Method and apparatus for secure pairing

• US 10,308,217 B2
• Filed: 06/16/2015
• Issued: 06/04/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/16/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Rork, Joseph Paul, Whitaker, Matthew Atwood
• Primary Examiner(s): Singh, Hirdepal
• Application Number:
  US14/741,020
• Publication Number:
  US 20160368454A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,449 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/24 using electronic identifiers containing a code not memorised by the user
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00309 operated with bidirectional data transmission between data carrier and locks
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/215 the system having a variable access-code, e.g. varied as a function of time

Abstract

A system includes a processor configured to receive a request from a mobile device to utilize a vehicle resource. The processor is also configured to determine that a first key has been used to start a vehicle a first time. The processor is further configured to determine that a second key has been used to start the vehicle a second time and approve the request based on the determination that both the first key and the second key were used to start the vehicle a first time and a second time respectively.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a processor configured to;

receive a request from a mobile device to utilize a vehicle resource and responsively generate a user-instruction to start a vehicle using a first key immediately followed by starting the vehicle using a second key;

determine compliance with the generated user-instruction; and

approve the request if both the first key and the second key were used to start the vehicle the first time and the second time, respectively.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the user-instruction is sent to the mobile device for display.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the user-instruction is displayed on a vehicle interface.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the request includes a pairing request.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the request includes a request to control a vehicle function.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the request includes a request to utilize a vehicle resource.

7. A computer-implemented method comprising:

in response to a request received by a vehicle processor from a mobile device, generating an instruction for a user to start a vehicle first using a first key and then again using a second key; and

providing access to a vehicle resource by the vehicle processor if the vehicle has been started in accordance with the instruction, and if the first and second starts meet predetermined criteria.

8. The method of claim 7, the predetermined criteria comprising:

determining that the first key and second key were used to start the vehicle within a predetermined time window.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising storing an identifier and starting time associated with the first key and an identifier and a starting time associated with the second key when the first key and the second key are used to start the vehicle, respectively, the identifiers transmitted by the vehicle and received by a computer remote from the vehicle.

10. A system comprising:

a mobile device processor configured to;

transmit a request to a vehicle processor to utilize a vehicle resource;

control a user interface to display instructions for starting a vehicle a first time using a first key and a second time using a second key; and

receive authorization to access the vehicle resource from the vehicle processor based on the vehicle previously being started with the first key the first time and the second key the second time, the first and second times meeting a predetermined vehicle criteria.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the mobile device processor communicates with a server remote from the vehicle to receive authorization.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the predetermined vehicle criteria includes the first time and second time both being within a predefined time window.

13. The system of claim 10, the vehicle resource including control of a vehicle system via the mobile device.

14. The system of claim 10, the vehicle resource including utilization of a vehicle input or output.

15. The system of claim 10, the vehicle resource including requesting information from a vehicle system.