Automobile identification system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11263431-B2
Application number	US-201916532987-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 6, 2019
Priority date	Mar 14, 2019
Publication date	Mar 1, 2022
Grant date	Mar 1, 2022

Abstract

An automobile identification system utilizes fingerprint sensors disposed an exterior and interior of an automobile to obtain fingerprint images. By means of the reference fingerprint image stored in the database and the determination of the processor, the automobile identification system determines whether the person who attempts to enter the automobile is a driver or not. The automobile identification system does not need the conventional key to open the door of the automobile and activate the engine of the automobile.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An automobile identification system for an automobile, comprising:
at least one first fingerprint sensor disposed on an exterior of the automobile to generate a first fingerprint image;
at least one second fingerprint sensor disposed on an interior of the automobile to generate a second fingerprint image;
a database disposed on the interior of the automobile and storing at least one primary reference fingerprint image corresponding to a driver of the automobile and at least one secondary reference fingerprint image corresponding to one other user authorized by the driver; and
a processor disposed on the interior of the automobile and electrically connected to the database, each of the first fingerprint sensors, and each of the second fingerprint sensors to receive the first fingerprint image, the second fingerprint image, the primary reference fingerprint image and the secondary reference fingerprint image;
wherein when the processor determines that the first fingerprint image matches the primary reference fingerprint image or the secondary reference fingerprint image, the processor obtains a pass authentication and makes a door of the automobile open;
when the processor determines that the second fingerprint image matches the primary reference fingerprint image or the secondary reference fingerprint image, the processor obtains a use authentication and makes an engine of the automobile activated;
wherein the use authentication is obtained without a mode selection or a user ID selection prior to receiving the second fingerprint image;
wherein the processor confirms that it is the driver who attempts to enter the automobile when both the first fingerprint image and the second fingerprint image match with the primary reference fingerprint image, and the processor confirms that it is the other user authorized by the driver who attempts to enter the automobile when both the first fingerprint image and the second fingerprint image match with the secondary reference fingerprint image.

2. The automobile identification system according to claim 1 , wherein when the processor determines that the first fingerprint image does not match the primary reference fingerprint image, the processor does not obtain the pass authentication.

3. The automobile identification system according to claim 1 , wherein when the processor determines that the first fingerprint image matches the primary reference fingerprint image but the second fingerprint image does not match the primary reference fingerprint image, the processor obtains the pass authentication without obtaining the use authentication, and each of the second fingerprint sensors restarts sensing fingerprint images.

4. The automobile identification system according to claim 1 , wherein the processor obtains user information according to the first fingerprint image or the second fingerprint image.

5. The automobile identification system according to claim 1 , wherein the database further comprises a plurality of the secondary reference fingerprint images to be provided to the processor.

6. The automobile identification system according to claim 5 , wherein when the processor determines that the first fingerprint image matches one of the plurality of secondary reference fingerprint images, the processor obtains the pass authentication and makes the door of the automobile open; when the processor determines that the second fingerprint image matches one of the plurality of secondary reference fingerprint images, the processor obtains an authorized use authentication and makes the engine of the automobile activated.

7. The automobile identification system according to claim 6 , wherein when the processor determines that the first fingerprint image does not match one of the plurality of secondary reference fingerprint images, the processor does not obtain the pass authentication and makes the door of the automobile locked.

8. The automobile identification system according to claim 6 , wherein when the processor determines that the first fingerprint image matches one of the plurality of secondary reference fingerprint images but the second fingerprint image does not match one of the plurality of secondary reference fingerprint images, the processor obtains the pass authentication without obtaining the authorized use authentication, and each of the second fingerprint sensors restarts sensing fingerprint images, or the processor restarts searching for another frame of the plurality of secondary reference fingerprint images in the database.

9. The automobile identification system according to claim 1 , further comprising a positioning element, wherein when the processor obtains the pass authentication and the use authentication, the positioning element positions a location and creates a map for the automobile.

10. The automobile identification system according to claim 1 , further comprising a wireless transceiver, an external electronic device, and a peripheral element, wherein the wireless transceiver is disposed on the interior of the automobile, wirelessly connected to the external electronic device, and electrically connected to the processor; the peripheral element is disposed on the automobile; when the processor obtains the pass authentication and the use authentication, the external electronic device transmits a control signal to the processor through the wireless transceiver and the processor makes the peripheral element operate according to the control signal; or when the processor obtains the pass authentication and the use authentication, the processor makes the peripheral element operate.

11. The automobile identification system according to claim 10 , wherein the peripheral element comprises a driver's seat, a passenger side door, a passenger side window, rear-view mirrors, air-conditioning equipment, a dashboard, a driving recorder, a lighting device, a multimedia player, an airbag, or a car gearbox.

12. The automobile identification system according to claim 1 , wherein each of the first fingerprint sensors and each of the second fingerprint sensors are optically fingerprinting identifying and have a camera lens and the camera lens has at least three lenses with refractive power.

13. The automobile identification system according to claim 12 , wherein each of the lenses satisfies the following conditions:
1.0≤f/HEP≤10.0;

0deg≤HAF≤150deg;

0mm≤PhiD≤18mm;

0≤PhiA/PhiD≤0.99; and

0.9≤2(ARE/HEP)≤2.0;

wherein f is a focal length of the camera lens; HEP is an entrance pupil diameter of the camera lens; HAF is a half maximum field of view of the camera lens; PhiD is a maximum value of a minimum side length of an outer periphery of a lens base perpendicular to an optical axis of the camera lens; PhiA is a maximum effective diameter of the camera lens nearest to a lens surface of an image plane; ARE is an arc length along an outline of the lens surface, starting from an intersection point of any lens surface of any lens and the optical axis in the camera lens, and ending at a point with a vertical height which is a distance from the optical axis to half the entrance pupil diameter.

14. The automobile identification system according to claim 1 , wherein each of the first fingerprint sensors and each of the second fingerprint sensors are capacitive or resistive fingerprinting identification sensors.

15. An automobile identification system for an automobile, comprising:
at least one fingerprint sensor disposed on the automobile to generate a fingerprint image;
a database disposed on an interior of the automobile and storing at least one first reference

Assignees

• Ability Opto Electronics Technology Co Ltd

Inventors

• Chang Yeong-Ming
• Lai Chien-Hsun
• Chen Shu-Han

Classifications

• G02B13/0045

  having five or more lenses · CPC title

• G02B13/0035

  having three lenses · CPC title

• G02B9/12

  having three components only · CPC title

• G06V40/1318

  using electro-optical elements or layers, e.g. electroluminescent sensing · CPC title

• G02B9/60

  having five components only · CPC title