Essex Electronics Incorporated

Essex-tec Corporation

Kkf Corporation

Peter Kaufman

Garrett Y Kaufman

John C Echols

James P Burgess

Harry W Kompanek

James R Ligman

Henry L Miszkiewicz

Richard W Foster

David K Carlson

John J Sharkey

Proximity sensor

A keypad unit for an access system including an outer housing having an integral bezel. A carrier is mounted within the housing, and an overlay including key zones is mounted to the carrier. A PCB assembly is suspended within the carrier by a non-compressive, but compliant encapsulating compound. The PCB assembly includes a foam layer sandwiched between a top PCB and a bottom PCB. LEDs are electrically coupled to a top surface of the top PCB. Piezoelectric transducers are mounted to the top PCB and are backed by the foam layer. The carrier may include carrier projections are in register with the key zones on the overlay and the transducers. When an operator pushes a key zone, the corresponding projection transmits the force via the carrier and the encapsulating compound to the carrier adjacent the corresponding transducer causing it to generate a voltage indicative of the pressure zone at which the force was applied.

Access control apparatus

Keypad

A weatherproof electronic keypad includes a molded plastic housing, a plurality of transducers attached to the inside surface of the front wall of the housing, an electronic circuit mounted within the housing and connected to the transducers, and a graphics overlay removably affixed to the outside surface of the front wall of the housing. The front wall and overlay are sufficiently flexible that finger pressure applied to the overlay results in enough deformation of the front wall to activate the transducer underlying that portion of the inside surface. The overlay contains indicia which identify the location and function of the transducers. The overlay need not be attached to the housing as a part of manufacturing the keypad, but rather can be added in situ as part of installation of the keypad. This enables customized selection of a particular overlay in accordance with aesthetic and/or functional considerations, as well as replacement of the overlay in the field if necessary.

Weatherproof electronic keypad with replaceable graphics overlay

A keyless access control and security system especially adapted for use with an automobile and including a piezoelectric permutation touchpad unit which can be affixed, without requiring bodywork, to the outside of the vehicle's door in the key cylinder aperture. The touchpad is illuminated when touched and is therefore usable in the dark. The person seeking access must enter the correct access code combination on the touchpad to open the door and/or the trunk. The touchpad is connected to a remotely located logic circuit which controls access. The circuit provides for a signal of low intensity, indicating that a correction in the code entered into the touchpad should be made and, after a time delay, an alarm of high intensity, if no correction is made. Upon activation of the alarm, the head lights are flashed, the horn is sounded, or both. In order to enable a parking attendant, repairman, or some other authorized person to have access to the automobile without revealing the access code, the logic circuit can be programmed, by operation of the touchpad, using the proper access code and a further secondary code, arbitrarily selected, to provide access to the automobile in response to the secondary code, which later can be erased.

Keyless access control and security system

A device is disclosed which is useful to generate electric signals particularly in close quarters. The preferred embodiment is described in terms of a piezoelectric signal generator incorporated into the beltline trim of an automobile and an alternate configuration in a flat sheet metal application. The invention is discussed in terms of its ability to take advantage of already existing structural elements of its host body and its ability to be attached without putting holes in such structure.

Pressure sensitive electric signal generator

A keyless system especially useful in controlling the doors and trunk of an automobile is disclosed. The overall system usually comprises an input station containing a keyboard, a signal processor, signal amplification means and an electromechanical grouping which converts the electrical output from the amplifier to mechanical movement in control of a lock. The system is activated by a touch control at the input keyboard and with the power section of the system energized, the lock is controlled in response to a proper sequence of digital input signals created by the operator. The input at the control station is described in terms of a keyboard having five selectors and resulting in approximately three thousand possible combinations for the base code. The signal processor responds to correct combinations of digital inputs with a drive signal. The signal processor is also programmable with temporary convenience codes which are loaded into the logic portion of the system with access preconditioned on entry of the base code.

Entry system

Growing community of inventors

Santa Barbara, CA, United States of America

Peter Kaufman