Programmable electronic lock

Claim 2

A programmable electronic lock, comprising: a card, having fields respectively encoded with a card code, a shift code, and a card type code; a card reader; means for storing said card code; means for storing said shift code; means for storing said card type code; a system code; means for storing said system code; means for receiving said card, system, and shift codes, and calculating a key code therefrom; means for storing said key code; a plurality of lock codes for said card type code; means for storing said plurality of lock codes for said card type code; means for receiving said card type code and retrieving a lock code from said plurality of lock codes for said card type code; means for receiving and comparing said key code and said lock code; said means for receiving and comparing said key code and said lock code producing an active output signal at a first output when said key code is equal in value to said lock code; said means for receiving and comparing said key code and said lock code producing an active signal at a second output when said key code value is within a predetermined tolerance value of said lock code value; means for setting and storing said predetermined tolerance value; means for opening a lock responsive to either of said active output signals from said means for receiving and comparing said key code and said lock code; means for automatically updating said lock code, by replacing said lock code with said key code, responsive to said second active output signal from said means for receiving and comparing said key and said lock codes.

Claim 3

A programmable electronic lock according to claim 1, wherein said means for storing said plurality of lock codes for said card type code comprises: a plurality of registers, storing a list of lock codes for each card type code.

Claim 4

A programmable electronic lock according to claim 1, wherein said means for receiving and comparing said key code and said lock code comprises: a comparator, having a control input; said control input being connected to said means for setting and storing said predetermined tolerance value.

Claim 5

A programmable electronic lock according to claim 1, wherein said means for setting and storing said predetermined tolerance value comprises: a register.

Claim 6

A programmable electronic lock according to claim 1, wherein said predetermined tolerance value is the difference produced by subtracting said key code value from said lock code value.

Claim 7

A programmable electronic lock comprising: a card, having fields respectively encoded with a card code, a shift code, a card type code, and an additional functions code; a card reader; means for storing said card code; means for storing said shift code; means for storing said type code; means for storing said additional functions code; a system code; means for storing said system code; means for receiving said card, system, and shift codes, and producing a key code therefrom; means for storing said key code; a plurality of lock codes for said card type code; means for storing said plurality of lock codes for said card type code; means for receiving said card type code and retrieving a lock code from said plurality of lock codes for said card type code; means for receiving and comparing said key code and said lock code; said means for receiving and comparing said key code and said lock code producing an active output signal at a first output when said key code is equal in value to said lock code; said means for comparing said key code and said lock code producing an active signal at a second output when said key code value is within a predetermined tolerance value of said lock code value; means for setting and storing said predetermined tolerance value; means for opening a lock, responsive to either of said active output signals from said means for receiving and comparing said key code and said lock code; means for automatically updating said lock code, by replacing said lock code with said key code, responsive to said second active output signal from said means for receiving and comparing said key and said lock codes; and means for connecting a plurality of modular additional elements to adapt a lock to the needs of a particular site.

Claim 8

A programmable electronic lock comprising: a card, having fields respectively encoded with a card code, a shift code, a card type code, and an additional functions code; a card reader; means for storing said card code; means for storing said shift code; means for storing said type code; means for storing said additional functions code; a system code; means for storing said system code; means for receiving said card, system, and shift codes, and producing a key code therefrom; means for storing said key code; a plurality of lock codes for said card type code; means for storing said plurality of lock codes for said card type code; means for receiving said card type code and retrieving a lock code from said plurality of lock codes for said card type code; means for receiving and comparing said key code and said lock code; said means for receiving and comparing said key code and said lock code producing an active output signal at a first output when said key code is equal in value to said lock code; said means for comparing said key code and said lock code producing an active signal at a second output when said key code value is within a predetermined tolerance value of said lock code value; means for setting and storing said predetermined tolerance value; means for opening a lock, responsive to either of said active output signals from said means for receiving and comparing said key code and said lock code; means for automatically updating said lock code, by replacing said lock code with said key code, responsive to said second active output signal from said means for receiving and comparing said key and said lock codes; and means for connecting a plurality of modular additional elements to adapt a lock to the needs of a particular site.

Claim 9

A programmable electronic lock according to claim 6, wherein said means for storing said plurality of lock codes for said card type code comprises: a plurality of registers, storing a list of lock codes for each card type code.

Claim 10

A programmable electronic lock according to claim 6, wherein said means for receiving and comparing said key code and said lock code comprises: a comparator, having a control input; said control input being connected to said means for setting and storing said predetermined tolerance value.

Claim 11

A programmable electronic lock according to claim 6, wherein said means for setting and storing said predetermined tolerance value comprises: a register.

Claim 12

A programmable electronic lock according to claim 6, wherein said predetermined tolerance value is the difference produced by subtracting said key code value from said lock code value.

Claim 13

A programmable electronic lock according to claim 6, wherein said means for connecting said modular additional elements comprises: a calculation circuit, producing an active output signal upon receiving said additional functions code and an active output signal from one or more of said plurality of modular elements; an AND gate; said AND gate receiving at a first input said output signal from said from said calculation circuit; said AND gate receiving at a second input both of said output signals from said means for receiving and comparing said key code and said lock code of claim 2; said AND gate producing an active output signal upon said first input and said second input simultaneously receiving active signals; said active output signal of said and gate energizing said means for opening a lock.

Claim 14

A programmable electronic lock according to claim 6 where said modular function elements comprise; a clock module; a timetable module; a privacy module; an openings memory module; a keyboard module; and an office function module.

Claim 15

A programmable electronic lock according to claim 6 having at least one additional functions module.

Claim 16

A programmable electronic lock comprising: means for reading a key code from a card; means for storing a lock code in said lock; means for setting and storing an allowable maximum difference between said key code and said lock code; and means, responsive to a difference between said key code and said lock code being less than said allowable maximum difference for enabling activation of said electronic lock.

Claim 17

A programmable electronic lock comprising: means for reading a key code from a card; means for storing a lock code in said lock; means for setting and storing an allowable maximum difference between said key code and said lock code; and means, responsive to a difference between said key code and said lock code being less than said allowable maximum difference for enabling activation of said electronic lock.

Claim 18

A programmable electronic lock according to claim 14 comprising: means for reading an additional functions code from said card; means, responsive to said key code satisfying a predetermined condition for providing a first opening signal; means, responsive to satisfaction of at least one condition in said additional functions code, for providing a second opening signal; and means responsive to the presence of said first and second opening signals for enabling opening of said lock.

Claim 19

Apparatus according to claim 15, wherein said at least one condition includes a valid time before which said second opening signal is prohibited.

Claim 20

Apparatus according to claim 15, wherein said at least one condition includes an invalid time after which said second opening signal is prohibited.

Claim 21

Apparatus according to claim 17, wherein said at least one condition further includes a valid time, before said invalid time, before which said second opening signal is prohibited, whereby said second opening signal is permitted between said valid time and said invalid time.

Claim 22

Apparatus according to claim 15, wherein said at least one condition includes a timetable of permitted opening times.

Claim 23

Apparatus according to claim 15, wherein said at least one condition includes a privacy function whereby a lock operator is enabled to prevent opening of said lock under certain circumstances.

Claim 24

Apparatus according to claim 15, wherein said at least one condition includes codes useable with a definable plurality of locks, said definable plurality being less than all of said locks in a building.