Secure vehicle access system, key, vehicle and method therefor
AssigneeNXP B.V.
InventorBernhard Spiess
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A secure vehicle access system comprises a vehicle and a key associated with the vehicle. The key comprises: a radio frequency, RF, key transceiver configured to: broadcast at least one signal; and listen for an acknowledgement message from the vehicle. The vehicle comprises: a radio frequency, RF, vehicle transceiver configured to: listen for the at least one broadcast signal from the key; and in response thereto, transmit an acknowledgement message back to the key to establish a communication link between the vehicle and the key. The key further comprises a ranging circuit configured to perform a distance determination between the vehicle and the key, following the establishment of the communication link, to determine whether to allow access to the vehicle.
Claims15
A secure vehicle access system comprising, a vehicle and a key associated with the vehicle,
- wherein the key comprises:
- a radio frequency, RF, key transceiver configured to:
- broadcast at least one signal;
- listen for an acknowledgement message from the vehicle;
- an ultra-wideband (UWB) transceiver;
- wherein the vehicle comprises:
- an UWB transceiver;
- a radio frequency, RF, vehicle transceiver configured to:
- listen for the at least one broadcast signal from the key;
- and
- in response thereto, transmit an acknowledgement message back to the key to establish a communication link between the vehicle and the key,
- wherein the key further comprises a ranging circuit configured to perform a distance determination between the vehicle and the key following the establishment of the communication link to determine whether to allow access to the vehicle;
- wherein the key RF transceiver is configured to continuously send advertise signal at preselected intervals and to wait for an acknowledgement from the vehicle RF transceiver, wherein prior to the distance determination and upon receiving the advertise signal from the key, the vehicle is configured to wake up the UWB transceiver of the vehicle and send an acknowledgement signal back to the key, wherein upon receiving the acknowledgement signal, the key is configured to wake up the UWB transceiver of the key.
A key associated with a vehicle for use in a secure vehicle access system, the key comprising:
- an ultra-wideband (UWB) transceiver;
- a radio frequency (RF) key transceiver configured to:
- broadcast at least one signal;
- and
- listen for an acknowledgement message from the vehicle, wherein a communication link is established between the vehicle and the key upon receipt of the acknowledgement message from the vehicle;
- and
- a ranging circuit configured to perform a distance determination between the vehicle and the key following the establishment of the communication link to determine whether to allow access to the vehicle,
- wherein the RF key transceiver is configured to continuously send advertise signal at preselected intervals and to wait for an acknowledgement from the vehicle prior to waking up the UWB transceiver to perform the distance determination.
A vehicle for use in a secure vehicle access system, the vehicle comprising,
- a radio frequency (RF) vehicle transceiver configured to:
- listen for the at least one broadcast signal from a key associated with the vehicle;
- and
- in response thereto, transmit an acknowledgement message back to the key to establish a communication link between the vehicle and the key,
- a number of ultra-wideband (UWB) vehicle transceivers coupled to the RF vehicle transceiver and configured to:
- receive a ranging challenge signal from the key in response to the establishment of the communication link;
- and
- transmit a response message to the key;
- and
- a body control unit (BCU) coupled to the RF vehicle transceiver and configured to wake up in response to the received at least one broadcast signal from an associated key and receive an instruction from the key as to whether to allow access to the vehicle based on the response message to the key.
A method for a secure vehicle access system comprising, a vehicle and a key associated with the vehicle, the method comprising:
- continuously broadcasting, by the key, at least one signal radio frequency (RF) and
- listening, at the vehicle, for the at least one broadcast RF signal and in response thereto, transmitting an acknowledgement message back to the key;
- receiving, at the key, the acknowledgement message;
- establishing a communication link between the vehicle and the key in response to the received acknowledgement message and waking up an ultra-wideband transceiver of the key and an ultra-wideband transceiver of the vehicle;
- using the ultra-wideband transceiver of the key, performing at the key a distance determination between the vehicle and the key following the establishment of the communication link;
- and
- determining at the key whether to allow access to the vehicle.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.