Systems and methods for creating duplicate vehicle keys
AssigneeiKeyless, LLC
InventorsDouglas Lawrence Robertson, Adam Lee Pizer, Jon Determann
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present invention generally relates to the field of replicating or copying keys. More specifically, the present invention relates to creating a copy of a master key based on a captured image of the master key. The present invention identifies a set of target key information based on vehicle and or lock information as well as the image of the master key to provide for the cutting of a duplicate key blade copy to be delivered to a user or to another location. Additional key information may also be captured along with the image of the master key.
Claims21
A method for creating a duplicate of a master key based on an image of the master key key blade captured at a remote access device, the image communicated to a hub facility via a communications network, the method comprising:
- presenting, at a remote access device, a user interface having a set of user selectable elements for inputting prompted information;
- receiving via the user interface a user input identifying a master key based on a vehicle make, model and year associated with a target vehicle operated by the master key;
- based on the user input, determining a set of potential key blank matches from a database of stored OEM key types, presenting the set of potential key blank matches via the user interface, and receiving a key blank selection of a selected one from the set of potential key blank matches;
- storing the user input data and the key blank selection in a memory of the remote access device;
- positioning the master key for image capture by an imaging device associated with the remote access device;
- capturing master key image data by the imaging device and storing the master key image data and user input data in a memory of the remote access device and generating a key order record comprising the image data, the key blank selection, the user input data and transaction identifying data;
- communicating the key order record to one or both of a central key service and/or a hub key cutting facility;
- determining, by the central key service, a set of master key code data based on the received user input data and the set of master key image data, comparing the determined set of master key code data with a database of valid OEM key code data, and determining a set of key cutting data and providing the set of key cutting data to the key cutting hub;
- and
- cutting, by the key cutting hub, a duplicate key based on the set of key cutting data.
A system comprising a plurality of remote access devices for receiving user input and master key data, a central key service for processing master key data to determine duplicate key cutting data, and a key cutting hub for cutting duplicate keys based on the key cutting data, the system comprising:
- a remote access devices having a processor, a memory having stored therein instructions executable by the processor, an imaging device, a user interface for receiving user inputs, and a set of non-transitory instructions stored in the memory and configured, when executed by the processor, to cause the remote access device to:
- present a user interface having a set of user selectable elements for inputting prompted information;
- receive via the user interface a user input identifying a master key based on a vehicle make, model and year associated with a target vehicle operated by the master key;
- based on the user input, determine a set of potential key blank matches from a database of stored OEM key types, present the set of potential key blank matches via the user interface, and receive a key blank selection;
- store the user input data and the key blank selection in the memory of the remote access device;
- capture master key image data by the imaging device and store the master key image data and user input data in the memory;
- generate a key order record comprising the image data, the key blank selection, the user input data and transaction identifying data;
- communicate the key order record to one or both of a central key service and/or a key cutting hub;
- a server associated with a central key service and configured to determine a set of master key code data based on the received user input data and the set of master key image data, compare the determined set of master key code data with a database of valid OEM key code data, and determine a set of key cutting data and provide the set of key cutting data to the key cutting machine;
- and
- a key cutting machine configured to receive the set of key cutting data from the server and cut a duplicate key based on the set of key cutting data.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.