System and method for smartkey-free vehicle control

• US 10,569,740 B2
• Filed: 11/30/2018
• Issued: 02/25/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 01/12/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group), Kia Motors Corporation (Kia Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group)
• Inventors: Lee, Jeongtae
• Primary Examiner(s): Blouin, Mark S
• Application Number:
  US16/206,301
• Publication Number:
  US 20190217816A1
• Time in Patent Office: 452 Days
• Field of Search: 340 561
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2325/101 Bluetooth
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2325/103 Near field communication [NFC]
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2325/105 Radio frequency identification data [RFID]
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2325/205 Mobile phones
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/209 Remote starting of engine
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/24 using electronic identifiers containing a code not memorised by the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/06037 multi-dimensional coding
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/1417 2D bar codes
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/47 using near field communication [NFC] or radio frequency identification [RFID] modules
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/40 for vehicles, e.g. vehicle-to-pedestrians [V2P]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

A system for smartkey-free vehicle control may include a head unit having predetermined password and generating a scannable visual code by combining information of the vehicle. A user application is installed in a user terminal and is capable for registering the information of the vehicle, and has a remote control function to control the vehicle of which information is registered. A communicating unit connects, though wireless communication, with the user application of the user terminal which is within a predetermined sensing distance, and performs a first and second authentication. A body control module controls the vehicle according to a remote control signal transmitted according to the remote control function of the user application. A start button is formed inside the vehicle and generating a start on signal by a button input and a controller controls a starting of the vehicle.

Claims

1. A system for smartkey-free control of a vehicle, the system comprising:

a head unit having predetermined password and capable of generating a scannable visual code by combining information of the vehicle, wherein the information of the vehicle includes a Vehicle Identification Number (VIN), a first authentication key and a second authentication key;

a communicating unit configured to connect, though wireless communication, with a user application of a user terminal that is within a predetermined sensing distance, the user application capable of registering the information of the vehicle by scanning the visual code, the communicating unit further configured to perform a first authentication and a second authentication;

a body control module configured to control the vehicle according to a remote control signal transmitted according to a remote control function of the user application;

a start button formed inside the vehicle and configured to generate a start on signal by a button input; and

a controller configured to control a starting of the vehicle such that when the first authentication is successful, the remote control function is activated to perform a door lock/unlock function but no vehicle starting function, wherein the controller is further configured to start the vehicle only in case the second authentication is successful when the start on signal is input.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the communicating unit is implemented by Bluetooth low energy (BLE).

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the communicating unit comprises:

an RF antenna configured to radiate an RF signal outside of the vehicle and to perform a remote wireless communication connection with the user terminal; and

a communication control module storing authentication information of a first authentication code and a second authentication code of the first authentication code, the first and second authentication codes for use in performing the first authentication and the second authentication.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the communication control module is configured to:

connect with the user application through wireless communication when the user terminal is detected to be within the predetermined sensing distance, and to transmit the first authentication code to the user application after the user terminal is detected to be within the predetermined sensing distance; and

connect with the user application when a start on signal is input, to check a Received Signal Strength Indication (RSSI) value, and to transmit the second authentication code to the user application when the RSSI value is equal to or greater than a predetermined value.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the communicating unit further comprises an LF antenna configured to radiate an LF signal inside of the vehicle and to perform a local wireless communication connection with the user application, the communication control module configured to connect with the user application through the LF antenna.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to transmit a start on signal to any a driving source of an engine, a driving motor, or a fuel cell stack according to the kind of the vehicle.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the communicating unit is implemented using Wi-Fi, wireless LAN, radio frequency (RF), or ZigBee to perform local communication with the user terminal.

8. A method for smartkey-free control of a vehicle, the method comprising:

performing a first authentication with a user application of a user terminal, the user application having registered information of the vehicle;

receiving a remote control function command from the user application when the first authentication is successful, wherein the remote control function includes a door lock/unlock function but does not include any vehicle starting function;

performing a second authentication with the user application when the start on signal is input; and

initiating the starting of the vehicle when the second authentication is successful.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein registered information of the vehicle includes a Vehicle Identification Number (VIN), a first authentication key, and a second authentication key.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein performing the first authentication comprises:

connecting, by a communicating unit of the vehicle, with the user application of the user terminal when the user terminal is within a predetermined sensing distance; and

transmitting, by the communicating unit, a first authentication code to the user application so that the user application can determine whether the first authentication key is valid based on the first authentication code; and

wherein performing the second authentication comprises;

connecting, by the communicating unit, with the user application;

determining, by the communicating unit, whether a Received Signal Strength Indication (RSSI) value is equal to or greater than a predetermined value; and

transmitting, by the communicating unit, a second authentication code to the user application, wherein the user application can determine whether the second authentication key is based valid based on the first authentication key and the second authentication key.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein performing the first authentication further comprises:

determining, by the communicating unit, that the first authentication has failed when a wireless communication with the user application is failed or the first authentication key is not valid; and

retrying the first authentication when the first authentication is failed; and

wherein performing the second authentication comprises;

determining, by the communicating unit, that the second authentication has failed when the RSSI value is less than the predetermined value or the second authentication key is not valid; and

retrying the second authentication when the second authentication is failed.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein, in the performing the first authentication, the communicating unit connects with the user terminal through an RF antenna of the communicating unit;

and

wherein, in the performing the second authentication, the communicating unit connects with the user application through an LF antenna or the RF antenna of the communicating unit.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein

the predetermined value is a first value when the communicating unit is connected with the user application through the LF antenna;

and

the predetermined value is a second value when the communicating unit connected with the user application through the RF antenna.

14. A method for smartkey-free control of a vehicle, method comprising:

operating a user application installed in a user terminal;

registering information of the vehicle in the user application;

performing, by the user application, a first authentication with a communicating unit of the vehicle;

activating a remote control function in the user application when the first authentication is successful, wherein the remote control function includes a door lock/unlock function but does not include any vehicle starting function;

performing, by the user application, a second authentication with the communicating unit when the start on signal is input; and

initiating the starting of the vehicle when the second authentication is successful.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein registering the information of the vehicle in the user application comprises:

inputting, by a user, a predetermined password;

scanning, by the user application, a visual code generated by a head unit of the vehicle, the visual code generated by combining the information of the vehicle;

interpreting the scanned visual code and loading the information of the vehicle; and

storing, by the user application, the information of the vehicle, wherein the information of the vehicle includes a Vehicle Identification Number (VIN), a first authentication key, and a second authentication key.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein storing the information of the vehicle comprises:

deleting previously registered vehicle information and storing the information of the vehicle when the loaded vehicle information overlaps with the previously registered vehicle information; and

storing the information of the vehicle when the loaded vehicle information does not overlap with the previously registered vehicle information.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein performing the first authentication comprises:

connecting the user application with a communicating unit of the vehicle when the user terminal is within a predetermined sensing distance;

receiving a first authentication code transmitted by the communicating unit at the user application; and

determining, by the user application, whether the first authentication key is valid based on the first authentication code; and

wherein the performing the second authentication comprises;

connecting the user application with the communicating unit;

receiving a second authentication code transmitted by the communicating unit at the user application; and

determining, by the user application, whether the second authentication key is based valid based on the first and second authentication key.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein operating the user application further comprises determining, by a user of the user application, whether to register the information of the vehicle in the user application, wherein the first authentication can be performed without registering the information of the vehicle in the user application.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein, in the performing the first authentication, the user terminal connects with the communicating unit through an RF antenna;

and

wherein, in the performing the second authentication, the user terminal connects with the communicating unit through an LF antenna.