Abstract

A lock is an integral part of every house. A man can have peace of mind only when he has a proper mechanism to lock his house when he is away. At present mechanical locks are being used. These locks have levers in them that are used to lock or unlock the unit. Keys that have a particular pattern of cuts and notches on them control these levers. Each lock opens only if the pattern of cuts and notches inside it match with the pattern on the key.

The main disadvantage of this mechanism is that one cannot open the lock if one has lost or misplaced the key. The house owner will be stranded outside his house if he loses the keys to his front door. This conventional lock-and-key mechanism poses a lot of security problems too. Any number of duplicate keys can be easily made from the original key. These duplicate keys may be used for unauthorized access without the knowledge of the owner. Burglars may find the right key to open the lock by trying different keys one after the other from a bunch of keys. An expert thief doesn't even need a proper key to open a lock. He can merely do it with a hairpin. If everything else fails, the thief can physically break open the lock.

An Electronic Number Lock system opens only when the user types in the correct code set earlier. Unauthorized access is impossible since no one can enter without the knowledge of the code. The entry of a wrong code more than twice sets off a buzzer that informs the owner or neighbours of an intruder. Since the locking mechanism is placed inside the house, tampering with the lock is not possible. Multiple access is possible since anyone possessing the code can open the lock. This is not possible with the conventional lock-and-key mechanism unless each user has his own key. The code number to open the lock can be easily changed by the user whenever he wishes. This lock can be used in homes, cars, safes or anywhere where there is a locking requirement. Thus, this innovative project provides a safe and tamper-proof locking solution.

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