High security electrical key

Claim 2

A key for actuating a security system having key receiving means, said key comprising a body member, a plurality of contacts mounted on said body member for conveying a binary coded permutation of signals to the key receiving means, a plurality of conductor paths each of which interconnects at least two of said plurality of contacts to enable said contacts to convey a binary coded permutation of signals to the key receiving means of the security system, and control means disposed in said plurality of conductor paths for controlling the conductivity of said plurality of conductor paths, said control means having a first condition wherein the conductor paths conduct in a predetermined manner and said contacts convey said binary coded permutation of signals to the key receiving means and a second condition in which said conductor paths are prevented from conducting in said predetermined manner and said contacts are inoperable to convey said binary coded permutation of signals.

Claim 3

A key for actuating a security system as defined in claim 1 wherein said control means is operable to render at least one of said conductive paths, which is disposed between at least a first and second one of said contacts, conductive when said control means is in one of said first and second conditions and nonconductive when said control means is in the other of said first and second conditions, said first one of said contacts being operable to convey a 1 bit of information when said conductive path is conductive and a 0 bit of information when said conductive path is non-conductive, said bits of information forming a part of said binary coded permutation of signals.

Claim 4

A key for actuating a security system as defined in claim 2 wherein said second one of said contacts is a power receiving contact operable to have a potential applied thereto upon engagement of said power receiving contact with the key receiving means, said power receiving contact transmitting said potential to said control means to thereby actuate said control means to said first condition.

Claim 5

A key for actuating a security system as defined in claim 1 further including a power receiving contact operable to have a potential applied thereto upon engagement with said key receiving means and wherein at least one of said plurality of contacts is operable to apply a potential to the key receiving means upon engagement therewith when said control means is in said first condition, said power receiving contact directing said potential to said control means to thereby actuate said control means to said first condition to control the potential applied by said one contact to the key receiving means.

Claim 6

A key for actuating a security system as defined in claim 4 wherein a second one of said plurality of contacts is operable to have a potential applied thereto upon engagement with the key receiving means and a third one of said plurality of contacts is operable to apply a potential to the key receiving means upon engagement therewith, said second contact directing said potential to said control means to thereby control the potential applied by said third contact to the key receiving means, said second contact having no potential applied thereto when said third contact is utilized to convey a 0 bit of information to the key receiving means to actuate a security system with one predetermined binary coded permutation and said second contact having a potential applied thereto to enable said third contact to direct a 1 bit of information to the key receiving means to effect actuation of a security system by another predetermined binary coded permutation.

Claim 7

A key for actuating a security system as defined in claim 1 further including a power receiving contact operable to have a potential applied thereto upon engagement with the key receiving means and wherein said control means includes switch means disposed in at least one of said plurality of conductor paths for controlling the conductivity therethrough, said power receiving contact being connected with said switch means, said switch means having a conductive condition when a potential is applied thereto by said power receiving contact and said power receiving contact is engaged with the key receiving means and a nonconductive condition when said power receiving contacts are disengaged from the key receiving means.

Claim 8

A key for actuating a security system as defined in claim 6 wherein said switch means includes a transistor having its base, collector, and emitter connected to first and second ones of said plurality of contacts and tO said power receiving contact, said transistor having a nonconductive state when said plurality of contacts and power receiving contact are disengaged from the key receiving means and a conductive state when said plurality of contacts and said power receiving contact engage with the key receiving means and a predetermined potential is applied to said first and second of said plurality of contacts and to said power receiving contact, said transistor when in said conductive state enabling said plurality of contacts to convey said binary coded permutation of signals to the key receiving means.

Claim 9

A key for actuating a security system having a plurality of contacts some of which receive information from said key and at least one of which is a power contact for applying a potential to said key, said key comprising a body member, a plurality of spaced apart key contacts mounted on said body member, each of said plurality of key contacts having a first end portion and a second end portion that is engageable with the plurality of contacts of the security system for conveying information to the security system to effect actuation thereof, a power receiving contact engageable with the power contact of the security system for directing a potential to at least one of said plurality of key contacts, and control means mounted on said body member interconnecting said first end portions of at least a portion of said plurality of key contacts, said control means having a first condition when said key contacts engage with the plurality of contacts of the security system and said power receiving contact engages with the power contact and a second condition when said key contacts are disengaged from the plurality of contacts of the security system, said control means when in said first condition interconnecting said key contacts in a predetermined manner to enable said key contacts to direct a predetermined code to the plurality of contacts of the security system, said control means when in said second condition interconnecting said key contacts in a second predetermined manner to prevent said key contacts from conveying said predetermined code.

Claim 10

A key for actuating a security system having a plurality of contacts some of which receive information from said key and at least one of which is a power contact for applying a potential to said key, said key comprising a body member, a plurality of spaced apart key contacts mounted on said body member, each of said plurality of key contacts having a first end portion and a second end portion that is engageable with the plurality of contacts of the security system for conveying information to the security system to effect actuation thereof, a power receiving contact engageable with the power contact of the security system for directing a potential to at least one of said plurality of key contacts, and control means mounted on said body member interconnecting said first end portions of at least a portion of said plurality of key contacts, said control means having a first condition when said key contacts engage with the plurality of contacts of the security system and said power receiving contact engages with the power contact and a second condition when said key contacts are disengaged from the plurality of contacts of the security system, said control means when in said first condition interconnecting said key contacts in a predetermined manner to enable said key contacts to direct a predetermined code to the plurality of contacts of the security system, said control means when in said second condition interconnecting said key contacts in a second predetermined manner to prevent said key contacts from conveying said predetermined code.

Claim 11

A key for actuating a security system as defined in claim 8 wherein said predetermined code directed to the security system when said control means is in said first condition is a binary coded permutation, said binary coded permutation including 0 and 1 bits of information, each of said plurality of key contacts being operable to convey a 1 bit of information when said key contacts receive a potential applied thereto from said power receiving contact and a 0 bit of information when said key contacts are prevented from having a potential applied thereto by said power receiving contact, said control means when in said first condition enabling at least one of said key contacts to have a potential applied thereto by said power receiving contact and when in said second condition preventing a potential from being applied from said power receiving contact to said one key contact.

Claim 12

A key for actuating a security system as defined in claim 8 wherein said power receiving contact is connected to said control means, said power receiving contact upon the application of a potential thereto by the power contact actuating said control means to said first condition.

Claim 13

A key for actuating a security system as defined in claim 10 wherein said power receiving contact directs said potential to said control means to thereby control the potential applied by other of said key contacts to the plurality of contacts of the security system.

Claim 14

A key for actuating a security system as defined in claim 8 further including a power receiving contact operable to have a potential applied thereto upon engagement with the key receiving means, and wherein said control means includes switch means disposed in at least one of said plurality of conductor paths for controlling the conductivity therethrough, said power receiving contact being connEcted with said switch means, said switch means having a conductive condition when a potential is applied thereto by said power receiving contact and said power receiving contact is engaged with the key receiving means and a nonconductive condition when said power receiving contact is disengaged from the key receiving means.

Claim 15

A key for actuating a security system as defined in claim 12 wherein said predetermined code is a binary coded permutation of signals that said key contacts direct to the plurality of contacts of the security system, said binary coded permutation of signals being controlled by the conduction and non-conduction effected by said control means between said power receiving contact and said plurality of key contacts, each of said key contacts conveying a 1 bit of information when said control means effects conduction between said key contact and said power receiving contact and a o bit of information when said control means prevents conduction between said key contact and said power receiving contact.

Claim 16

In a key for applying a particular binary coded permutation of electric signals to an electric security system and having a plurality of contacts through which the signals are applied to the system, said particular permutation comprising a normal code of the key, circuit means interconnecting contacts of said plurality of contacts on the key, control means forming a part of said circuit means and changing state when potential is applied through a certain combination of said contacts to the circuit through portions of said circuit means through which said potential will act when said control means are in a changed state to establish said particular permutation of signals the said plurality of contacts, and the establishing of said signal permutation through said control means circuit portions being dependent upon the changed state of the control means so that said control means will withhold the normal key code when a potential is applied through a contact combination that differs from said certain combination.

Claim 17

In a key for applying a particular binary coded permutation of electric signals to an electric security system and having a plurality of contacts through which the signals are applied to the system, said particular permutation comprising a normal code of the key, circuit means interconnecting contacts of said plurality of contacts on the key, control means forming a part of said circuit means and changing state when potential is applied through a certain combination of said contacts to the circuit through portions of said circuit means through which said potential will act when said control means are in a changed state to establish said particular permutation of signals the said plurality of contacts, and the establishing of said signal permutation through said control means circuit portions being dependent upon the changed state of the control means so that said control means will withhold the normal key code when a potential is applied through a contact combination that differs from said certain combination.

Claim 18

A key for applying a particular binary coded permutation of electric signals to an electric security system as defined in claim 14 in which said circuit means include portions whereby said control means make one contact of said plurality of contacts relatively conductive and nonconductive so as to offer alternately a 1 bit signal or a 0 bit signal.

Claim 19

A key for applying a particular binary coded permutation of electric signals to an electric security system as defined in claim 14 in which said circuit means include a portion that causes said control means to change state in response to a potential applied through a further contact of said plurality of contacts.

Claim 20

A key for applying a particular binary coded permutation of electric signals to an electric security system as defined in claim 14 in which said circuit means include resistive elements offering a limited degree of conductivity between contacts of said plurality of contacts.