Electronic lock and key switch having key identifying function

Claim 2

An electronic lock and key system for automotive vehicles, comprising: a key having a profile forming a first predetermined code, and a magnetic element forming a second predetermined code, said magnetic element being made of a magnetizable material; a lock having a key hole into which the key is to be inserted, said key hole having a shape corresponding to said first predetermined code; magnetism creating means associated with said lock for creating a magnetic flux corresponding to said second predetermined code when said key is inserted into said key hole of said lock; magnetism detecting means for detecting a magnetic flux created by said magnetism creating means and generating a signal indicative of the detected magnetic flux; decision means for comparing the value of said signal from said magnetism detecting means with a predetermined value and, when said two values agree, generating an agreement signal; and driving means responsive to said agreement signal from said decision means for enabling at least unlocking of said lock by means of said key only when said agreement signal is present, said driving means comprising: mechanical unlocking means responsive to operation of said key when inserted into said key hole of said lock for mechanically unlocking said lock; interlocking means for mechanically interlocking said lock with said mechanical unlocking means; and an electromagnetic actuator connected to said interlocking means and responsive to said agreement signal from said decision means for causing said interlocking means to effect mechanical interlocking between said lock and said mechanical unlocking means only when said agreement signal is present, so that when said profile of said key as inserted into said key hole corresponds to the shape of said key hole, mechanical unlocking of said lock by said mechanical unlocking means is effected by operation of said key when inserted into said key hole, whereby said lock is unlockable only when said first and second predetermined codes of said key both agree with those of said lock.

Claim 3

An electronic lock and key system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said firt predetermined code is formed based on at least one of material, dimensions, and thickness of said magnetic element.

Claim 4

An electronic lock and key system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said magnetism creating means comprises a magnet and a Hall element arranged around said key hole.

Claim 5

An electronic lock and key system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said magnetism creating means comprises a coil arranged around said key hole.

Claim 6

An electronic lock and key system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said magnetism detecting means includes means for generating said signal in for the form of a voltage of a magnitude corresponding to the magnitude of said detected magnetic flux, and said decision means includes means for comparing said voltage with a predetermined voltage value.

Claim 7

An electronic lock and key system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said magnetism detecting means includes means for generating said signal in the form of a voltage converted from a pulse frequency corresponding to the magnitude of said detected magnetic flux, and said decision means includes means for comparing said voltage with a predetermined voltage value.

Claim 8

An electronic lock and key system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said key has incorporated therein said magnetic element, and an infrared ray emitting element for emitting an infrared ray carrying a third predetermined code; wherein said lock is formed of a door lock of an automotive vehicle, and said electronic lock and key system further includes a photo sensor provided in said automotive vehicle for sensing the infrared ray carrying said third predetermined code, secnd decision means for comparing the value of an output from said photo sensor with the value of a predetermined set code and generating a second agreement signal when the two values are equal with each other, and second driving means operatively connected to said lock for causing locking or unlocking of said lock in response to an output from said second decision means.

Claim 9

An electronic lock and key system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said lock comprises a door lock having a rotor into which said key is to be inserted, said rotor being rotatable together with said key inserted therein, said interlocking means of said driving means comprising a cam member, engaging means for engaging said cam member with said rotor of said door lock, said engaging means being adapted to engage said cam member with said rotor when said cam member is in a first position and to disengage said cam member from said rotor when said cam member is in a second position, said mechanical unlocking means being connected to said cam member for mechanically unlocking said door lock when said cam member is in a predetermined angular position, and said electromagnetic actuator is connected to said cam member and responsive to said agreement signal from said decision means for displacing said cam member into said first position, wherein when said cam member is in said first position, said cam member can be displaced into said predetermined angular position by operating said key to turn said rotor.

Claim 10

An electronic lock and key system as claimed in claim 8, wherein said first and second positions of said cam member of said unlocking mechanism correspond to different axial positions on said rotor, said cam member having an opening in which said rotor is fitted, said engaging means comprising at least one first engaging protuberance formed on said rotor and at least one second engaging protuberance formed in said opening of said cam member.

Claim 11

An electronic lock and key system as claimed in claim 4, wherein said magnetism detecting means generates said signal in the form of a voltage converted from a pulse frequency corresponding to the magnitude of said detected magnetic flux, and said decision means compares said voltage with a predetermined voltage value.

Claim 12

An electronic lock and key system for automotive vehicles, comprising: a key having a profile forming a first predetermined code, and a magnetic element forming a second predetermined code; a door lock having a key hole and a rotor into which the key is to be inserted, said key hole having a shape corresponding to said first predetermined code, and said rotor being rotatable together with said key inserted therein,; magnetism creating means for creating a magnetic flux corresponding to said second predetermined code when said key is inserted into said key hole of said lock; magnetism detecting means for detecting a magnetic flux created by said magnetism creating means and generating a signal indicative of the detected magnetic flux; decision means for comparing the value of said signal from said magnetism detecting means with a predetermined value and, when said two values agree, generating an agreement signal; and driving means responsive to said agreement signal from said decision means for enabling at least unlocking of said lock by means of said key, said driving means comprising: mechanical unlocking means responsive to operation of said key when inserted into said key hole of said lock for mechanically unlocking said lock; interlocking means for mechanically interlocking said lock with said mechanical unlocking means; and an electromagnetic actuator connected to said interlocking means and responsive to said agreement signal from said decision means for causing said interlocking means to effect mechanical interlocking between said lock and said mechanical unlocking means only when said agreement signal is present, so that when said profile of said key as inserted into said key hole corresponds to the shape of said key hole, mechanical unlocking of said lock by said mechanical unlocking means is effected by operation of said key when inserted into said key hole; said interlocking means of said driving means comprising: a cam member, engaging means for engaging said cam member with said rotor of said door lock, said engaging means being adapted to engage said cam member with said rotor when said cam member is in a first position and to disengage said cam member from said rotor when said cam member is in a second position; said mechanical unlocking means being connected to said cam member for mechanically unlocking said door lock when said cam member is in a predetermined angular position; and said electromagnetic actuator is connected to said cam member and responsive to said agreement signal from said decision means for displacing said cam member into said first position, wherein when said cam member is in said first position, said cam member can be displaced into said predetermined angular position by operating said key to turn said rotor.

Claim 13

An electronic lock and key system for automotive vehicles, comprising: a key having a profile forming a first predetermined code, and a magnetic element forming a second predetermined code; a door lock having a key hole and a rotor into which the key is to be inserted, said key hole having a shape corresponding to said first predetermined code, and said rotor being rotatable together with said key inserted therein,; magnetism creating means for creating a magnetic flux corresponding to said second predetermined code when said key is inserted into said key hole of said lock; magnetism detecting means for detecting a magnetic flux created by said magnetism creating means and generating a signal indicative of the detected magnetic flux; decision means for comparing the value of said signal from said magnetism detecting means with a predetermined value and, when said two values agree, generating an agreement signal; and driving means responsive to said agreement signal from said decision means for enabling at least unlocking of said lock by means of said key, said driving means comprising: mechanical unlocking means responsive to operation of said key when inserted into said key hole of said lock for mechanically unlocking said lock; interlocking means for mechanically interlocking said lock with said mechanical unlocking means; and an electromagnetic actuator connected to said interlocking means and responsive to said agreement signal from said decision means for causing said interlocking means to effect mechanical interlocking between said lock and said mechanical unlocking means only when said agreement signal is present, so that when said profile of said key as inserted into said key hole corresponds to the shape of said key hole, mechanical unlocking of said lock by said mechanical unlocking means is effected by operation of said key when inserted into said key hole; said interlocking means of said driving means comprising: a cam member, engaging means for engaging said cam member with said rotor of said door lock, said engaging means being adapted to engage said cam member with said rotor when said cam member is in a first position and to disengage said cam member from said rotor when said cam member is in a second position; said mechanical unlocking means being connected to said cam member for mechanically unlocking said door lock when said cam member is in a predetermined angular position; and said electromagnetic actuator is connected to said cam member and responsive to said agreement signal from said decision means for displacing said cam member into said first position, wherein when said cam member is in said first position, said cam member can be displaced into said predetermined angular position by operating said key to turn said rotor.

Claim 14

An electronic lock and key system as claimed in claim 11, wherein said first and second positions of said cam member of said interlocking means correspond to different axial positions on said rotor, said cam member having an opening in which said rotor is fitted, said engaging means comprising at least one first engaging protuberance formed on said rotor and at least one second engaging protuberance formed in said opening of said cam member.

Claim 15

An electronic lock and key system as claimed in claim 11, wherein said first predetermined code is formed based on at least one of material, dimensions, and thickness of said magnetic element.

Claim 16

An electronic lock and key system as claimed in claim 11, wherein said magnetism creating means comprises a magnet and a Hall element arranged around said key hole.

Claim 17

An electronic lock and key system as claimed in claim 11, wherein said magnetism creating means comprises a coil arranged around said key hole.

Claim 18

An electronic lock and key system as claimed in claim 15, wherein said magnetism detecting means generates said signal in the form of a voltage converted from a pulse frequency corresponding to the magnitude of said detected magnetic flux, and said decision means compares said voltage with a predetermined voltage value.

Claim 19

An electronic lock and key system as claimed in claim 11, wherein said magnetism detecting means includes means for generating said signal in the form of a voltage of a magnitude corresponding to the magnitude of said detected magnetic flux, and said decision means includes means for comparing said voltage with a predetermined voltage value.

Claim 20

An electronic lock and key system as claimed in claim 11, wherein said magnetism detecting means includes means for generating said signal in the form of a voltage converted from a pulse frequency corresponding to the magnitude of said detected magnetic flux, and said decision means includes means for comparing said voltage with a predetermined voltage value.

Claim 21

In electronic lock and key system as claimed in claim 11, wherein said key has incorporated therein said magnetic element, and an infrared ray emitting element for emitting an infrared ray carrying a third predetermined code; and wherein said electronic lock and key system further includes: a photo sensor provided in said automotive vehicle for sensing the infrared ray carrying said third predetermined code, a further decision means for comparing the value of an output from said photo sensor with the value of a predetermined set code and generating a further agreement signal when the two values are equal with each other; and a further driving means operatively connected to said lock for causing locking or unlocking of said lock in response to an output from said further decision means.