Method for determining an access authorization to a transportation vehicle and authorization system for a transportation vehicle

• US 10,266,150 B2
• Filed: 07/07/2018
• Issued: 04/23/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 07/12/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Volkswagen AG
• Original Assignee: Volkswagen AG
• Inventors: Merkel, Rolf
• Primary Examiner(s): Neyzari, Ali
• Application Number:
  US16/029,553
• Publication Number:
  US 20190016301A1
• Time in Patent Office: 290 Days
• Field of Search: 340 561
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/037 for occupant comfort , e.g. for automatic adjustment of appliances according to personal settings, e.g. seats, mirrors, steering wheel
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/24 using electronic identifiers containing a code not memorised by the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/174 Facial expression recognition
• CPC Class Codes: H03L 7/08 Details of the phase-locked loop

Abstract

A method for determining an access authorization to a transportation vehicle, wherein an internal authorization device emits a request signal into an environment of the transportation vehicle depending on a predefined triggering event. The authorization device checks the response signal received for at least one request condition. Based on the at least one request condition, access to the transportation vehicle is granted. Concurrently, the transportation vehicle-internal authorization device forwards the request signal to a transportation vehicle-internal key processing unit which calculates a comparison response signal and forwards the signal to the authorization device. The authorization device determines a time difference between a time of receipt of the response signal from the environment of the transportation vehicle and a time of receipt of the comparison response signal. The at least one request condition is satisfied in response to the calculated time difference being below a predetermined threshold value.

Claims

1. A method for determining an access authorization to a transportation vehicle, the method comprising:

generating and forwarding, by a transportation vehicle-internal authorization device, a request signal to a transmit and receive device of the transportation vehicle;

emitting, by the transmit and receive device of the transportation vehicle, the request signal into an environment of the transportation vehicle depending on a predefined triggering event;

checking, by the transportation vehicle-internal authorization device, the response signal received for at least one request condition;

granting access authorization to the transportation vehicle depending on satisfaction of the at least one request condition and in response to receipt of a response signal of a wireless key by the transmit and receive device;

forwarding, by the transportation vehicle-internal authorization device, the request signal to a transportation vehicle-internal key processing unit at the same time as forwarding the request signal to the transmit and receive device;

calculating, by the transportation vehicle-internal key processing unit, a comparison response;

generating, by the transportation vehicle-internal key processing unit, a comparison response signal with the calculated comparison response; and

forwarding, by the transportation vehicle-internal key processing unit, the comparison response signal to the transportation vehicle-internal authorization device in response to receipt of the request signal;

determining, by the transportation vehicle-internal authorization device, a time difference between a time of receipt of the response signal received by the transmit and receive device and a time of receipt of the comparison response signal forwarded by the transportation vehicle-internal key processing unit, wherein the at least one request condition is satisfied in response to the calculated time difference being below a predetermined threshold value; and

assembling the comparison response signal and the response signal from the wireless key based on a plurality of data points, wherein each data point of the comparison response signal is categorized as predictable or unpredictable, and the transportation vehicle-internal authorization device compares a respective data point of the comparison response signal with a data point of the response signal of the wireless key in response to the respective data item being categorized as predictable,

wherein the transportation vehicle-internal authorization device continuously calculates the time difference using a plurality of time measuring devices, wherein a time measuring device from the plurality of time measuring devices starts a time counter in response to a data point from the comparison response signal being categorized as predictable is received by the transportation vehicle-internal authorization device, and stops the time counter of the respective time measurement device in response to the result of the comparison of the data point from the comparison response signal categorized as predictable with a data point of the response signal of the wireless key shows that the two data points agree with each other.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the transportation vehicle-internal key processing unit calculates the comparison response and generates the comparison response signal by a predetermined sequence of calculation operations, wherein the transportation vehicle-internal key processing unit requires a total calculation time identical to a calculation time required to calculate and generate the response signal by the wireless key to calculate the comparison response and to generate the comparison response signal.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the transportation vehicle-internal key processing unit is identical to a processing unit of the wireless key for calculating and generating the response signal.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one request condition is satisfied in response to the continuously determined time difference becoming continuously smaller.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the comparison response signal is saved to an output memory and the response signal received by the transmit and receive device is saved to a transfer memory, wherein the output memory and the transfer memory are compared with each other by a parallel digital comparator.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein a phase-locked loop regulates a clock frequency of the transportation vehicle-internal key processing unit so the clock frequency of the transportation vehicle-internal key processing unit runs synchronously with a clock frequency of the wireless key.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the phase-locked loop is an analog phase-locked loop or a digital phase-locked loop.

8. An authorization system for a transportation vehicle, the authorization system comprising:

a transportation vehicle-internal authorization device configured to generate a request signal depending on a predefined trigger signal and to forward the request signal to a transmit and receive device of the transportation vehicle, wherein the transportation vehicle-internal authorization device checks the received response signal for at least one request condition and, depending on satisfaction of the at least one request condition, grants access authorization to the transportation vehicle on receiving a response signal of a wireless key,

wherein the transmit and receive device emits the forwarded request signal into an environment of the transportation vehicle and directs the received response signal to the transportation vehicle-internal authorization device upon receipt of the response signal from the wireless key,

wherein the authorization device comprises a transportation vehicle-internal key processing unit to calculate a comparison response upon receipt of a request signal and to generate a comparison response signal with the calculated comparison response and to forward it to the transportation vehicle-internal authorization device,

wherein the transportation vehicle-internal authorization device forwards the request signal to a transportation vehicle-internal key processing unit at the same time as forwarding the request signal to the transmit and receive device, wherein the transportation vehicle-internal authorization device determines a time difference between a time of receipt of the response signal received by the transmit and receive device and a time of receipt of the comparison response signal generated by the transportation vehicle-internal key processing unit,

wherein the at least one request condition is satisfied in response to the calculated time difference being below a predetermined threshold value;

wherein the comparison response signal and the response signal from the wireless key are each assembled from a plurality of data points, wherein each data point of the comparison response signal is categorized as predictable or unpredictable, and the transportation vehicle-internal authorization device compares a respective data point of the comparison response signal with a data point of the response signal of the wireless key in response to the respective data point being categorized as predictable, and

wherein the transportation vehicle-internal authorization device continuously calculates the time difference by a plurality of time measuring devices, wherein a time measuring device from the plurality of time measuring devices starts a time counter when a data point from the comparison response signal categorized as predictable is received by the transportation vehicle-internal authorization device, and stops the time counter of the respective time measurement device when the result of the comparison of the data point from the comparison response signal categorized as predictable with a data point of the response signal of the wireless key shows that the two data points agree with each other.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the transportation vehicle-internal key processing unit calculates the comparison response and generates the comparison response signal by a predetermined sequence of calculation operations, wherein the transportation vehicle-internal key processing unit requires a total calculation time identical to a calculation time required to calculate and generate the response signal by the wireless key to calculate the comparison response and to generate the comparison response signal.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the transportation vehicle-internal key processing unit is identical to a processing unit of the wireless key for calculating and generating the response signal.

11. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the at least one request condition is satisfied in response to the continuously determined time difference becoming continuously smaller.

12. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the comparison response signal is saved to an output memory and the response signal received by the transmit and receive device is saved to a transfer memory, wherein the output memory and the transfer memory are compared with each other by a parallel digital comparator.

13. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein a phase-locked loop regulates a clock frequency of the transportation vehicle-internal key processing unit so the clock frequency of the transportation vehicle-internal key processing unit runs synchronously with a clock frequency of the wireless key.

14. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the phase-locked loop is an analog phase-locked loop or a digital phase-locked loop.