NFC based secure car key

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9786108-B2
Application number	US-201514729432-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 3, 2015
Priority date	Jun 3, 2015
Publication date	Oct 10, 2017
Grant date	Oct 10, 2017

Abstract

A device is disclosed. The device includes a processor and a memory. The memory is coupled to the processor and having programming instructions to operate a vehicle via Near Field Communication (NFC). The device also includes a NFC controller coupled to a short range antenna, a passive NFC tag and a secure memory coupled to the NFC controller for storing a security code.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A device, comprising:
a processor;
a memory coupled to the processor and having programming instructions to operate a vehicle via Near Field Communication (NFC);
a user interface to receive a security code associated with a particular vehicle from a user;
a NFC controller coupled to a short range antenna, the NFC controller configured to encrypt a message using the entered security code, the message including a second security code and sending a request including the encrypted message to a vehicle for authorization;
a passive NFC tag; and
a secure element memory coupled to the NFC controller configured to store one or more security codes, the secure element memory storing and receiving from the vehicle upon successful decryption of the message a shared security code encrypted with the second security code.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the NFC controller is coupled to the short range antenna through a transceiver that includes at least one of a variable capacitor and a variable resistor.

3. The device of claim 1 , wherein the passive NFC tag is enabled to communicate with an external NFC reader directly without the short range antenna.

4. The device of claim 1 , wherein the secure element memory is designed to self-destruct if an unauthorized access to the security code is attempted.

5. The device of claim 1 , further includes a passive entry system (PKF) controller coupled to the short range antenna to operate the vehicle.

6. The device of claim 1 , wherein the memory includes programming instructions to provision the device to be used as a key to operate the vehicle.

7. The device of claim 6 , wherein the provisioning includes securely exchanging the security code with the vehicle.

8. The device of claim 1 , wherein the secure element memory includes a NFC control applet configured to control operations of the NFC controller.

9. The device of claim 1 , wherein the shared security code stored in the secure element memory includes one of the plurality of security codes sent from the NFC controller.

10. The device of claim 1 , wherein the secure element memory stores encryption programming instructions to be executed by the NFC controller.

11. The device of claim 1 , wherein the NFC controller includes a NFC control applet configured to provide security features including generating a security code or authorizing a security code.

12. The device of claim 11 , wherein the NFC applet connects to an external service to obtain a security code from an external secure system.

13. The device of claim 1 , wherein the one or more security codes includes a security code associated with the vehicle.

14. The device of claim 1 , wherein the one or more security codes includes a shared security code provided by the NFC controller.

15. A device, comprising:
a processor;
a memory coupled to the processor and having programming instructions to operate a vehicle via Near Field Communication (NFC);
a user interface to receive a security code associated with a particular vehicle from a user;
a NFC controller coupled to a short range antenna, the NFC controller configured to encrypt a message using the entered security code, the message including a second security code, and sending a request including the encrypted message to at least one of a plurality of vehicles for authorization;
a passive NFC tag; and
a secure element memory coupled to the NFC controller configured to store a plurality of shared security codes, each shared security code associated with one of the plurality of different vehicles, wherein upon successful decryption of the message the secure element memory receives and stores one of the shared security codes encrypted with a second security code.

16. The device of claim 15 , wherein the one of the shared security codes is a code shared between the device and at least one of the plurality of vehicles.

17. The device of claim 15 , wherein the device includes a trial and error mechanism configured to find a shared security code for a vehicle.

18. The device of claim 17 , wherein the device keeps track of a usage of different shared security codes and begins the trial and error mechanism using a most used security code followed by a second most used security code.

Assignees

• Nxp Bv

Inventors

• Spiess Bernhard
• Neffe Ulrich

Classifications

• G07C2009/00865

  remotely by wireless communication · CPC title

• G07C2009/00984

  fob · CPC title

• G07C2009/00769

  with data transmission performed by wireless means · CPC title

• G07C9/00309 Primary

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

• G07C9/20

  involving the use of a pass · CPC title