Method for controlling a vehicle using driver authentication, vehicle terminal, biometric identity card, biometric identification system, and method for providing a vehicle occupant protection and tracking function using the biometric identification card and the terminal

• US 20120253607A1
• Filed: 04/05/2012
• Published: 10/04/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/08/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Unho Choi
• Original Assignee: Unho Choi
• Inventors: Choi, Unho
• Granted Patent: US 9,242,619 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/49
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/25 using biometry
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/063 Operations research, analysis or management
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/59 inside of a vehicle, e.g. relating to seat occupancy, driver state or inner lighting conditions

Abstract

One embodiment of the present invention relates to a method for controlling a vehicle using driver authorization, to an on-vehicle terminal, to a biometric identity card, to a biometric identification system, and to a method for providing a vehicle occupant protection function using the biometric identification card and the terminal. According to one embodiment, a vehicle occupant protection and tracking function is provided such that a smart key function is provided to perform driver authorization and vehicle control operation using a biometric identity card, a chauffeur service provision status is informed through communications between a terminal such as a mobile phone and the biometric identity card, and the vehicle is tracked upon receiving the information on the chauffeur service provision status. According to one embodiment, driver authorization and the vehicle control operation are controlled using a biometric identity card to prevent the vehicle theft.

Claims

1. A method for providing vehicle occupant protecting and tracking function by using a biometric authentication card and a terminal, the method comprising:

receiving a chauffeur service status information of a vehicle through communications between the terminal and the biometric authentication card; and

identifying a vehicle occupant including at least a driver identity or a passenger identity upon receiving the chauffeur service status information.

2. The method for providing vehicle occupant protecting and tracking function according to claim 1, the method further comprising:

identifying the vehicle occupant identity, upon receiving a biometric matching result from the biometric authentication card, for the vehicle occupant including at least one of the driver or the passenger through communication between the terminal and the biometric authentication card;

executing a driver authorization based on the received biometric matching result;

transmitting the authorization result to the terminal; and

storing the biometric matching result and the driver authorization result, respectively.

3. The method for providing vehicle occupants protection tracking function according to claim 1, wherein the terminal comprises at least a mobile communication terminal, or a communication device equipped in the vehicle.

4. The method for providing vehicle occupants protection tracking function according to claim 1, the method further comprises controlling of opening or closing a vehicle door and permit limited operation according to the biometric matching result for any driver through the biometric authentication card.

5. A vehicle control system through a driver authorization comprising:

a biometric authentication card for transmitting card information comprising a door opening or closing signal for controlling opening or closing of the vehicle door or a first vehicle assignment information in accordance with the biometric information authentication result; and

a vehicle terminal for storing a second vehicle assignment information;

controlling opening or closing of the vehicle door based on the control information received from the biometric authentication card;

executing a driver authorization in accordance with a matching result between the first and the second vehicle assignment information; and

controlling a permit limited operation according to the authorization result,

wherein the first vehicle assignment information comprises a user information of the biometric authentication card and a registered vehicle information, and the second vehicle assignment information comprises a registered driver information.

6. The vehicle control system according to claim 5, wherein the biometric authentication card comprising:

a biometric information scan and input section for inputting the biometric information by a user;

a biometric information storage section for storing the biometric information of the registered driver;

a card information storage section for storing the user information and the first vehicle assignment information received from a vehicle assignment sever;

a biometric information comparison section for comparing the biometric information inputted from the biometric information scan and input section with the biometric information stored in the biometric information storage section to determine whether the two biometric information are matched or not; and

an authorizing execution section for authorizing the user when the two biometric information are matched, and transmitting the card information.

7. The vehicle control system according to claim 6, wherein the biometric authentication card further comprising:

a public key certificate storage section for storing the authentication for the registered driver; and

a public key certificate storage control section for controlling the storage of the public key certificate in the public key certificate storage section, when the biometric information inputted from the biometric information scan and input section matches to the biometric information stored in the biometric information storage section and the matched information with the biometric information for the user is included in the public key certificate for the driver.

8. The vehicle control system according to claim 6, wherein the biometric information storage section stores the biometric information selected from at least one of fingerprint pattern recognition information, vascular pattern recognition information, voice pattern recognition information, iris pattern recognition information, and palm pattern recognition information.

9. The vehicle control system according to claim 6, wherein the biometric authentication card further comprises a signal transmission section for transmitting a tunneling start signal to establish a communication tunnel to the vehicle assignment server, when it is determined that the biometric information inputted from the biometric information scan and input section matches the biometric information stored in the biometric information storage section.

10. The vehicle control system according to claim 9, wherein the biometric authentication card further comprises a vehicle assignment information storage section for storing the first vehicle assignment information received from the vehicle assignment sever.

11. The vehicle control system according to claim 5, wherein the biometric authentication card transmits the card information to the vehicle terminal through the RFID (Radio-Frequency Identification) method.

12. The vehicle control system according to claim 5, the vehicle terminal comprising:

a first vehicle assignment information receiving section for receiving the first vehicle assignment information from the biometric authentication card; and

a driver authorization section for executing the driver authorization when the first vehicle assignment information matches to the second vehicle assignment information as a comparison result.

13. The vehicle control system according to claim 12, further comprises a vehicle control section for controlling opening or closing of the vehicle door based on the door opening or closing signal, and controlling a start the engine of the vehicle in accordance with the driver authorization result by the driver authorization section.

14. The vehicle control system according to claim 13, wherein the vehicle control section transmits an auto vehicle theft alarm message to a managing terminal of a corresponding vehicle, when the vehicle has moved exceeding a predetermined distance after failing the driver authorization by the driver authorization section.

15. The vehicle control system according to claim 12, wherein the vehicle terminal further comprises a data transmission section for generating and transmitting location tracking data in real time for the corresponding vehicle in case the corresponding vehicle has moved, after succeeding the driver authorization by the driver authorization section.

16. The vehicle control system according to claim 12, wherein the vehicle terminal executes a transportation fares payment module after succeeding the driver authorization by the driver authorization section.

17. The vehicle control system according to claim 5, wherein the vehicle terminal comprises a second vehicle assignment information receiving section for receiving the second vehicle assignment information from the vehicle assignment sever.

18. A vehicle controlling method through a driver authorization, the method comprising:

receiving card information including a door opening or closing signal for controlling opening or closing of the vehicle and a first vehicle assignment information provided from a biometric authentication card;

controlling opening or closing of a corresponding vehicle door based on a door opening or closing signal and executing a driver authorization process by comparing the first vehicle assignment information with a second vehicle assignment information stored; and

controlling a permit limited operation in accordance with the authorization result,

wherein the first vehicle assignment information comprises a user information of the biometric authentication card and a registered vehicle information, and the second vehicle assignment information comprises a registered driver information.