Electronic door with key-in-lever feature

Abstract

An electronic door lock is operable to control access to an access controlled area adjacent the inner side of a door. The door lock includes an outer base, an inner base, a locking mechanism movable between a locked and unlocked position in response to a control signal, and a control circuit disposed within the inner base and operable to generate the control signal in response to the presentation of an input credential. A plurality of different types of credential readers are each selectively attachable and removable from an attachment interface when the outer base is attached to the door to electrically connect the selected one of the plurality of different types of credential readers to the control circuit. The selected credential reader receives data from a user or credential and generates the input credential. A communication module is operable to communicate with a device separate from the electronic door lock.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An electronic door lock that mounts to a door, the door including an inner side and an outer side and the electronic door lock operable to control access to an access controlled area positioned adjacent the inner side of the door, the electronic door lock comprising:
 an outer base connected to the outer side of the door;   an inner base connected to the inner side of the door;   a locking mechanism coupled to the door and movable between a locked position and an unlocked position in response to a control signal;   a control circuit disposed within the inner base and operable to generate the control signal in response to the presentation of an input credential;   an attachment interface at least partially formed as part of the outer base;   a plurality of different types of credential readers each selectively attachable and removable from the attachment interface when the outer base is attached to the door to electrically connect the selected one of the plurality of different types of credential readers to the control circuit, the selected credential reader receiving data from a user or the input credential and providing data corresponding to the input credential to the control circuit, the control circuit generating the control signal in response to the data; and   a communication module connected to the control circuit, the communication module operable to communicate with a device that is separate from the electronic door lock.   
     
     
         2 . The electronic door lock of  claim 1 , wherein the communication module is operable to communicate with a device that is separate from the electronic door lock through one of a wired connection and a 900 Megahertz, WIFI, ZIGBEE, Z-Wave, and 2.4 Gigahertz wireless connection. 
     
     
         3 . The electronic door lock of  claim 1 , further including a first anti-tamper wall positioned between the attachment interface and the locking mechanism to inhibit access to the locking mechanism from the attachment interface. 
     
     
         4 . The electronic door lock of  claim 3 , further including a second anti-tamper wall positioned between the first anti-tamper wall and the locking mechanism to inhibit access to the locking mechanism. 
     
     
         5 . The electronic door lock of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of different types of credential readers includes at least three of a keypad, a proximity detector, a proximity detector with built-in keypad, a magnetic stripe reader, a magnetic stripe reader with built-in keypad, and a biometric reader. 
     
     
         6 . The electronic door lock of  claim 5 , wherein the control circuit includes software or firmware operable to receive the input from each of the keypad, the proximity detector, the proximity detector with built-in keypad, the magnetic stripe reader, the magnetic stripe reader with built-in keypad, and the biometric reader and to generate the control signal in response to the input. 
     
     
         7 . The electronic door lock of  claim 1 , wherein the communication module is one of a wired communication module and a wireless communication module, each of the wired communication module and the wireless communication module being selectively removable and replaceable without disturbing the locking mechanism and without disturbing the control circuit. 
     
     
         8 . An electronic door lock that mounts to a door, the door including an inner side and an outer side and the electronic door lock operable to control access to an access controlled area positioned adjacent the inner side of the door, the electronic door lock comprising:
 an inner base supported by the inner side;   an attachment interface coupled to the outer side and including a mounting portion;   a locking mechanism coupled to the door and movable between a locked position and an unlocked position in response to a control signal;   a reader selected from a keypad, proximity detector, proximity detector with built-in keypad, magnetic stripe reader, magnetic stripe reader with built-in keypad, and biometric reader, each of the keypad, proximity detector, proximity detector with built-in keypad, magnetic stripe reader, magnetic stripe reader with built-in keypad, and biometric reader removably mountable to the attachment interface;   a control circuit coupled to the door and configured to selectively move the locking mechanism between the locked position and the unlocked position to control access to the access controlled area, the control circuit including software or firmware operable to receive input data from the selected reader, the control circuit further operable to generate the control signal in response to the input data; and   a communication module connected to the control circuit, the communication module positioned in the inner base and operable to communicate with a device that is separate from the electronic door lock, wherein the communication module is one of a wired communication module and a wireless communication module, each of the wired communication module and the wireless communication module being selectively removable and replaceable without disturbing the locking mechanism and without disturbing the control circuit.   
     
     
         9 . The electronic door lock of  claim 8 , wherein the communication module is operable to communicate with a device that is separate from the electronic door lock through one of a wired connection and a 900 Megahertz, WIFI, ZIGBEE, Z-Wave, and 2.4 Gigahertz wireless connection. 
     
     
         10 . The electronic door lock of  claim 8 , wherein the locking mechanism includes a handle coupled to the door, a latch moveable between an extended position and a retracted position, and a clutch that engages the handle and the latch when the locking mechanism is in the unlocked position and disengages the handle and the latch when the locking mechanism is in the locked position. 
     
     
         11 . The electronic door lock of  claim 8 , further including a cover to cover the communication module, the cover including a pushbutton, and wherein the control circuit is configured to change an operating mode of the door lock in response to depression of the pushbutton. 
     
     
         12 . The electronic door lock of  claim 8 , further including an outer base supported by the outer side, wherein the attachment interface is coupled to the outer base, and further including a first anti-tamper wall positioned between the attachment interface and the locking mechanism to inhibit access to the locking mechanism from the attachment interface. 
     
     
         13 . The electronic door lock of  claim 12 , further including a second anti-tamper wall positioned between the first anti-tamper wall and the locking mechanism to inhibit access to the locking mechanism. 
     
     
         14 . The electronic door lock of  claim 8 , wherein the attachment interface includes a first connector that extends from the mounting portion, the first connector in electrical communication with the control circuit, and further wherein each of the keypad, proximity detector, proximity detector with built-in keypad, magnetic stripe reader, magnetic stripe reader with built-in keypad, and biometric reader includes a surface sized and shaped to generally correspond to the mounting portion and a second connector positioned within a recess in the surface and configured to mate with the first connector. 
     
     
         15 . An access control system for controlling access to one or more secured spaces based upon an access control decision, the access control system comprising:
 a plurality of electronic door locks, each of the electronic door locks mounted to one of a plurality of doors, each door including an inner side and an outer side, each of the electronic door locks including an outer base connected to the outer side, an inner base connected to the inner side, a locking mechanism coupled to the door and movable between a locked position and an unlocked position in response to a control signal, a control circuit disposed within the inner base and operable to transmit data in response to an input credential, an attachment interface at least partially formed as part of the outer base, one of a plurality of different types of credential readers selectively attachable and removable from the attachment interface when the outer base is attached to the door to electrically connect a selected one of the plurality of different types of credential readers to the control circuit to provide the input credential, and a communication module connected to the control circuit, the communication module selectively removable and replaceable without disturbing the locking mechanism and without disturbing the control circuit and operable to communicate with a device that is separate from the electronic door lock;   an access control panel configured to communicate with the communication module of each of the plurality of locks to receive the data; and   a server configured to communicate with the access control panel, wherein one of the access control panel and the server effects the access control decision and generates the control signal.   
     
     
         16 . The access control system of  claim 15 , wherein the plurality of different types of credential readers includes a keypad, a proximity detector, a proximity detector with built-in keypad, a magnetic stripe reader, a magnetic stripe reader with built-in keypad, and a biometric reader. 
     
     
         17 . The access control system of  claim 16 , wherein the control circuit includes software or firmware operable to receive input data from each of the keypad, the proximity detector, the proximity detector with built-in keypad, the magnetic stripe reader, the magnetic stripe reader with built-in keypad, and the biometric reader. 
     
     
         18 . The access control system of  claim 15 , wherein the communication module is one of a wired communication module and a wireless communication module. 
     
     
         19 . The access control system of  claim 15 , wherein the communication module is operable to communicate with a device that is separate from the electronic door lock through one of a wired connection and a 900 Megahertz, WIFI, ZIGBEE, Z-Wave, and 2.4 Gigahertz wireless connection. 
     
     
         20 . The access control system of  claim 15 , wherein the locking mechanism includes a handle coupled to the door, a latch moveable between an extended position and a retracted position, and a clutch that engages the handle and the latch when the locking mechanism is in the unlocked position and disengages the handle and the latch when the locking mechanism is in the locked position.