# US 11,897,420 B2 · Method for door or tailgate operation in a vehicle, authentication element and vehicle > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,897,420 B2 - Document ID: US11897420B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/989,988 - Filed: 2020-08-11 - Published: 2021-02-18 - Granted: 2024-02-13 - Earliest claimed: 2019-08-15 - Assignees: Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft - Applicants: Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft - Inventors: Bernd Ette - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11897420B2 ## CPC - B60R 25/2054: {by foot gestures} - B60R 25/24: using electronic identifiers containing a code not memorised by the user - B60R 25/01: operating on vehicle systems or fittings, e.g. on doors, seats or windscreens - B60R 25/31: of human presence inside or outside the vehicle - G06N 3/04: Architecture, e.g. interconnection topology - G06N 3/0499: Feedforward networks - G06N 3/08: Learning methods - G06N 3/09: Supervised learning - B60R 2325/10: Communication protocols, communication systems of vehicle anti-theft devices - B60R: VEHICLES, VEHICLE FITTINGS, OR VEHICLE PARTS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - G06N: COMPUTING ARRANGEMENTS BASED ON SPECIFIC COMPUTATIONAL MODELS ## Abstract A method for door or tailgate operation in a transportation vehicle, wherein the transportation vehicle is equipped with an access control device with which determines whether the operating person is present with an authentication element within a proximity area around the transportation vehicle. The device is equipped with at least one communication module for wireless communication with the authentication element, wherein access authorization information is transmitted from the authentication element to the device, the information being checked in the device, and wherein access is granted to the device following verification of the access authorization. It is determined whether the operating person is located in the immediate vicinity of the door or tailgate to be operated, and whether the operating person performs an operating movement in the immediate vicinity for the door or tailgate operation. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An authentication element configured to transmit access authorization information from the authentication element to an access control device of a transportation vehicle, wherein the authentication element comprises: a neural network for learning a plurality of operating movements for the operation of a door or tailgate of a transportation vehicle; and communication equipment configured to determine whether an operating person is located in an immediate vicinity of the door or tailgate to be operated, wherein the neural network determines whether the operating person performs a learned operating movement in the immediate vicinity for the door or tailgate operation, wherein, for checking whether the operating person performs a learned operating movement in the immediate vicinity for the door or tailgate operation, a preselection of a number less than a total of learned operating movements is made in which the authentication element selects the preselection of learned operating movements which are valid for an associated communication module on the transportation vehicle whose communication with the authentication element consecutively results in the shortest propagation time measurement to compare against movement of the operating person, wherein the communication equipment transmits information relating to the tailgate operating procedure to the access control device in response to the performance of the operating movement being verified, and wherein the authentication element transmits consecutive ultra-wideband signals (UWB) signals during the approach to the transportation vehicle and the signals are answered by at least one communication module included in the access control device. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The authentication element of claim 1, wherein the authentication element is integrated into a mobile communication device. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The authentication element of claim 1, wherein the operating movement is learned by the neural network in the authentication element. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The authentication element of claim 3, wherein the performance of the operating movement is detected by the neural network in the authentication element and information relating to the tailgate operating procedure is transmitted to the device in response to the performance of the operating movement being verified. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The authentication element of claim 1, wherein the detection of the immediate vicinity is based on a distance measurement which the authentication element performs by a propagation time measurement of signals which are transmitted between the authentication element and the communication module. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The authentication element of claim 5, wherein the authentication element and the communication module communicate with ultra-wideband signals (UWB signals), and the propagation time measurement is performed with UWB signals. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The authentication element of claim 1, wherein the device has an access authorization control module which initiates the door or tailgate operating procedure after it has received the information relating to the tailgate operating procedure from the authentication element. ### Claim 8 A method for door or tailgate operation in a transportation vehicle, wherein the transportation vehicle is equipped with an access control device configured to determining whether an operating person is present within a monitoring range around the transportation vehicle using an authentication element, wherein the access control device is equipped with at least one communication module for wireless communication with the authentication element, the method comprising: transmitting access authorization information from the authentication element to the access control device; checking the transmitted access authorization information in the access control device; granting access to the access control device in response to verification of the access authorization information, determining whether the operating person is located in the immediate vicinity of the door or tailgate to be operated; determining whether the operating person performs an operating movement in the immediate vicinity for the door or tailgate operation; triggering the door or tailgate operating procedure in response to the performance of the operating movement being verified, wherein the authentication element transmits consecutive UWB signals during the approach to the transportation vehicle and the signals are answered by the at least one communication module, and wherein, for checking whether the operating person performs a learned operating movement in the immediate vicinity for the door or tailgate operation, a preselection of a number less than a total of learned operating movements is made in which the authentication element selects the preselection of learned operating movements which are valid for an associated communication module on the transportation vehicle whose communication with the authentication element consecutively results in the shortest propagation time measurement to compare against movement of the operating person. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein the operating movement is learned by a neural network in the authentication element. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, wherein the performance of the operating movement is detected by the neural network in the authentication element and information relating to the tailgate operating procedure is transmitted to the device in response to the performance of the operating movement being verified. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein the detection of the immediate vicinity is based on a distance measurement which the authentication element performs by a propagation time measurement of signals which are transmitted between the authentication element and the communication module. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein the authentication element and the communication module communicate with ultra-wideband signals (UWB signals), and the propagation time measurement is performed with UWB signals. ### Claim 13 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein the device has an access authorization control module which initiates the door or tailgate operating procedure after it has received the information relating to the tailgate operating procedure from the authentication element. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The authentication element of claim 1, further comprising a proximity area during which the distance is measured until the immediate vicinity where the operating movement can be executed has been determined to be reached. ### Claim 15 (depends on 8) the method of claim 8, further comprising a proximity area during which the distance is measured based on the transmitted UWB signals and answer until the immediate vicinity where the operating movement can be executed has been determined to be reached.