System and method for remote convenience function control having a rekey security feature

• US 6,130,622 A
• Filed: 08/10/1998
• Issued: 10/10/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 08/10/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: TRW Inc. (Northrop Grumman Corporation)
• Original Assignee: TRW Inc. (Northrop Grumman Corporation)
• Inventors: Hussey, James W., Rayford, Joan F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Horabik, Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): Asongwed, Anthony A.
• Application Number:
  US09/132,132
• Time in Patent Office: 792 Days
• Field of Search: 340/825.31, 340/825.69, 340/825.72, 340/825.34, 340/825.56, 340/542, 70/257, 70/278, 235/382, 348/734, 359/142, 80/13 D
• US Class Current: 340/5.61
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/24 using electronic identifiers containing a code not memorised by the user
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00404 starting with prompting the lock
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00412 the transmitted data signal being encrypted
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00793 by Hertzian waves
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00309 operated with bidirectional data transmission between data carrier and locks
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/5978 With switch

Abstract

A remote convenience system (10) for remote control performance of a function includes a portable transceiver (14) and a controller transceiver (16). Preferably, the system (10) is for a vehicle (12), and the controller transceiver (16) is vehicle-based. The portable transceiver (14) is operable for remote control requests, and includes circuitry (42, 52, 54, and 60) for transmitting a function request signal (18) that contains a function request (C) and a security key (T₁). Also, circuitry (42, 52, 54, and 60) of the portable transceiver (14) receives a response signal (36) that contains a new security key (T₂), and updates to the new security key. The vehicle-based transceiver (16) includes circuitry (30, 74, 78, and 82) for processing valid function requests and for controlling performance of the requested function. The circuitry (30, 74, 78, and 82) of the vehicle-based transceiver (16) receives the function request signal (18), and transmits the response signal (36), with the new security key, to the portable transceiver (14) in response to receiving the function request signal.

Claims

1. A remote convenience system for remote control performance of a function, said system comprising:

portable transceiver means for remote control requests, said portable transceiver means including means for providing a function request, means for holding a current security key, means for transmitting a first signal containing the function request and the current security key, and means for receiving a second signal containing the current security key and the next security key, means for verifying the current security key, and means for replacing the current security key with the next security key in said means for holding; and

controller transceiver means for receiving said remote control requests and for controlling performance of the requested function, said controller transceiver means including means for holding the current security key, means for receiving the first signal, means for verifying the current security key, means for providing the next security key, means for transmitting the second signal to the portable transceiver means, and means for replacing the current security key with the next security key in said means for holding of said controller transceiver means.

2. A remote convenience system for remote control performance of a function, said system comprising:

portable transceiver transmitting a first signal containing a remote control request and a security key, receiving a transmitted second signal containing a new security key, and updating to the new security key; and

controller transceiver receiving the first signal, controlling performance of the requested function, and transmitting the second signal with the new security key to the portable transceiver in response to receiving the first signal.

3. A method of remote convenience function control, said method comprising:

transmitting a first signal containing a remote control function request and a security key from a portable transceiver;

receiving the first signal at a controller transceiver;

performing the requested function in response to receipt of the first signal;

transmitting a second signal with a new security key from the controller transceiver in response to receipt of the first signal;

receiving the second signal containing the new security key at the portable transceiver; and

updating to the new security key at the portable transceiver in response to receipt of the second signal.

4. A remote convenience system for remote control performance of a function, said system comprising:

portable transceiver means for remote control requests; and

controller transceiver means for receiving said remote control requests and for controlling performance of the requested function;

said portable transceiver means and said controller transceiver means including security means for communicating security keys between said portable transceiver means and said control transceiver means, and for preventing said controller transceiver means from controlling performance of the requested function unless a proper current security key is provided by said portable transceiver means to said controller transceiver means, and said security means including means for changing the current security key for a subsequently requested controlled performance of a function in response to a proper communication exchange between said portable transceiver means and said controller transceiver means.

5. A remote convenience system for remote control performance of a function, said system comprising:

portable transceiver means for a remote control request via a first transmitted signal containing a current security key; and

controller transceiver means for receiving said remote control request via said first transmitted signal and for controlling performance of the requested function only if the current security key contained in said first transmitted signal is valid;

said portable transceiver means including means for holding the current security key and for providing the current security key contained in said first transmitted signal,

said controller transceiver means including means for holding the current security key and for comparing the held current security key with the current security key contained in said first transmitted signal to determine if the current security key contained in said first transmitted signal is valid, said controller transceiver means including means, responsive to the current security key contained in said first transmitted signal being determined to be valid, for providing a new security key to said portable transceiver means via a second transmitted signal to said portable transceiver means, and said portable transceiver means including means for acknowledging receipt of the new security key via a third transmitted signal to said controller transceiver means and for updating the current held security key to the new security key within said means for holding of said portable transmission.

6. A remote convenience system for remote control performance of a function, said system comprising:

portable transceiver means for remote control requests, said portable transceiver means including means for transmitting a first signal containing a function request and a security key, and means for receiving a transmitted second signal containing a new security key, and means for updating to the new security key for a next subsequent transmission of a function request; and

controller transceiver means for receiving said remote control requests and for controlling performance of the requested function, said controller transceiver means including means for receiving the first signal, and means for transmitting the second signal with the new security key to the portable transceiver means in response to receiving the first signal.

7. A remote convenience system as set forth in claim 6, wherein the security key contained within the first signal is a current security key, said means of said controller transceiver means for transmitting the second signal includes means for transmitting the second signal with the current security key and the new security key, said means of said portable transceiver means for receiving the second signal includes means for receiving the second signal with the current security key and the new security key, said portable transceiver means includes means for holding a value of the current security key contained within said first signal and means for comparing the held value of the current security key with a value of the current security key contained within the second signal, and said means of said portable transceiver means for updating to the new security key includes means for updating only if the value of the current security key contained within the second signal is the same as the held value of the current security key.

8. A remote convenience system as set forth in claim 7, wherein said controller transceiver means includes means for holding a value of a security key and means for comparing the held value with the value of the current security key contained within the first signal, and said means of said controller transceiver means for transmitting the second signal includes means for transmitting only if the value of the current security key contained within the first signal is the same as the held value.

9. A remote convenience system as set forth in claim 7, wherein said portable transceiver means includes means for timing a period in which the second signal can be received to cause updating to the new security key value.

10. A remote convenience system as set forth in claim 7, wherein said means of said portable transceiver means for transmitting the first signal includes means for transmitting the first signal containing a system security key in addition to the current security key, said means of said controller transceiver means for transmitting the second signal includes means for transmitting the second signal containing a system security key in addition to the current security key and the next security key, and said means of said portable transceiver means for updating to the new security key includes means for updating only if the second signal contains the system security key.

11. A remote convenience system as set forth in claim 10, wherein said means of said controller transceiver means for transmitting the second signal includes means for transmitting the second signal only if the first signal contains the system security key.

12. A remote convenience system as set forth in claim 6, wherein said portable transceiver means includes means for transmitting a third signal containing an acknowledgement of the receipt of the second signal, said controller transceiver means includes means for receiving said third signal.

13. A remote convenience system as set forth in claim 12, wherein said controller transceiver means includes means for holding a value of the current security key that is updated to a value of the new security key upon receipt of the third signal.

14. A remote convenience system as set forth in claim 13, wherein said controller transceiver means includes means for timing a period in which the third signal can be received to cause updating to the new security key value.

15. A remote convenience system as set forth in claim 6, wherein said remote convenience system is a remote control vehicle convenience system, said portable transceiver means is a hand-held unit, said controller transceiver means is a vehicle based unit, and said controller transceiver means provides a signal to a vehicle system to cause performance of the requested function.

16. A remote convenience system for remote control performance of a function, said system comprising:

portable transceiver means for remote control requests; and

controller transceiver means for receiving said remote control requests and for controlling performance of the requested function;

each of said portable transceiver means and said controller transceiver means including memory means for retaining, while said system awaits occurrence of a remote control request, a security key used to verify authenticity of the currently occurring remote control request, said controller transceiver means including means for causing said memory means of said portable transceiver means to return, while said system awaits occurrence of a subsequent remote control request, a new, different security key to be used to verify authenticity of the subsequent remote control request.