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US4845490A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Electronic locking system

Assignee: Newfrey LLC
•
Filing: 1987-01-28
•
Granted: 1989-07-04
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Expires: 2007-01-28
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Abstract

Abstract A management apparatus for a locking system includes a computer memory, first computer means for listing in the computer memory the doors having the locks of the system, and second computer means for entering data in the computer memory defining the interrelationships of the doors, which data including the doors of the system which are accessed by other of the doors. A third computer means lists in the computer memory selected ones of the locks of the doors to be operated by each of the keys, and a fourth computer means determines if a path exists according to said data from an outer limit of the locking system to each of the doors selected for operation by the key either directly or via other of the doors selected for operation by the key. Another means determines if an external door or external doors of the system provide access via a path either directly to each of the internal doors or via other of the internal doors of the system to each internal door of the system.

Inventors

  • 👤 Kathleen E. Ward
  • 👤 Mary E. Blewitt

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-01 08:22
CPC Classifications
E; E05; E05B; E05B49/00; G; G07; G07C; G07C9/00; G07C9/00174; G07C9/00571; G07C9/00896; G07C9/00904; G07C9/20; G07C9/27

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 13
Claim 1
Independent Claim 129 words
An apparatus for managing a locking system having locks mounted on doors within the system and keys to operate the locks, said apparatus comprising: a computer memory, means for listing in said computer memory the doors of the system having locks and labeling each door in the list as being either an external door or an internal door, means for entering in said computer memory data indicating which of said doors provides access to which other of said doors, and means for determining if an external door or external doors of the system provide access via a path indicated by said data either directly to each of said internal doors or via other of said internal doors of the system to each of said internal doors of the system.
Claim 2
Independent Claim 129 words
An apparatus for managing a locking system having locks mounted on doors within the system and keys to operate the locks, said apparatus comprising: a computer memory, means for listing in said computer memory the doors of the system having locks and labeling each door in the list as being either an external door or an internal door, means for entering in said computer memory data indicating which of said doors provides access to which other of said doors, and means for determining if an external door or external doors of the system provide access via a path indicated by said data either directly to each of said internal doors or via other of said internal doors of the system to each of said internal doors of the system.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 98 words
An apparatus as set forth in claim 1 further comprising: means for listing in said computer memory selected locks of said doors of said system to be operated by each of said keys, and means for determining if a path exists from an external door or external doors of said system having a lock selected for operation by said key to each internal door having a lock selected for operation by said key either directly by said external door or external doors or indirectly through other of said internal doors having locks selected for operation by said key.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 61 words
An apparatus as set forth in claim 2 further comprising: means for listing at least some of said internal doors selected for operation by said key to which there is no path leading from an external door of said system selected for operation by said key either directly or via other of said internal doors selected for operation by said key.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 63 words
An apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said means for determining comprises means for tracing a path if it exists according to said data from an external door or external doors of the system either directly to each of said internal doors or via other of said internal doors of the system to each of said internal doors of the system.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 51 words
An apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said means for determining comprises: second means for determining from said data the doors of the system which access each of the internal doors of said system, and third means for determining if any of said accessing doors is an external door.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 50 words
An apparatus as set forth in claim 5 wherein said means for determining further comprises: fourth means for determining from said data other of said doors of the system which access said accessing doors, and fifth means for determining if any of the other accessing doors is an external door.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 20 words
An apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said locks are electronic locks, and said keys are key cards.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 191 words
A process for managing a locking system having a plurality of locks mounted on a plurality of doors, respectively and a plurality of keys which operate said locks, said process comprising the steps of: listing in a memory device the doors of said system having the locks of said system, labeling in said memory device the listed doors which interface to an outer limit of said locking system, inputting data to said memory device indicating which of said doors are accessible by which other doors of said system, listing in said memory device selected ones of said locks of said doors to be operated by a first one of said keys, attempting to locate a path from the outer limit of said locking system to each of said doors selected for operation by said key either directly or through other of said doors selected for operation by said key, and indicating an error when at least one of said doors selected for operation by said key is not accessible from the outer limit of said locking system either directly or via other of said doors selected for operation by said key.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 191 words
A process for managing a locking system having a plurality of locks mounted on a plurality of doors, respectively and a plurality of keys which operate said locks, said process comprising the steps of: listing in a memory device the doors of said system having the locks of said system, labeling in said memory device the listed doors which interface to an outer limit of said locking system, inputting data to said memory device indicating which of said doors are accessible by which other doors of said system, listing in said memory device selected ones of said locks of said doors to be operated by a first one of said keys, attempting to locate a path from the outer limit of said locking system to each of said doors selected for operation by said key either directly or through other of said doors selected for operation by said key, and indicating an error when at least one of said doors selected for operation by said key is not accessible from the outer limit of said locking system either directly or via other of said doors selected for operation by said key.
Claim 11
Independent Claim 90 words
An apparatus for managing a locking system having locks mounted on doors within the system and keys to operate the locks, said apparatus comprising: a computer memory, means for listing in said computer memory the doors of the system having locks, means for entering into said computer memory data indicating which of said doors provide access to which other of said doors, and computer means for determining if some of said doors of the system are not accessible via other of said doors of the system according to said data.
Claim 12
Independent Claim 90 words
An apparatus for managing a locking system having locks mounted on doors within the system and keys to operate the locks, said apparatus comprising: a computer memory, means for listing in said computer memory the doors of the system having locks, means for entering into said computer memory data indicating which of said doors provide access to which other of said doors, and computer means for determining if some of said doors of the system are not accessible via other of said doors of the system according to said data.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim 37 words
An apparatus as set forth in claim 9 further comprises means for presenting information indicating that one of said doors of the system is not accessible from an outer boundary of the system according to said data.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US4558300A Cited
US4521645A Cited
US4727369A Cited
US4721954A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1992-07-03 1993-01-02 1993-07-04 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1996-07-03 1997-01-02 1997-07-04 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 2000-07-03 2001-01-02 2001-07-04 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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