Securely encrypted remote keyless entry system

• US 5,978,483 A
• Filed: 06/18/1997
• Issued: 11/02/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 04/07/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Inkel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Inkel Corporation
• Inventors: Thompson, Darwin Jr., Abbiss, Eric W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gregory, Bernarr E.
• Application Number:
  US08/878,163
• Time in Patent Office: 867 Days
• Field of Search: 331/78, 340/825.31, 340/825.34, 364/717.01-717.07, 380/4, 380/9, 380/21, 380/23, 380/24, 380/25, 380/30, 380/43, 380/46, 380/49, 380/50, 380/54
• US Class Current: 380/262
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0662 with particular pseudorandom sequence generator
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/12 Transmitting and receiving encryption devices synchronised or initially set up in a particular manner

Abstract

A remote keyless entry system particularly suited for preventing access to unauthorized individuals by securely encrypting messages transmitted from a remote transmitter to a receiver. A unique encryption algorithm is used to generate a multibit message having a pseudorandom number, key code and transmitter identification code (ID) encrypted within. The encryption algorithm generates said multibit message as a function of a pseudorandom number generator, a fixed key code table, ID and a switch, e.g., command, code. A receiver can decrypt the message to obtain the switch code and will respond thereto only if the message originated from an authorized transmitter, i.e., if the received pseudorandom number, key code and ID match those stored within the receiver.

Claims

1. A system for securely transmitting an I bit switch code from a transmit site to a receive site, comprising:

a transmit pseudorandom number generator at said transmit site for periodically generating a J bit transmit pseudorandom number;

a transmit key code table at said transmit site for containing a fixed number of K bit transmit key code values;

a message encrypter at said transmit site for encrypting a message by performing a bitwise operation between said J bit transmit pseudorandom number, said K bit transmit key code value selected from said transmit key code table, an L bit transmit ID and said switch code;

an RF modulator at said transmit site for transmitting said message from said transmit site to said receive site;

an RF demodulator at said receive site for receiving said transmitted message;

a receive pseudorandom number generator at said receive site for iteratively generating a receive pseudorandom number;

a receive key code table at said receive site for containing a fixed number of K bit receive key code values;

a code capture/decrypter at said receive site for capturing, decrypting and authenticating said message according to said J bit receive pseudorandom number, said K bit receive key code value selected from said receive key code table according to said message and an L bit receive ID; and

wherein

said code capture/decrypter recovers said switch code from said message when said message is authenticated.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said code capture/decrypter includes means to resynchronize said receive pseudorandom number generator to said transmit pseudorandom number generator when said receive pseudorandom number is within a predetermined number of iterations of said transmit pseudorandom number.

3. The system of claim 1 additionally comprising an N bit counter for containing an N bit counter value and wherein said counter value is used to select said transmit key code value from said transmit key code table.

4. The system of claim 1 additionally comprising means to set said receive ID to said transmit ID.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein said code capture decrypter includes means to synchronize said receive pseudorandom number generator to said transmit pseudorandom number generator in response to continuous transmissions of said message for a predetermined period of time.

6. Apparatus for securely transmitting an I bit switch code from a transmit site to a receive site, comprising:

a transmitter for transmitting a message comprising first and second message portions, said transmitter comprising

a transmit pseudorandom number generator for forming a J bit transmit pseudorandom number;

a K bit counter for containing a K bit counter value;

a transmit key code table having a fixed number of predetermined L bit transmit key code values;

means for storing an M bit transmit ID;

first transmitter means for encrypting said first transmit message portion by performing a bitwise operation between a first transmit key code value, selected from said key code table according to a first counter value from said counter, and a first transmit pseudorandom number;

second transmitter means for encrypting said second transmit message portion by performing a bitwise operation between said second transmit key code value, selected from said key code table according to a second counter value from said counter, a second transmit pseudorandom number, and said switch code; and

means for transmitting said first and second transmit message portions from said transmit site to said receive site;

and a receiver comprising

means for recovering said transmitted first and second transmit message portions;

a receive pseudorandom number generator for iteratively forming a J bit receive pseudorandom number;

a receive key code table having a fixed number of predetermined L bit receive key code values corresponding to said transmit key code values;

means for storing an M bit receive ID;

means for authenticating said first and second message portions according to said receive pseudorandom number, receive key code values and said receive ID; and

means for retrieving said switch code from said recovered first and second message portions.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein each of said first and second transmitter means increments said counter prior to respectively generating said first and second transmit message portions.

8. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein said first transmit pseudorandom number equals said second transmit pseudorandom number and said transmit means for forming a J bit pseudorandom number periodically generates a new first and second pseudorandom number as a function of a prior first and second pseudorandom number.

9. The system of claim 6 wherein said authenticating means includes means to resynchronize said receive pseudorandom number generator to said transmit pseudorandom number generator when said receive pseudorandom number is within a predetermined number of iterations of said transmit pseudorandom number.

10. The system of claim 6 additionally comprising means to set said receive ID to said transmit ID.

11. The system of claim 6 wherein said authenticating means includes means to synchronize said receive pseudorandom number generator to said transmit pseudorandom number generator in response to continuous transmissions of said message for a predetermined period of time.

12. A transmitter for securely transmitting a message comprising first and second message portions from a transmit site to a receive site, said transmitter comprising:

a transmit pseudorandom number generator for forming a J bit transmit pseudorandom number;

a K bit counter for containing a K bit counter value;

a transmit key code table having a fixed number of predetermined L bit transmit key code values;

means for storing an M bit transmit ID;

at least one switch for generating an I bit switch value;

first transmitter means for encrypting said first transmit message portion by performing a bitwise operation between a first transmit key code value, selected from said key code table according to a first counter value from said counter, and a first transmit pseudorandom number;

second transmitter means for encrypting said second transmit message portion by performing a bitwise operation between said second transmit key code value, selected from said key code table according to a second counter value from said counter, a second transmit pseudorandom number, and said switch value; and

means for transmitting said first and second transmit message portions from said transmit site to said receive site.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein each of said first and second transmitter means increments said counter prior to respectively generating said first and second transmit message portions.

14. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein said first transmit pseudorandom number equals said second transmit pseudorandom number and said transmit means for forming a J bit pseudorandom number periodically generates a new first and second pseudorandom number as a function of a prior first and second pseudorandom number.

15. A method for securely transmitting data from a transmitter to a receiver, comprising the steps of:

periodically calculating a next pseudorandom number algorithmically related to a prior pseudorandom number;

incrementing a key code counter;

using a value contained in said key code counter to retrieve a first key code value from a key code table;

performing a bitwise operation between said first key code value and said next pseudorandom number to obtain a first transmission portion;

transmitting said first transmission portion;

delaying a time period;

incrementing said key code counter;

using said value contained in said key code counter to retrieve a second key code value from said key code table;

performing a bitwise operation between said second key code value and said next pseudorandom number to obtain a bitwise operation result;

retrieving a switch value corresponding to the status of one or more switches;

concatenating said switch value with a transmitter ID to form a message value;

performing a bitwise operation between said message value and said bitwise operation result to obtain a second transmission portion; and

transmitting said second transmission portion.

16. A method for securely transmitting data from a transmitter to a receiver, comprising the steps of:

encrypting a first message portion by performing a bitwise operation between a pseudorandom number and a first selected value from a predefined set of key code values;

encrypting a second message portion by performing a bitwise operation between said pseudorandom number, a next one of said predefined set of key code values, a transmitter ID and a second selected value from said predefined set of key code values; and

transmitting said first and second messages from said transmitter to said receiver.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein:

said first message portion is formed by eXclusive ORing said pseudorandom number and said first selected key code value; and

said second message portion is formed by eXclusive ORing said pseudorandom number, said second selected key code value, and a value formed by concatenating said transmitter ID and a said selected switch code value.