EP0320373A1 - Operating and controlling systems for a plurality of accesses equipped with coded locks - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a system for operating and controlling the various coded electrical locks (2) equipping the doors (1) of an hotel, comprising a central unit (8) and, on each door, an integrated block (11) comprising, in addition to the lock itself, a processor and a reader (3) capable of identifying the codes of the coded keys (4) presented to it. This system comprises, furthermore, in the vicinity of each block (11), an intermediate "marker" (12) connected to the central unit and, in the various blocks and markers, means for making the connections between these blocks and markers solely by wireless transmission (13). <IMAGE>

Description

The invention relates to installations for command and control of the different coded locks of an assembly comprising a relatively large number of such locks, this number preferably being greater than 50 and even more than 100.

It relates more particularly to the case where each coded lock equips a door capable of controlling access to a room and is electrically actuable using a coded key corresponding to the code of the lock, said key being made up of preferably, but not necessarily, by a magnetic card.

Preferred, but not exclusive, modes of application of such an installation are the equipment of hotels comprising a large number of rooms or that of professional premises comprising a large number of offices.

• - d'une part une unité centrale de surveillance, de com­mande et de gestion reliée par fil à chacune des por­tes,
• - et d'autre part, sur chaque porte ou à proximité de celle-ci, en plus de la serrure électrique elle-même, comprenant son élément de verrouillage et l'organe de commande électrique de cet élément, un processeur et un appareil propre à identifier les codes des clés qui lui sont présentées, ledit appareil étant notamment un lecteur de cartes, raison pour laquelle il sera dési­gné par le mot "lecteur" dans la suite.

It is known to provide in such installations:

• - on the one hand, a central monitoring, control and management unit connected by wire to each of the doors,
• - And on the other hand, on each door or near it, in addition to the electric lock itself, comprising its locking element and the electrical control member of this element, a processor and its own device identifying the key codes presented to it, said device being in particular a card reader, which is why it will be designated by the word "reader" below.

It is to the processor of each door that the central unit is connected by wire and this processor is itself connected by wire to the lock and to the reader of the corresponding door.

The cabling required to make these different wire connections is often complex and sometimes poses very delicate problems, in particular when the door frames to be fitted have already been installed previously or are not designed to receive such wires: placed in a position that is both protected and invisible from the outside implies at least partial destruction of these jambs, which can in some cases constitute a crippling obstacle.

Admittedly, it has already been proposed, to reduce the number of connecting wires, to group together into integrated blocks all of the electrical command and control circuits which are associated with each lock.

But there is always at least one wire to connect each of these blocks to the central unit so that the problem mentioned above, of the installation of the wires, is not resolved however.

The object of the invention is, above all, to remedy such a drawback.

• - à proximité de chaque bloc, un organe de relais --dit "balise" ci-après-- relié à l'unité centrale et propre à communiquer par voie hertzienne dans les deux sens avec ledit bloc,
• - et, dans ce bloc, des moyens pour recevoir et exploi­ter les signaux électromagnétiques provenant de ladite balise et pour émettre vers celle-ci des signaux élec­tromagnétiques d'information, la balise jouant le rôle d'un relais pour la transmission automatique des si­gnaux de l'unité centrale au bloc et pour celle des signaux du bloc à l'unité centrale.

To this end, the installations of the type in question according to the invention also comprise an integrated block of the above type associated with each lock and they are essentially characterized in that they also comprise:

• - near each block, a relay device - called "beacon" below - connected to the central unit and suitable for communicating by radio in both directions with said block,
• - And, in this block, means for receiving and using the electromagnetic signals from said tag and for transmitting electromagnetic information signals thereon, the tag playing the role of a relay for the automatic transmission of signals from the central unit to the block and for that of the signals from the block to the central unit.

• - une même balise sert à gérer plusieurs serrures de l'installation équipant respectivement des portes dis­posées avec cette balise au même étage d'un immeuble,
• - la balise selon l'alinéa précédent, associée à plu­sieurs blocs, comprend un circuit propre à différer de retards prédéterminés l'exécution des ordres qu'elle reçoit de l'unité centrale, les retards affectés respectivement aux différents blocs étant différents les uns des autres,
• - l'installation considérée sert à gérer les serrures des chambres d'un hôtel et les différentes balises sont logées dans les gaines techniques de desserte de ces chambres,
• - chaque bloc intégré est alimenté par une pile électri­que et est agencé de façon à pouvoir être mis, hors de ses périodes de travail, dans un état de "sommeil" pour lequel sa consommation électrique est négligea­ble, ce bloc comprenant à cet effet un circuit de ré­veil de faible consommation électrique, seul maintenu en veille permanente et propre à activer momentanément l'ensemble du bloc dès réception d'un signal de réveil approprié,
• - chaque balise comprend un circuit propre à différer d'un retard prédéterminé l'exécution des ordres qu'el­le reçoit de l'unité centrale, les retards affectés respectivement aux différentes balises étant diffé­rents les uns des autres,
• - la liaison entre l'unité centrale de l'installation et certaines au moins des balises est effectuée par voie hertzienne.

In preferred embodiments, use is also made of one and / or the other of the following arrangements:

• - the same tag is used to manage several locks of the installation respectively fitted to doors arranged with this tag on the same floor of a building,
• the beacon according to the preceding paragraph, associated with several blocks, comprises a circuit capable of differing from predetermined delays the execution of the orders which it receives from the central unit, the delays assigned respectively to the different blocks being different from each other,
• - the installation considered is used to manage the locks of the rooms of a hotel and the various tags are housed in the technical ducts serving these rooms,
• each integrated block is powered by an electric battery and is arranged so that it can be put, outside of its working periods, into a "sleep" state for which its electrical consumption is negligible, this block comprising for this purpose a circuit alarm clock with low power consumption, the only one kept in permanent standby and capable of temporarily activating the entire unit upon receipt of an appropriate wake-up signal,
• each beacon comprises a circuit capable of differing from a predetermined delay in the execution of the orders which it receives from the central unit, the delays assigned respectively to the different beacons being different from each other,
• - the connection between the central unit of the installation and at least some of the beacons is carried out by radio.

The invention includes, apart from these main provisions, certain other provisions which are preferably used at the same time and which will be more explicitly question below.

• La figure 1, de ce dessin, montre schématique­ment une installation connue de commande et de contrôle des serrures équipant les chambres d'un hôtel.
• La figure 2 montre, semblablement à la figure 1, une installation du même genre que la précédente, mais établie conformément à l'invention.
• La figure 3 illustre schématiquement une va­riante également conforme à l'invention d'une portion d'une telle installation.

In what follows, several embodiments of the invention will be described with reference to the attached drawing, of course in a non-limiting manner.

• FIG. 1, of this drawing, schematically shows a known installation for command and control of the locks equipping the rooms of a hotel.
• Figure 2 shows, similarly to Figure 1, an installation of the same kind as the previous one, but established in accordance with the invention.
• FIG. 3 schematically illustrates a variant also in accordance with the invention of a portion of such an installation.

• - une pluralité de portes 1 desservant chacune une cham­bre d'hôtel et comportant chacune une serrure 2 à commande électrique codée,
• - un lecteur 3 monté à proximité de chaque serrure 2, généralement sur la porte correspondante 1 ou sur le chambranle de cette porte, lecteur propre à identifier les codes portés par des clés appropriées, clés notam­ment constituées par des cartes magnétiques 4,
• - un processeur 5 associé à chaque serrure 2 et à son lecteur 3 et relié respectivement à ces deux appareils par des fils de connexion 6 et 7,
• - et une unité centrale 8 disposée à la réception de l'hôtel et reliée par des fils 9 aux différents pro­cesseurs 5.

The known installation shown diagrammatically in FIG. 1 comprises:

• a plurality of doors 1 each serving a hotel room and each comprising a lock 2 with coded electrical control,
• a reader 3 mounted near each lock 2, generally on the corresponding door 1 or on the door frame of this door, a reader capable of identifying the codes carried by appropriate keys, keys in particular consisting of magnetic cards 4,
• a processor 5 associated with each lock 2 and its reader 3 and connected respectively to these two devices by connection wires 6 and 7,
• - And a central unit 8 placed at the reception of the hotel and connected by wires 9 to the various processors 5.

The central unit 8 and the processors 5 are arranged so as to manage the command and control of the various locks 2 in association with the coded keys 4, as is well known in hotels.

• - chaque clé 4 est attribuée à l'usager d'une chambre pour une période limitée bien déterminée et sert à l'ouverture exclusive de la serrure 2 de cette chambre au cours de ladite période,
• - l'invalidation sélective des codes des serrures peut être commandée à distance à partir de l'unité centrale 8,
• - toutes informations utiles relatives à l'état ouvert ou fermé de chaque porte 1 et à l'état verrouillé ou non de chaque serrure 2 sont recueillies au niveau de l'unité centrale 8 où elles peuvent être affichées.

In particular :

• - each key 4 is assigned to the user of a room for a limited, well-defined period and is used to the exclusive opening of the lock 2 of this chamber during said period,
• - the selective invalidation of the lock codes can be controlled remotely from the central unit 8,
• - All useful information relating to the open or closed state of each door 1 and the locked or unlocked state of each lock 2 is collected at the level of the central unit 8 where it can be displayed.

In known embodiments of the kind indicated, the processors 5 can be housed in the technical sheaths 10 which serve the different rooms and which contain in particular the call, telephone, electric power cables, etc. of these rooms.

These achievements generally give satisfaction.

However, as indicated above, the need to use connection wires 6,7 to connect each processor 5 to the corresponding devices 2 and 3 sometimes poses problems which are difficult to solve.

The installation according to the invention shown diagrammatically in FIG. 2 eliminates this drawback.

We find in this installation the rooms 1 equipped with locks 2 and readers 3 of coded cards 4, as well as the central unit 8 and the wires 9 which serve it.

• - chaque serrure 2 et le lecteur 3 qui lui est associé sont regroupés en un bloc intégré 11 qui contient en outre les circuits composant précédemment le proces­seur 5 et qui est agencé de façon à pouvoir émettre et recevoir des signaux par voie hertzienne,
• - ledit processeur 5 est lui-même remplacé par un petit organe de relais automatique 12 --appelé "balise" ci-après-- relié à l'unité centrale 8 et relié au bloc 11 exclusivement par voie hertzienne, c'est-à-dire sans fil.

But here :

• each lock 2 and the reader 3 which is associated with it are grouped together in an integrated block 11 which also contains the circuits previously composing the processor 5 and which is arranged so as to be able to transmit and receive signals over the air,
• - Said processor 5 is itself replaced by a small automatic relay member 12 - called "beacon" below - connected to the central unit 8 and connected to the block 11 exclusively by radio, that is to say -say wireless.

More specifically, each beacon is arranged so as to be able to automatically transmit over the air to the associated block 11 the orders it receives from the central unit 8 and conversely to receive by the same channel of said block 11 the information or responses sent by that here and retransmit them automatically to the central unit.

The two-way radio link which is thus established between each block 11 and the corresponding beacon 12 has been symbolized in the drawing by the broken arrows 13.

The frequencies used for this radio link are generally contained in the band between 27 and 145 MHz.

These are now the tags 12 which are housed in the technical sheath 10, which is easier given the reduced dimensions of said tags.

Due to the immaterial nature of the radio link 13 made between the beacons and the blocks, all the drawbacks inherent in mounting the connection wires of the previously known embodiments are automatically eliminated here.

In particular there is no longer any need to at least partially destroy the existing door jambs to mount such wires, which in particular makes it possible, or at least considerably simplifies, the application of the installation considered in hotels existing.

The tags 12 can be arranged in several different ways.

Thus each tag can itself have a relatively reduced memory, containing in particular its own address, and be arranged so as to transmit instantaneously or almost instantaneously, on the one hand to the block 11 associated with the instructions. that it receives from the central unit 8, and on the other hand to the central unit 8 the response information that it receives from block 11.

Each tag can also include a larger memory capable of temporarily recording the information received from the associated block in order to deliver it to the central unit only in response to an appropriate interrogation originating from the latter.

Of course, the absence of any wired connection from block 11 prohibits normal supply of the latter by the sector.

This block 11 must therefore be powered by a battery and its electrical consumption should be reduced as much as possible.

• - une portion principale, comportant les différents cir­cuits de travail --destinés respectivement à l'identi­fication des codes, à l'exploitation de la serrure, à l'émission des messages de position, ...-- et suscep­tible d'être mise à volonté dans un état d'éveil ou de travail normal et dans un état de sommeil ou de repos correspondant à une consommation de courant négligea­ble,
• - et une portion auxiliaire, ou "sentinelle", de consom­mation électrique extrêmement faible, qui demeure seule en permanence à l'état de veille et qui est sus­ceptible, dès qu'elle est excitée par un signal élec­tromagnétique approprié provenant de la balise 12, de "réveiller" la portion principale pour une durée qui peut être elle-même limitée dans le temps.

To this end, in an advantageous embodiment, it is made to comprise two portions, namely:

• - a main portion, comprising the different working circuits - intended respectively for the identification of codes, the operation of the lock, the transmission of position messages, ... - and likely to be implemented at will in a normal waking or working state and in a sleeping or resting state corresponding to a negligible current consumption,
• - and an auxiliary portion, or "sentinel", of extremely low electrical consumption, which remains alone permanently in the standby state and which is susceptible, as soon as it is excited by an appropriate electromagnetic signal coming from the beacon 12, to "wake up" the main portion for a period which can itself be limited in time.

If several blocks 11 are relatively close to each other, it can be envisaged that the same tag 12 is associated simultaneously with these different blocks.

This is for example the case, which has been shown diagrammatically in FIG. 3, where the corresponding locks equip two doors 1 practically contiguous, or more generally the case where the doors considered equip the doors of rooms or premises served by the same corridor and therefore arranged on the same floor of a building, said doors being generally spaced at most 10 to 20 m.

In such a case, of course, each of the electromagnetic messages exchanged between the common beacon 12 and the corresponding blocks 11 must include a distinctive coding element making it possible to identify the block concerned.

In FIG. 3, the broken arrows 13 in dashed lines signify that the beacon 12 is common not only to the two contiguous blocks 11, but to four blocks, namely the two so-called contiguous blocks and also the blocks equipping the doors of two rooms located at look at the two doors 1 above, on the other side of corridor 14, of the hotel, which serves all of the four rooms concerned.

In installations of the kind considered, it is sometimes useful to be able to transmit from the central unit signals applicable to all the blocks 1.

This is for example the case for time changes, or even for certain orders to invalidate coded keys.

In previously known wire-controlled installations, instructions of this type can order master codes and be executed simultaneously by all receivers.

In the present case, the simultaneous transmission of all the corresponding instruction signals transmitted by radio means (arrows 13) may result in jamming of said signals.

To avoid this drawback, the following arrangement is advantageously used.

If i denotes the rank of any given beacon 12 _i of the installation, the effective transmission, to this corresponding block 11 _i , of each message received by this beacon of l is differed by a time t _i 'central unit 8, the times t _i differing from one beacon to another: these times can for example be equal to 10 ms respectively for the beacon of rank 1, to 20 ms for the beacon of rank 2, etc. .

At the same time, care is taken that the duration of each transmission remains less than the differences between the successive transmissions to avoid overlapping.

Thus the electromagnetic space is occupied at all times only by waves corresponding to only one of the beacon-block emissions.

This improvement consisting in selectively deferring the sending of messages from a beacon to a block can also be adopted with advantage at the level of the beacons 12 associated with several blocks 11, so as to separate over time, and therefore to better distinguish one from the other. others, the exchanges carried out respectively between the tag considered and each of the blocks associated with it.

As a result of which, and whatever the embodiment adopted, there is finally an installation for command and control of multiple coded locks whose constitution and advantages result sufficiently from the above.

• - celles où certaines seulement des serrures de l'ins­tallation seraient équipées de balises adaptées aux communications hertziennes du genre décrit ci-dessus, les autres serrures demeurant équipées d'ensembles à fils matériels du genre de ceux décrits en référence à la figure 1,
• - et celles où certains au moins des fils 9 reliant l'u­nité centrale 8 aux balises 12 seraient eux-mêmes sup­primés et remplacés par des liaisons hertziennes.

As is obvious, and as already follows from the foregoing, the invention is in no way limited to those of its modes of application and embodiments which have been more especially envisaged; on the contrary, it embraces all variants, in particular:

• - those where only some of the locks of the installation would be fitted with tags suitable for wireless communications of the kind described above, the other locks remaining equipped with hardware-wire assemblies of the kind of those described with reference to FIG. 1,
• - And those where at least some of the wires 9 connecting the central unit 8 to the beacons 12 would themselves be deleted and replaced by radio links.

Claims (7)

1. Installation for command and control of different coded locks (2) equipping respectively different doors (1) for access to different premises, each lock being electrically actuable using a key (4) coded in correspondence with the code of the lock, comprising on the one hand a central unit (8) for monitoring, control and management connected to the different doors (1) and on the other hand, on each door, an integrated block (11) comprising, in in addition to the lock itself, a processor and a reader (3) capable of identifying the codes of the keys which are presented to it, characterized in that it also comprises: - near each block (11), a "beacon" (12) connected to the central unit (8) and suitable for communicating by radio link (13) in both directions with said block, - And, in this block, means for receiving and using the electromagnetic signals from said tag and for transmitting electromagnetic information signals thereon, the tag playing a relay role for the automatic transmission of signals from the central unit to the block and for that of the signals from the block to the central unit. 2. Installation according to claim 1, characterized in that the same tag (12) is used to manage several locks (2) respectively equipping doors (1) arranged with this tag on the same floor of a building. 3. Installation according to claim 2, characterized in that the beacon (12) associated with several blocks (11) comprises a circuit capable of differing from predetermined delays in the execution of the orders which it receives from the central unit (8) , the delays assigned respectively to the different blocks being different from each other. 4. Installation according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it is used to manage the locks (2) of the rooms of a hotel and in that the different tags (12) are housed in the technical sheaths (10 ) serving these rooms. 5. Installation according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that each integrated block (11) is powered by an electric battery and is arranged so that it can be put, outside its working periods, in a state of " sleep "for which its electrical consumption is negligible, this block comprising for this purpose a wake-up circuit of low electrical consumption, the only one maintained in permanent standby and capable of temporarily activating the entire block upon receipt of an appropriate wake-up signal. 6. Installation according to any one of the preceding claims, comprising several beacons, characterized in that each beacon (12) comprises a circuit capable of differing by a predetermined delay in the execution of the orders which it receives from the central unit (8), the delays assigned respectively to the different tags being different from each other. 7. Installation according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the connection between the central unit (8) of the installation and at least some of the tags (12) is carried out by radio.

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