Process for the bidirectional transmission of data and system for the implementation thereof

• US 6,657,536 B1
• Filed: 05/31/2000
• Issued: 12/02/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/01/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Valeo Securite Habitacle (Valeo SE)
• Original Assignee: Valeo Securite Habitacle (Valeo SE)
• Inventors: Avenel, Jean-Jacques
• Primary Examiner(s): Zimmerman, Brian
• Assistant Examiner(s): YANG, CLARA I
• Application Number:
  US09/584,101
• Time in Patent Office: 1,280 Days
• Field of Search: 340/5.2, 340/5.61, 340/5.62, 340/5.63, 340/5.64, 340/5.7, 340/5.72, 340/10.1, 340/825.69, 340/825.72
• US Class Current: 340/5.61
• 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 2209/63 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
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/28 the pass enabling tracking or indicating presence

Abstract

A process for the bidirectional transmission of data, in a hands-free vehicle access system, comprising the step of setting up a remote exchange of data between a recognition device installed in the vehicle and an identifier intended to be carried by a user, access being authorized only when the recognition device has authenticated the identifier, and the steps of setting up an exchange of data at the same radio frequency (RF) exchange between the recognition device and the identifier, and in delaying, in the course of this exchange, the transmission of a response signal by the identifier to the recognition device by a predetermined duration with respect to the reception by the identifier of an interrogation signal transmitted by the recognition device, so that neither the recognition device nor the identifier operate simultaneously in transmission and in reception at the RF exchange.

Claims

1. A process for the bidirectional transmission of data, in an access system, allowing access to an enclosed space, the process consisting in setting up a remote exchange of data between a recognition device installed in the enclosed space and an identifier intended to he carried by a user, access being authorized only when the recognition device has authenticated the identifier, which process consists in setting up an RF exchange of data at the same radio frequency between the recognition device and the identifier, and in delaying, in the course of this exchange, the transmission of a response signal by the identifier to the recognition device by a predetermined duration (τ

) with respect to the reception by the identifier of an interrogation signal transmitted by the recognition device, so that neither the recognition device nor the identifier operate simultaneously in transmission and in reception at said RF exchange,

which consists in transmitting, at the level of the recognition device, a pulsed oscillating signal, the carrier frequency of each pulse (I1) of which correspond, to said RF exchange, the duration of each pulse being very short with respect to the recurrence period of the pulses, in receiving, at the level of the identifier, said pulsed oscillating signal and in delaying its retransmission to the recognition device by said predetermined duration (τ

), which is greater than the duration of a pulse and less than said recurrence period, in retransmitting said delayed pulsed oscillating signal to the recognition device, and in receiving, at the level of the recognition device, said delayed pulsed oscillating signal retransmitted by the identifier, and

which consists, at the level of the recognition device, in order to transmit said pulsed oscillating signal at the RF exchange;

in generating an oscillating signal at a reference radio frequency Fo substantially different from the RF exchange, in generating a continuous pulsed signal (V1), which defines a first control signal, having the same recurrence period and the same duration of the pulses (I1) as the aforesaid pulsed oscillating signal, in feeding a frequency divider by N (5) with said first control signal, in inputting into said divider said oscillating signal so as to output a pulsed oscillating signal having a frequency Fo/N, in mixing said pulsed oscillating signal at Fo/N with said oscillating signal at Fo, in filtering the outgoing mixed signal so as to center it on the frequency Fo+Fo/N, said central frequency corresponding to the RF exchange, and in transmitting said filtered mixed signal to the identifier.

2. The process as claimed in claim 1, which consists in switching the recognition device over to its transmission circuit (E) or its reception circuit (R), in response to the first control signal (V1), the recognition device switching over to the transmission circuit during each pulse (I1) of the first control signal and over to the reception circuit between the pulses of said first control signal.

3. The process as claimed in claim 1, which consists, at the level of the recognition device, in receiving the delayed pulsed oscillating signal retransmitted by the identifier, in mixing it with said oscillating signal at Fo, in filtering the outgoing signal thus mixed so as to center it on the frequency Fo/N, in detecting the envelope of the signal thus filtered, in measuring the time interval (T) between the rising edge of each pulse (I1) of the first control signal (V1) and the rising edge of each pulse (I2) of the detected envelope signal (V2), in comparing this time measurement with an initially stored delay value, which is saved by the system, so as to prevent the exchange of identification data if the statistical deviation over several pulses between the time measured and the time stored, is greater than a predetermined threshold value, so as to make transmission secure beyond a predetermined distance, so as to avoid tampering through the interposition of an unauthorized repeater between the recognition device and the identifier.

4. The process as claimed in claim 3, which consists, at the level of the recognition device, for the reception of the signal retransmitted by the identifier, in generating a continuous pulsed observation signal (V4), the duration of whose pulses (I4) corresponds to a listening window, with the same recurrence period as the first control signal (V1), said window being centered on the initially stored delay value, and in detecting any rising edge of a pulse of the detected envelope signal (V2) in the course of each listening window.

5. The process as claimed in claim 3, which consists, at the level of the recognition device, for the reception of the signal retransmitted by the identifier, in generating a second continuous pulsed control signal (V3), each pulse (I3) of which starts at the end of each pulse (I1) of the first control signal (V1) and terminates after a duration less than the recurrence period of the first control signal, said second control signal serving to feed the reception mixer (11) of the recognition device.

6. The process as claimed in claim 3, which consists, at the level of the identifier, in disabling the retransmission of certain pulses according to a predetermined sequence (B) which is previously forwarded by the recognition device, and, at the level of the recognition device, in measuring the time interval for the pulses (I2) received during the listening windows corresponding to the non-disabled pulses, and in counting up the number of pulses possibly received during the listening windows corresponding to the disabled pulses (I2′

), so as to detect any presence of an unauthorized repeater in proximity to the recognition device, at a distance below the authorized maximum limit.

7. The process as claimed in claim 6, which consists, at the level of the identifier, in chopping the delayed signal before its retransmission, according to the binary value of the bits of a coded identification signal (B) previously forwarded by the recognition device.

8. A system for the bidirectional transmission of data for implementing a process for the bidirectional transmission of data, in an access system, allowing access to an enclosed space, the process consisting in setting up a remote exchange of data between a recognition device installed in the enclosed space and an identifier intended to be carried by user, access being authorized only when the recognition device has authenticated the identifier, which process consists in setting up an RF exchange of data at the same radio frequency between the recognition device and the identifier, and in delaying, in the course of this exchange, the transmission of a response signal by the identifier to the recognition device by a predetermined duration (τ

) with respect to the reception by the identifier of an interrogation signal transmitted by the recognition device, so that neither the recognition device nor the identifier operate simultaneously in transmission and in reception at said RF exchange,

said system comprises a recognition device installed in the enclosed space, comprising a radio frequency transmission circuit (E), a radio frequency reception circuit (R) which are both linked to the same first antenna (2), by way of a two-way switch (7), an identifier intended to be carried by a user, comprising a radio frequency transmitter (29) and a radio frequency receiver (26), which are both linked to the same second antenna (21), by way of a second two-way switch (23), and a delayer means (27) interposed between the output of the receiver and the input of the transmitter of the identifier, so as to delay the retransmission of the signal by the identifier at the same RF exchange as the transmission of the signal by the recognition device, by a predetermined duration (τ

) with respect to the reception by the identifier of an interrogation signal transmitted by the recognition device, so that neither the recognition device nor the identifier operate simultaneously in transmission and in reception at said RF exchange

wherein the transmission circuit (E) of the recognition device comprises an oscillator (3) with reference frequency Fo which is intended to deliver an oscillating output signal at said reference frequency, said output signal being supplied in parallel to a frequency divider by N (5) and to a mixer (4), said divider being intended to he fed with a first continuous pulled control signal (V1) delivered by a central management unit (1), the output terminal of the divider (5) being linked to another input of the mixer (4), the mixer being linked at its output to a transmission amplifier (6) with power gain, whose output is linked to a first transmission terminal (7a) of the first switch (7) of the recognition device, and

wherein the reception circuit (R) of the recognition device can comprise a low-gain preamplifier (10), linked at its input to a second reception terminal (7b) of the first switch (7), the output of the preamplifier being linked to a second mixer (11) which receives, on its second input, the oscillating signal at Fo delivered in parallel by the oscillator (3) of the transmission circuit (F), said second mixer being linked in series to a bandpass filter (12) centered on the frequency Fo/N, then to a gain amplifier (13), and to an envelope detector (14) which is connected to said central management unit (1).

9. The system as claimed in claim 8, wherein the receiver of the identifier comprises a reception amplifier (26) linked, at its input, to a first receiving terminal (23b) of the second switch (23) and, at its output, on the one hand, to the aforesaid delayer means (27), and on the other hand, to a level detector (28), whereas the transmitter of the identifier comprises a transmission amplifier (29), linked, at its input, to the output of the delayer means and, at its output, to a second transmitting terminal (23c) of the second switch, the third common terminal (23a) of the second switch being linked to a bandpass filter (22) centered on the RF exchange which is linked, in its turn, in series to said second antenna (21), the identifier comprising a central control unit (24) which is able to receive the output signal from the level detector so as to control the feeding or the deactivation of the amplifiers and the switching over of the second switch.

10. The system as claimed in claim 9, wherein a chopper (30) is interposed between the transmission amplifier (29) and the transmission terminal (23c) of the identifier, said chopper being controlled by the central control unit (24) so as to disable the retransmission of certain pulses (I2′

) according to a predetermined sequence (B).

11. The system as claimed in claim 8, wherein the first switch (7) comprises a third common terminal (7c) linked in series to a bandpass filter (8) centered on the RF exchange and to said first antenna (2), the first switch being controlled by said first control signal (V1).

12. The system as claimed in claim 8, wherein the central management unit (1) is able to generate a second continuous pulsed control signal (V3) whose pulses (I3) are alternated with those of the first control signal (V1), so as to control the feeding of the preamplifier (10), of the amplifier (13) and of the mixer (11) of the reception circuit (R) of the recognition device.

13. A system for the bidirectional transmission of data for implementing a process for the bidirectional transmission of data, in an access system, allowing access to an enclosed space, the process consisting in setting up a remote exchange of data between a recognition device installed in the enclosed space and an identifier intended to be carried by a user, access being authorized only when the recognition device has authenticated the identifier, which process consists in setting up an RF exchange of data at the same radio frequency between the recognition device and the identifier, and in delaying, in the course of this exchange, the transmission of a response signal by the identifier to the recognition device by a predetermined duration (τ

) with respect to the reception by the identifier of an interrogation signal transmitter by the recognition device, so that neither the recognition device nor the identifier operate simultaneously in transmission and in reception at said RF exchange,

said system comprises a recognition device installed in the enclosed space, comprising a radio frequency transmission circuit (E), a radio frequency reception circuit (R) which are both linked to the same first antenna (2), by way of a two-way switch (7), an identifier intended to be carried by a user, comprising a radio frequency transmitter (29) and a radio frequency receiver (26), which are both linked to the same second antenna (21), by way of a second two-way switch (23) and a delayer means (27) interposed between the output of the receiver and the input of the transmitter of the identifier, so as to delay the retransmission of the signal by the identifier at the same RF exchange a the transmission of the signal by the recognition device, by a predetermined duration (τ

) with respect to the reception by the identifier of an interrogation signal transmitted by the recognition device, so that neither the recognition device nor the identifier operate simultaneously in transmission and in reception at said RF exchange,

wherein the delayer means (27) comprises a delay line, consisting of surface wave components.

14. A process for the bidirectional transmission of data, in an access system, allowing access to an enclosed space, the process consisting in setting up a remote exchange of data between a recognition device installed in the enclosed space and an identifier intended to be carried by a user, access being authorized only when the recognition device has authenticated the identifier, which process consists in setting up an RF exchange of data at the same radio frequency between the recognition device and the identifier, and in delaying, in the course of this exchange, the transmission of response signal by the identifier to the recognition device by a predetermined duration (τ

) with respect to the reception by the identifier of an interrogation signal transmitted by the recognition device, so that neither the recognition device nor the identifier operate simultaneously in transmission and in reception at said RF exchange,

which consists in transmitting, at the level of the recognition device, pulsed oscillating, signal, the carrier frequency of each pulse (I1) of which corresponds to said RF exchange, the duration of each pulse being very short with respect to the recurrence period of the pulses, in receiving, at the level of the identifier, said pulsed oscillating signal and in delaying its retransmission to the recognition device by said predetermined duration (τ

), which is greater than the duration of a pulse and less then said recurrence period, in retransmitting said delayed pulsed oscillating signal to the recognition device, and in receiving, at the level of the recognition device, said delayed pulsed oscillating signal retransmitted by the identifier, and

which comprises, at the level of the identifier, the following steps which consist;

in amplifying the received signal, in delaying said amplified received signal by said predetermined duration (τ

), in detecting the end of each pulse (I1) of the amplified received signal, in deactivating the amplification of the receiver and in activating the amplification of the transmitter of the identifier after the detection of the end of each pulse, in amplifying the delayed signal so as to retransmit it to the recognition device, in deactivating the amplification of the transmitter and in activating the amplification of the receiver of the identifier, at the conclusion of a given timeout, counting from the detection of the end of each pulse, and

wherein said radio frequency for said RF exchange is chosen from a group of frequencies consisting of 315 MHz, 434 MHz and 868 MHz, and wherein the duration of each pulse of said pulse oscillating signal is set to 0.5 μ

s and the recurrence period is set to 50 μ

s, and said predetermined duration (τ

) is set to 0.8 μ

s.