1. An interactive system for managing access via a communications network by one or more Device-Users and Database-Users with regard to at least one secured Location and an entry control Device assignable for use in gaining access to the Location by the one or more Device-Users, the system comprising in combination:
a searchable database configured to store information on at least one of the secured Location, the one or more Device-Users, the one or more Database-Users, or the entry control Device, wherein the at least one secured Location is associated with a place that is physically protected by the entry control Device, and
at least one computer coupled to the searchable database and configured to execute Software stored on a readable medium and configured to search the database and report one or more conflicts concerning the information.
2. The system of claim 1, wherein the entry control Device further comprises a lock having a cylinder selectively configurable in multiple steps for operation with multiple, differently configured keys, and the Software is further configured to search the information for the status of each step and report one or more conflicts concerning the information on the status of each step.
3. The system of claim 2, wherein the Software is configured to perform at least one of the following:
(a) determine if multiple steps of a lock cylinder have an issued status; andor
(b) determine if a future step has a status which is older than the status of an issued step.
4. The system of claim 1, wherein said entry control Device comprises a tangible item containing encoded criteria.
5. The system of claim 4, wherein said tangible item is selected from the group consisting of a key, an access card, a chip and bar code.
6. The system of claim 1, wherein said entry control Device comprises an intangible object assigned to and in possession of each said Device-User.
7. The system of claim 6, wherein said object is selected from the group consisting of code numbers, PIN numbers and code words or phrases.
8. The system of claim 1, wherein the Software is configured to determine and report a conflict in a field in the database directed to assignment of a key blank to at least one of a Device-User and a Location.
9. The system of claim 1, wherein the Software is configured to determine and report a conflict in a field in the database directed to a first Location tied to another Location.
10. An interactive system for security management, the system accessible via a communications network by a plurality of Database Users and adapted to manage a security system associated with places physically protected by corresponding security mechanisms used to gain physical entry to the places by security mechanism users, the system comprising in combination:
at least one searchable database configured to store information on a plurality of places, a plurality of security mechanisms and a plurality of security mechanism users, wherein the at least one searchable database is further configured to store information on the plurality of Database Users authorized to access the at least one searchable database; and
at least one computer coupled to the at least one searchable database and configured to execute Software accessible by the plurality of Database Users, the Software configured to:
search the at least one searchable database to identify one or more conflicts associated with the information on the plurality of places, the plurality of security mechanisms and the plurality of security mechanism users; and
report the one or more identified conflicts.
11. The system of claim 10, wherein at least one security mechanism is a tangible item containing encoded criteria, said encoded criteria being assigned to a security mechanism user, and said tangible item being selected from the group consisting of a key, an access card, a chip and a bar code.
12. The system of claim 10, wherein at least one security mechanism is an intangible object assigned to and in possession of a security mechanism user, and said object is selected from the group consisting of code numbers, PIN numbers and code words or phrases.
13. The system of claim 10, wherein said Software is operative to display records of said data on the status of a security mechanism for a place and to display information pertaining to ownership and other associated data for said security mechanism.
14. The system of claim 10, wherein a security mechanism among the plurality of security mechanisms comprises a lock having a cylinder selectively configurable in multiple steps for operation with multiple, differently configured keys, and wherein the Software is further configured to search the information for the status of each step and report one or more conflicts concerning the information on the status of each step.
15. The system of claim 14, wherein the Software is configured to report a conflict in response to determining that multiple steps have an issued status.
16. The system of claim 14, wherein the Software is configured to report a conflict in response to determining that a future step has a status that is older than the status of an issued step.
17. The system of claim 10, wherein the Software is configured to determine and report a conflict in a field in the database directed to assignment of a key blank to at least one of a security mechanism and a place.
18. The system of claim 10, wherein the Software is configured to determine and report a conflict in a field in the database directed to a first place tied to another place.
19. The system of claim 10, wherein the Software is configured to determine and report a conflict in a field in the database directed to a status level for a step among a plurality of steps associated with a security mechanism.
20. A method of checking for conflicts in information stored in at least one database and pertaining to an access control system for at least one secured Location, comprising:
providing a manner of assigning an entry control Device to the Location for use in gaining entry by a Device-User to the Location, wherein the Location is associated with a place that is physically protected by the entry control Device;
providing a manner of assigning a password to a Database-User enabling access to the database; and
providing Software executed by a computer and enabling the Database-User to search the database and selectively display the conflicts in the information on at least one of the Location, the Device, the Device-User, or Database-User.
21. The method of claim 20, wherein the entry control Device further comprises a lock having a cylinder selectively configurable in multiple steps for operation with multiple, differently configured keys, and the Software is further configured to search the information for the status of each step and report one or more conflicts concerning the information on the status of each step.
22. The method of claim 21, wherein the Software is configured to report a conflict in response to determining that multiple steps have an issued status.
23. The method of claim 21, wherein the Software is configured to report a conflict in response to determining that a future step has a status that is older than the status of an issued step.
24. The method of claim 20, wherein said entry control Device comprises a tangible item containing encoded criteria.
25. The system of claim 20, wherein said entry control Device comprises an intangible object assigned to and in possession of each said Device-User.
26. The method of claim 20, wherein the Software is configured to determine and report a conflict in a field in the database directed to assignment of a key blank to at least one of a Device-User and a Location.
27. The method of claim 20, wherein the Software is configured to determine and report a conflict in a field in the database directed to a first Location tied to another Location.
28. A method of checking for conflicts in information pertaining to an access control system associated with places physically protected by corresponding security mechanisms used to gain physical entry to the places by security mechanism users, comprising:
storing in at least one searchable database information on a plurality of places, a plurality of security mechanisms and a plurality of security mechanism users, wherein the at least one searchable database is further configured to store information on the plurality of Database Users authorized to access the at least one searchable database; and
executing Software accessible by the plurality of Database Users on at least one computer coupled to the at least one searchable database, the Software configured to:
search the at least one searchable database to identify one or more conflicts associated with the information on the plurality of places, the plurality of security mechanisms and the plurality of security mechanism users; and
report the one or more identified conflicts.
29. The method of claim 28, wherein a security mechanism among the plurality of security mechanisms comprises a lock having a cylinder selectively configurable in multiple steps for operation with multiple, differently configured keys, and wherein the Software is further configured to search the information for the status of each step and report one or more conflicts concerning the information on the status of each step.
30. The method of claim 29, wherein the Software is configured to report a conflict in response to determining that multiple steps have an issued status.
31. The method of claim 29, wherein the Software is configured to report a conflict in response to determining that a future step has a status that is older than the status of an issued step.
32. The method of claim 28, wherein at least one security mechanism is a tangible item containing encoded criteria, said encoded criteria being assigned to a security mechanism user, and said tangible item being selected from the group consisting of a key, an access card, a chip and a bar code.
33. The method of claim 28, wherein at least one security mechanism is an intangible object assigned to and in possession of a security mechanism user, and said object is selected from the group consisting of code numbers, PIN numbers and code words or phrases.
34. The method of claim 28, wherein the Software is configured to determine and report a conflict in a field in the database directed to assignment of a key blank to at least one of a security mechanism and a place.
35. The method of claim 28, wherein the Software is configured to determine and report a conflict in a field in the database directed to a first place tied to another place.
36. The method of claim 28, wherein the Software is configured to determine and report a conflict in a field in the database directed to a status level for a step among a plurality of steps associated with a security mechanism.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. An electric vehicle having front, rear, and left and right sides defining four corners, comprising:
an electric propulsion system including a battery, a charger, and a state of charge monitor determining a battery state of charge; and
a plurality of exterior lamp assemblies each disposed at a respective one of the corners;
wherein each lamp assembly is comprised of:
a sequential chain of LEDs disposed across a respective dimension of the respective lamp assembly, wherein the LEDs of the chain have a placement and separation configured to make the LEDs resolvable at a predetermined distance from the vehicle, wherein the LEDs are configured to be illuminated in a driving mode and a charging mode, wherein the charging mode is comprised of illuminating a portion of the sequential chain of LEDs in proportion to the monitored state of charge of the battery.
2. The vehicle of claim 1 wherein each sequential chain of LEDs has a sequential order between an initial LED and a final LED, wherein each LED represents a predetermined percentage of the battery state of charge, and wherein the illuminated portion of the chain of LEDs includes the initial LED with a number of adjacent LEDs in the sequential order corresponding to the monitored battery state of charge as a percentage of full charge.
3. The vehicle of claim 2 wherein each sequential chain of LEDs is comprised of ten LEDs, each LED representing a 10% increment in the battery state of charge.
4. The vehicle of claim 1 further comprising:
a lighting control module for coordinating operation of the plurality of exterior lamp assemblies during driving of the vehicle, wherein the lighting control module activates the driving mode of a sequential chain of LEDs to provide substantially uniform illumination to mark a respective corner for drivers of other vehicles.
5. The vehicle of claim 4 wherein each lamp assembly further comprises an LED driver coupled to the lighting control module, the state of charge monitor, and the respective chain of LEDs, wherein the LED driver activates selected LEDs in the chain of LEDs according to the battery state of charge when in the charging mode and uniformly activates all the LEDs in the chain of LEDs under control of the lighting control module when in the driving mode.
6. The vehicle of claim 1 wherein the charging mode is further comprised of flashing one of more LEDs in response to a fault condition associated with charging of the battery.
7. A method of operating an electric vehicle having front, rear, and left and right sides defining four corners, and having an electric propulsion system including a battery and a charger, the method comprising the steps of:
entering a charge mode of the vehicle;
determining a battery state of charge;
illuminating a sequential chain of LEDs in each of a plurality of exterior lamp assemblies each disposed at a respective one of the corners, wherein each sequential chain of LEDs is disposed across a respective dimension of the respective lamp assembly, wherein the LEDs of the chain have a placement and separation configured to make the LEDs resolvable at a predetermined distance from the vehicle, and wherein a portion of the sequential chain of LEDS is illuminated in proportion to the monitored state of charge of the battery;
entering a driving mode of the vehicle; and
activating at least one sequential chain of LEDs to provide substantially uniform illumination to mark a respective corner for drivers of other vehicles.
8. The method of claim 7 wherein each sequential chain of LEDs has a sequential order between an initial LED and a final LED, wherein each LED represents a predetermined percentage of the battery state of charge, and wherein the illuminated portion of the chain of LEDs includes the initial LED with a number of adjacent LEDs in the sequential order corresponding to the monitored battery state of charge as a percentage of full charge.
9. The method of claim 8 wherein each sequential chain of LEDs is comprised of ten LEDs, each LED representing a 10% increment in the battery state of charge.
10. The method of claim 7 further comprising the step of:
flashing one of more LEDs in response to a fault condition associated with charging of the battery when in the charge mode.
11. An electric vehicle comprising:
a plurality of exterior lamp assemblies visible from respective directions at a distance from the vehicle;
wherein each lamp assembly comprises a sequential chain of LEDs configured to be activated in a driving mode having uniform illumination or a charging mode comprised of activating a portion of the sequential chain of LEDS in proportion to a monitored state of charge of the battery.