U.S. patent application number 09/953367 was filed with the patent office on 2002-05-23 for electromechanical parking meter door communications interface.
This patent application is currently assigned to Medeco Security Locks, Inc.. Invention is credited to Bench, James D., Hoss, Gary, Lefevers, David G., Lumpkin, J. Michael.
Application Number | 20020062172 09/953367 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 26893732 |
Filed Date | 2002-05-23 |
United States Patent
Application |
20020062172 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Bench, James D. ; et
al. |
May 23, 2002 |
Electromechanical parking meter door communications interface
Abstract
An electronic security system for a parking meter includes a
vault door having a spring-biased contact terminal for making
breakable electrical contact with a housing hinge bracket contact
terminal mounted in a vault opening. An electronic lock control
circuit is able to communicate with a meter control (coin
counting/auditing) circuit in the meter portion of the system
through the vault door/housing hinge bracket contact terminals,
thus eliminating a direct cable connection between the lock circuit
and the meter circuit. The spring-biased contact may be substituted
by equivalent breakable electrical contacts such as optocoupler
contacts.
Inventors: |
Bench, James D.; (Roanoke,
VA) ; Lefevers, David G.; (Roanoke, VA) ;
Hoss, Gary; (Roanoke, VA) ; Lumpkin, J. Michael;
(Roanoke, VA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
ROTHWELL, FIGG, ERNST & MANBECK, P.C.
1425 K STREET, N.W.
SUITE 800
WASHINGTON
DC
20005
US
|
Assignee: |
Medeco Security Locks, Inc.
Salem
VA
|
Family ID: |
26893732 |
Appl. No.: |
09/953367 |
Filed: |
September 17, 2001 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
09953367 |
Sep 17, 2001 |
|
|
|
09837175 |
Apr 19, 2001 |
|
|
|
60198385 |
Apr 19, 2000 |
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60242142 |
Oct 23, 2000 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
700/232 |
Current CPC
Class: |
Y10S 194/90 20130101;
Y10S 194/902 20130101; G07F 17/248 20130101; Y10T 70/7073
20150401 |
Class at
Publication: |
700/232 |
International
Class: |
G06F 007/00 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. An electronic parking meter, comprising: a first section
including at least one coin slot for accepting coins, a coin
counting/auditing circuit operatively coupled to said at least one
coin slot for keeping track of the value of coins inserted into the
meter; a second section including a lock accessible by presenting
specific data thereto, and a lock control circuit for unlocking
said lock based on received specific data through a key interface;
and an access device for operating said lock, comprising means for
storing data for presentation to said lock control circuit, means
for storing information for presentation to said coin
counting/auditing circuit, and means for storing information
received from said coin counting/auditing circuit; said second
section including a vault having an opening and a vault door for
covering said opening, said lock and lock control circuit being
located on said vault door such that said lock locks said vault
door in place over said vault opening, said vault door including at
least one electrical communication terminal connected to said lock
control circuit by a wire conductor; said vault opening including
at least one electrical communication terminal for coupling with
the vault door communication terminal when the vault door is
secured within the vault opening, said vault opening communication
terminal being connected to said coin counting/auditing circuit by
an interface cable; wherein the lock includes a shell and a plug
mounted inside the shell, and a shell retainer bushing nut for
retaining the shell and plug within a recess in the vault door.
2. An electronic parking meter as set forth in claim 1, wherein
said lock includes a solenoid having a plunger that prevents
mechanical operation of said lock when extended, said meter further
including a removable blocking tab insertable between said plunger
and a stop for said plunger, for blocking operation of said plunger
in meters wherein electronic locking functions are not
provided.
3. An electronic parking meter, comprising: a first section
including at least one coin slot for accepting coins, a coin
counting/auditing circuit operatively coupled to said at least one
coin slot for keeping track of the value of coins inserted into the
meter; a second section including a lock accessible by presenting
specific data thereto, and a lock control circuit for unlocking
said lock based on received specific data through a key interface;
and an access device for operating said lock, comprising means for
storing data for presentation to said lock control circuit, means
for storing information for presentation to said coin
counting/auditing circuit, and means for storing information
received from said coin counting/auditing circuit; said second
section including a vault having an opening and a vault door for
covering said opening, said lock and lock control circuit being
located on said vault door such that said lock locks said vault
door in place over said vault opening, said vault door including at
least one electrical communication terminal connected to said lock
control circuit by a wire conductor; said vault opening including
at least one electrical communication terminal for coupling with
the vault door communication terminal when the vault door is
secured within the vault opening, said vault opening communication
terminal being connected to said coin counting/auditing circuit by
an interface cable; further including a wire form retainer
functioning as a guide to keep said interface cable away from the
vault opening and the vault door during access/reinstallation
operations so as to avoid damage to the interface cable.
4. An electronic parking meter as set forth in claim 3, wherein
said lock includes a solenoid having a plunger that prevents
mechanical operation of said lock when extended, said meter further
including a removable blocking tab insertable between said plunger
and a stop for said plunger, for blocking operation of said plunger
in meters wherein electronic locking functions are not
provided.
5. In an electronic parking meter having a first section including
at least one coin slot for accepting coins, a coin
counting/auditing circuit operatively coupled to said at least one
coin slot for keeping track of the value of coins inserted into the
meter, a second section including a lock accessible by presenting
specific data thereto, a lock control circuit for unlocking said
lock based on received specific data through a key interface, and a
vault having an opening and a vault door for covering said opening,
said lock and lock control circuit being located on said vault door
such that said lock locks said vault door in place over said vault
opening, the improvement comprising: said vault door including at
least one electrical communication terminal connected to said lock
control circuit by a wire conductor; said vault opening including
at least one electrical communication terminal for coupling with
the vault door communication terminal when the vault door is
secured within the vault opening, said vault opening communication
terminal being connected to said coin counting/auditing circuit by
an interface cable; wherein said access device is capable of
communicating directly with said coin counting/auditing circuit
through said lock circuit, when said vault door is mounted in said
vault opening; and wherein the lock includes a shell and a plug
mounted inside the shell, and a shell retainer bushing nut for
retaining the shell and plug within an aperture in the vault
door.
6. An electronic parking meter as set forth in claim 5, wherein
said lock includes a solenoid having a plunger that prevents
mechanical operation of said lock when extended, said meter further
including a removable blocking tab insertable between said plunger
and a stop for said plunger, for blocking operation of said plunger
in meters wherein electronic locking functions are not
provided.
7. In an electronic parking meter having a first section including
at least one coin slot for accepting coins, a coin
counting/auditing circuit operatively coupled to said at least one
coin slot for keeping track of the value of coins inserted into the
meter, a second section including a lock accessible by presenting
specific data thereto, a lock control circuit for unlocking said
lock based on received specific data through a key interface, and a
vault having an opening and a vault door for covering said opening,
said lock and lock control circuit being located on said vault door
such that said lock locks said vault door in place over said vault
opening, the improvement comprising: said vault door including at
least one electrical communication terminal connected to said lock
control circuit by a wire conductor; said vault opening including
at least one electrical communication terminal for coupling with
the vault door communication terminal when the vault door is
secured within the vault opening, said vault opening communication
terminal being connected to said coin counting/auditing circuit by
an interface cable; wherein said access device is capable of
communicating directly with said coin counting/auditing circuit
through said lock circuit, when said vault door is mounted in said
vault opening; and further including a wire form retainer
functioning as a guide to keep said interface cable away from the
vault opening and the vault door during access/reinstallation
operations so as to avoid damage to the interface cable.
8. An electronic parking meter as set forth in claim 7, wherein
said lock includes a solenoid having a plunger that prevents
mechanical operation of said lock when extended, said meter further
including a removable blocking tab insertable between said plunger
and a stop for said plunger, for blocking operation of said plunger
in meters wherein electronic locking functions are not
provided.
9. In a parking meter having a first section including at least one
coin slot for accepting coins, a second section including a lock, a
vault having an opening and a vault door for covering said opening,
said lock being located on said vault door such that said lock
locks said vault door in place over said vault opening, the
improvement comprising: said lock including a shell and a plug
mounted inside the shell, and a shell retainer bushing nut for
retaining the shell and plug within an aperture in the vault
door.
10. A parking meter as set forth in claim 9, wherein said lock
includes a solenoid having a plunger that prevents mechanical
operation of said lock when extended, said solenoid being operated
by electronic locking functions, said meter further including a
removable blocking tab insertable between said plunger and a stop
for said plunger, for blocking operation of said plunger in meters
wherein electronic locking functions are not provided.
Description
[0001] This application is a continuation of application Ser. No.
09/837,175 filed Apr. 19, 2001, which claims priority under 35
U.S.C. .sctn. 119(e) from provisional application Serial Nos.
60/198,385 filed Apr. 19, 2000, and 60/242,142 filed Oct. 23,
2000.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] 1. Field of the Invention
[0003] This invention relates generally to electronic security
systems, and more particularly to electronic security systems for
money-containing devices such as parking meters, which must be
periodically accessed by a collector in order to retrieve the funds
accumulated in the device. While the preferred embodiment will be
described with respect to a parking meter configuration, the
invention could be used with other devices, such as pay telephones,
bill changer machines, fare card machines, or vending machines,
where a data collection and storage section of the device is
separate from the money-containing vault section of the device.
[0004] 2. Background and Prior Art
[0005] Typically, the collection of money from coin or currency
operated devices such as parking meters, pay telephones, transit
system fare card machines or the like is a costly and burdensome
operation. For instance, a company may own tens or even hundreds of
thousands of pay telephones for which tens or hundreds of thousands
of keys must be kept in order to prevent the loss of a key from
requiring the changing of locks on thousands of devices which would
operate with the lost key.
[0006] Another problem involved with the collection of funds from
currency operated devices is the possibility of fraud or theft by a
collector. Typically, a collector should remove a locked coin box
from the device and replace it with an empty lock box to which he
does not have access. However, it is possible that a removed coin
box will not be replaced with another lock box but rather will be
replaced with an unlocked receptacle which can be later removed by
that collector before turning in his key at the end of the
collection shift.
[0007] Yet another cost involved in the collection process is the
sheer manpower required for the task of distributing, collecting,
and keeping track of many thousands of keys on a daily basis.
[0008] Another shortcoming in the art pertains to electronic
parking meters having coin counting or auditing circuitry for
keeping track of the amount of revenue collected by the meter. Such
meters have separate upper (i.e. meter) and lower (i.e. coin vault)
housings, wherein coins are fed into the upper housing, pass
through a coin identification mechanism, and drop into a secure
coin box or vault located in a locked lower housing. The upper
housing has a coin counting/auditing circuit (typically provided on
a circuit board) coupled to the coin identification mechanism, and
stores information relating to the count of coins received since
the last time the device was emptied. The coin counting/auditing
circuit communicates inserted coin information to a meter circuit,
which adds time to the meter in response to the monetary amount of
coins inserted into the meter, according to a preprogrammed
algorithm which specifies the number of minutes added for each
domination of coin. The meter circuit typically is coupled to a
display or other visual indicator that displays the amount of time
remaining on the meter. The lower housing includes an electronic
lock mechanism for interfacing with an electronic key system for
accessing the coin vault.
[0009] In such systems, the coin audit information is retrieved
from the electronic circuitry in the upper housing either by radio
frequency transmission from the circuit in the upper housing to a
separate handheld receiver device, or by transferring the
information to a "smart" card inserted into a card slot provided in
the upper housing. Alternatively, the circuitry in the upper
housing may be wire-connected to the electronic lock circuitry
within the lower housing containing the coin vault. Coin count
information is passed from the circuit board in the upper housing
to the lower housing by a flexible wire conductor hard-wired
between the two circuit boards, from where it is sent to a handheld
electronic key device once authorization has been verified. In such
systems, a "living hinge" was created by a flexible wire between
the two housings, and thus presented a poor design from an
engineering and security viewpoint. Problems encountered with this
system include frequent damage to the flexible wiring, due to
pinching of the wiring between the door and the vault and due to
wear from continued opening and closing of the door.
[0010] Parking meters typically are located on the streets of major
cities, and are subject to vandalism and break-in attempts. The
construction of prior art vault doors rendered them readily subject
to such attacks by using simple tools such as a hammer and driver
or chisel to punch the lock cylinder into the door and thereby gain
access to the vault.
[0011] The electronics in the meter stores a large amount of data
in addition to collected coin information. For example, the meter
circuitry may store its status, meter identification information,
zone information, e-cash purchase information, and profile data. It
would be desirable to enable such data to be modified in the meter
without the necessity of replacing the meter circuitry.
[0012] Although electronic security systems are known and have been
used for various purposes, see e.g. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,789,859,
4,738,334, 4,697,171, 4,438,426, applicants are unaware of any
which specifically address the problems noted above. An example of
a prior art vending machine including coin count audit information
circuitry is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,369,442.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0013] The present invention provides an electronic security system
which overcomes the problems mentioned above and significantly
reduces collection costs.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0014] The present invention will become more fully understood from
the detailed description given hereinbelow and the accompanying
drawings which are given by way of illustration only, and are not
limitative of the present invention, and wherein:
[0015] FIG. 1 is an exploded view of a vault door assembly
according to one preferred embodiment of the present invention;
[0016] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a two-part parking meter
housing assembly used in one embodiment of the present
invention;
[0017] FIG. 3 is a partial cut-away view of the vault door showing
the installation of a solenoid blocker tab according to the
invention;
[0018] FIG. 4 is a partial cut-away view of the vault door showing
the solenoid blocker tab removed to enable operation of the
solenoid according to the invention;
[0019] FIG. 5 is a perspective detail view of the solenoid blocker
tab according to the invention;
[0020] FIG. 6 is an elevational view of the vault door opening
according to a preferred embodiment of the invention;
[0021] FIGS. 7A and 7B are elevational and side views,
respectively, of the vault door according to the invention showing
the details of the electrical spring contacts;
[0022] FIG. 8 is an exploded view of the housing hinge bracket
assembly according to a preferred embodiment of the invention;
and
[0023] FIGS. 9A and 9B are data flow tables for the meter, lock and
access device according to a preferred embodiment of the
invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0024] FIG. 1 shows an electronic vault door for a parking meter
according to a preferred embodiment of the invention. The parking
meter housing 200 is shown in FIG. 2. The housing 200 includes an
upper or meter half 201, and a lower or vault half 202. A pair of
through-holes 205 provides a conduit between the two halves of the
housing for wire conductors (to be described in detail below). The
electronic vault door is mounted against hinge brackets 204a-204b
in the vault opening 203. The vault door is locked in place over
the vault opening 203 by rotating the plug assembly 2, which turns
a locking cam 12 that is coupled to bolts 10. The cam 12 is turned
to a locking position wherein the bolts 10 are moved outwardly and
behind the brackets 204a-204b in the vault opening 203, thereby
locking the vault door in place over the opening 203. To unlock the
vault door for access to the vault, the cam 12 is turned in the
opposite direction wherein the bolts 10 are retracted inward
towards the center of the vault door, thereby allowing the service
personnel to remove the vault door from the vault opening and to
gain access to the contents of the vault.
[0025] As shown in FIG. 1, the vault door assembly 100 includes a
metal vault door 1, a plug (lock cylinder) assembly 2 that is
mounted inside a shell 3, which is inserted into a central aperture
101 in the vault door 1 and retained rotationally therein by shell
retainer 11. A shell retainer bushing nut 4 is screw-threaded into
the aperture 101 to retain the shell and plug assembly securely
mounted in the vault door. A hinge assembly 8, bolt retainer
bracket 9, and solenoid cover 15 are securely mounted to the vault
door 1 with tri-groove security screws 16. Bolts 10 are held by
retainer bracket 9. Pins 104 on bolts 10 are located inside grooves
105 in locking cam 12. A cam shaft 102 of plug assembly 2 is
inserted into cam shaft opening 103 of locking cam 12 and retained
by cam spacer 13 and retainer ring 14. A rubber door rest 19 is
attached to the top of the vault door with a screw 20. The door
rest 19 is used as a rest for the vault door 1 when removed from
the vault.
[0026] A solenoid 6 is nested on the vault door 1 within a solenoid
bracket 5. The solenoid 6 includes a plunger 106 that is normally
spring-biased in an extended position (i.e., when the solenoid is
not energized) that blocks rotation of the locking cam 12. A lock
control circuit 17 in the form of a circuit board is mounted in a
recess in the vault door, and is coupled via wire conductor(s) to a
contact terminal on the face (not shown) of the plug assembly 2.
The circuit board 17 also is coupled via wire conductor to the
solenoid 6.
[0027] The control circuit 17 communicates with an electronic or
electronic-mechanical key (not shown) inserted into the keyway of
the plug assembly 2. The electronic/electronic-mechanical key
contains a contact terminal that makes electrical contact with the
terminal on the face of the plug 2 when the key is fully inserted
into the keyway. When the control circuit 17 determines that an
authorized key is inserted into the keyway of the plug, the control
circuit energizes the solenoid 6, causing the solenoid plunger 106
to retract, allowing the key to turn the plug (and thereby rotate
the locking cam 12) to retract the bolts 10. The operation of the
electronic security system is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,005,487
issued Dec. 21, 1999 to the same assignee as the present
application, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by
reference in its entirety. Accordingly, the description of
operation will not be further described herein. The components 2-14
of the vault door assembly are covered by solenoid cover 15 which
is mounted to the vault door via the screws 16 as shown.
[0028] A contact base assembly 7 also is mounted on the vault door
1. The contact base assembly 7 includes a pair of metal spring
contacts 107a, 107b, which are connected to the lock control
circuit 17 via wire conductors (see also FIGS. 7A-7B). As shown in
FIG. 6, two hinge brackets 204a and 204b are provided adjacent to
the vault opening 203. Hinge bracket 204b includes a pair of
flat-head metal contacts 602a and 602b, which make contact with the
springs 107a and 107b of the vault door 1 when the vault door is
locked in place in the vault opening. As shown in FIG. 8, contacts
602a and 602b are connected to an interface cable 87, the other end
87a of which is connected to an input/output terminal of the meter
electronic circuit (not shown) located in the meter half 201 of the
housing 200. The interface cable 87 is threaded through one of the
through-holes 205 as shown in FIG. 2. The metal contact pins 602a,
602b are inserted into the bracket 204b via insulating washers 83,
84. Spacers 85 are provided on the ends of the contact pins 602a
and 602b for connection of the wire terminals 87a-87c of the
interface cable 87, which are secured to the contact pins with lock
nuts 86. A wire form retainer 89 mounted to the bracket 204b with a
screw 88 includes hook ends 801a and/or loop ends 801b through
which the interface cable 87 is threaded. The wire form retainer is
made of a stiff wire which does not easily bend, and it is oriented
in a direction into the vault and away from the vault opening. The
wire form retainer 89 functions as a guide to keep the interface
cable 87 away from the vault opening and the vault door during
access/reinstallation operations so as to avoid damage to the cable
during collection operations.
[0029] According to another aspect of the invention, as shown in
FIGS. 3-5, a blocker tab 301 is provided to disable the functioning
of the solenoid plunger 106. The blocker tab is used in
installations where no electronic lock functions are implemented,
but only mechanical locking functions are provided. Such
installations can be later upgraded to provide the more
sophisticated electronic security/monitoring functions by adding or
activating the lock control circuit board.
[0030] The blocker tab 301 contains two bent end tip portions 501a
and 501b as shown in FIG. 5. The tab may be made of any relatively
stiff material, and is preferably made of plastic. As shown in FIG.
3, the tab 301 is inserted between the solenoid plunger 106 and the
plunger stop 302 (see also solenoid bracket 5, FIG. 1) such that
the end tip portions 501a and 501b force the plunger 106 to its
retracted position within the solenoid 6. At the time that the
solenoid 6 needs to be activated, the blocker tab 301 is pulled out
from between the plunger 106 and the plunger stop 302. This
releases the plunger to its fully extended position against the
plunger stop 302 as shown in FIG. 4.
[0031] FIGS. 9A and 9B illustrate various data flows between the
parking meter circuit, the electronic lock circuit, and the
handheld access device. When the meter is in a normal (operative)
state, the lock is powered down. Time may be purchased on the meter
either by insertion of coins into the provided coin slot, or by an
electronic cash ("e-cash") transaction. Upon such purchase, the
meter powers up the lock and transmits the purchase information to
the lock. The lock then stores the information in an appropriate
memory location, and sends back to the meter an acknowledgment
signal indicating that the purchase information was successfully
transmitted to the lock and processed. After a predetermined time
period has elapsed with no additional purchase activity, the meter
removes power from the lock.
[0032] Upon a change in meter status (such as from a ready state to
a disabled state, etc.) the meter powers up the lock, waits to
receive a ready signal from the lock, sends to the lock the new
status, and waits for an acknowledgment from the lock.
[0033] When a collector inserts an access device into the lock, the
access device provides power to the lock which places the lock in a
wake-up state. The lock notifies the meter that a collection
wake-up has occurred. The lock sends a challenge to the access
device and waits for a response. If a correct response is received
from the access device, the lock sends an acknowledgment to the
access device. The access device then sends an open command and the
current time to the lock. The lock sends the access time
information to the meter circuit, where it is stored. The meter
sends an acknowledgment to the lock, and the lock circuit then
enables the lock to be opened by the collector. While the vault
door is open, the lock circuit provides from its memory to the
access device memory data including coin data, e-cash purchases,
the meter ID, the meter status, the meter profile ID, and the meter
zone ID. Upon successful receipt of this information, the access
device sends an acknowledgment to the lock circuit. When the
collection is completed, the collector closes the vault door,
reestablishing contact between the lock circuit and the meter
circuit. The lock circuit then sends a "collection done" signal to
the meter indicating the completion of the collection operation.
The lock is powered down upon removal of the access device.
[0034] The access device also may communicate directly with the
meter circuit in a pass-through mode of operation, in which the
lock circuit simply passes information signals between the access
device and the meter circuit. In this mode, the vault door remains
closed. The service personnel inserts the access device, which
powers the lock, and the lock and access device conduct the
challenge-and-response routine as described above. Upon receipt of
the acknowledgment from the lock indicating a proper challenge
response, the access device sends an audit command to the meter
circuit. In this mode, the meter circuit sends audit data,
including the data mentioned above, to the access device. The
access device also may update the meter to load a new profile,
change zone information, or change other meter information stored
in the memory of the meter circuit. When the audit operation is
complete, the access device sends a done signal to the meter. The
meter then sends an "exit pass through" command to the lock to take
the lock out of pass through mode and power down the lock. The
meter alternatively may allow the lock to be powered down upon
removal of the key from the lock interface.
[0035] The invention being thus described, it will be apparent to
those skilled in the art that the same may be varied in many ways
without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. For
example, while the spring contacts in the illustrated embodiment
are provided on the vault door, they may be provided equivalently
on the housing hinge bracket. Additionally, while in the
illustrated embodiments the contacts between the vault door and the
housing hinge bracket are metal contacts, such contacts
equivalently may be provided as optocoupler contacts, without
metal-to-metal connection. These and all other such modifications
are intended to be included within the scope of the following
claims.
* * * * *