Electronic locking device

Abstract

Electronic locking device (1) with a bolt (4) extendable by an actuating element (2) from a closed position to a forward-locked position into a counter-locking part (6) and with a communication device (3, 7) for wireless communication (8) with a key element (9) having a wirelessly readable locking authorization code (10) and a rewritable identification memory (11), wherein the communication device (3, 7) is configured such that during a locking operation it transmits an identifier individually assigned to the locking device (1) to the key element (9) for storage in the identification memory (11) therein, so that the key element (9) becomes a non-free key element (9) which can only interact with the locking device (1) which has the same individual identifier, wherein the actuating element is an electric motor (2),which, after the determination of a locking authorization by the locking authorization code (10), closes the bolt (4) forward or backward, characterized in that a sensor element (12) is provided with which at least the forward or backward closing of the bolt (4) can be determined and the communication device (3, 7) is configured such that the identifier is only transmitted after this determination.

Description

field of technology

[0001] The invention relates to an electronic locking device with a bolt that can be extended by an actuating element from a closed position to a forward-open position into a counter-locking part and with a communication device for wireless communication with a key element having a wirelessly readable locking authorization code and a rewritable identification memory, wherein the communication device is configured such that during a locking operation it transmits an identifier individually assigned to the locking device to the key element for storage in the identification memory there, wherein the actuating element is an electric motor which, after the locking authorization code has been established, closes the bolt forward or backward. State of the art

[0002] Locking devices for securing locker doors, such as those used in swimming pools, are known in the prior art. These locking devices are each part of a lock that has a bolt which, by operating a rotary handle, can be moved by a user from a retracted position to a forward-locked position into a mating strike plate, thus locking the locker door. In normal operating conditions, the operating handle is not coupled to the bolt, so its rotary action is inactive. A wireless communication device is provided, which can be activated by holding an electronic key element, such as a transponder, against it. The transponder has a UID, namely a unique access authorization code.The transponder also has a freely writable memory in which the individual identifier of the locking device can be stored. If the locking device is in a ready position, with the bolt retracted, it is prepared to accept any transponder as authorized to open it, allowing a user to choose any locker from a large number of available ones. When the communication device is activated, a connection is established between the operating handle and the bolt, so that turning the operating handle engages the bolt. Simultaneously, but usually before the bolt engages, the individual identifier of the locking device is transmitted to the key element, where it is stored in the identifier memory.The key element equipped in this way is no longer able to be assigned to a different locker, as it is blocked by the stored identifier. If the key card were to be placed in communication with another locking device, that device would deny the key element's access authorization due to the stored identifier.

[0003] If, however, the key element is reassigned to the locking device whose identifier is stored in the identifier memory, then communication between the locking device and the key element would allow the locking device to determine that the key element has locking authorization and re-couple the handle to the bolt. The user then has the option of retracting the bolt.

[0004] The coupling connection between the operating handle and the bolt is released when the operating handle has been actuated and the bolt has changed its actuation state, or when a predetermined time has elapsed.

[0005] In the case of a state-of-the-art lock, it is considered a disadvantage that the identifier is stored in the identifier memory before the bolt is moved, so that it is not always ensured that the locker door is properly closed when the key element has been assigned to the locking device.

[0006] A similar locking device is described in EP 0 911 466 B2. DE 699 25 018 T2 describes a motor-operated and remotely controllable lock, in which sensors are provided to detect, for example, the position of a bolt.

[0007] German patent application DE 20 2013 104 312 U1 discloses a lock that can be operated with an RFID key or an RFID transponder. The RFID key has a memory in which the lock's unique identifier is stored, so that no other lock can be operated with such an RFID key. The lock has a bolt that can only be moved into a locking position when a drawer to which the lock is attached is fully inserted into a cabinet. The identifier is transmitted to the RFID key before the lock is engaged.

[0008] German patent DE 10 2012 017 820 A1 describes a cabinet lock that can be operated with an RFID card. The lock comprises a bolt that extends from a retracted position to a forward-locked position into a mating strike plate. In the forward-locked position, the bolt is held by a sliding locking pin that engages in a detent recess in the bolt. The locking pin can be disengaged from the bolt by means of a motor. The locking pin can also itself be designed as a locking bolt. The cabinet door lock checks whether the RFID card has authorization to open the lock by reading a memory block. To verify the card's authorization, the lock transmits the corresponding data wirelessly to a central server, which, if authorization is granted, sends a release signal to the lock.The locking mechanism is then activated, and the locking status is checked after the locking pin has been engaged. If the locking was successful, a response is sent to the server; if it was unsuccessful, an error message is sent to the server. Summary of the invention

[0009] The invention is based on the objective of improving the reliability of a generic locking device.

[0010] The problem is solved by the invention specified in claims 1 and 3. The dependent claims represent advantageous embodiments.

[0011] First and foremost, a sensor element is provided to detect at least the partial closure of the bolt. Only after the partial closure of the bolt has been detected is the individual identifier of the locking device transmitted to the key element and stored in the identifier memory. If an error occurs during the storage process, for example, because the identifier could not be written to the identifier memory, a visual and / or audible error signal is emitted. The bolt is then moved back to the open position by an actuator, which is an electric motor. This process verifies that the identifier has been correctly written to the identifier memory. The motor is actuated after the access authorization code has been verified. This preferably occurs immediately after the access authorization has been verified.If the electronic locking device is in a standby position with the bolt in the retracted position, each key element with an empty identification memory has access authorization. If this authorization is recognized, the bolt is partially closed. If the locking device is locked, only the key element whose access authorization code is stored in the locking device's data memory or which has the individual identifier of the locking device stored in its identification memory has access authorization. If this access authorization is recognized, the electric motor is activated to retract the bolt. Only after the sensor element has detected that the bolt is retracted is the key element's identification memory cleared, making the key element available again for use with any cabinet.Here, too, it can be checked whether the key element's identification memory has been cleared and, in case of an error, an error signal can be emitted. The locking device can then be locked with any key element whose identification memory does not contain an identifier. If the mechanical operating states of the locking device required for transferring the identifier to the key element or clearing the identification memory—i.e., the entry of the bolt head into the strike plate during locking and the withdrawal of the bolt head from the strike plate during unlocking—are not reached, then no identifier transfer or deletion from the identification memory takes place. Here, too, an optical and / or acoustic signal can be emitted to indicate to the user that an error has occurred while closing or opening the lock. The transfer of the identifier or...The identifier is only deleted when the necessary mechanical operating conditions have been reached and detected by sensors. One or more sensor elements may be provided. These sensor elements can be arranged or configured to detect when the bolt head engages the strike plate, so that the identifier is only transmitted to the key element when it has been determined that the bolt has retracted into the strike plate. Such a sensor arrangement may include a sensor within the strike plate. Alternatively, the bolt head's engagement with the strike plate can be detected indirectly by detecting the bolt's position relative to the locking mechanism (i.e., the bolt's forward or reverse position) and by detecting whether the locker or cabinet door is closed.The one or more sensors can then be physically attached to the locking device. They can be magnetic sensors that interact with magnets. The lock can have a housing. The housing can be mounted on the inside of the cabinet door. The at least one sensor can be a mechanical sensor. Preferably, it is a sensor with a beveled edge that is acted upon by a rim of the body, causing it to be displaced relative to the lock housing. A slight displacement of a few millimeters is sufficient to generate a positive sensor signal, i.e., to inform the control electronics of the lock that the cabinet door is closed. The sensor element for determining the closed state of the bolt can also be mechanical. However, a magnetic sensor can also be used instead of a mechanical sensor element.For this purpose, the bolt or an actuating element that can be moved parallel to the bolt carries a magnet that interacts with a magnetic sensor, for example, a reed sensor. Two such reed sensors can be provided. One interacts with the magnet of the bolt or another slider of the lock when the bolt is fully extended. The other reed sensor interacts with the magnet when the bolt is fully retracted. The mechanical push button for determining the door's closed state can also have a magnet that interacts with a reed element. Furthermore, the key card is provided with additional memory cells in which the operating states of the lock are stored; for example, the battery status can be stored in one memory cell, and the current date of the lock operation in another.These memory cells do not need to be erased when the lock is opened. Brief description of the drawings

[0012] The invention will now be explained in more detail using exemplary embodiments. The figures shown are: Fig. 1 a schematic representation of an electronic locking device designed as a cabinet door lock in a ready-to-close position, Fig. 2 a representation according to Fig. 1 in the locked position and Fig. 3 schematically a second embodiment of the invention in a closed position, Fig. 4 that in the Fig. 3 illustrated embodiment in the open position and Fig. 5. the cut according to line V - V in Fig. 4. Description of the embodiments

[0013] The electronic locking device 1 has a housing 19, which can, for example, be positioned on the inside of a cabinet door. The cabinet body has a counter-locking element 6 in the form of a bolt head entry opening or a backlock.

[0014] Inside the housing 19 is a locking bar 4, which is moved between the parts in the housing by means of a motor 2. Fig. 1 shown bolt return position and the one in the Fig. The bolt 4 can be moved back and forth in the bolt's forward position shown in Figure 2. The bolt 4 has a bolt head 5, which lies inside the housing 19 in the open position and protrudes from the housing 19 in the locked position. In the open position, a magnet 17, which is attached to the bolt, is outside the detection range of a magnetic sensor 12, which is located inside the housing 19. In the bolt's forward position, the magnet 17 is within the detection range of the magnetic sensor 12.

[0015] Inside the housing 19 is an electronic control circuit 3, which may include a microcomputer or the like. This electronic control circuit 3 interacts with sensor 12 and another sensor 13. The electronic control circuit 3 is capable of stimulating the actuating element formed by motor 2 such that motor 2 moves the bolt back and forth between its operating positions. A data storage device 14 is also provided, in which a locking authorization code can be stored. Furthermore, a battery compartment 15 is provided for accommodating a battery or accumulator that supplies power to the electronic circuit 3 and motor 2.

[0016] A transmitter / receiver 7 is provided, which interacts with the electronic circuit 3. The transmitter / receiver 7 establishes a wireless transmission link 8 to an electronic key element 9. The electronic key element 9 is a transponder. It has a transmitter / receiver 16, which can be powered by the transmitter / receiver 7 associated with the locking device 1. The key element 9 has an individual access authorization code 10, which is the transponder's UID. Furthermore, the key element 9 has a writable identification memory 11 in which an individual identifier of the locking device 1 can be stored.

[0017] The transponder 9 can have additional memory cells 20 in which supplementary data relating to the closure can be stored, for example the battery status or a date can also be stored on the transponder 9.

[0018] The two sensors 12 and 13, which each change their sensor state in the presence of a magnet 17 or 18, indirectly determine whether the head 5 of the bolt 4 has engaged the strike plate 6. The two sensors 12 and 13 are linked by a logical AND operation. If sensor 12 detects the presence of magnet 17, the bolt head 5 must be extended. If sensor 13 detects the presence of magnet 18, located in the cabinet body, this means that the cabinet door is closed. The bolt head 5 is then engaged in the strike plate 6. An alternative sensor arrangement can directly detect whether the bolt head 5 is retracted into the strike plate 6.

[0019] The locking mechanism of the electronic locking device 1 functions as follows:

[0020] Starting from the in Fig. In the operating position shown in Figure 1, in which the bolt 4 is retracted, a key element 9 is held near an antenna of the transmitter / receiver 7, or a button (not shown) is pressed, initiating communication between the transmitter / receiver 7 and the key element 9. The microprocessor unit belonging to the electronic circuit 3 checks whether the identification memory 11 of the memory element 9 contains an identifier. If the identification memory 11 does not contain an identifier, the key element 9 is a "free" key element with which the electronic locking device can be locked. The sensor 13 detects whether the cabinet door is closed. If so, the motor 2 is operated by the electronic circuit 3 in such a way that the bolt 4 extends, so that the bolt head 5 engages the strike plate 6.As soon as the sensor element 12 detects, through the presence of the magnet 17, that the bolt 4 is pre-engaged, the individual identifier of the locking device is stored in the identification memory 11. This makes the key element 9 a "non-free" key element, which can only interact with the locking device that possesses the same individual identifier.

[0021] The locking authorization code 10 of the key element 9 is stored in data storage 14.

[0022] To open the cabinet lock, the key element 9 is brought near the antenna of the transmitter / receiver 7 or a button is pressed. The electronic circuit 3 then reads the access authorization code 10 and / or the identifier 11 from the identification memory via the transmitter / receiver 7. If the key element has access authorization, the bolt 4 is retracted by the motor 2. As soon as the sensor 12 detects that the bolt has retracted, the identification memory 11 of the key element 9 is erased. The data memory 14 of the locking device 1 is also erased.

[0023] The electronic locking device 1 is now back in its initial state and can be operated by any key element 9 whose identification memory 11 is free. Key elements 9 whose identification memory 11 contains an identifier of another locking device cannot operate the locking device. The one or more additional memory cells 20 can be written to or erased both when opening and closing the lock. They do not need to be erased when opening the lock.

[0024] The in the Fig. The second embodiment shown in 3 to 5 differs essentially only with regard to the mechanical components from the one shown in the Fig. 1 and Fig. 2. This lock also has a lock housing 19 in which a bolt 4 with a bolt head 5 is linearly slidable. The drive is provided by a drive disc 22 driven by an electric motor, to which a link 21 is articulated at an eccentric pivot point, the other end of which is attached to the latch tail. By rotating the drive disc 22 by 180 degrees, the bolt can be moved back and forth between its locked and unlocked positions.

[0025] The bolt carries a magnet 17 which, in the locked bolt position ( Fig. 3) is located at the level of a first magnetic sensor 12 and is in the retracted locking position ( Fig. 4) is located in front of a second magnetic sensor 12'. The operating state of the bolt 4 can thus be determined via the sensor elements 12, 12' using the control electronics 3.

[0026] A push button 23 is provided which can strike an edge of a body with a beveled edge 23', so that the push button 23, designed as a slider, is slightly displaced into the lock case. In the door open position, which is in Fig. As shown in Figure 4, a magnet 18 mounted on the push button 23 is within the range of influence of a third magnetic sensor 13, so that the control unit 3 receives a signal indicating that the door is not closed. When the door is closed, the push button 23 is moved inwards towards the lock. This occurs against the restoring force of a spring 24. As a result, the magnet 18 moves out of the range of influence of the magnetic sensor 13, so that the control electronics 3 receives the signal that the cabinet door is closed.

[0027] The function of the closure corresponds to that which has been explained above with regard to the first embodiment.

[0028] Is the closure located in the Fig. In the open position shown in Figure 4, and if the lock receives a locking command, which can be done, for example, by placing a transponder against a transmitter / receiver unit 7 or by pressing a button, then, if the transponder has an empty identification memory 11 and the cabinet door is closed, the bolt extension is initiated. If the control electronics 3 detect that the bolt is engaged, the individual identifier of the lock is written to the transponder's identification memory. If an error occurs during this process, which can be detected after verifying the correctness of the identifier stored in the identification memory 11, a visual and / or audible error signal is emitted. A similar error signal can also be emitted if a transponder with a non-empty identification memory 11 is used to close the lock.

[0029] The lock is opened by bringing the transponder, with its unique identifier stored in identifier memory 11, into contact with the transmitter / receiver unit 7. A button may need to be pressed beforehand. Immediately after the control electronics 3 have verified the transponder's authorization to open the lock, the bolt retracts. When sensor 12 detects that the bolt has fully retracted, the identifier in the transponder's identifier memory 1 is deleted. If an error occurs during this process, a visual or audible error signal is emitted.

[0030] The foregoing statements serve to explain the inventions covered by the application as a whole, which each independently advance the state of the art at least through the following combinations of features, namely:

[0031] An electronic locking device 1, characterized in that a sensor element 12 is provided with which at least the forward or backward locking of the bolt 4 can be detected and the communication device 3, 7 is configured such that the identifier is only transmitted after this detection.

[0032] An electronic locking device characterized in that a sensor element 13, 23 is provided with which the closing state of a cabinet door equipped with the locking device 1 and / or the entry of the head 5 of the bolt 4 into the counter-locking part 6 can be detected and the identifier is only transmitted after this detection.

[0033] A method for locking an electronic locking device1 characterized in that one or more sensor elements 12, 13, 23 are used to check whether a door equipped with the locking device 1 is closed and / or whether the bolt head (5) has entered the counter-locking part 6 and, after this condition has been determined, the individual identifier is written into the identifier memory 11.

[0034] A method characterized in that, after opening the locking device 1 and after determining the bolt retraction, the identifier in the identifier memory 11 is deleted.

Claims

[1] Electronic locking device (1) with a bolt (4) extendable by an actuating element (2) from a closed position to a forward-locked position into a counter-locking part (6) and with a communication device (3, 7) for wireless communication (8) with a key element (9) having a wirelessly readable locking authorization code (10) and a rewritable identification memory (11), wherein the communication device (3, 7) is configured such that during a locking operation it transmits an identifier individually assigned to the locking device (1) to the key element (9) for storage in the identification memory (11) therein, so that the key element (9) becomes a non-free key element (9) which can only interact with the locking device (1) which has the same individual identifier, wherein the actuating element is an electric motor (2),who, after establishing the authorization to lock using the authorization code (10), closes or closes the bolt (4), characterized by , that a sensor element (12) is provided with which at least the forward or backward closure of the bolt (4) can be detected and the communication device (3, 7) is set up in such a way that the identifier is only transmitted after this detection. [2] Electronic locking device (1) according to claim 1, characterized by , that a sensor element (12, 13) is provided with which the closed state of a cabinet door equipped with the closing device (1) and / or the entry of the head (5) of the bolt (4) into the counter-closing part (6) can be detected and the identifier is only transmitted after this detection. [3] Method for locking an electronic locking device (1), in particular according to one of the preceding claims, wherein a key element (9) is locally assigned to a transmitting / receiving device (7) of the locking device (1) such that a locking authorization code (10) can be transmitted from the key element (9) to an electronic circuit (3) via a wireless transmission link (8) and an individual identifier of the electronic locking device (1) can be written into an identifier memory (11) of the key element (9), so that the key element (9) becomes a restricted key element (9) which can only interact with the locking device (1) that has the same individual identifier, wherein, upon confirmation of locking authorization, a motor (2) advances a bolt (4) such that a bolt head (5) of the bolt (4) engages a counter-locking part (6), characterized by, that by means of one or more sensor elements (12, 13, 23) it is checked whether a door equipped with the locking device (1) is closed and / or whether the bolt head (5) has entered the counter-locking part (6) and after this condition has been determined the individual identifier is written into the identifier memory (11). [4] Method according to claim 3, characterized by , that after opening the locking device (1) and after confirming that the bolt has closed, the identifier in the identifier memory (11) is deleted.

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