Key blank identification system with groove scanning
AssigneeHy-Ko Products Company
InventorsChester O. D. Thompson, William R. Mutch
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A key identification system is provided. The key identification system comprises an imaging system to capture an image of a master key, and a logic to analyze the captured image. The imaging system may be capture an image of a groove in the master key from an angle between perpendicular and parallel to the blade of said master key. The logic analyzes the captured image to compare characteristics of the groove with groove characteristics of known key blanks to determine the likelihood of a match between the master key and a known key blank. The key identification system may further compensate for displacement or orientation of the master key with respect to the imaging system when analyzing characteristics of the groove.
Claims16
A key duplication system comprising:
- a housing;
- a key identification system comprising:
- a slot opening in the housing configured to receive the blade of a master key;
- an imaging system including one or more cameras configured to record images of the master key and at least one light source, wherein the imaging system is configured to use a single camera to capture images of multiple angles of the master key to determine groove characteristics of each side of the blade of the master key without removing the master key from the slot;
- and
- a key cutting system configured to receive a key blank that the identification system has determined to be associated with the master key based on the groove characteristics of the master key and cut a key pattern of the master key into the key blank.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.