Sensor system for a locking system and method for detecting tamperings at a locking system

Abstract

A sensor system for a locking system of a door includes: an acceleration sensor which is designed to detect movements of the door in at least two dimensions and to record a time-resolved acceleration profile; a magnetic field sensor which is designed to detect a magnetic field in the area of the locking system, to detect changes of the magnetic field and to record a time-resolved magnetic field change profile; and a control device which is coupled to the acceleration sensor and to the magnetic field sensor and which is designed to correlate the acceleration profile to the magnetic field change profile, to compare the profile correlation to a predetermined correlation signature, and to output an alarm signal if the profile correlation matches the correlation signature.

Claims

1. A sensor system for a locking system of a door, comprising: an acceleration sensor configured to detect movements of the door in at least two dimensions; a magnetic field sensor configured to detect a magnetic field in the area of the locking system and to detect changes of the magnetic field; and a control device coupled to the acceleration sensor and to the magnetic field sensor, wherein the control device is configured to (i) record a time-resolved acceleration profile from the detected movements of the door, (ii) record a time-resolved magnetic field change profile from the detected changes of the magnetic field, (iii) determine a profile correlation between the time-resolved acceleration profile and the time-resolved magnetic field change profile, (iv) compare the determined profile correlation to a predetermined correlation signature, and (v) output an alarm signal if the profile correlation matches the predetermined correlation signature.

2. The sensor system as recited in claim 1, wherein the control device includes one of a microcontroller or a microprocessor.

3. The sensor system as recited in claim 2, wherein the control device includes a memory area configured to store the at least one predetermined correlation signature.

4. The sensor system as recited in claim 2, further comprising: a signal output device coupled to the control device.

5. The sensor system as recited in claim 4, wherein the signal output device is configured to output the alarm signal via an output interface to an alarm transmitter.

6. The sensor system as recited in claim 4, wherein the signal output device is configured to output the alarm signal via wireless communication to an alarm transmitter.

7. A locking arrangement for a door, comprising: a locking system; and a sensor system including: an acceleration sensor configured to detect movements of the door in at least two dimensions; a magnetic field sensor configured to detect a magnetic field in the area of the locking system and to detect changes of the magnetic field; and a control device coupled to the acceleration sensor and to the magnetic field sensor, wherein the control device is configured to (i) record a time-resolved acceleration profile from the detected movements of the door, (ii) record a time-resolved magnetic field change profile from the detected changes of the magnetic field, (iii) determine a profile correlation between the time-resolved acceleration profile and the time-resolved magnetic field change profile, (iv) compare the profile correlation to a predetermined correlation signature, and (v) output an alarm signal if the profile correlation matches the predetermined correlation signature; wherein the sensor system is situated in an internal area of the door and is configured to detect a magnetic field at an outside area of the door and to output the alarm signal in the case of an unauthorized opening attempt of the locking system.

8. A method for detecting tampering of a locking system of a door, comprising: performing time-resolved detection of movements of the door in at least two dimensions; recording a time-resolved acceleration profile based on the detected movements of the door; detecting a magnetic field in the area of the locking system; performing a time-resolved detection of changes of the magnetic field; recording a time-resolved magnetic field change profile; determining a profile correlation between the time-resolved acceleration profile and the time-resolved magnetic field change profile; comparing the determined profile correlation to a predetermined correlation signature; and outputting an alarm signal if the determined profile correlation matches the predetermined correlation signature.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 shows a schematic representation of a door including a locking system and a sensor system according to a specific embodiment of the present invention.

(2) FIG. 2 shows a schematic representation of a specific embodiment of a sensor system for a locking system according to another specific embodiment of the present invention.

(3) FIG. 3 shows a schematic representation of a method for detecting tamperings at a locking system according to an additional specific embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(4) Doors within the sense of the present invention include all devices for the reversible locking of openings in walls, brickwork or passages which enable a separation of inside areas from outside areas with respect to the structural measures in which the openings are contained, and thereby enable a selective passage or entry through the openings. Doors may be gates, portals, skylights, barriers or fences as well as windows or other passage barriers to be opened. Within the sense of the present invention, doors may include all types of locking mechanisms, for example, swing doors, folding doors, sliding doors, or other door types.

(5) Locking systems within the sense of the present invention include all locking systems which serve to allow persons who have and use a legitimate access key to open a barrier equipped with the locking system and to deny the opening to other persons. Locking systems may in particular include within the sense of the present invention, for example, pin tumbler locks, cylinder locks, warded locks, disk tumbler locks, Bramah locks or similar lock types.

(6) FIG. 1 shows a door 1 including a locking system 3 and a sensor system 10. View (a) shows the perspective of door 1 from the inside, while view (b) shows the perspective of the door in a side view. Door 1 may, for example, be an apartment or front door which includes a door knob 2 or a door handle 2. Below door handle 2, a locking system 3, for example, a cylinder lock, may be situated which may be opened using a matching key by inserting it into a key hole and the corresponding rotation in order to gain access through door 1. In the example of FIG. 1, door 1 is a swing door which is swiveled around hinges.

(7) Sensor system 10 may be situated below locking system 3. Sensor system 10 includes a magnetic field sensor, which detects a magnetic field in an area which extends on the other side of door 1. An exemplary extension area B is shown in view (b), sensor system 10 being situated at the inside 4 of door 1, for example, inside the apartment, and detected magnetic field B extends in outside area 5 of door 1. The extension area of magnetic field B, which is detected, may be from a few centimeters to approximately one meter around the magnetic field sensor. Due to overlaps by the terrestrial magnetic field, magnetic fields of the electronics of the sensor system and/or magnetic fields of other components, there is usually always a magnetic field in the area of the locking system, which may be detected by the magnetic field sensor. However, not the absolute size of the magnetic field but the changes of the magnetic field over time are of importance.

(8) Sensor system 10 furthermore includes an acceleration sensor, which detects accelerations or displacements A of door 1 in at least two dimensions. These may be accelerations or displacements A along the swing direction to open door 1, however, raising and lowering of door 1 or lateral movements along the extension area of door 1 may also be detected.

(9) When a person approaches who attempts to gain unauthorized access through door 1, this will take place using metal tools in the case of a lock picking attempt. When the tool comes into the proximity of locking system 3 during this process, magnetic field B changes so that the magnetic field sensor detects this change and may record it. With the additionally occurring characteristic movements of door 1 during a lock picking attempt, which may be recorded by the acceleration sensor, a break-in or break-in attempt may be detected through a correlated analysis of the signals of the acceleration sensor and the magnetic field sensor.

(10) In addition, a rotation rate sensor (not shown) may be installed in sensor system 10 so that the detection of the opening angle for a swing door 1 may be improved.

(11) FIG. 2 shows a schematic representation of one specific embodiment of a sensor system 10 for a locking system, for example, for locking system 3 in FIG. 1. Sensor system 10 may, for example, be situated at a door 1 or be installed inside a door 1, for example, in door 1 in FIG. 1.

(12) The sensor system includes an acceleration sensor 11 which is designed to detect movements of door 1 in at least two dimensions. Furthermore, the sensor system includes a magnetic field sensor 12 which is designed to generate a magnetic field B in the area of locking system 3 and to detect changes of magnetic field B. Acceleration sensor 11 and magnetic field sensor 12 are coupled to control device 13. Control device 13 is designed to record a time-resolved acceleration profile from the detected movements of door 1 and to record a time-resolved magnetic field change profile from the detected changes of magnetic field B. These two profiles may be correlated by control device 13 so that a comparison of the profile correlation to a predeterminable correlation signature may be carried out in order to output an alarm signal, if there is a match between the profile correlation and the correlation signature.

(13) Control device 13 may, for example, include a micro-controller or a micro-processor which has a memory area 14 in which one or multiple predeterminable correlation signature(s) may be stored. The correlation signatures may be created, for example, by empirical field tests using lock picking attacks. However, it is also possible to carry out a calibration of sensor system 10 during installation in door 1 or installation at door 1 which takes the respective local circumstances of the surroundings of door 1 into account. From time to time, a re-calibration of sensor system 10 may take place if necessary; the correlation signatures may be overwritten or updated. Control device 13 may furthermore operate one of sensors 11 and 12 as a constantly detecting sensor, while the other sensor of the two sensors 11 and 12 is only switched on or activated when the constantly detecting sensor detects a signal pattern which matches a break-in attempt by lock picking. The sensor of the two sensors which is switched on may then be used for a plausibility check of this signal pattern. This may reduce the power consumption of sensor system 10. Alternatively, the two sensors 11 and 12 may also be kept in constant operation, for example, when a more reliable surveillance is desired.

(14) Sensor system 10 may furthermore include a signal output device 15 which is coupled to control device 13 and which outputs the alarm signal via an output interface 16 of sensor system 10 to an alarm transmitter 18. For example, the alarm transmitter may include an optical or acoustic transmitter device, for example, an alarm system, a siren, an LED or a similar device. Alternatively or in addition, signal output device 15 may be designed to output the alarm signal via wireless communication, indicated by reference numeral 17, to an alarm transmitter 18 or to another device. For example, a user of sensor system 10 may be informed via app, via text message or via telephone call on their mobile terminal equipment of a detected break-in attempt. Furthermore, an alarm may be transmitted to a security company or to the police via wireless communication.

(15) FIG. 3 shows a schematic representation of an exemplary method 20 for detecting tamperings or a break-in attempts by lock picking at a locking system of a door. Method 20 may, for example, be used for the surveillance of locking system 3 in FIG. 1 by sensor system 10 in FIG. 2.

(16) In a first step 21, a time-resolved detection of movements of the door may take place in at least two dimensions. In step 22 a time-resolved acceleration profile based on the detected movements may be created. In a similar manner, a magnetic field may be detected in the area of the locking system in step 23 so that changes of the magnetic field may be detected in a time-resolved manner in a step 24. In step 25, a time-resolved magnetic field change profile may be created therefrom.

(17) The two profiles, i.e., the acceleration profile and the magnetic field change profile, may be correlated in step 26 so that a comparison of the profile correlation to a predeterminable correlation signature may take place in step 27, for example, in a micro-processor or in a micro-controller. If the profile correlation matches the correlation signature, an alarm signal may be output in step 28, which signals the detection of a break-in or of a break-in attempt by lock picking. All common lock picking tools may be detected reliably and rapidly with this approach.