Electronic Lock Automatic Passcode Slot Assignment

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing electronic locks require users to specify user slots when adding or deleting passcodes, which can lead to accidental overwriting or deletion of incorrect passcodes if the wrong slot is entered.

Innovation Solution

An electronic lock with a circuit that automatically assigns user slots for new passcodes and deletes passcodes based on the passcode itself, without requiring the user to specify the slot, using an add mode and delete mode to prevent errors.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the user specifies the user slot when adding or deleting passcodes, then the passcode can be assigned to a specific user slot, but the risk of accidental overwriting or deletion of wrong passcodes increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepasscode assignment accuracyVSAvoidaccidental overwriting or deletion

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The system automatically assigns user slots to new passcodes without requiring user input for slot specification. The circuit autonomously manages the assignment process by searching for available slots and assigning them automatically, eliminating human error in the process.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The system provides feedback to the user by displaying the assigned user slot number after automatically assigning a passcode. This feedback mechanism allows users to verify the assignment and understand what happened, preventing accidental overwriting by making the system's actions transparent.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

2Ease of operation

If the user specifies the user slot when deleting passcodes, then the specific passcode can be deleted, but the risk of deleting the wrong passcode increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepasscode deletion capabilityVSAvoidpasscode deletion accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system automatically identifies which passcode to delete based on the user's input without requiring manual slot specification. The circuit autonomously searches for the matching passcode in memory and deletes it, eliminating the risk of deleting the wrong passcode due to incorrect slot entry.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

3Reliability

If the system automatically assigns user slots, then the risk of accidental overwriting is reduced, but the system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepasscode assignment safetyVSAvoidautomatic assignment mechanism

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary actions by automatically searching for available user slots before assigning a new passcode. The circuit checks which slots are unassigned and selects one automatically, preparing the assignment before the user needs to use the passcode, thus preventing conflicts.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

4Reliability

If the system searches for duplicate passcodes, then the risk of duplicate passcodes is reduced, but the processing time increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepasscode uniquenessVSAvoidpasscode addition processing time

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs the duplicate check as a preliminary action before finalizing the passcode assignment. The circuit searches for existing passcodes in memory before assigning the new one, ensuring uniqueness is established upfront rather than during subsequent operations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentUS9697302B2Electronic lock having automatic user slot assignment for passcodes

Publication Date: 2017.07.04 ASSA ABLOY AMERICAS RESIDENTIAL INC

AI summary

An electronic lock in which new passcodes can be added and/or deleted without specifying the user slot to which the new passcode should be assigned. A circuit in the electronic lock determines whether the new passcode to be added is unique compared to existing passcodes stored in memory. If so, the circuit searches for an available user slot for which no authorized passcodes are associated and associates the new passcode with an available user slot.