Keys equipped with a little tone makers that when squeezed generate a given musical note. F# for front door, Bb for back, etc.
Of course, some skill in pitch identification is needed but I think most people are better at it than they think.
Deluxe versions could have a small string of notes as a melody. "She Came in Through the Bathroom Window" for the side door, etc.-- bristolz, Mar 30 2004 Intervals http://www.musicali....info/listenpg.html [AO, Oct 05 2004, last modified Oct 17 2004] + Would be better if it played an interval or chord since most people can recognize those easier than single notes.-- AO, Mar 30 2004 Maybe it should match the doorbell.-- FarmerJohn, Mar 30 2004 Great for my front door when I forget the porch light. My one year old loves my keys anyway, and if the activation is easy enough (like shorting 2 recessed contacts with the skin, like some toys she has), this would keep her occupied even longer.-- oxen crossing, Mar 30 2004 I agree with [AO], an interval is better.
Or you could record your own soundbyte onto the key. In fact, with voice recognition technology, you could ask out loud, "Which one of you is the front door key?" and the right key would respond by beeping.-- phundug, Mar 30 2004 Have the individual notes pre-arranged around your key ring. You just activate them in order, and stop on the note appropriate to the lock you wish to open. Nice one!-- lurch, Mar 30 2004 Love it. In through the out door. Sugar shack (for the shed key)-- 2 fries shy of a happy meal, Mar 30 2004 No real skill required, bris. Have a chord for the front door and a dischord for the back door.-- DrBob, Mar 31 2004 (What if you have 12 different doors, DrBob?) Two notes played together would save time, but most people find it easier to recognize the interval when the notes are played in sequence, because it will remind you of the first two notes of a song.-- AO, Mar 31 2004 Good idea, but it could be improved with RFIDs in the keys and an RFID scanner at the lock... then as you bring the keys closer to the lock, the correct key beeps (or maybe an LED flashes) alerting you to the proper key to use to open that lock.-- b00ber, Mar 31 2004 Because each key has a different resonance, in theory you can do this right now by tapping your keys with a coin. I just tried with my keys and they each sound different, though I'm not sure I'd be able to remember which one is which (and I don't have any keys that are identical except for their notch pattern - that may require really good pitch identification).
I like [bOOber]'s idea. Perhaps you should post it as a sepreate idea.-- Worldgineer, Mar 31 2004 for some dumb reason, I have kept all the keys from my old cars. call me sentimental but I loved them all well, except the 2nd Astra. it would be nice if my old keys would match the horn noise on all my *babies*
other: general? :)-- po, Mar 31 2004 You'd probably have an RFID discrimination problem if you had more than one key with an RFID in close proximity on a key ring or fob.
Had the link about intervals not been posted I never would have known what they meant.
If they had little bell sounds they could be called "keyrings."
Oops on the category. I forgot. It has been a long time.-- bristolz, Mar 31 2004 bless you!-- po, Mar 31 2004 It should match your doorbell.-- waugsqueke, Mar 31 2004 Excellent. +-- simonj, Mar 31 2004 A three-chime tone should suffice. Everyone hates long-winded keynote speakers.
Would the RFID tag contain the keynote address?-- RayfordSteele, Mar 31 2004 I think this is cool. Useless 99% of the time; nontheless, cool to have when needed.-- dpsyplc, Mar 31 2004 My speciality is uselessness. Probably why I gravitated to this site in the first place.-- bristolz, Mar 31 2004 I dunno. You're pretty good with a pencil.-- DrCurry, Mar 31 2004 (great sense of humor; rapier wit, brilliant, accomplished, beautiful, full of fascinating information...)-- half, Mar 31 2004 I've memorised the "feel" of my door keys (for entering my house under cover of darkness), but I only have a couple.-- Detly, Apr 01 2004 Mine are different colours too, but red looks so much like purple when you've been drinking and it's dim.-- Detly, Apr 01 2004 How about a low tech version where one end of the key is like a piano tuning fork? Simply dropping the key would generate the tone.
Also, it might be nice if the lock makes a tone. Say your door rings a first and third, the correct key could play a fifth. Hence, if the key is in harmony with the lock, it's the right one. No need to learn tones, even I could work out whether the key sounded 'right' or 'wrong'.-- Fishrat, Apr 01 2004 How about a different shape on the other end of the key? For the most used key, I wrap some tape around the end. It's easy to find in the dark. More difficult is alignment of key and lock. I always remember the story about the machine which had a row of control joysticks all the same, to make it look pretty. The operators had modified them by putting different beer cans on the end. I too thought of RFID, but in a different way: If there is just one RFID, then dangle it in front of any lock. If the coding is the same, any one of your doors could be electrically opened with just one RFID. For applications requiring limited access for some doors, then use two RFID's or more, with appropriate coding.-- Ling, Apr 01 2004 not much good if you're tone deaf. could get annoying if you've got a lot of keys. wait a minute, is that my cell phone, or my car keys?-- jaksplat, Dec 16 2004 could you have downloadable mp3 tones ? ("green door" shakin' stevens, "blue hotel" chris isaac, etc.).-- neilp, Dec 16 2004 there we go. mp3 keys would be cool as long as you could change the songs from time to time.-- jaksplat, Dec 16 2004 +, mainly for the Beatles reference.-- -----, Feb 02 2006 random, halfbakery