Security means
OwnerWerner J. Rehminventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A security device having a keyboard with an array of selectively actuable keys which are activated to generate an output code according to a value designated for each of the keys. A series of display units, such as LED's or liquid crystals, display the designated value for each of the keys. Between successive operations of the keyboard, the designated values for each of the keys are randomly scrambled. Each time the keys are actuated, the designated values of the keys are sequentially registered and the sequential values compared to a predetermined access code to determine if the successively actuated values correspond to the predetermined access code.
Claims12
Security apparatus comprising:
- a keyboard having an array of selectively actuable keys;
- a key value designation means for designating a value for each of the keys, said designation means including means for randomly scrambling the designated value of said keys;
- a key value display means for displaying the designated values of the keys when said values are designated;
- register means, operable for each key actuation, to register the designated value of a key at the time of its actuation.
A security device comprising:
- a keyboard comprising an array of selectively actuable keys;
- a random number generator for generating a random number;
- a memory storage for storing successive digits of the random number as a random sequence in an array corresponding to the array of the keys;
- display means for displaying a value of each of the digits in a corresponding location of the array;
- a multiplexing circuit operable to transfer the random sequence to the display means from the memory storage;
- a code storage memory for storing at least one access validation code;
- and
- a microprocessor for controlling the operation of the security device, said microprocessor being operable to scan the keys and detect a location of a key in said array which is actuated during entry of an access code, and to interrogate the multiplexing circuit, and to compare, for each entry, said location with said digits and to enter values of the digits corresponding to said locations into the memory storage, and to compare the entered access code in the memory storage with a validation code in the code storage memory to determine if said entered access code and validation code correspond.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.