the respective manufacturer-specific tools.

[0016] In some locking system types, authorization verification is carried out by first establishing a secure, i.e. encrypted, data link between the communication partners. So-called crypto keys are used for this purpose. These are secret values ​​​​which are used to encrypt and / or decrypt the data to be transmitted. If the crypto keys of two communication partners do not match, a secure data link cannot be established. The communication partners still communicate with each other because the second communication protocol enables them to exchange the data required to establish the secure data link. This exchange is initiated correctly, but the authorization check is aborted because the crypto key check shows that they do not match. In most locking systems, the crypto key is not one of the parameters of the locking system type, but the encryption algorithm usually is.However, the encryption algorithm can also be specified by a standard and is then preferably stored in the hardware or firmware.

[0017] If the crypto keys match, this is usually considered "basic authorization." With some locking system types, additional data stored in the key and / or lock is compared, e.g., whether the key has authorization for a specific door and / or locking group, whether the authorization is time-limited, whether there are exceptions within a locking group, etc. This additional information is usually evaluated before the corresponding lock is released.

[0018] The parameters of the second communication protocol are generally not the information belonging to a specific object or building (hereinafter "object-specific information"), such as the locking system number or the affiliation of a component to a specific locking group, but rather the information necessary to read and / or write object-specific information, provided that the authorization to do so exists. In one embodiment of the invention, the term parameter does not necessarily refer to the commands available for communication; preferably, it refers at least to the information necessary for assigning transmitted data to given variables. This is particularly important when, according to a communication protocol, the values ​​of several variables are exchanged one after the other as a bit sequence.

[0019] A "parameter" refers to any information transmitted from the data carrier to the lock using the first communication protocol to determine the second communication protocol. "Data," on the other hand, refers to everything transmitted using the second communication protocol.

[0020] Preferably, the lock communicates with at least one key using the second communication protocol. Thus, with appropriate parameterization, the lock can communicate with keys of any locking system type and thus be integrated into that locking system type.

[0021] Preferably, at least the size of the vector spaces of the doors and / or keys and / or locking groups is transmitted as at least one parameter. These values ​​are often essential for the memory management of the lock and / or key, as well as for the bit length of the corresponding variables and fields, because in many locking systems, information is exchanged during authorization verification regarding the locks and / or locking groups for which the respective key is authorized. All doors, locking groups, and keys of a locking system form the basis for the respective binary vector space T, G, and S, respectively. Thus, the dimensions of the respective vector spaces T, G, and S limit the maximum number of locks, locking groups, and keys that can be integrated into a locking system of the given locking system type.The dimension of the corresponding vector space is information about the storage space required to represent the vectors, which is relevant when extracting such vectors from a bit sequence. For example, the vector space G of groups can be represented as γ⇀=(γ1γ2⋮γm);γi∈{0,1}, where m is the dimension of the vector space and thus indicates the maximum number of manageable locking groups for a given locking system type. A binary vector of length m is used for some locking system types both on the key (γ⇀) as well as in the door (ρ→) stored. An authorization of a specific key on a specific door can exist if the scalar product γ→⋅ρ→ Accordingly, the authorization check either γ→ or / or ρ→ and the other component and m can be a relevant parameter to create a vector γ→ containing the bit sequence. Accordingly, the representation of binary vectors, such as the binary vectors of the vector spaces T, G, S, can also be parameters of the second communication protocol. Preferably, a header is transmitted during the transmission of the parameters, which identifies subsequent information in the transmission as parameters of the second communication protocol. This allows the lock to distinguish, based on the header, whether communication is taking place with a key or whether it is being adapted to a locking system type.

[0022] Preferably, parameters of the second communication protocol are transmitted in blocks, with a specific block section identifying the parameter and at least one further block section identifying the value of the parameter. The block preferably contains an indication of its size. This increases the flexibility of the first communication protocol and allows unnecessary parameters to be omitted.

[0023] A preferred parameter of a second communication protocol is, for example, the type of encryption of the communication between lock and key, or the type of representation of time limitations of authorizations.

[0024] Another preferred parameter is the type of data query from the lock or key. For example, the second communication protocol can enable direct read and / or write access to specific memory areas of the respective communication partner. In this case, the jump addresses (pointers) to the corresponding memory locations are also preferably parameters of the second communication protocol. In particular, when transmitting the parameters, information about how a bit sequence transmitted according to the second communication protocol is to be interpreted can be transmitted. When checking the authorization of a key, some locking system types read data from standardized memory areas of the key, e.g., a passive RFID transponder. This data is preferably transmitted as a bit sequence in which the values ​​of two or more variables are stored.The values ​​of the individual variables used to verify authorization, such as a locking group number, a door number, etc., are then extracted from the bit sequence. Information about the positions of the variable values ​​in the bit sequence is preferably transmitted using the first communication protocol.

[0025] Preferably, at least one parameter in the lock has a default value that can be replaced by another value during information transmission. This reduces the amount of information to be transmitted and allows for a "default protocol." It is then sufficient to transmit the deviations of the second communication protocol to the lock.

[0026] Preferably, at least one piece of information is transmitted that represents the data format of the data stored or to be stored on the key and / or lock. For example, data can be stored and / or transmitted in compressed form. In this case, the information regarding whether and, if so, which compression method is used would also be a preferably transmitted parameter of the second communication protocol.

[0027] According to the invention, at least one piece of information is transmitted that represents at least one memory address in at least one key, from which data is read to verify the key's authorization. For example, an entry address can be transmitted to read a crypto key.

[0028] Preferably, at least one parameter is transmitted, based on which an encryption method is selected to protect data transmitted according to the second communication protocol. The lock can then be used in locking systems with various encryption methods.

[0029] Preferably, the information about the lock's affiliation to a specific locking system is transmitted as a parameter.

[0030] Likewise, information about a specific locking system type can be transmitted to the lock as a parameter. In this case, a corresponding parameter set is stored on the lock for at least one locking system type. Transferring just one locking system type can be done much faster than transferring an entire parameter set. This can significantly reduce the time required to program the lock.

[0031] Preferably, the information is transmitted from the data carrier via the same interface that is later used for communication with the keys. This avoids additional interfaces and thus costs. For example, it may be sufficient to hold a first RFID transponder with the parameters in front of a lock so that the first RFID transponder and the lock can communicate, thus transferring the parameters for later communication with the keys, which are also RFID transponders. Communication with the first RFID transponder then takes place via the first communication protocol, and communication with the other RFID transponders follows the second communication protocol.

[0032] Preferably, information about at least two communication protocols is transferred during transmission. This allows a lock to be integrated into two or more locking systems of different types simultaneously. For example, it can first attempt communication using a first, second communication protocol with a key, and if this fails, attempt communication using at least another, second communication protocol.

[0033] The invention has been described using a lock to be fitted into a locking system. However, electronic locks and keys—apart from their mechanical components—are fundamentally interchangeable. Therefore, a key can also be adapted to a given locking system type in the same way. The same applies to any other component of a locking system that communicates with a key or a lock. Description of the drawings

[0034] The invention is described below without limiting the general inventive concept by means of exemplary embodiments with reference to the single drawing.

[0035] In the proceedings in Fig.1, a component of an electromechanical locking system, for example an electromechanical lock 10, communicates with a data carrier 20 according to a given first communication protocol, i.e. one known to the lock 10 and the data carrier 20. The data carrier 20 can, for example, be the RFID transponder card shown. The lock 10 is shown here as a knob cylinder by way of example. For communication, an encrypted data path 30 is first established between the lock 10 and the data carrier 20, and then a header 31 is transmitted from the data carrier 10 to the lock 20. Based on the header 31, the lock recognizes that parameters 33 of a second communication protocol belonging to a specific locking system type are subsequently transmitted. It goes into a "learning mode", which is indicated by an arrow 32. In the learning mode, a second communication protocol is parameterized based on the transmitted parameters 33.The lock can now be integrated into a specific locking system, e.g., by providing it with a lock ID 34, and / or a group ID 35, and / or encryption parameters 36 of the specific locking system. This can be done using the second communication protocol, for example, using a separate data carrier 22, a configuration unit (not shown), or a locking system control center (not shown). The lock 10 now has all the information it needs to verify the authorization 37 of a key 24 of the locking system. List of reference symbols 10 Castle 20 data carriers / RFID cards 24 keys 30 encrypted data paths 31 Header (data header) 32 Learning mode 33 parameters 34 Lock ID 35 Group ID 36 encryption parameters 37 Authorization

Claims

[1] Method for setting up an electromechanical lock (10), comprising at least the steps: - transmitting at least one parameter (33) from a first data carrier (20) to the lock (10) according to a first communication protocol, wherein at least one parameter (33) is transmitted which represents at least one memory address in at least one key (24) from which data is read out to check the authorization of the key (24), and - Determining at least a second communication protocol by the lock based on the parameter transmitted after the first communication protocol (33). [2] Method according to claim 1, characterized by that at least the position of at least one value of at least one variable in a bit sequence which is exchanged according to the second communication protocol is transmitted as a parameter (33). [3] Method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized bythat the lock (10) communicates with at least one key (24) by means of the second communication protocol. [4] Method according to one of the preceding claims characterized by that information about the authorization of keys (24) of a specific locking system is transmitted to the lock (10) according to the second communication protocol. [5] Method according to one of the preceding claims characterized by that at least the size of the vector spaces of the doors and / or the keys (24) and / or the locking groups is transmitted as a parameter (33). [6] Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that when transmitting by means of the first communication protocol, a header (31) is transmitted before the parameter, which header identifies subsequent information as a parameter (33) of the second communication protocol. [7] Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized bythat the parameters (33) are transmitted in blocks, wherein a specific block section identifies the parameter (33) and at least one further block section identifies the value of the parameter (33). [8] Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that at least one parameter (33) is transmitted which represents the data format of the data stored or to be stored on the key (24) and / or the lock (10). [9] Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that at least one parameter (33) is transmitted, on the basis of which an encryption method for protecting data transmitted according to the second communication protocol is selected. [10] Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the information about the affiliation of the lock (10) to a specific locking system is transmitted.

Images