# US 11,305,732 B2 · Vehicle access system > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,305,732 B2 - Document ID: US11305732B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/605,583 - Filed: 2018-03-30 - Published: 2020-04-23 - Granted: 2022-04-19 - Earliest claimed: 2017-04-19 - Assignees: Jaguar Land Rover Limited - Applicants: Jaguar Land Rover Limited - Inventors: Howard Siswick; Mohammed Khan - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11305732B2 ## CPC - B60R 25/01: operating on vehicle systems or fittings, e.g. on doors, seats or windscreens - B60R 25/246: {characterised by the challenge triggering} - B60R 25/00: Fittings or systems for preventing or indicating unauthorised use or theft of vehicles (locks for vehicles E05B77/00-E05B85/00) - B60R 25/241: {whereby access privileges are related to the identifiers} - B60R 25/245: {where the antenna reception area plays a role} - G01S 11/06: using intensity measurements - G07C 9/00309: {operated with bidirectional data transmission between data carrier and locks} - B60R 2325/101: Bluetooth® - B60R 2325/105: Radio frequency identification data [RFID] - B60R 2325/205: Mobile phones - G07C 2009/00365: {in combination with a wake-up circuit} - G07C 2009/00396: {starting with prompting the keyless data carrier} - G07C 2209/63: Comprising locating means for detecting the position of the data carrier, i.e. within the vehicle or within a certain distance from the vehicle - B60R: VEHICLES, VEHICLE FITTINGS, OR VEHICLE PARTS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - G01S: RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION OR RERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES - G07C: TIME OR ATTENDANCE REGISTERS; REGISTERING OR INDICATING THE WORKING OF MACHINES; GENERATING RANDOM NUMBERS; VOTING OR LOTTERY APPARATUS; ARRANGEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS FOR CHECKING NOT PROVIDED FOR ELSEWHERE ## Abstract A method of operating an access system for a vehicle, the method comprising: 5 scanning for a first communication signal from a first communications device using a first communication channel; and initiating a vehicle access process in dependence on detecting the first communication signal from the first communications device; wherein the vehicle access process comprises: comparing a received signal strength indication, RSSI, of the received first communication signal to a predetermined 10 threshold signal strength value; sending a challenge signal for a second communications device using a second communication channel in the event that the RSSI of the received first communication signal exceeds the threshold signal strength value; and controlling the vehicle access system in dependence on a response signal received from the second communications device, the response signal having been 15 sent in response to the challenge signal. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of operating an access system for a vehicle, the method comprising: scanning for a first communication signal from a first communications device using a first communication channel of a first communications system; and initiating a vehicle access process based on detecting the first communication signal from the first communications device; wherein the vehicle access process comprises: comparing a received signal strength indication, RSSI, of the received first communication signal to a predetermined threshold signal strength value; sending a challenge signal for a second communications device using a second communication channel of a second communications system in the event that the RSSI of the received first communication signal exceeds the threshold signal strength value; and controlling the vehicle access system based on a response signal received from the second communications device, the response signal having been sent in response to the challenge signal. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second communications device is configured to allow a user to gain access to a vehicle. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) A method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising identifying a device identifier for the first communications device from the first communication signal and checking if the device identifier corresponds with that of an approved device. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) A method as claimed in claim 3, further comprising turning on a transmitter for transmitting the challenge signal via the second communication channel in the event that the first communications device is an approved device. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) A method as claimed in claim 4, wherein the transmitter comprises a Radio Frequency, RF, transmitter and the second communications channel comprises an RF channel. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) A method as claimed in claim 5, wherein the transmitter comprises a Low Frequency, LF, transmitter and the second communications channel comprises an LF channel. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) A method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising sending a signal strength request signal to the first communications device over the first communication channel and receiving a signal strength confirmation communication signal from the first communications device over the first communications channel, the signal strength confirmation communication signal comprising a signal strength value of the signal strength request signal as received at the first communications device. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) A method as claimed in claim 7, further comprising comparing the signal strength value to a predetermined threshold signal strength value. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) A method as claimed in claim 8, further comprising sending the challenge signal for the second communications device in the event that the signal strength value exceeds the threshold signal strength value. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the vehicle is provided with multiple antennas for receiving communication signals sent over the first communication channel, the method further comprising comparing the signal strength of signals received from the first communications device at two or more of the antennas to determine an approach vector for the first communications device. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) A method as claimed in claim 10, further comprising turning on a transmitter for transmitting the challenge signal on the side of the vehicle that the first communications device is approaching. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) A method as claimed in claim 1, comprising cancelling the vehicle access process in the event that no response signal is received from the second communications device. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) A method as claimed in claim 1, comprising determining that the first communications device is moving away from the vehicle in dependence on one or more changes in the signal strength of signals received over the first communications channel from the first communications device. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) A method as claimed in claim 13, further comprising turning on an RF transmitter in order to determine if the second communications device is moving away from the vehicle. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) A method as claimed in claim 14, further comprising locking the vehicle in the event that either or both of the first and second communications devices have left the vicinity of the vehicle. ### Claim 16 A control unit arranged to control an access system for a vehicle, the control unit comprising: one or more inputs for receiving a first communication signal from a first communications device and a second communication signal from a second communications device; a processor arranged to manage a vehicle access process; and an output arranged to output vehicle access control signals; wherein the processor is arranged to: scan for a first communication signal from a first communications device using a first communication channel of a first communications system; initiate a vehicle access process based on detecting the first communication signal from the first communications device, the vehicle access process comprising comparing a received signal strength indication, RSSI, of the received first communication signal to a predetermined threshold signal strength value and, in the event that the RSSI of the received first communication signal exceeds the threshold signal value, sending from the output a challenge signal for a second communications device using a second communication channel of a second communications system; and wherein the output is arranged to output a vehicle access control signal to control the vehicle access system based on a response signal received from the second communications device, the response signal having been sent in response to the challenge signal. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) An access system for a vehicle comprising a control unit as claimed in claim 16, a first antenna arranged to operate over the first communication channel and a second antenna arranged to operate over the second communication channel. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) A vehicle comprising a control unit as claimed in claim 16. ### Claim 19 (depends on 1) A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon a computer program product comprising instructions which, when the program is executed by a computer, cause the computer to carry out the method of claim 1.