Prismatic lock and key security

An apparatus comprising:

• a key comprising a light source and shattered glass forming a prism;
• and
• a lock comprising:
• a locking mechanism;
• a light receptacle configured to receive light transmitted by the light source in the key through the shattered glass forming the prism, wherein the transmission of the light through the shattered glass forms a unique scatter pattern in dependence upon physical characteristics of the shattered glass;
• a scatter pattern detecting module operatively coupled for data communications to the light receptacle and the locking mechanism, the scatter pattern detecting module configured to:
• identify the scatter pattern of the received light transmitted by the light source in the key through the shattered glass forming the prism;
• and
• compare the scatter pattern to a unique preauthorized pattern for operating the lock.

An apparatus comprising a lock and a key, the lock comprising a light receptacle, a scatter pattern detecting module, and a locking mechanism, the key comprising a light source and shattered glass forming a prism, the apparatus further comprising a computer processor and a computer memory operatively coupled to the computer processor, the computer memory having disposed within it computer program instructions that when executed by the computer processor cause the apparatus to carry out the steps of:

• receiving, in the light receptacle of the lock, light transmitted by the light source in the key through the shattered glass forming the prism, wherein the transmission of the light through the shattered glass forms a unique scatter pattern in dependence upon physical characteristics of the shattered glass;
• identifying, by the scatter pattern detecting module, the scatter pattern of the received light;
• and
• comparing, by the scatter pattern detecting module, the scatter pattern to a unique preauthorized pattern for operating the lock.