Interactive security control system with conflict checking

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; and/or

(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.