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US 5,313,518 AGranted
Electronic locking devices
OwnerToshihiko Yamashitainventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method of unlocking a compartment such as a drawer in a desk where a telephone is provided on the desk, the telephone being of the type where a series of frequency tones are generated for dialing a number. The user places the handset of the telephone near a microphone receiver and dials a preset sequence of numbers on the telephone. The sound output from the handset is received by the microphone receiver, decoded and compared in memory with a preset code and if valid the lock is released to allow the drawer to be opened.
Claims7
A method for releasing a lock comprising the steps of:
- providing a piece of furniture having a lockable compartment;
- placing a handset of a telephone near a sound receiver attached to the piece of furniture;
- dialing a coded number on the telephone so that audible tones corresponding to the coded number are produced by the telephone;
- receiving the audible tones with the sound receiver;
- comparing the audible tones with a preselected code for releasing the lock;
- and
- releasing the lock if the audible tones correspond with the preselected code.
4 more elements
A piece of furniture having a lockable compartment comprising:
- a telephone disposed near the lockable compartment, the telephone adapted to produce a different audible tone for each number dialed;
- a microphone fixed to the piece of furniture and positioned to receive the audible tones from the telephone;
- and
- a lock release attached to the lockable compartment for unlocking the lockable compartment comprising:
- a decoder adapted to receive the audible tones from the microphone and convert the audible tones into corresponding binary signals;
- means for comparing the binary signals with a preset code;
- means for producing a release signal if the binary signals are equivalent to the preset code;
- and
- means for mechanically releasing the lock when the release signal is produced.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.