System for securing keyless entry systems

• US 10,440,576 B1
• Filed: 08/23/2018
• Issued: 10/08/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/23/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NXP B.V. (NXP Semiconductors NV)
• Original Assignee: NXP B.V. (NXP Semiconductors NV)
• Inventors: Casamassima, Filippo, Eber, Wolfgang
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Tuan H
• Application Number:
  US16/109,956
• Time in Patent Office: 411 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/24 using electronic identifiers containing a code not memorised by the user
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/40 Features of the power supply for the anti-theft system, e.g. anti-theft batteries, back-up power supply or means to save battery power
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00357 and the lock having more than one limited data transmission ranges
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/0038 whereby the wake-up circuit is situated in the keyless data carrier
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00555 comprising means to detect or avoid relay attacks
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/318 Received signal strength
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/40 for vehicles, e.g. vehicle-to-pedestrians [V2P]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0229 where the received signal is a wanted signal
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A system for performing an operation in a vehicle is disclosed. The system includes a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) module, a microcontroller coupled to the BLE module and a transmitter/receiver coupled to the microcontroller. The microcontroller is configured to transmit a wakeup signal at preselected intervals to wake up an electronic key and measure received low frequency (LF) signal strength and Bluetooth signal strength transmitted from the electronic key and based on measured signal strengths determine if the electronic key is approaching the vehicle and to perform a preselected vehicle operation on the vehicle.

Claims

1. A system for performing an operation in a vehicle, comprising:

a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) module;

a microcontroller coupled to the BLE module;

a low frequency (LF) transmitter/receiver coupled to the microcontroller; and

wherein the microcontroller is configured to transmit a wakeup signal at preselected intervals to wake up an electronic key and measure received low frequency (LF) signal strength and Bluetooth signal strength transmitted from the electronic key and based on measured signal strengths determine if the electronic key is approaching the vehicle and to perform a preselected vehicle operation on the vehicle.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the wakeup signal is sent via the LF transmitter/receiver.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the microcontroller is configured to continuously send the wakeup signal at a preselected interval.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein signals received by the BLE module are filtered to remove high frequency noise.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein a Savitzky-Golay filter is used to remove the high frequency noise.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein a Kalman filter is used to remove the high frequency noise.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the electronic key includes a key microcontroller and a key BLE module, wherein the key microcontroller is configured to wake up the key BLE module upon receiving the wakeup signal.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the key BLE module is configured to start advertising process after waking up.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the BLE module is coupled to a plurality of antennas and the microcontroller is configured to select a highest strength signal from the plurality of antennas.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the preselected vehicle operation includes at least one of opening a door, turning on lights, displaying welcome message and starting engine.