Biometric authentication for a vehicle without prior registration

• US 10,600,270 B2
• Filed: 08/28/2017
• Issued: 03/24/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Hassani, Ali, Delong, Aaron Matthew, Van Wiemeersch, John Robert, Gilpin, James
• Primary Examiner(s): Worden, Thomas E
• Application Number:
  US15/688,624
• Publication Number:
  US 20190066424A1
• Time in Patent Office: 939 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/04 operating on the propulsion system, e.g. engine or drive motor
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/23 using manual input of alphanumerical codes
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/24 using electronic identifiers containing a code not memorised by the user
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/25 using biometry
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/252 Fingerprint recognition
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00412 the transmitted data signal being encrypted
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00547 starting ignition
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00888 programming by learning
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/08 Registering or indicating performance data other than driving, working, idle, or waiting time, with or without registering driving, working, idle or waiting time
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00563 using personal physical data of the operator, e.g. finger prints, retinal images, voicepatterns
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00857 where the code of the data carrier can be programmed

Abstract

Method and apparatus are disclosed for biometric authentication for a vehicle without prior registration. An example vehicle include a biometric scanner to generate a biometric token and a body control module. The body control module when the biometric token is authorized, enable san ignition switch. Additionally, when the biometric token is not authorized and an additional source of authorization is received, the body control module (a) tracks usage of the vehicle subsequent to receiving the biometric token, and (b) marks the biometric token as authorized when the usage satisfies a threshold.

Claims

1. A vehicle comprising:

a biometric scanner to generate a first biometric token; and

a body control module comprising a processor, wherein the body control module is configured to;

determine that the first biometric token is associated with a first authorized user;

determine, based on the first biometric token being associated with the first authorized user, that the first biometric token is authorized to enable an ignition switch;

before enabling the ignition switch, measure one or more vital signs of the first authorized user with the biometric scanner; and

disable, based on the one or more vital signs indicating that the first authorized user is either not alive or is stressed, the biometric scanner until an additional source of authorization is received at the body control module.

2. The vehicle of claim 1, further comprising an external keypad and an internal keypad, and wherein the body control module is further configured to determine a first key code entered into one of the external keypad or the internal keypad.

3. The vehicle of claim 2, wherein the body control module is further configured to:

determine that the additional source of authorization comprises the first key code;

unlock a door of the vehicle based on determining that the additional source of authorization has been received at the body control module;

determine that a second key code different from the first key code is entered in the external keypad or the internal keypad; and

unlock the door of the vehicle without determining that the additional source of authorization has been received based on the second key code being received at the body control module.

4. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein:

the biometric scanner generates a second biometric token, and

wherein the body control module is further configured to;

determine the second biometric token is not associated with the first authorized user;

receive the additional source of authorization at the body control module;

track a measure of usage of the vehicle subsequent to receiving the additional source of authorization at the body control module;

determine the second biometric token is associated with a second authorized user based on both the measure of usage satisfying a usage threshold and receiving the additional source of authorization at the body control module; and

store the second biometric token in a cryptographically secure memory.

5. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the body control module is further configured to determine that the additional source of authorization has been received at the body control module, the additional source of authorization comprising an authorized key fob being detected within a distance threshold of a key fob detector of the vehicle.

6. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the body control module is further configured to:

measure one or more second vital signs of the first authorized user with the biometric scanner; and

enable the ignition switch based on the one or more second vital signs being indicative of the first authorized user being alive and not stressed.

7. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the body control module is further configured to erase all biometric tokens from a cryptographically secure memory.

8. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the body control module is further configured to send an alert or message to a mobile device.

9. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the one or more vital signs comprise a heart rate of the first authorized user.

10. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the biometric scanner is a fingerprint scanner and the first biometric token is a numeric representation of a fingerprint.

11. The vehicle of claim 4, wherein the measure of usage is either a cumulative distance the vehicle travels after the body control module receives the second biometric token or a cumulative time the vehicle is driven after the body control module receives the second biometric token.

12. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the biometric scanner is a camera associated with an ultraviolet keypad, and the first biometric token is a numeric representation of facial features of a user captured by the camera.

13. A method of controlling keyless entry and ignition of a vehicle, comprising:

generating a first biometric token with a biometric scanner;

determining, with a processor, that the first biometric token is associated with a first authorized user;

determining, based on the first biometric token being associated with the first authorized user, that the first biometric token is authorized to enable an ignition switch;

before enabling the ignition switch, measuring one or more vital signs of the first authorized user with the biometric scanner; and

disabling, with the processor, the biometric scanner until an additional source of authorization is received at the processor based on the one or more vital signs indicating that the first authorized user is either not alive or is stressed.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising receiving at the processor, via one of an external keypad or an internal keypad, a first key code as the additional source of authorization.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising determining that the additional source of authorization is received at the processor based on detecting an authorized key fob within a distance threshold of a key fob detector of the vehicle.

16. The method claim 13, further comprising:

generating a second biometric token with the biometric scanner;

determining, with the processor, that the second biometric token is not associated with the first authorized user;

receiving, with the processor, the additional source of authorization;

tracking, with the processor, a measure of usage of the vehicle subsequent to receiving the additional source of authorization at the processor; and

storing, in a cryptographically secure memory, the second biometric token as associated with a second user authorized based on both the measure of usage satisfying a usage threshold and receiving the additional source of authorization at the processor.

17. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

measuring one or more second vital signs of the first authorized user with the biometric scanner; and

enabling the ignition switch based on the one or more vital signs being indicative of the first authorized user being alive and not stressed.

18. The method of claim 13, further comprising erasing all biometric tokens from a cryptographically secure memory and not enabling the ignition switch when the measured one or more vital signs of the first authorized user indicates that the first authorized user is either not alive or is stressed.

19. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

sending, by the processor, an alert or message to a memory of a mobile device and not enabling the ignition switch when the measured one or more vital signs of the first authorized user indicates that the first authorized user is either not alive or is stressed; and

enabling the ignition switch when a confirmation message sent from the mobile device is received at the processor.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein tracking the measure of usage of the vehicle subsequent to receiving the second biometric token at the processor comprises either or both of (i) a cumulative time the vehicle is driven after the processor receives the second biometric token or (ii) a cumulative distance the vehicle travels after the processor receives the second biometric token.