Portable ID-transmitter for an authentication system and an authentication operating system for use therewith

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10275964-B2
Application number	US-201815910572-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 2, 2018
Priority date	Apr 28, 2017
Publication date	Apr 30, 2019
Grant date	Apr 30, 2019

Abstract

A portable ID transmitter for an authentication system of a vehicle includes a supply battery, a micro controller, UWB transmitting and receiving circuits controlled by the microcontroller for communication with a vehicle-side control device, and an LF receiving circuit controlled with the microcontroller for receiving LF wake-up signals transmitted in the LF frequency range, all arranged in a housing.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A portable ID transmitter for an authentication system of a vehicle, the ID transmitter comprising, arranged in a housing:
a supply battery,
a microcontroller, wherein
the microcontroller is configured, when an LF-reception circuit has received an LF alert signal, to transmit a UWB signal for reception by a UWB interface of the vehicle, which is coupled with a vehicle control unit,
to receive a UWB response signal,
to detect the time difference between transmitting the UWB signal and receiving the UWB response signal,
to check whether the time difference or a parameter derived from it does not exceed a predetermined maximum value, and,
to transmit a radio signal to the vehicle control unit, which has a release value, depending on the result of the test
wherein the ID transmitter is configured for testing a number of LF signals for an identity identifier, detecting signal strength values for the LF signals and responding to the reception of the LF signals with an HF response signal, which comprises the identification of the LF signal with the strongest signal strength value and/or includes a list of identity identifiers with associated signal strength values,
wherein a plurality of UWB antennas are spaced apart on the vehicle and the plurality of UWB antennas are prioritized based on the identification of the LF signal with the strongest signal strength and/or the list of identity identifiers with associated signal strength values, as to which of the plurality of UWB antennas are controlled.

2. The ID transmitter according to claim 1 , wherein the microcontroller is configured to transmit the UWB signal as a radio signal to the vehicle control unit.

3. The ID transmitter according to claim 1 , wherein the microcontroller is configured to transmit an authorization code to the radio signal.

4. The ID transmitter according to claim 3 , wherein a challenge-response list is stored on a storage medium of the ID transmitter, which storage medium is coupled with the microcontroller, and that the microcontroller is configured to transmit by means of the radio signal a response value assigned to the challenge value if the UWB response signal comprises a challenge value.

5. The ID transmitter according to claim 1 , wherein the UWB response signal is transmitted with a predetermined minimum time interval after the RF response signal.

6. The ID transmitter according to claim 1 , wherein the microcontroller is configured to carry out, at least partially in parallel, an LF communication and a UWB communication.

7. The ID transmitter according to claim 1 , wherein the LF reception circuit and/or the UWB transmission and reception circuits are configured to assume an energy-reduced state in which they are not ready to receive and to transmit compared with their normal operating state, and in which they are coupled with a motion sensor in such a way that the LF reception circuit and/or the UWB transmission and reception circuits are transferred to the normal operating state when the ID transmitter is moved.

8. The ID transmitter according to claim 1 , wherein the ID transmitter is configured in the form of an ID transmitter that can be activated in an exclusively passive manner, and the housing of which is configured with an operating element that cannot be activated manually.

9. The ID transmitter according to claim 8 , wherein the ID transmitter has a mechanical coupling element for connecting a key.

10. A vehicle authentication system comprising the ID transmitter according to claim 1 and a second ID transmitter, wherein the second ID transmitter is configured as a manual HF radio key wherein by manual actuation of a button arranged on the second ID transmitter, an HF request signal adapted to the vehicle control unit is transmitted to request a vehicle function, so that the ID transmitter and the second ID transmitter form a key system and are configured for communication with the same vehicle, but not with one another.

11. A method for operating a vehicle authentication system for authenticating a portable ID transmitter to the vehicle to enable vehicle functions for an operator carrying the portable ID transmitter,
the authentication system comprising the portable ID transmitter and a vehicle authentication arrangement, the authentication arrangement comprising a plurality of UWB antennas having at least a first UWB antenna and a second UWB antenna spaced apart on the vehicle,
the method comprising the following steps:
A) selecting a UWB antenna from the plurality of UWB antennas of the authentication arrangement as the selected UWB antenna, wherein the selected UWB antenna is selected at least
depending on a function of a reception signal strength of an LF signal transmitted between the ID transmitter and an LF interface of the authentication arrangement, and/or
depending on a function of a reception signal strength of an HF signal transmitted between the ID transmitter and an HF interface of the authentication arrangement, and/or
depending on a function of a proximity signal from a proximity sensor located on the vehicle;
B) controlling the selected UWB antenna to perform UWB communication between the ID transmitter and the authentication arrangement;
C) performing the UWB communication between the ID transmitter and the authentication arrangement;
D) detecting a running time of a UWB signal of the UWB communication between the ID transmitter and the selected UWB antenna;
E) checking whether the running time of the UWB signal between the ID transmitter and the selected UWB antenna is less than a predetermined maximum running time.

12. The method according to claim 11 , wherein the steps B) to E) are performed with a first selected UWB antenna, and if the running time of the UWB signal between the ID transmitter and the first selected antenna is greater than a predetermined maximum running time,
at least steps B) to E) are performed with a second selected UWB antenna to check whether the running time of the UWB signal between the ID transmitter and the second selected antenna is less than the predetermined maximum running time representing a position of the ID transmitter within a predetermined space surrounding the second selected UWB antenna.

Assignees

• Neuhoff Stefan
• Schindler Mirko
• Huf Huelsbeck & Fuerst Gmbh & Co Kg

Inventors

• Neuhoff Stefan
• Schindler Mirko

Classifications

• H04B1/7163

  using impulse radio · CPC title

• G07C9/00309 Primary

  operated with bidirectional data transmission between data carrier and locks · CPC title

• G07C2009/00373

  whereby the wake-up circuit is situated in the lock · CPC title

• G07C2009/00388

  code verification carried out according to the challenge/response method · CPC title

• G07C2009/00769

  with data transmission performed by wireless means · CPC title