Key duplication system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11810090-B2
Application number	US-202117447983-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 17, 2021
Priority date	Jun 3, 2010
Publication date	Nov 7, 2023
Grant date	Nov 7, 2023

Abstract

A key-duplicating system comprises a network that includes a multiplicity of kiosks at a multiplicity of different locations, each of the kiosks having a customer interface and a processor coupled to the customer interface. A remote central server coupled to the kiosks is adapted to receive, from the kiosks, information identifying master keys to be duplicated. A key analysis module uses the information identifying master keys to be duplicated to derive information required to produce duplicates of the identified master keys, and a key duplicating module uses that information to produce duplicates of said identified master keys.

First claim

It is claimed:

1. A system for duplicating keys, comprising:
at least one key duplicating machine, the at least one key duplicating machine comprising:
a kiosk housing having a user interface comprising a touchscreen display;
a key duplicating system within the kiosk housing configured to replicate a tooth pattern of a blade of a master key on a blade of a key blank, using a cutting code;
a communications interface; and
a key removal exit in the kiosk housing providing access to the key blank for removal from the kiosk; and

a remote server, configured to:
receive an image of the master key;
identify the cutting code based on the image of the master key; and
transmit the cutting code to the key duplicating system for replicating the tooth pattern of the blade of the master key on the blade of the key blank.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one key duplicating machine further includes:
a camera configured to capture the image of the master key, and
wherein the communications interface is configured to transmit the captured image to the remote server.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the remote server is configured to receive the image of the master key from a device associated with a customer.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the device is one of a smart phone, a tablet, a laptop computer, or a personal computer.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the key duplicating system further includes:
a printer configured to print a design on the key blank.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the remote server is configured to receive the design from a device associated with a customer.

7. The system of claim 5 , wherein the customer interface is configured to:
display a plurality of designs to a customer;
receive a selection of the design from the plurality of designs; and
transmit the selected design to the printer.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the at least one key duplicating machine further includes:
a key blank magazine configured to store key blanks; and
a key blank extraction system configured to extract the key blank having the selected design from the key blank magazine.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the remote server is further configured to:
receive a request from a customer for deleting the image; and
delete the received image in response to the request after transmitting the cutting code to the key duplicating system.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the remote server is configured to transmit the image and the cutting code to a device associated with the user.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the remote server is configured to:
receive a request from a customer for saving the image; and
in response to the request:
encrypt the image; and
store the encrypted image in a database.

12. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one key duplicating machine further includes:
a vacuum system comprising a vacuum source and a vacuum shroud,
wherein the vacuum shroud encloses at least a portion of the at least one key duplicating machine.

13. A method of duplicating a master key, comprising:
receiving, at a remote server, an image of the master key;
identifying, by the remote server, a cutting code based on the received image;
transmitting, by the remote server, the cutting code to a key duplication kiosk;
receiving, at the key duplication kiosk, the cutting code from the remote server; and
generating, by the key duplication kiosk, a duplicate of the master key using the cutting code and a key blank.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein receiving the image includes receiving the image of the master key from a device associated with a customer.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein receiving the image includes:
capturing the image of the master key, using a camera associated with the key duplication kiosk; and
receiving the captured image from the key duplication kiosk.

16. The method of claim 13 , further including:
printing, using a printer associated with the key duplication kiosk, a design on the key blank.

17. The method of claim 16 , further including:
receiving the design, at the remote server, from a device associated with a customer; and
transmitting the design to the key duplication kiosk.

18. The method of claim 16 , further including:
displaying a plurality of designs to a customer via a display device of the key duplication kiosk;
receiving a selection of the design from the plurality of designs; and
transmitting the selected design to the printer.

19. The method of claim 16 , further including:
extracting the key blank having the selected design from a key blank magazine associated with the key duplication kiosk.

20. The method of claim 13 , further including:
receiving a request from a customer for deleting the image; and
deleting the received image in response to the request after transmitting the cutting code to the key duplication machine.

Assignees

• Hillman Group Inc

Inventors

• Freeman Daniel

Classifications

• G06Q20/18 Primary

  involving self-service terminals [SST], vending machines, kiosks or multimedia terminals · CPC title

• B23C3/35

  Milling grooves in keys · CPC title

• B23P15/005

  keys (making keys without essentially removing material, e.g. by punching B21D53/42; milling grooves in keys B23C3/35) · CPC title

• B23Q35/00

  Control systems or devices for copying directly from a pattern or a master model; Devices for use in copying manually {(copy milling classified also in B27C5/003)} · CPC title

• G05B15/02

  electric · CPC title