System and method for combining a wireless device, such as a key or other device with a wireless kill switch

• US 10,596,998 B2
• Filed: 02/12/2019
• Issued: 03/24/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 02/12/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fell Technology AS
• Original Assignee: Fell Technology AS
• Inventors: Eriksen, Fredrik, Frost Roine, Christian
• Primary Examiner(s): Brown, Vernal U
• Application Number:
  US16/273,744
• Publication Number:
  US 20190248329A1
• Time in Patent Office: 406 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2325/101 Bluetooth
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2325/108 Encryption
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2325/205 Mobile phones
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/04 operating on the propulsion system, e.g. engine or drive motor
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/209 Remote starting of engine
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/23 using manual input of alphanumerical codes
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/24 using electronic identifiers containing a code not memorised by the user
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/31 of human presence inside or outside the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B63H 2021/216 using electric control means
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00388 code verification carried out according to the challenge/response method
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00412 the transmitted data signal being encrypted
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00174 Electronically operated locks; Circuits therefor; Nonmechanical keys therefor, e.g. passive or active electrical keys or other data carriers without mechanical keys mechanical locks with electric permutation E05B49/00; arrangements for sensing or reading record carriers G06K7/00; electronic switching H03K17/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00309 operated with bidirectional data transmission between data carrier and locks
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00857 where the code of the data carrier can be programmed
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/40 Bus networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/40215 Controller Area Network CAN
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/40273 the transportation system being a vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/082 using revocation of authorisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/38 for collecting sensor information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/44 for communication between vehicles and infrastructures, e.g. vehicle-to-cloud [V2C] or vehicle-to-home [V2H]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/15 : Setup of multiple wireless link connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 : Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

An embodiment of the invention provides a system and or method for combining wireless kill switch functionality and key either mechanical or wireless or other form of access control components. Embodiments of the invention comprise hardware including but not limited to, processing circuitry and wireless transceiver to fulfill the function as both a key or access control device and wireless kill switch.

Claims

1. A wireless keying and kill switch system, comprising:

a kill switch unit configured to wirelessly communicate with a kill switch on a vehicle, the kill switch unit, comprising;

kill switch electronics configured to send a kill message to alter a state of a motor on the vehicle; and

an access control unit configured to wirelessly communicate a key to the vehicle, the access control unit comprising;

key processing electronics configured to formulate the key for processing by the vehicle to unlock a locked component on the vehicle;

a key actuator that engages the key processing electronics; and

at least one transceiver configured to transmit encrypted communications from at least one of the kill switch unit and the key control unit to the vehicle; and

a receiving device on the vehicle configured to receive the key from the key processing electronics and configured to receive the kill message, the receiving device comprising;

a key unit that receives the key and unlocks the locked component associated with the vehicle; and

a kill switch configured to alter the state of the motor on the vehicle upon receipt of the kill message, wherein alteration triggered by the kill switch causes a device to mark the GPS location of the vehicle.

2. The wireless, keying and kill switch system of claim 1 wherein alteration triggered by the kill switch causes the vehicle to stop the motor.

3. The wireless, keying and kill switch system of claim 1 wherein alteration triggered by the kill switch causes the vehicle to reduce the speed of the motor.

4. The wireless keying and kill switch system of claim 1 wherein the device is a chart plotter.

5. The wireless keying and kill switch system of claim 1 further comprising:

at least one battery configured to power at least one of the access control unit and the kill switch unit.

6. The wireless keying and kill switch system of claim 1 further comprising:

a connector that attaches the kill switch unit to the access control unit.

7. The wireless keying and kill switch system of claim 6 wherein the connector includes a bus that transmits data between the kill switch electronics and the key processing electronics.

8. The wireless keying and kill switch system of claim 1, further comprising a case that contains the access control unit and the kill switch system.

9. The wireless keying and kill switch system of claim 1 wherein the access control unit and the kill switch unit are located inside a mobile phone.

10. The wireless keying and kill switch system of claim 1 wherein the vehicle is one of a boat, a marine vessel, an automobile, and a motorized vehicle.

11. A wireless keying and kill switch system, comprising:

a kill switch unit configured to wirelessly communicate with a kill switch on a vehicle, the kill switch unit, comprising;

kill switch, electronics configured to send a kill message to alter a state of a motor on the vehicle; and

an access control unit configured to wirelessly communicate a key to the vehicle, the access control unit comprising;

key processing electronics configured to formulate the key for processing by the vehicle to unlock a locked component on the vehicle; and

a key actuator that engages the key processing electronics; and

at least one transceiver configured to transmit encrypted communications from at least one of the kill switch unit and the key control unit to the vehicle; and

a receiving device on the vehicle configured to receive the key from the key processing electronics and configured to receive the kill message, the receiving device comprising;

a key unit that receives the key and unlocks the locked component associated with the vehicle;

a kill switch configured to alter the state of the motor on the vehicle upon receipt of the kill message; and

a promotion unit configured to promote another kill switch unit to an active mode when the kill switch receives the kill message.

12. The wireless keying and kill switch system of claim 11 wherein the kill switch unit and the access control unit operate as a first device, the system further comprising:

a mobile device configured to pair the first device to the receiving device for receipt of the key and the kill message.

13. The wireless keying and kill switch system of claim 11, further comprising at least another transceiver configured to transmit encrypted communications from at least one of the kill switch unit and the key control unit to the vehicle.

14. The wireless keying and kill switch system of claim 11 wherein the vehicle is one of a boat, a marine vessel, an automobile, and a motorized vehicle.

17. The wireless keying and kill switch system of claim 11 wherein the key actuator comprises at least one of a button, a proximity sensor, a visual sensor, and an automated engagement mechanism.

18. The wireless keying, and kill switch system of claim 17 wherein the proximity sensor comprises circuitry configured to analyze signal strength between a transceiver on a receiving device and at least one transceiver.

15. A wireless keying and kill switch system, comprising:

a kill switch unit configured to wirelessly communicate with a kill switch on a vehicle, the kill switch unit, comprising;

kill switch electronics configured to send a kill message to alter a state of a motor on the vehicle; and

an actuator for engaging the kill switch electronics, wherein the actuator for engaging the kill switch electronics comprises a lanyard removably attached to the kill switch unit, wherein disconnection of the lanyard from the kill switch unit engages the kill switch electronics; and

an access control unit configured to wirelessly communicate a key to the vehicle, the access control unit comprising;

key processing electronics configured to formulate the key for processing by the vehicle to unlock a locked component on the vehicle; and

a key actuator that engages the key processing electronics; and

at least one transceiver configured to transmit encrypted communications from at least one of the kill switch unit and the key control unit to the vehicle.

16. The wireless keying and kill switch system of claim 15 wherein the at least one transceiver transmits encrypted communications at AES128 encryption.

19. The wireless keying and kill switch system of claim 15 wherein the vehicle is one of one of a boat, a marine vessel, an automobile, and a motorized vehicle.