Low-energy radio frequency tag for performing a vehicle function

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016110572-A1
Application number	US-201414518806-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 20, 2014
Priority date	Oct 20, 2014
Publication date	Apr 21, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A low-energy transceiver tag is described, as well as methods of using the low-energy transceiver tag to enable secure communication with a vehicle. The low-energy transceiver tag includes a substrate, and electronic circuitry carried by the substrate having a transceiver circuit coupled to a power circuit. The transceiver circuit may be configured to transmit a preconfigured answer signal in response to receiving a query signal. In addition, the preconfigured answer signal may be a low-energy response associated with a remotely-located trust anchor.

First claim

1 . A low-energy transceiver tag, comprising:
a substrate; and electronic circuitry carried by the substrate having a transceiver circuit coupled to a power circuit,
wherein the transceiver circuit is configured to transmit a preconfigured answer signal in response to receiving a query signal,
wherein the preconfigured answer signal is a low-energy response associated with a remotely-located trust anchor.

2 . The tag of claim 1 , wherein the power circuit is configured to scavenge radio frequency (RF) energy, wherein the power circuit includes a charging circuit having a storage device for storing the scavenged RF energy.

3 . The tag of claim 2 , wherein the storage device is capable of storing energy sufficient to enable the transceiver circuit to transmit the preconfigured answer signal multiple times without re-charging.

4 . The tag of claim 1 , wherein the substrate and circuitry are sized to be carried on an exterior surface of a mobile device and have a low profile.

5 . The tag of claim 4 , wherein one side of the substrate comprises a fastening means for coupling the tag to one of the exterior surface of the mobile device or an exterior surface of a mobile device carrying case.

6 . The tag of claim 1 , wherein the electronic circuitry further comprises memory for storing the preconfigured answer signal, wherein the answer signal is preconfigured by a vehicle manufacturer and uniquely associated with a vehicle.

7 . A method of secure communication between a vehicle and a mobile device, comprising the steps of:
initiating short range wireless communication (SRWC) between a vehicle and a mobile device; determining whether the mobile device is authorized to command vehicle functions, wherein the determining step includes:
sending the mobile device a challenge query;
receiving a challenge response to the challenge query from the mobile device, wherein the mobile device acquires the challenge response from a radio frequency (RF) tag and then gates the challenge response to the vehicle via SRWC;
attempting to validate the challenge response at the vehicle; and
if the challenge response is validated at the vehicle, performing a vehicle function based on the validation.

8 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the RF tag is either carried by an exterior surface of the mobile device or by an accessory proximate the mobile device.

9 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the RF tag comprises: a transceiver circuit, a memory device, and a power circuit having a charging circuit that includes a storage device.

10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the storage device is one of: a battery, a scavenging circuit for scavenging RF energy from the mobile device, or both.

11 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the RF tag transmits a burst signal carrying the challenge response after receiving a wireless prompt by the mobile device, wherein a power output associated with the burst signal limits the transmission to a near-field range.

12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the near-field range is less than ten centimeters.

13 . The method of claim 11 , wherein, when the storage device is charged to capacity, the storage device stores sufficient energy to transmit more than one burst signal.

14 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the burst signal is unsecure.

15 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the challenge response is associated with a predetermined encrypted seed value.

16 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the vehicle function includes automatically unlocking a vehicle door when the mobile device is within a range of the vehicle enabling SRWC.

17 . A method of providing a challenge response from a radio frequency (RF) tag to a mobile device, comprising the steps of.
scavenging RF power from the proximately-located mobile device; storing the scavenged power in a storage device of the RF tag; receiving a wireless prompt at the RF tag from one of: the mobile device or a vehicle transceiver,
wherein if the wireless prompt is received from the mobile device, it occurs after:
the mobile device and a vehicle have initiated short range wireless communication (SRWC), and
the vehicle has sent the mobile device a challenge query to authenticate the mobile device;

and wherein if the wireless prompt is received from the vehicle transceiver it occurs after the RF tag is positioned within a near-field range of the vehicle transceiver;
in response to the wireless prompt, transmitting a challenge answer using the power stored in the storage device.

18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the transmission range is less than or equal to a near-field range.

Assignees

• Gm Global Tech Operations Inc

Inventors

• Kalhous Amanda J
• Weigert Norman J

Classifications

• G06K7/10366 Primary

  the interrogation device being adapted for miscellaneous applications · CPC title

• H04W4/008

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H04W4/40

  for vehicles, e.g. vehicle-to-pedestrians [V2P] · CPC title

• G06K19/0708 Primary

  the source being electromagnetic or magnetic · CPC title

• H04W4/80

  Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication · CPC title