Alignment-related operation and position sensing of electronic and other locks and other objects

Abstract

A sensing system senses whether or not a lock's bolt ( 140 ), e.g. deadbolt, is aligned with a hole ( 150 ) which the bolt is to engage in the locked state. In electronic locks, the bolt is not driven into the hole until the sensing system indicates that the bolt is aligned with the hole. Another sensing system senses the position of the bolt and/or a dead-latch bar ( 1310 ). This sensing system is spaced from the bolt's end engaging the hole in order not to interfere with the alignment sensing. The two sensing systems are used to determine whether the lock is locked or unlocked. A magnet system provides alignment assistance to align the bolt with the hole before the bolt is driven into the hole. Position encoding for lock and non-lock devices, and other features and embodiments are also provided.

1 . An apparatus comprising an alignment sensor system for a lock assembly which is for locking a first object to a second object, the first and second objects being movable relative to each other, the lock assembly comprising a fastener which is for being installed on the first object and for being operable to engage the second object to lock the first and second objects together when the fastener is aligned with the second object;
 wherein the alignment sensor system comprises a sensor for sensing an aligned state at least when the fastener does not engage the second object, the aligned state being a state in which the fastener is aligned with the second object.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1  comprising the lock assembly, wherein the fastener is a bolt, the second object comprises a hole into which the bolt is to extend to engage the second object but from which the bolt retracts to unlock the first object from the second object, wherein the bolt is aligned with the hole in the aligned state, wherein the alignment sensor system comprises:
 a light source having an output port; and 
 a reflector to reflect light from the output port at least in the aligned state and to provide reflected light, the reflector being for reflecting more light from the output port in the aligned state than not in the aligned state, the sensor receiving more of the reflected light from the output port in the aligned state than not in the aligned state; 
 wherein one of the light source and the reflector is for being located in the lock assembly on the first object in, or on, or adjacent to the fastener, and the other one of the light source and the reflector is for being located on the second object. 
 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 2  wherein the light source is for being located in the lock assembly on the first object in, or on, or adjacent to the fastener, and the reflector is for being located on the second object. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 1  comprising the lock assembly, wherein the fastener is a bolt, the second object comprises a hole into which the bolt is to extend to engage the second object but from which the bolt retracts to unlock the first object from the second object, wherein the bolt is aligned with the hole in the aligned state, wherein the alignment sensor system comprises:
 a light source having an output port; and 
 a light-suppression member to suppress redirection of light received from the output port to the sensor in the aligned state, the sensor being for receiving less light emitted from the output port and impinging on the light-suppression member in the aligned state than not in the aligned state; 
 wherein one of the light source and the light-suppression member is for being located in the lock assembly on the first object in, or on, or adjacent to the fastener, and the other one of the light source and the light-suppression member is for being located on the second object. 
 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 4  wherein the light source is for being located in the lock assembly on the first object in, or on, or adjacent to the fastener, and the light-suppression member is for being located on the second object. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the alignment sensor system comprises a spectral apparatus comprising a light source, the spectral apparatus being for generating at least two alternative spectral properties;
 wherein each of the alternative spectral properties is recognizable by the alignment sensor system using the sensor as different from each other one of the alternative spectral properties, and 
 wherein for a plurality of sets of the alternative spectral properties, each set being a set of one of more of the alternative spectral properties, for any set in the plurality, the alignment sensor system is operable to be calibrated to recognize the aligned state upon recognizing any alternative spectral property in the set but not upon recognizing any one of the alternative spectral properties outside of the set. 
 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 6  further comprising the lock assembly. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the alignment sensor system comprises a beam generation apparatus for generating a plurality of beams, and the sensor comprises a plurality of first sensors each of which is operable to generate an indication of sensing or not sensing at least one of the beams;
 wherein the alignment sensor system is operable to recognize, from said indications, which of the first sensors is sensing at least one of said beams and which of the first sensors is not sensing any one of the beams, the alignment sensor system being thus operable to recognize any set of one or more of the first sensors such that each first sensor in the set senses at least one of the beams and each first sensor outside of the set does not sense any one of the beams; 
 wherein for a plurality of said sets, for each set in the plurality of sets, the alignment sensor system is operable to be calibrated to recognize the aligned state upon recognizing said set but not upon recognizing at least one other set in the plurality of sets. 
 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 8  further comprising the lock assembly. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 1  comprising the lock assembly, wherein the fastener is a bolt, the second object comprises a hole into which the bolt is to extend to engage the second object but from which the bolt retracts to unlock the first object from the second object, wherein the bolt is aligned with the hole in the aligned state, wherein the alignment sensor system comprises:
 a magnetic field generator for being installed on one of the first and second objects; 
 a magnetic field sensor for being installed on the other one of the first and second objects, for sensing the magnetic field generated by the magnetic field generator to sense the aligned state. 
 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 10  comprising the lock assembly, wherein the magnetic field generator comprises magnetic material in the fastener. 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 1  comprising the lock assembly, wherein the fastener is a bolt, the second object comprises a hole into which the bolt is to extend to engage the second object but from which the bolt retracts to unlock the first object from the second object, wherein the bolt is aligned with the hole in the aligned state;
 wherein the bolt has a first end (“engaging end”) which is to engage the second object to lock the first object to the second object, and the bolt has a second end opposite from the first end; 
 wherein the apparatus further comprises a bolt-position sensor system for sensing whether or not the bolt is extended, the bolt-position sensor system comprising a sensor located closer to the second end than to the engaging end to sense whether or not the bolt is extended. 
 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 12  further comprising circuitry for generating a lock-indication signal indicative of a locked state in which the lock locks the first object to the second object, the lock-indication signal being generated in response to the alignment sensor system sensing the aligned state and the bolt-position sensor system sensing that the bolt is extended. 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 1  comprising the lock assembly, wherein the fastener is a bolt, the second object comprises a hole into which the bolt is to extend to engage the second object but from which the bolt retracts to unlock the first object from the second object, wherein the bolt is aligned with the hole in the aligned state;
 wherein the bolt has a first end (“engaging end”) which is to engage the second object to lock the first object to the second object, and the bolt has a second end opposite from the first end; 
 wherein the lock assembly comprises a dead-latch bar coordinated with the bolt such that when the bolt is extended and the dead-latch bar is retracted, the lock assembly provides increased resistance to retracting the bolt by pressing on the engaging end; 
 wherein the apparatus further comprises a position sensor system for sensing the position of at least one of the bolt and dead-latch bar, the position sensor system comprising a sensor located closer to the second end than to the engaging end to sense the position of at least one of the bolt and dead-latch bar. 
 
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 14  further comprising circuitry for generating a lock-indication signal indicative of a locked state in which the lock locks the first object to the second object, the lock-indication signal being generated if the alignment sensor system sensing the aligned state and the position sensor system sensing that the bolt is extended and/or the dead-latch bar is retracted. 
     
     
         16 . An apparatus comprising a position sensor system for a lock assembly which is for locking a first object to a second object, the first and second objects being movable relative to each other, the lock assembly comprising a bolt which is for being installed on the first object and for being operable to engage the second object to lock the first and second objects together;
 wherein the second object comprises a hole into which the bolt is to extend to engage the second object but from which the bolt retracts to unlock the first object from the second object;   wherein the bolt has a first end (“engaging end”) which is to engage the second object to lock the first object to the second object, and the bolt has a second end opposite from the first end;   wherein the lock assembly comprises a dead-latch bar coordinated with the bolt such that when the bolt is extended and the dead-latch bar is retracted, the lock assembly provides increased resistance to retracting the bolt by pressing on the engaging end;   wherein the position sensor system is for sensing the position of the dead-latch bar.   
     
     
         17 . The apparatus of  claim 16  wherein the position sensor system comprises a sensor located closer to the second end than to the engaging end for sensing the position of the dead-latch bar. 
     
     
         18 - 21 . (canceled) 
     
     
         22 . A position encoder system comprising:
 a spectral apparatus comprising a light source, the spectral apparatus being for generating a plurality of alternative spectral properties based on a plurality of predefined non-overlapping frequency bands, each spectral property comprising a unique set of one or more of the frequency bands, each spectral property being associated with a unique one of a plurality of positions;   a sensor system for sensing the spectral properties and generating a position indication associated with the spectral property sensed by the sensor system.   
     
     
         23 . The position encoder system of  claim 22  wherein the spectral apparatus comprises, for each spectral property and its associated position, a reflector reflective in the one or more frequency bands associated with the spectral property and non-reflective in each said frequency band not in the set associated with the spectral property. 
     
     
         24 . The position encoder system of  claim 22  wherein the spectral apparatus comprises a plurality of filters in a light path traveled by light from the light source to the sensor system when the sensor system receives light from the light source in any of a plurality of positions of the light source relative to an object, each position being associated with one of said spectral properties, wherein for each said position, when the light source is positioned in said position, the plurality of filters are transmissive, to the light emitted from the light source, in the one or more frequency bands associated with the spectral property, and the plurality of filters are non-transmissive, to the light reflected from the light source, in each said frequency band which is not in the set associated with the spectral property. 
     
     
         25 . A position encoder system comprising:
 a beam generation apparatus for generating a plurality of beams;   a sensor system comprising a plurality of first sensors each of which is operable to generate an indication of sensing or not sensing at least one of the beams;   wherein the sensor system is operable to recognize, from said indications, which of the first sensors is sensing at least one of said beams and which of the first sensors is not sensing any one of the beams, the sensor system being thus operable to recognize any set of one or more of the first sensors such that each first sensor in the set senses at least one of the beams and each first sensor outside of the set does not sense any one of the beams;   wherein for a plurality of said sets, each set in the plurality of sets is associated with one of a plurality of positions of the beam generation apparatus, and the sensor system is operable to be calibrated to recognize any one of said positions upon recognizing the associated set but not upon recognizing at least one other set in the plurality of sets.