System and method for providing energy efficient hands free vehicle door operation

• US 10,269,199 B2
• Filed: 09/27/2017
• Issued: 04/23/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Lickfelt, Brian K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Holloway, III, Edwin C
• Application Number:
  US15/716,742
• Publication Number:
  US 20190096151A1
• Time in Patent Office: 573 Days
• Field of Search: 340 561, 340 572
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 81/78 as part of a hands-free locking or unlocking operation
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00357 and the lock having more than one limited data transmission ranges
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00388 code verification carried out according to the challenge/response method
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00793 by Hertzian waves
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2209/08 With time considerations, e.g. temporary activation, valid time window or time limitations
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2209/63 Comprising locating means for detecting the position of the data carrier, i.e. within the vehicle or within a certain distance from the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00309 operated with bidirectional data transmission between data carrier and locks

Abstract

A method and system for providing energy efficient hands free vehicle door operation that includes receiving a first LF polling signal of a pair of LF polling signals and creating a first RF polling response message packet in response to the first LF polling signal. The method and system also include receiving a second LF polling signal of the pair of LF polling signals and creating a second RF polling response message packet in response to the second LF polling signal. The method and system further include aggregating the first RF polling response message packet and the second RF polling response message packet into an aggregated RF polling response message packet that is contained within an aggregated RF polling response signal that is transmitted from a portable device to a vehicle in response to the pair of LF polling signals.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for providing energy efficient hands free vehicle door operation comprising:

receiving a first LF polling signal of a pair of LF polling signals transmitted from a vehicle to a portable device;

creating a first RF polling response message packet in response to the first LF polling signal, wherein the first RF polling response message packet includes a first data payload portion that includes data that pertains to a location of the portable device;

receiving a second LF polling signal of the pair of LF polling signals transmitted from the vehicle to the portable device;

creating a second RF polling response message packet in response to the second LF polling signal, wherein the second RF polling response message packet includes a second data payload portion that includes data that pertains to the location of the portable device; and

aggregating the first RF polling response message packet and the second RF polling response message packet into an aggregated RF polling response message packet that is contained within an aggregated RF polling response signal that is transmitted from the portable device to the vehicle in response to the pair of LF polling signals, wherein a received signal strength of the aggregated RF polling response signal is evaluated to determine actuation of a powered unlocking, opening, locking and closing of at least one vehicle door.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein receiving the first LF polling signal of the pair of LF polling signals includes receiving at least one of:

a first high powered LF polling signal that is transmitted to the portable device to determine if the portable device is located within a wide area polling zone, and a first low powered LF polling signal that is transmitted to the portable device to determine if the portable device is located within at least one local area polling zone of the vehicle.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein creating the first RF polling response message packet includes creating the first RF polling response message packet with a plurality of portions, wherein the plurality of portions include the first data payload portion, a header portion, a fixed code portion, a rolling code portion, a data payload portion, and a check-sum portion.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein receiving the second LF polling signal of the pair of LF polling signals includes receiving at least one of:

a second high powered LF polling signal that is transmitted to the portable device to determine if the portable device is located within a wide area polling zone, and a second low powered LF polling signal that is transmitted to the portable device to determine if the portable device is located within at least one local area polling zone of the vehicle.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein creating the second RF polling response message packet includes creating the second RF polling response message packet with a plurality of portions, wherein the plurality of portions include the second data payload portion, a header portion, a fixed code portion, a rolling code portion, a data payload portion, and a check-sum portion.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein aggregating the first RF polling response message packet and the second RF polling response message packet includes partially creating the aggregated RF response message packet with a header portion, a fixed code portion, a rolling code portion, and a check-sum portion of the first RF polling response message packet and aggregating the first data payload portion of the first RF response message packet and the second data payload portion of the second RF response message packet into an aggregated data payload portion.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein aggregating the first RF polling response message packet and the second RF polling response message packet includes completing creation of the aggregated RF response message packet with a header portion, a fixed code portion, a rolling code portion and a check-sum portion of the second RF polling response message packet, wherein the aggregated RF response message contains the aggregated data payload portion based on the aggregation of the first data payload portion of the first RF response message packet and the second data payload portion of the second RF response message packet.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further including evaluating a received signal strength difference value between the aggregated RF response signal and a subsequently created aggregated RF response signal to determine if the portable device is stationary for a predetermined period of time within at least one local area polling zone of the vehicle.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, further including supplying an amount of power to a motor associated with the at least one vehicle door to open or close the at least one vehicle door if it is determined that the portable device is stationary for the predetermined period of time.

10. A system for providing energy efficient hands free vehicle door operation comprising:

a memory storing instructions when executed by a processor cause the processor to;

receive a first LF polling signal of a pair of LF polling signals transmitted from a vehicle to a portable device;

create a first RF polling response message packet in response to the first LF polling signal, wherein the first RF polling response message packet includes a first data payload portion that includes data that pertains to a location of the portable device;

receive a second LF polling signal of the pair of LF polling signals transmitted from the vehicle to the portable device;

create a second RF polling response message packet in response to the second LF polling signal, wherein the second RF polling response message packet includes a second data payload portion that includes data that pertains to the location of the portable device; and

aggregate the first RF polling response message packet and the second RF polling response message packet into an aggregated RF polling response message packet that is contained within an aggregated RF polling response signal that is transmitted from the portable device to the vehicle in response to the pair of LF polling signals, wherein a received signal strength of the aggregated RF polling response signal is evaluated to determine actuation of a powered unlocking, opening, locking and closing of at least one vehicle door.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein receiving the first LF polling signal of the pair of LF polling signals includes receiving at least one of:

a first high powered LF polling signal that is transmitted to the portable device to determine if the portable device is located within a wide area polling zone, and a first low powered LF polling signal that is transmitted to the portable device to determine if the portable device is located within at least one local area polling zone of the vehicle.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein creating the first RF polling response message packet includes creating the first RF polling response message packet with a plurality of portions, wherein the plurality of portions include the first data payload portion, a header portion, a fixed code portion, a rolling code portion, a data payload portion, and a check-sum portion.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein receiving the second LF polling signal of the pair of LF polling signals includes receiving at least one of:

a second high powered LF polling signal that is transmitted to the portable device to determine if the portable device is located within a wide area polling zone, and a second low powered LF polling signal that is transmitted to the portable device to determine if the portable device is located within at least one local area polling zone of the vehicle.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein creating the second RF polling response message packet includes creating the second RF polling response message packet with a plurality of portions, wherein the plurality of portions include the second data payload portion, a header portion, a fixed code portion, a rolling code portion, a data payload portion, and a check-sum portion.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein aggregating the first RF polling response message packet and the second RF polling response message packet includes partially creating the aggregated RF response message packet with a header portion, a fixed code portion, a rolling code portion, and a check-sum portion of the first RF polling response message packet and aggregating the first data payload portion of the first RF response message packet and the second data payload portion of the second RF response message packet into an aggregated data payload portion.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein aggregating the first RF polling response message packet and the second RF polling response message packet includes completing creation of the aggregated RF response message packet with a header portion, a fixed code portion, a rolling code portion and a check-sum portion of the second RF polling response message packet, wherein the aggregated RF response message contains the aggregated data payload portion based on the aggregation of the first data payload portion of the first RF response message packet and the second data payload portion of the second RF response message packet.

17. The system of claim 10, further including evaluating a received signal strength difference value between the aggregated RF response signal and a subsequently created aggregated RF response signal to determine if the portable device is stationary for a predetermined period of time within at least one local area polling zone of the vehicle.

18. The system of claim 10, further including supplying an amount of power to a motor associated with the at least one vehicle door to open or close the at least one vehicle door if it is determined that the portable device is stationary for the predetermined period of time.

19. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed by a computer, which includes at least a processor, causes the computer to perform a method, the method comprising:

receiving a first LF polling signal of a pair of LF polling signals transmitted from a vehicle to a portable device;

creating a first RF polling response message packet in response to the first LF polling signal, wherein the first RF polling response message packet includes a first data payload portion that includes data that pertains to a location of the portable device;

receiving a second LF polling signal of the pair of LF polling signals transmitted from the vehicle to the portable device;

creating a second RF polling response message packet in response to the second LF polling signal, wherein the second RF polling response message packet includes a second data payload portion that includes data that pertains to the location of the portable device; and

aggregating the first RF polling response message packet and the second RF polling response message packet into an aggregated RF polling response message packet that is contained within an aggregated RF polling response signal that is transmitted from the portable device to the vehicle in response to the pair of LF polling signals, wherein a received signal strength of the aggregated RF polling response signal is evaluated to determine actuation of a powered unlocking, opening, locking and closing of at least one vehicle door.

20. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein aggregating the first RF polling response message packet and the second RF polling response message packet includes aggregating the first data payload portion of the first RF response message packet and the second data payload portion of the second RF response message packet into an aggregated data payload portion, wherein the aggregated RF response message contains the aggregated data payload portion.