CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE SURVEY

Traditional lock systems using mechanical lock and key mechanism are being replaced
by new advanced techniques of locking system. These techniques are an integration of
mechanical and electronic devices and highly intelligent.
One of the prominent features of these innovative lock systems is there simplicity and
high efficiency. Such an automatic lock system consists of electronic control assembly
which controls the output load through a password. This output load could be a motor or
a solenoid lock or any other mechanical/electrical load. It is a simple embedded system
with input from the keyboard and the output being actuated accordingly.
This system demonstrates a password + OTP based locking system wherein once t he
password is entered; an OTP is generated and sent to the authentic user. This combination
of correct password and OTP can only unlock the safe or else a warning message will be
sent to the user.
THE HISTORY OF LOCKS:
The oldest known lock was found by archaeologists in the Khorsabad palace ruins near
Nineveh. The lock was estimated to be 4,000 years old. It was a forerunner to a pin
tumbler type of lock, and a common Egyptian lock for the time. This lock worked using a
large wooden bolt to secure a door, which had a slot with several holes in its upper
surface. The holes were filled with wooden pegs that prevented the bolt from being
opened.
The warded lock was also present from antiquity and remains the most recognizable lock
and key design in the western world. The first all metal locks appeared between the years
870 and 900, and are attributed to the English craftsmen. It is also said that the key was
invented by Theodore of Samos in the 6 th century BC.
With the onset of industrial revolution in the la te 18th century and the concomitant
development of precision engineering and component standardization, locks and keys
were manufactured with increasing complexity and sophistication.
The lever tumbler lock, which uses a set of levers to prevent the bolt from moving in the
lock, was perfected by Robert Barron in 1778. His double acting lever lock required the
lever to be filled to a certain height by having a slot cut in the lever, so lifting the lever
too far was as bad as not lifting the lever far enough. This type of lock is still used
currently.

The lever tumbler lock was greatly improved by Jeremiah Chubb in 1818. A burglary in
Portsmouth Dockyard prompted the British Government to announce a competition to
produce a lock that could be opened only with its own key.
Joseph Bramah, a prolific inventor, developed a alternative method in 1784. His lock
used a cylindrical key with precise notches along the surface; these moved the metal
slides that impeded the turning of the bolt into an exact alignment, allowing the lock to
open.

An electronic lock works by means of an electronic current and is usually connected to an

access control system. In addition to the pin and tumbler used in the standard locks,
electronic locks connects the bolt or cylinder to a motor within the door using a part
called an actuator. Types of electronic locks include the following:
A keycard lock operates with a flat card using the same dimension as the credit card. In
order to open the door, one needs to successfully match the signature within the keycard.
A Smart Lock is an electromechanics lock that gets instruction to lock and unlock the
door from an authorized device using a cryptographic key and wireless protocol. Smart
locks have begun to be used more commonly in residential areas, and have most likely
grown in popularity due to widespread use of the smatrtphone.