Secure system for controlling the unlocking of at least one openable panel of a motor vehicle

• US 6,424,254 B1
• Filed: 05/11/2000
• Issued: 07/23/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/11/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Valeo Electronique
• Original Assignee: Valeo Electronique
• Inventors: Rydel, Charles
• Primary Examiner(s): LA, ANH V
• Application Number:
  US09/568,583
• Time in Patent Office: 803 Days
• Field of Search: 340/426, 340/539, 340/573.6, 340/984, 340/5.61, 455/96, 180/272, 307/10-- 1, 307/10.4
• US Class Current: 340/426.16
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/00 Fittings or systems for preventing or indicating unauthorised use or theft of vehicles locks for vehicles E05B77/00-E05B85/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/005 whereby the code is a random code
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00555 comprising means to detect or avoid relay attacks
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00793 by Hertzian waves
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2209/61 Signal comprising different frequencies, e.g. frequency hopping
• 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

Abstract

A system for locking/unlocking at least one motor vehicle openable panel comprising transmission/reception devices which are intended for transmitting, from the vehicle, a radio-frequency interrogation signal, which transmission/reception devices are intended to be carried by a user and which, on receipt of the interrogation signal, are intended for transmitting a radio-frequency identification signal so as to actuate the unlocking of the openable panel, which system comprises detection unit which are linked to the transmission/reception devices on the vehicle and which are able to detect, on an identification signal received on the transmission/reception devices, a modification of a parameter of the transmission, between the transmission/reception means of the vehicle and of the user, which may be due to the interposition, between the vehicle and the user, of intermediate transmission/reception devices.

Claims

1. A system for controlling means for locking/unlocking at least one motor vehicle openable panel comprising transmission/reception means which are intended for transmitting, from the vehicle, a radio-frequency interrogation signal, which transmission/reception means are intended to be carried by a user and which, on receipt of the interrogation signal, are intended for transmitting a radio-frequency identification signal so as to actuate the unlocking of the openable panel, which system comprises detection means which are linked to the transmission/reception means on the vehicle and which are able to detect, on an identification signal received on the transmission/reception means, a modification of a parameter of the transmission, between the transmission/reception means of the vehicle and of the user, which is due to the interposition, between the vehicle and the user, of intermediate transmission/reception means.

2. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the transmission/reception means intended to be carried by the user consist of a transponder comprising capacitive means which are charged when the said transmission/reception means receive a radio-frequency. radiation, as well as an antenna into which the said capacitive means are discharged when this radiation disappears and wherein the detection means comprise means for detecting on an identification signal received on the transmission/reception means, a modification of a parameter of the transmission chain which carries out the transmission of the interrogation signal from the vehicle, its reception by the transponder, the transmission of the identification signal by the transponder and its reception on the vehicle.

3. The system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the interrogation signal transmitted from the vehicle is a signal which is split on at least two frequencies.

4. The system as claimed in claim 3, wherein at least a part of the signal transmitted from the vehicle is modulated in at least one or more of amplitude, phase and frequency with a pseudo-random code.

5. The system as claimed in claim 4, which comprises, on the vehicle, means able to determine a modification of at least one of a frequency signature and an impulse signature on the identification signal received.

6. The system as claimed in claim 5, which comprises, on the vehicle, means able to determine an impulse signature.

7. The system as claimed in claim 4, which comprises, on the vehicle, means for determining the correlation function between the interrogation signal and the identification signal.

8. The system as claimed in claim 7, which comprises means for analyzing the shape of the correlation function so as to detect the interposition of intermediate transmission/reception means between the vehicle and the user.

9. The system as claimed in claim 7, which comprises means for calculation the Fourier Transform of the correlation function and for determining, as a function of this Fourier Transform, the passband of the signal transmission chain.

10. The system as claimed in claim 7, which comprises means for determining the delay by which the interrogation signal must be shifted as appropriate to obtain a correlation peak.