System and method for remote keyless system characterization

• US 10,110,327 B2
• Filed: 10/19/2017
• Issued: 10/23/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/12/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Hermann, Thomas Joseph, Winkel, Tye Arthur, Wisnewski, Mark, Banasky, Lawrence, Locke, John Frederick, Zeng, Hua
• Primary Examiner(s): Akinyemi, Ajibola
• Application Number:
  US15/788,350
• Publication Number:
  US 20180041291A1
• Time in Patent Office: 369 Days
• Field of Search: 455 6712
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00769 with data transmission performed by wireless means
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00984 fob
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00174 Electronically operated locks; Circuits therefor; Nonmechanical keys therefor, e.g. passive or active electrical keys or other data carriers without mechanical keys mechanical locks with electric permutation E05B49/00; arrangements for sensing or reading record carriers G06K7/00; electronic switching H03K17/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/15 Performance testing
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/318 Received signal strength
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/3912 Simulation models, e.g. distribution of spectral power density or received signal strength indicator [RSSI] for a given geographic region
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/367 Power values between minimum and maximum limits, e.g. dynamic range

Abstract

Various embodiments of the present disclosure provide a system and method for characterizing the radio frequency (RF) functionality of a vehicle remote keyless system (RKS) by separating and precisely characterizing the individual bits of the overall RKS system in an enclosed controlled environment. More specifically, this RKS characterization system includes an enclosed testing chamber for isolating the key fob from the vehicle, and a simulation control system that manipulates RF signals between the key fob and the vehicle for controlled RF signal analysis between the components. In certain embodiments, the RKS characterization system includes an automated process for actuating the key fob. Through this process, the RKS characterization system is able to separately identify the Key Fob Factor, the Vehicle Factor, and the Person Factor, of the vehicle RKS system.

Claims

1. A vehicle remote keyless characterization system comprising:

an radio frequency (RF) transceiver configured to capture an RF signal from a key fob and transmit the RF signal to a vehicle for;

a plurality of positions wherein the vehicle is inside a testing chamber and the key fob is outside of the testing chamber; and

a plurality of positions wherein the key fob is inside the testing chamber and the vehicle is outside the testing chamber.

2. The vehicle remote keyless characterization system of claim 1, wherein the RF transceiver captures the RF signal transmitted from the key fob and records the RF signal so that the RF signal can be modified by a simulation control system to vary a magnitude of the RF signal.

3. The vehicle remote keyless characterization system of claim 1, a first antenna in communication with the RF transceiver outside of the testing chamber to capture the RF signal and a second antenna inside of the testing chamber to transmit the modified RF signal.

4. The vehicle remote keyless characterization system of claim 1, wherein the testing chamber is an RF clean environment including RF absorbers.

5. The vehicle remote keyless characterization system of claim 1, wherein the testing chamber includes a turntable which rotates the vehicle each of the plurality of positions.

6. The vehicle remote keyless characterization system of claim 5, wherein the turntable rotates the vehicle 360 degrees in 1 degree increments.

7. The vehicle remote keyless characterization system of claim 5, including a control system configured to record the transmitted RF signal and antenna polarization at each of the plurality of positions when the vehicle is inside the testing chamber.

8. A method to characterize a remote keyless system comprising:

capturing, with a radio frequency (RF) transceiver, an RF signal from a key fob and transmitting the RF signal to a vehicle for a plurality of positions when the vehicle is inside a testing chamber and the key fob is outside of the testing chamber; and

capturing, with a radio frequency (RF) transceiver, an RF signal from the key fob and transmitting the RF signal to the vehicle for a plurality of positions wherein the key fob is inside the testing chamber and the vehicle is outside the testing chamber.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising modifying, with a simulation control system, a magnitude of the RF signal.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the radio frequency (RF) transceiver comprises a first antenna in communication with the RF transceiver outside of the testing chamber to capture the RF signal and a second antenna inside of the testing chamber to transmit the modified RF signal.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the testing chamber is an RF clean environment including RF absorbers.

12. The method of claim 8, further comprising rotating, with a turntable inside the testing chamber, the vehicle to each of the plurality of positions.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein rotating the vehicle to each of the plurality of positions further comprises rotating the turntable 360 degrees in 1 degree increments.

14. The method of claim 8, further comprising recording the transmitted RF signal and antenna polarization at each of the plurality of positions when the vehicle is inside the testing chamber.