Methods and apparatuses for remote control of vehicle devices and vehicle lock-out notification

• US 7,961,076 B2
• Filed: 02/28/2006
• Issued: 06/14/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Kelley, Nia L., Silva, Guillermo J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Zimmerman; Brian A
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen; Nam V
• Application Number:
  US11/364,622
• Publication Number:
  US 20070200671A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,932 Days
• Field of Search: 340/5.52, 340/426.13, 340 562- 564, 340/5.72, 340/426.6, 455/41.2, 455/410, 455/420, 380/45, 380/25, 367/198, 705/76, 705/16, 705/26
• US Class Current: 340/5.52
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/257 Voice recognition

Abstract

Methods, systems, and media for remote control of a vehicle device and vehicle lockout notification are disclosed. Embodiments comprise a method of creating a secure bidirectional communication link between a remote access device and a central locking unit (CLU) of a vehicle, enabling the central locking unit to authenticate a user of the remote access device to manipulate a device of the vehicle. In some embodiments, the CLU may wait for an access attempt from a mobile device. In other embodiments, the CLU monitor vehicle conditions, detect a lockout condition, and alert the user before authenticating and granting vehicle access. Embodiments utilize private and shared key encryption methods to facilitate securely passing an access code between the CLU and the remote access device. Some embodiments authenticate the user by voice verification, while other embodiments may use personal identification numbers.

Claims

1. A method to manipulate a vehicle device of a vehicle via a remote access device, comprising:

generating, by an asymmetric key generation module of a vehicle controller, an encryption key pair to encrypt data to be transferred to the remote access device, wherein the vehicle controller comprises a microprocessor and a trusted platform module (TPM), wherein further the TPM comprises a hash module, a key-hash message authentication code (HMAC) module, and a random number generator;

transferring, via a mobile telephone switching station, encrypted data from the vehicle controller to the remote access device;

decrypting, by the remote access device, the encrypted data via an encryption key of the encryption key pair; and

manipulating the vehicle device via the vehicle controller based upon receipt of a response transmitted by the remote access device, wherein the response is generated in response to the decrypting the encrypted data.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting the encryption key pair to the remote access device.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising authenticating a user of the remote access device by the vehicle controller, wherein the remote access device comprises a cellular telephone, wherein further the transmitting the encryption key pair is based upon successful authentication of the user.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein authenticating a user of the remote access device by the vehicle controller comprises verifying user identity by comparing the voice of the user with a voice sample stored in the vehicle controller.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating and storing a code by the vehicle controller, encrypting the code using the encryption key pair, wherein the transferring the encrypted data comprises sending the encrypted code to the remote access device.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising receiving the encrypted code by the remote access device, decrypting the encrypted code via the encryption key to generate the response, and sending the response to the vehicle controller.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising receiving the response by the vehicle controller and comparing the response with the first code, wherein manipulating the vehicle device based upon the modified data comprises manipulating the vehicle device based upon the comparison.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising displaying the code by the remote access device and prompting the user to send the code to the vehicle controller.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining that an unlocking device for the vehicle has been locked inside the vehicle.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising notifying a user of the remote access device that the unlocking device has been locked inside the vehicle.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the transferring the encrypted data comprises transferring the encrypted data between a cellular telephone and the vehicle controller.

12. An apparatus to control a vehicle device of a vehicle, the apparatus comprising:

a key generation module configured to generate asymmetric key pairs;

a wireless transmitting circuit to transmit encrypted data to a remote access device via a mobile telephone switching station;

a wireless receiving circuit to receive a response from the remote access device, wherein the response is based on decryption of the encrypted data using a key from an asymmetric key pair of the key generation module; and

a controller to manipulate the vehicle device based upon receipt of the response from the remote access device, wherein the controller comprises a trusted platform module (TPM), wherein further the TPM comprises a hash module, a key-hash message authentication code (HMAC) module, and a random number generator.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising a sensor coupled to the controller to sense when a key has been locked in the vehicle.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the key comprises an embedded transmitter to transmit a signal in response to a polling signal transmitted from a polling signal transmitter coupled to the controller.

15. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising a display apparatus and a keypad to assist a user in configuring one or more of the parameters of the controller.

16. A system, comprising:

a communication module configured to communicate with a cellular telephone via a mobile telephone switching station;

a random number generator configured to generate an access code;

a key generation module configured to generate asymmetric key pairs;

an encryption module to encrypt the access code via a first key of an asymmetric key pair; and

a controller to manipulate a vehicle device in response to receiving the access code from the remote access device, wherein transmission of the of the access code from the remote access device is based upon decryption of the encrypted access code via a second key of the asymmetric key pair, wherein further the controller comprises a trusted platform module (TPM) with a hash module, a key-hash message authentication code (HMAC) module, and a random number generator.

17. The system of claim 16, further comprising a proximity signal receiver to detect that a vehicle key has been locked in the vehicle, wherein the communication module is configured to transmit a text message to the cellular telephone upon detecting that the vehicle key as been locked in the vehicle.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the controller is configured to authenticate a user of the cellular telephone via a personal identification number (PIN) or via an authentication phrase of a sound file stored in the controller.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein the controller is configured to stop the engine of the vehicle via manipulation of the vehicle device.