# US 10,482,439 B2 · Key duplication system

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- Number: US 10,482,439 B2
- Document ID: US10482439B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/885,366
- Filed: 2018-01-31
- Published: 2018-06-07
- Granted: 2019-11-19
- Earliest claimed: 2010-06-03
- Assignees: The Hillman Group, Inc.
- Applicants: The Hillman Group, Inc.
- Inventors: Daniel Freeman
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10482439B2

## CPC

- G06Q 20/18: involving self-service terminals [SST], vending machines, kiosks or multimedia terminals
- G07F 9/001: {Interfacing with vending machines using mobile or wearable devices}
- B23C 3/35: Milling grooves in keys
- B23P 15/005: {keys (making keys without essentially removing material, e.g. by punching B21D53/42; milling grooves in keys B23C3/35)}
- B23Q 35/00: Control systems or devices for copying directly from a pattern or a master model; Devices for use in copying manually {(copy milling classified also in B27C5/003)}
- G05B 15/02: electric
- G07F 9/009: {User recognition or proximity detection}
- G07F 11/70: in which the articles are formed in the apparatus from components, blanks, or material constituents
- B23C 2235/12: Using a database to store details of the key, the information in the database being used for the generation of the profile of the key
- B23C 2235/28: Key blanks
- Y10T 409/300952: to cut lock key
- Y10T 409/301624: Duplicating means
- G06Q: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- G07F: COIN-FREED OR LIKE APPARATUS (coin sorting G07D3/00; coin testing G07D5/00; {handling coins or paper currencies apart from payment activated apparatus G07D; payment architectures, schemes or protocols G06Q20/00})
- B23C: MILLING (broaching B23D; broach-milling in making gears B23F; arrangement for copying or controlling B23Q)
- B23P: METAL-WORKING NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; COMBINED OPERATIONS; UNIVERSAL MACHINE TOOLS (arrangements for copying or controlling B23Q)
- B23Q: DETAILS, COMPONENTS, OR ACCESSORIES FOR MACHINE TOOLS, e.g. ARRANGEMENTS FOR COPYING OR CONTROLLING (tools of the kind used in lathes or boring machines B23B27/00); MACHINE TOOLS IN GENERAL CHARACTERISED BY THE CONSTRUCTION OF PARTICULAR DETAILS OR COMPONENTS; COMBINATIONS OR ASSOCIATIONS OF METAL-WORKING MACHINES, NOT DIRECTED TO A PARTICULAR RESULT
- G05B: CONTROL OR REGULATING SYSTEMS IN GENERAL; FUNCTIONAL ELEMENTS OF SUCH SYSTEMS; MONITORING OR TESTING ARRANGEMENTS FOR SUCH SYSTEMS OR ELEMENTS (systems for controlling or regulating non-electric variables G05D; systems for regulating electric or magnetic variables G05F; control devices or systems insofar as characterised by mechanical features only G05G)
- Y10T: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION

## Abstract

A key-duplicating system comprises a network that includes a multiplicity of kiosks at a multiplicity of different locations, each of the kiosks having a customer interface and a processor coupled to the customer interface. A remote central server coupled to the kiosks is adapted to receive, from the kiosks, information identifying master keys to be duplicated. A key analysis module uses the information identifying master keys to be duplicated to derive information required to produce duplicates of the identified master keys, and a key duplicating module uses that information to produce duplicates of said identified master keys.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A network of self-service key duplication kiosks, comprising:
a plurality of kiosks at different locations; and
a remote central server in network communication with the plurality of kiosks and configured to receive information from and send information to the plurality of kiosks,
each of the plurality of kiosks comprising,
a digital camera configured to take a digital image of a customer's key,
a key duplication system configured to replicate a tooth pattern on the customer's key using a cutting code, and
a communications interface configured to enable network communication with the remote central server for sending the digital image of the customer's key to the remote central server and, in response, receive the cutting code for the customer's key from the remote central server,
the remote central server configured to receive the digital image from a kiosk, identify the cutting code from the digital image, and send the cutting code to the kiosk for use in duplicating the customer's key.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The network of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of kiosks further comprises:
a customer interface configured to receive payment from a customer for the purchase of a duplicate of the customer's key,
a key blank magazine configured to store key blanks, and
a key blank extraction system configured to extract a key blank from the key blank magazine,
wherein the extracted key blank is used by the key duplication system to duplicate the customer's key.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The network of claim 2, wherein each of the plurality of kiosks further comprises:
a key analysis system configured to analyze the blade of the customer's key to determine a key type for the customer's key,
wherein the key type is used to select the key blank from the key blank magazine.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The network of claim 1, wherein the remote central server is further configured to maintain information regarding the customer's key, including at least the cutting code, for subsequent retrieval by the customer from one of the plurality of kiosks.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The network of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of kiosks are configured to send information to the remote central server, including:
(a) information regarding purchases made and attempted at a kiosk,
(b) information regarding key blanks contained in the kiosk, and
(c) alert signals generated in response to operations conducted by the kiosk.

### Claim 6

A self-service key duplication kiosk in a network that includes a plurality of kiosks at different locations and a remote central server in network communication with the plurality of kiosks, comprising:
a digital camera configured to take a digital image of a customer's key,
a key duplication system configured to replicate a tooth pattern on the customer's key using a cutting code, and
a communications interface configured to enable network communication with the remote central server for sending the digital image of the customer's key to the remote central from server and, in response, receive the cutting code for the customer's key from the remote central server.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The self-service key duplication kiosk of claim 6, wherein the remote central server is configured to receive the digital image from a kiosk, identify the cutting code from the digital image, and send the cutting code to the kiosk for use in duplicating the customer's key.

### Claim 8 (depends on 6)

The self-service key duplication kiosk of claim 6, further comprising
a customer interface configured to receive payment from a customer for the purchase of a duplicate of the customer's key,
a key blank magazine configured to store key blanks, and
a key blank extraction system configured to extract a key blank from the key blank magazine,
wherein the extracted key blank is used by the key duplication system to duplicate the customer's key.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The self-service key duplication kiosk of claim 8, further comprising:
a key analysis system configured to analyze the blade of the customer's key to determine a key type for the customer's key,
wherein the key type is used to select the key blank from the key blank magazine.

### Claim 10 (depends on 6)

The self-service key duplication kiosk of claim 6, wherein the remote central server is configured to maintain information regarding the customer's key, including at least the cutting code, for subsequent retrieval by the customer from one of the plurality of kiosks.

### Claim 11 (depends on 6)

The self-service key duplication kiosk of claim 6, wherein the kiosk is configured to send information to the remote central server, including:
(a) information regarding purchases made and attempted at a kiosk,
(b) information regarding key blanks contained in the kiosk, and
(c) alert signals generated in response to operations conducted by the kiosk.

### Claim 12

A method of duplicating a customer's key, comprising:
receiving the customer's key in a self-service key duplication kiosk, the self-service key duplication kiosk being one of a plurality of kiosks at different locations and in network communication with a remote central server;
taking, using a digital camera in the self-service key duplication kiosk, a digital image of the customer's key;
sending the digital image from the self-service key duplication kiosk to the remote central server for determination of a cutting code for the customer's key;
receiving, at the self-service key duplication kiosk, the cutting code from the remote central server, wherein the cutting code is determined by the remote central server based on the digital image; and
automatically producing, by the self-service key duplication kiosk, a duplicate of the customer's key using the cutting code.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The method of claim 12, further comprising:
determining, by the self-service key duplication kiosk a key type for the customer's key based on an analysis of a blade of the customer's key,
selecting, by the self-service key duplication kiosk, a key blank for using in producing the duplicate of the customer's key, wherein the key blank is selected from a plurality of types of key blanks based on the key type of the customer's key.

### Claim 14 (depends on 12)

The method of claim 12, further comprising:
maintaining information at the remote central server regarding the customer's key, including at least the cutting code; and
retrieving the information from the remote central server from one of the plurality of kiosks for use in producing an additional duplicate of the customer's key.