EP2958083A1 - Method for configuring electronic locks - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for the configuration of electronic locks (1, 2, 3, 4) having a plurality of electronic locks (1, 2, 3, 4) which can be configured by an administrator (5) and by a user (6, 7 ) are actuated using an electronic key (10), wherein new configuration data for at least a portion of the electronic locks (1, 2, 3, 4) are transmitted to at least one electronic key (10), wherein this configuration data in the case of a data Communication link (15, 16, 17, 28, 19) between a not yet reconfigured lock (1, 2, 3, 4) and the electronic key (10) for the purpose of configuration on the not yet configured lock (1, 2, 3, 4) are transmitted.

Description

The invention relates to a method of configuring electronic locks having a plurality of electronic locks that are configurable by an administrator and operable by a user using an electronic key.

Such methods are known in the art. These are often methods that are used to configure extensive locking systems, for example in multi-storey office buildings and / or the like.

The electronic locks can be networked with each other. The administrator can then centrally reach, for example by means of a computer, all interconnected locks and configure.

However, locking systems are also known in which the individual electronic locks are not interconnected. Rather, each electronic lock is a self-sufficient system. This has the considerable advantage that the entire effort for networking is completely eliminated.

The disadvantage of such self-sufficient electronic locks, however, is that the administrator has to program each electronic lock of a locking system individually by hand, as it were. To do this, he must visit each electronic lock and, for example, connect a laptop to transfer new configuration data to the electronic lock.

Against this background, it is the object of the present invention to improve a generic method, especially in the use of self-sufficient locks, in terms of handling, to simplify in terms of effort and also to reduce costs.

To solve the invention proposes that new configuration data for at least a portion of the electronic locks are transmitted to at least one electronic key, said configuration data in the case of a data communication link between a not yet reconfigured lock and the electronic key for the purpose of configuration on the especially to be reconfigured lock to be transferred.

In other words, the invention proposes that a configuration of an electronic lock is no longer performed by the administrator himself, for example using a notebook. Rather, at least one of the already present and also used electronic keys of a user is used to first receive the configuration data and then, in the case of a corresponding communication connection, to transmit the configuration data to a not yet configured lock. The user or the electronic key of the user is so to speak as a "host" misused to not only send opening and / or closing commands to the electronic locks, but also to transmit configuration data.

The administrator of a locking system therefore only has to make sure that one of the electronic keys receives the new configuration data. Depending on the type of electronic key, this can be done in different ways. The key may have an interface for a wide area network or a local area network. Using this, the new configuration data, for example in the form of an email, can be transferred to the key. There they can be stored and, in the case of the communication connection, transferred to the not yet configured lock. The configuration data can also be loaded directly onto the electronic key. For this purpose, for example, a user is intercepted in the entrance area of a building and asked to provide his key for data transmission. By a corresponding device, such as a computer terminal with appropriate interface or the like, The configuration data can be loaded on the electronic key. A further alternative is that the administrator configures a part, in particular only one of the locks, wherein in the case of a data communications link between an already configured lock and the electronic key, the new configuration data is transmitted to the electronic key.

If the electronic key of a user has received the new configuration data, they can be transferred to this with each additional communication connection with another, not yet reconfigured lock. Thus, the administrator does not have to individually configure each electronic lock, but only has to initiate a configuration process by configuring a single electronic key and / or a single electronic lock once. Afterwards, the new configuration data is gradually distributed through the normal use of the locking system to the various electronic locks. In this respect, it is also possible to speak of a virus-like propagation of the new configuration data using the users or their electronic keys as hosts. The invention takes advantage of some sort of human network or swarm intelligence to configure electronic locks.

The effort for the configuration of electronic locks is thus significantly reduced. It is dispensable with the inventive method to configure each electronic lock individually by an administrator. The invention is therefore particularly advantageous when using self-sufficient electronic locks. The invention thus significantly improves the handling of a locking system, in addition the configuration is considerably simplified. Overall, costs can also be saved by the method according to the invention since human effort for a specific configuration of individual locks can be saved or a cost-intensive system of interconnected electronic locks can be dispensed with.

An electronic lock according to the invention is a particular mechanical locking device for example, doors, which is connected by an electric drive, which in turn is controlled by an electrical signal. It is therefore a mechatronic system.

The configuration data may include access rights for individual electronic keys, periods for permanently opening certain electronic locks, a period for opening the electronic lock after operation with an electronic key, and / or the like.

The electronic keys may be in the form of mobile terminals, for example smartphones, notebooks, tablet computers and / or the like. It may also be smart cards, transponders and / or the like.

The data communications link can be made by short-distance wireless technology, such as Bluetooth, NFC, RFID and / or the like. It is in particular a wireless communication link.

Configuration means that parameters for the operation of the electronic lock are set based on configuration data within an electronic lock.

The configuration data can be automatically transferred to the electronic key. Additionally or alternatively, the communication data can be automatically read out from the electronic key. This means that the user does not notice anything about the implementation of a method according to the invention. He must be active in any way to ensure a process according to the invention. He or his key is only used unnoticed as an information carrier.

The configuration data is preferably stored on the electronic key. This may be a permanent memory, so that, for example, a user who was absent for a long time, for example, for holiday reasons, still carries the configuration data on his electronic key, which in the case of a communication connection with a not yet reconfigured lock also after a longer period of time can be transferred to the not yet configured lock.

Preferably, several users, each with an associated electronic key participate in the process. In the case of a data communication link between an already configured lock and another electronic key, the new configuration data in the other electronic key can be received and stored, the new configuration data in the case of a data communications link between another not yet configured lock and the other electronic key for the purpose of configuration the further not yet configured lock are transferred.

Gradually, the configuration data is distributed to many electronic keys of the users of a locking system and thus gradually to all electronic locks of the locking system. According to the laws of probability theory, it can at least approximately be ensured that, given a corresponding number of locks and users and a known behavioral pattern, all electronic locks have received the new configuration data after a predetermined period of time.

An application example of the method according to the invention relates to the configuration of electronic door locks in hotels. Such door locks usually can not be configured centrally, for example, by the front desk. Instead, smart cards are issued to the hotel guests, which must be returned after the stay at the hotel. In addition, however, methods for access to electronic door locks by means of, for example, smartphones have already become known. This raises the problem that, for example, in the case of a premature aborted by the user hotel stay, the door lock must be reprogrammed because the user would otherwise still have access to the lock with the original access data on his smartphone. Here, the method according to the invention can be used to perform a "silent" configuration of the respective lock by persons moving within the hotel with mobile terminals. One speaks in this context of silent-update.

Further advantages and features of the invention will become apparent from the following description of the figures. The single figure shows schematically an embodiment of a method according to the invention.

Fig. 1 shows an embodiment of a method according to the invention. By way of example, four electronic locks 1, 2, 3, 4 are shown. These can be within one Building to be arranged on different doors. Each electronic lock 1, 2, 3, 4 has a communication interface 12. It can communicate with a programming device 8 of an administrator 5 and / or electronic key 10 of users 6, 7 via the communication interface 12.

The programming device of the administrator 5 also has a communication interface 9. This allows a communication connection 14 to be formed between the programming device 8 and an electrical lock 1.

The users 6, 7 carry the keys 10 with them. The keys 10 also have communication interfaces 11 through which corresponding communication links with the electronic locks 1, 2, 3, 4 can be established. The keys 10 also have a memory 13. In the memory 13 configuration data can be stored.

The embodiment of the method according to the invention Fig. 1 works as follows. The electronic locks 1, 2, 3, 4 are to be provided with new configuration data. These may be, for example, access rights for individual electronic keys. The administrator 5 now programs a first electronic lock 1. For this purpose, he uses his programming device 8. This may, for example, be a notebook. Between the communication interface 9 of the programmer and the communication interface 12 of the electronic lock 1, a communication link 14 is established. This can be a wireless or wired communication connection. The connection can be formed for example by LAN or Bluetooth. Via the communication connection 14, new configuration data are transmitted to the electronic lock 1. The electronic locks may include a memory, a microprocessor and / or the like.

The electronic lock 1 is then configured with new configuration data. In the self-sufficient electronic locks in question here, it should now be provided according to the prior art that the administrator 5 each individual These electronic locks are configured separately from each other. However, the presented embodiment of the method according to the invention provides a remedy.

If a first user 6 passes the first electronic lock 1, a communication connection 15 between the communication interface 11 of the key 10 and the communication interface 12 of the electronic lock 1 is automatically established. This can be done regardless of whether the user 6 actually wants to operate the electronic lock 1 or only in the vicinity, that is range of communication interfaces 11, 12 passes.

The communication connection 15 automatically loads the new configuration data into the memory 13 of the key 10. If the user 6 subsequently passes another electronic lock of the system, a communication connection 16, 17 with the respective electronic lock 2, 3 is also automatically formed. If a communication link 16, 17 is formed, the configuration data are automated, that is read without active action of the user 6 from the memory 13 of the key 10 and loaded into the electronic lock 2, 3. The electronic lock 2, 3 is set up in such a way that it automatically reconfigures itself when new configuration data is available.

A second user 7, who also carries a key 10, then passes, for example, the electronic lock 2. Since this already has the new configuration data, they are also automated over another communication link 18 in the memory 13 of the key 10 of the second user 7 loaded. If the second user 7 now passes another electronic lock 4 that has not yet been reconfigured, the configuration data now also present on his key 10 are in turn transmitted to this electronic lock 4. For this purpose, a further communication connection 19 is used.

If only four electronic locks are provided, they would now all be supplied with the new configuration data. Since the users 6, 7 happen in everyday life, the electronic locks anyway, no additional total effort to configure the electronic locks is required, as only the programming of a first electronic lock 1 by the administrator 5. Alternatively to this programming, the administrator 5 but also one of the keys 10 of the Users 6, 7 provided with the new configuration data. The administrator 5 would then not have to configure any of the electronic locks 1, 2, 3, 4, while still ensuring that the users 6, 7 pass through the electronic locks over time and thus the configuration data is transmitted. <B> LIST OF REFERENCES </ b> 1 electronic lock 17 communication link 2 electronic lock 18 communication link 3 electronic lock 19 communication link 4 electronic lock 5 Administrator 6 user 7 user 8th Progammiereinrichtung 9 Communication Interface 10 key 11 Communication Interface 12 Communication Interface 13 Storage 14 communication link 15 communication link 16 communication link

Claims (11)

Method for the configuration of electronic locks (1, 2, 3, 4), comprising a plurality of electronic locks (1, 2, 3, 4), which are in particular configurable by an administrator (5) and by a user (6, 7) using an electronic key (10) are actuated, characterized in that new configuration data for at least a portion of the electronic locks (1, 2, 3, 4) are transmitted to at least one electronic key (10), said configuration data in the case of a data communication link (15, 16, 17, 28, 19) between a not yet reconfigured lock (1, 2, 3, 4) and the electronic key (10) for the purpose of configuration on the particular newly reconfigurable lock (1, 2, 3, 4) are transmitted. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that the new configuration data from the administrator (5) to the electronic key (10) are transmitted. A method according to claim 2, characterized in that the new configuration data via Wide Area Network, GSM, WLAN, LAN and / or short-distance wireless technology are transmitted. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that the administrator (5) only a part, in particular only one, the locks (1, 2, 3, 4) configured, wherein in the case of a data communication link between an already configured lock and the electronic key (10) the new configuration data is transferred to the electronic key (10). Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the configuration data is automatically transmitted to the electronic key (10). Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the configuration data are stored on the electronic key (10). Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the configuration data are transmitted unnoticed by the user (6, 7). Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that in the case of a data communication link between an already configured lock (1, 2, 3, 4) and another electronic key (10) receive the new configuration data in the further electronic key (10) and stored, wherein the new configuration data in the case of a data communications link between a further not yet configured lock (1, 2, 3, 4) and the other electronic key (10) for the purpose of configuration on the other not yet configured lock (1 , 2, 3, 4). Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that configuration data between an electronic lock (1, 2, 3, 4) and an electronic key are transmitted by short-distance radio technology. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that an electronic lock (1, 2, 3, 4) in the case of a data communication link with an electronic key (10) reads a memory (13) of the electronic key for configuration data. A method according to claim 10, characterized in that the memory (13) is read out automatically.

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