Start system for a motor vehicle
First Claim
1. A start system for a motor vehicle, comprising:
- a vehicle bus system disposed in the motor vehicle;
a powertrain control module connected to the vehicle bus system, the powertrain control module including;
an engaged state electrically enabling the powertrain control module to provide tractive power to a vehicle drive wheel; and
a disengaged state electrically inhibiting the powertrain control module from providing tractive power to the vehicle drive wheel or an other vehicle drive wheel;
an electronic pattern-entry user interface;
an authentication system in communication with the vehicle bus system and with the electronic pattern-entry user interface, the authentication system being responsive to an entered pattern entered on the electronic pattern-entry user interface while the powertrain control module is in a current instance of the disengaged state;
a sensor sending a key present signal responsive to detecting a presence of a hardware key or an actuation of a lock by a mechanical key; and
an engine on switch initiating an engine on event;
wherein;
the engine on event is prevented in an absence of the key present signal;
an engagement authentication protocol is initiated in response to the engine on event;
the powertrain control module enters the engaged state only in response to an authenticated engagement command communicated from the authentication system to the powertrain control module in response to authenticating the entered pattern; and
in response to a disengagement condition, the powertrain control module enters into and remains in an instance of the disengaged state until the authenticated engagement command is communicated from the authentication system to the powertrain control module.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A start system includes a vehicle bus system disposed in a motor vehicle. A powertrain control module is connected to the vehicle bus system. The powertrain control module includes an engaged state electrically enabling the powertrain control module to provide tractive power to a vehicle drive wheel, and a disengaged state electrically inhibiting the powertrain control module from providing tractive power to the vehicle drive wheel or another vehicle drive wheel. An authentication system is in communication with the vehicle bus system and with an electronic pattern-entry user interface. The authentication system is responsive to an entered pattern entered on the interface while the powertrain control module is in a current instance of the disengaged state. The powertrain control module enters the engaged state only in response to an authenticated engagement command communicated from the authentication system to the powertrain control module in response to authenticating the entered pattern.
37 Citations
15 Claims
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1. A start system for a motor vehicle, comprising:
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a vehicle bus system disposed in the motor vehicle; a powertrain control module connected to the vehicle bus system, the powertrain control module including; an engaged state electrically enabling the powertrain control module to provide tractive power to a vehicle drive wheel; and a disengaged state electrically inhibiting the powertrain control module from providing tractive power to the vehicle drive wheel or an other vehicle drive wheel; an electronic pattern-entry user interface; an authentication system in communication with the vehicle bus system and with the electronic pattern-entry user interface, the authentication system being responsive to an entered pattern entered on the electronic pattern-entry user interface while the powertrain control module is in a current instance of the disengaged state; a sensor sending a key present signal responsive to detecting a presence of a hardware key or an actuation of a lock by a mechanical key; and an engine on switch initiating an engine on event; wherein; the engine on event is prevented in an absence of the key present signal; an engagement authentication protocol is initiated in response to the engine on event; the powertrain control module enters the engaged state only in response to an authenticated engagement command communicated from the authentication system to the powertrain control module in response to authenticating the entered pattern; and in response to a disengagement condition, the powertrain control module enters into and remains in an instance of the disengaged state until the authenticated engagement command is communicated from the authentication system to the powertrain control module. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A start system for a motor vehicle, comprising:
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a vehicle bus system disposed in the motor vehicle; a powertrain control module connected to the vehicle bus system, the powertrain control module including; an engaged state electrically enabling the powertrain control module to provide tractive power to a vehicle drive wheel; and a disengaged state electrically inhibiting the powertrain control module from providing tractive power to the vehicle drive wheel or an other vehicle drive wheel; an electronic pattern-entry user interface; an authentication system in communication with the vehicle bus system and with the electronic pattern-entry user interface, the authentication system being responsive to an entered pattern entered on the electronic pattern-entry user interface while the powertrain control module is in a current instance of the disengaged state; and a smart phone that includes the electronic pattern-entry user interface and a unique identifying code; wherein; the powertrain control module enters the engaged state only in response to an authenticated engagement command communicated from the authentication system to the powertrain control module in response to authenticating the entered pattern; and the authentication system includes; a micro-processor of the smart phone; a calculation module to generate a pattern code in response to the entered pattern, the calculation module including computer readable code, embodied on a tangible, non-transitory computer readable medium, that is run by the micro-processor of the smart phone; a micro-processor of the motor vehicle; and a verification module to verify the pattern code which is transmitted to the motor vehicle from the smart phone, the verification module including computer readable code, embodied on a tangible, non-transitory computer readable medium, that is run by the micro-processor of the motor vehicle. - View Dependent Claims (11)
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12. A method for starting a motor vehicle, comprising:
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recognizing an engine on event of the motor vehicle at a powertrain control module in communication with a vehicle bus system operatively disposed in the motor vehicle; in response to recognizing the engine on event, transmitting an authentication request from a verification module to a device having an electronic pattern-entry user interface; receiving an entered pattern entered on the electronic pattern-entry user interface; recognizing, by an authentication system in communication with the vehicle bus system and with the electronic pattern-entry user interface, that the entered pattern is an authenticated pattern; and in response to the recognizing that the entered pattern is the authenticated pattern, transmitting an authenticated engagement command to the powertrain control module to instruct the powertrain control module to enter into an engaged state, the engaged state electrically enabling the powertrain control module to provide tractive power to a vehicle drive wheel; wherein the device is a smart phone and wherein the recognizing that the entered pattern is the authenticated pattern includes; calculating a pattern code in response to the entered pattern, the calculating being accomplished by a calculation module including computer readable code, embodied on a tangible, non-transitory computer readable medium, that is run by a micro-processor of the smart phone; transmitting the pattern code from the smart phone to a micro-processor of the infotainment unit or the telematics unit; and verifying the pattern code by a verification module including computer readable code for comparing the pattern code with an authorized pattern code stored in the encrypted memory, the computer readable code for comparing being embodied on a tangible, non-transitory computer readable medium and run by the micro-processor of the infotainment unit or the telematics unit. - View Dependent Claims (13)
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14. A method for starting a motor vehicle, comprising:
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recognizing an engine on event of the motor vehicle at a powertrain control module in communication with a vehicle bus system operatively disposed in the motor vehicle; in response to recognizing the engine on event, transmitting an authentication request from a verification module to a device having an electronic pattern-entry user interface; receiving an entered pattern entered on the electronic pattern-entry user interface; recognizing, by an authentication system in communication with the vehicle bus system and with the electronic pattern-entry user interface, that the entered pattern is an authenticated pattern; and in response to the recognizing that the entered pattern is the authenticated pattern, transmitting an authenticated engagement command to the powertrain control module to instruct the powertrain control module to enter into an engaged state, the engaged state electrically enabling the powertrain control module to provide tractive power to a vehicle drive wheel; wherein the device is an in-vehicle display and wherein the recognizing that the entered pattern is the authenticated pattern includes comparing the entered pattern with the authenticated pattern to determine if the patterns match, the comparing being accomplished by a verification module including computer readable code, embodied on a tangible, non-transitory computer readable medium, that is run by a micro-processor of an infotainment unit or a telematics unit operatively disposed in the motor vehicle and connected to the vehicle bus system. - View Dependent Claims (15)
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Specification