Systems and methods for creating a password and/or a keypad code for executing keyless operations upon a vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11037388-B2
Application number	US-201916597551-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 9, 2019
Priority date	Oct 9, 2019
Publication date	Jun 15, 2021
Grant date	Jun 15, 2021

Abstract

Exemplary embodiments described in this disclosure are generally directed to systems and methods for securely creating passwords for performing various keyless operations upon a vehicle. In an exemplary method, a computer receives a request for creating a password for a phone-as-a-key (PaaK) device. The computer determines that the PaaK device is present inside the vehicle and that the vehicle engine has been placed in an accessory state or a run state by an authorized PaaK device located in the vehicle. The computer further determines that a passive entry passive start (PEPS) key fob is present inside the vehicle. A prompt is provided for entry of a password. The computer checks to determine if an entered password has been already assigned to another PaaK device. If unassigned, the computer links the password to the PaaK device and authorizes the entered password as a valid keyless starting password for the vehicle.

First claim

That which is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
determining that at least a first phone-as-a-key (PaaK) device is present inside a vehicle during a first time period;
determining that at least a first passive entry passive start (PEPS) key fob is present inside the vehicle during a second time period;
providing, a prompt to enter a password;
receiving a first signal comprising a first password during the first time period;
disregarding the first signal based on determining that the first PaaK device is not present inside the vehicle during the first time period;
receiving a second signal comprising a second password during the second time period;
determining, based on determining that the first PaaK device and the first PEPS key fob are present during the second time period, that the second password that is entered in response to the prompt is unassigned;
linking, after determining that the second password is unassigned, the second password to the first PaaK device; and
authorizing the second password as a valid keyless starting password for the vehicle.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein providing the prompt is subject to confirming that one of a second PaaK device or a second PEPS key fob has been used to place an engine of the vehicle in a run state, wherein the one of the second PaaK device or the second PEPS key fob is authorized for use in the vehicle.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein providing the prompt comprises:
transmitting a first wireless signal as a part of a password registration procedure; and
receiving a second wireless signal containing the first password.

4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising:
determining that the second wireless signal is received before an expiration of a preset time window.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the first password is rejected if the second wireless signal is not received before the expiration of the preset time window.

6. The method of claim 3 , wherein the first password is rejected if the first password is linked to another PaaK device.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining that at least the first PaaK device is present inside the vehicle comprises at least one of determining that the first PaaK device is plugged into a communications port in the vehicle or that the first PaaK device has been validated by a wireless handshake procedure.

8. A method executed by a computer, the method comprising:
transmitting, to a display system that is located inside a vehicle, a first wireless signal as a part of a password registration procedure;
setting a time window for receiving a response from the display system;
receiving, from the display system, a second wireless signal comprising a first password;
determining, that the second wireless signal is received before an expiration of the time window;
disregarding the second wireless signal based on determining that at least one of a first phone-as-a-key (PaaK) device is not present inside the vehicle or a first passive entry passive start (PEPS) key fob is not present inside the vehicle;
receiving a signal comprising a second password;
processing, when received before the expiration of the time window, the signal to determine that the second password provided via the signal is unassigned;
linking, after determining that the second password is unassigned, the second password to the first PaaK device that is present inside the vehicle; and
authorizing the second password as a valid keyless starting password for the vehicle.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:
determining that one of a second PaaK device or a second PEPS key fob has been used to place an engine of the vehicle in one of an accessory state or a run state, wherein the one of the second PaaK device or the second PEPS key fob is authorized for use in the vehicle; and
transmitting the first wireless signal subject to confirming that the vehicle is in the one of the accessory state or the run state and that each of the second PaaK device and the second PEPS key fob is present in the vehicle.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
disregarding the signal if at least one of: the first PaaK device is not present inside the vehicle, the second PaaK device is not present inside the vehicle, or the signal is received after expiration of the time window.

11. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
determining that at least one of the second PEPS key fob or a personal identification element is identified in the vehicle prior to transmitting the first wireless signal to the display system, wherein the personal identification element is one of a biometric trait of an individual or a near field communication (NFC) device.

12. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
determining that the first PaaK device is present inside the vehicle prior to transmitting the first wireless signal to the display system.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein determining that the first PaaK device is present inside the vehicle prior to transmitting the first wireless signal comprises at least one of determining that the first PaaK device is plugged into a communications port in the vehicle or that the first PaaK device has been used to place the engine of the vehicle in the one of the accessory state or the run state from inside the vehicle.

14. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:
encrypting the first password; and
storing the encrypted first password in at least a first memory device that is located in the vehicle or is a part of a cloud storage system.

15. A computer comprising:
at least one memory that stores computer-executable instructions; and
at least one processor configured to access the at least one memory and execute the computer-executable instructions to at least:
determine that at least a first phone-as-a-key (PaaK) device is present inside a vehicle during a first time period;
determine that at least a first passive entry passive start (PEPS) key fob is present inside the vehicle during a second time period;
provide a prompt to enter a password;
receive a first signal comprising a first password during the first time period;
disregard the first signal based on determining that the first PaaK device is not present inside the vehicle during the first time period;
receive a second signal comprising a second password during the second time period;
determine, based on determining that the first PaaK device and the first PEPS key fob are present during the second time period, that the second password that is entered in response to the prompt is unassigned;
link the second password to the first PaaK device after determining that the second password is unassigned; and
authorize the second password as a valid keyless starting password for the vehicle.

16. The computer of claim 15 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to access the at least one memory and execute additional computer-executable instructions to:
confirm that one of a second PaaK device or a second PEPS key fob has been used to place an engine of the vehicle in one of an accessory state or a run state;
determine that the one of the second PaaK device or the second PEPS key fob is authorized for use in the vehicle; and
provide the prompt subject to confirming that the one of the second PaaK device or the second PEPS key fob is authorized for use in the vehicle and has been used to place the engine of the vehicle in the run state.

17. The computer of claim 15 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to access the at least one memory and execute addition

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Delong Aaron Matthew
• Karpinsky Eugene
• Smyth Cameron
• Thivierge Jr Timothy
• King Daniel M
• Hille Kevin Thomas
• Ehsan Farhan
• Van Wiemeersch John Robert
• Lalwani Santosh Kumar

Classifications

• G06F21/35

  communicating wirelessly · CPC title

• G07C2009/00976

  card · CPC title

• B60R25/209

  Remote starting of engine · CPC title

• G07C9/00896

  specially adapted for particular uses · CPC title

• G07C9/00309 Primary

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