Locking system, especially for a motor vehicle

Abstract

Locking system, in particular for access and / or driving authorization in a motor vehicle (1) in the form of a keyless entry / go functionality, with a first device (4) having at least two states and designed as a control unit, such as a control unit for unlocking and / or locking the car doors (6), the ignition lock, the steering wheel lock, for releasing and / or disabling the immobilizer, the engine control unit or the like, and with an associated second device (5) designed in the form of an electronic key, an ID transmitter, a chip card or the like, wherein the two devices (4, 5) comprise transmitting and / or receiving units for the transmission of, in particular, electromagnetic signals (7) for their intended operation,wherein at least one of the signals (7) transmitted between the second device (5) and the first device (4) is a coded operating signal for authenticating the second device (5), such that, after a positive evaluation of the transmitted operating signal, a change in the state of the first device (4) can be effected by an authorized second device (5), and wherein the transmitting and / or receiving unit has an antenna for transmitting the signals (7), characterized in that the transmitting and / or receiving unit (10) for the first device (4) comprises two antennas (11, 12), that a signal distributor (13) in the form of a power splitter is provided for the two antennas (11, 12), and that the transmitting and / or receiving unit (10) is connected to the two antennas (11, 12) by means of the signal distributor (13).

Description

[0001] The invention is based on a locking system according to the preamble of claim 1.

[0002] For increased security requirements, electronic locking systems are used, which operate, for example, using electromagnetic waves. Particularly in motor vehicles, such locking systems are used as door locking systems for access authorization and / or as ignition lock systems, steering locks, immobilizers, or similar devices for driving authorization.

[0003] Such locking systems are known from DE 43 40 260 A1. The locking system consists of a first device, having at least two states and designed as a control unit for locking and / or unlocking car doors, the ignition lock, or the like, and an associated second device designed in the manner of an electronic key. For their intended operation, both devices comprise transmitting and / or receiving units for the transmission of signals, particularly electromagnetic signals, wherein the transmitting and / or receiving unit has an antenna for transmitting the signals. In intended operation, at least one signal can be transmitted between the key and the control unit as a coded operating signal for authenticating the key, so that after a positive evaluation of the transmitted operating signal, and thus with an authorized key, a change in the state of the control unit can be effected.

[0004] Such locking systems have also been further developed with so-called "keyless" functionalities. With the "Keyless Entry" function, manual operation of the electronic key by the user is no longer necessary. It is sufficient for the user to simply carry the key. The operating signal for access authorization is then automatically transmitted between the two systems when the user is within range of the vehicle and, for example, operates the door handle. Similarly, these locking systems can feature a "Keyless Go" function, whereby the operating signal for driving authorization is automatically transmitted between the two systems when the user is inside the vehicle and, for example, presses a start / stop button on the dashboard.

[0005] To ensure optimal signal transmission both inside and outside the vehicle, the initial setup includes a transmitter and / or receiver unit with separate antennas for indoor and outdoor use. A particular disadvantage of such a locking system is its manufacturing cost.

[0006] The invention is based on the objective of further developing the locking system in such a way that it is more cost-effective while maintaining essentially the same functionality.

[0007] This problem is solved in a generic locking system by the characterizing features of claim 1.

[0008] In the locking system according to the invention, only a single transmitting and / or receiving unit is provided for the first device, wherein the transmitting and / or receiving unit for the first device comprises two antennas. Furthermore, a signal distributor in the form of a power splitter is provided for the two antennas. The transmitting and / or receiving unit communicates with the two antennas via the signal distributor. Due to the use of only a single transmitting and / or receiving unit for both antennas, a significant reduction in costs is achieved. Further embodiments of the invention are the subject of the dependent claims.

[0009] For optimal signal transmission in their respective areas, the two antennas can be spatially separated. Preferably, one antenna can be designated as an indoor antenna and the other as an outdoor antenna. This ensures good signal coverage for the entire vehicle.

[0010] Furthermore, the signal distributor can operate the two antennas at different power levels, similar to an asymmetrical signal distributor, to adapt them to their respective areas. In particular, it may be advantageous for the signal distributor to operate the indoor antenna with approximately 10% and the outdoor antenna with approximately 90% of the total transmit power. The invention thus provides the further insight that the indoor antenna requires less power than the outdoor antenna, since the indoor antenna has a smaller area to cover.

[0011] In a further embodiment, the signal distributor can have an input for signal transmission between the transmitting and / or receiving unit and the signal distributor, and an output between the signal distributor and each respective antenna. Preferably, the signal strength for the output to the external antenna can be selected with virtually no loss. In particular, the output to the external antenna can be set with a loss of approximately 0.5 dB (decibels). Furthermore, the signal strength for the output to the internal antenna can be selected with a loss. In particular, the output to the internal antenna can be set with a loss of approximately 10 dB. Additionally, the signal strength for the external antenna can be set by means of loose coupling between the input of the unbalanced signal distributor and the output of the unbalanced signal distributor to the internal antenna.

[0012] Finally, the signals can be transmitted using a carrier in the RF (radio frequency) range. In particular, the RF range could be the standardized Bluetooth, especially Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) with a carrier frequency of approximately 2.45 GHz. Furthermore, the second device could be a smartphone with a suitable application installed, especially one with a BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) interface, which most users already have. In this case, the costs traditionally incurred for an electronic key as a second device can be saved.

[0013] The following can be stated regarding a particularly preferred embodiment of the invention.

[0014] The use of smartphones as car keys is becoming increasingly common in vehicles, particularly electric vehicles such as Teslas. For convenience, it is desirable that the smartphone does not require user interaction and instead offers keyless functionality. A short-range wireless interface is particularly well-suited for this convenience. Smartphones offer a Bluetooth Low Energy interface, operating at approximately 2.45 GHz. A disadvantage of this interface is its slightly higher frequency, which can lead to signal coverage issues both indoors and outdoors. Solutions using an antenna are further hampered by the increasing use of heat-insulating glass, which significantly attenuates high-frequency signals.However, the use of two spatially separated antennas necessitates the use of two Bluetooth Low Energy transmitting and / or receiving units for optimal signal coverage, which in turn leads to higher costs.

[0015] The invention provides that signal coverage for indoor and / or outdoor areas is achieved with two antennas and only one Bluetooth Low Energy transmitting and / or receiving unit. The signal from the Bluetooth Low Energy transmitting and / or receiving unit is distributed to the two antennas via an asymmetric RF signal splitter. The invention has yielded the following insight: If this were done with a simple symmetrical power splitter, both antennas would lose half their signal strength, which in turn would lead to a significant reduction in signal propagation. This reduced signal propagation would result in a considerably shorter radio range, especially outdoors. In contrast, the reduced radio range inside the vehicle would hardly affect signal coverage because the distances between the interior antenna and the smartphone are significantly shorter inside the vehicle.By using an asymmetrical RF signal splitter, the signal strength for the outdoor antenna can be adjusted by loosely coupling the input of the asymmetrical RF signal splitter and the output to the indoor antenna. This allows for virtually lossless signal transmission to the outdoor antenna, while still ensuring good indoor signal coverage with acceptable losses for the indoor antenna. In particular, a good compromise seems to be choosing an output coupling of the indoor antenna with a 10 dB loss, which in turn results in a loss of 0.5 dB at the outdoor antenna.

[0016] The invention provides an asymmetric RF signal distributor for signal coverage in the interior and / or exterior of a vehicle for a smart access system. The invention can be used for all applications where signal coverage is required both inside a vehicle body or in a room, and in the exterior of the body or room, whereby the interior area should always be smaller than the exterior area.

[0017] The advantages achieved with the invention lie particularly in the fact that the solution according to the invention saves the cost of an additional transmitter and / or receiver unit, which can be a Bluetooth Low Energy transmitter and / or receiver unit. Furthermore, the invention facilitates maintaining the Bluetooth Low Energy connection between the vehicle and the smartphone, as the smartphone maintains this connection when its position changes from the interior to the exterior. With a solution using two Bluetooth Low Energy transmitter and / or receiver units, this connection must be repeatedly re-established with the respective Bluetooth Low Energy transmitter and / or receiver unit. This can lead to malfunctions and / or signal delays, which are advantageously avoided in the invention.

[0018] Exemplary embodiments of the invention with various further developments and configurations are shown in the drawings and are described in more detail below. They show Fig. 1 a motor vehicle equipped with a locking system, Fig. 2 a locking system according to a further embodiment in schematic form comprising a smartphone, wherein the smartphone is located in the exterior of the motor vehicle, and Fig. 3 the locking system Fig. 2, where the smartphone is located inside the vehicle.

[0019] In Fig. Figure 1 shows a motor vehicle 1 with the authorized user 2. The motor vehicle 1 is equipped with a locking system 3 for access authorization, comprising a first device 4 designed as a control unit and an associated second device 5. The second device 5 is designed as an electronic key, an identification (ID) transmitter, a chip card, a smart card, or the like. The second device 5 is in the possession of the authorized user 2, thus granting them access to the motor vehicle 1 within its exterior area 8, specifically within a control area 8.

[0020] The first device 4 has at least two states, the first state being a locking state and the second state an unlocking state of the car doors 6. For their intended operation, both devices 4 and 5 comprise transmitting and / or receiving units with an antenna for transmitting electromagnetic signals 7 by means of an electromagnetic carrier wave. At least one of these signals 7 transmitted between the second device 5 and the first device 4 is a coded electromagnetic operating signal. The coded operating signal serves to authenticate the second device 5, whereby, if the second device 5 is authorized, a change in the state of the first device 4 can be effected after a positive evaluation of the transmitted operating signal.The transmission of the coded operating signal occurs when the authorized user 2 operates the door handle 21 on the car door 6 or approaches the door handle 21. This triggers the unlocking of the car doors 6 according to the keyless entry functionality. The transmission of the coded operating signal can also occur automatically without the user 2's intervention as soon as they enter the operating area 8, although this will not be discussed further below. If the user closes the car doors 6 from the outside, the car doors 6 lock automatically. The car doors 6 can also lock automatically after the user leaves the operating area 8.

[0021] The locking system 3 further establishes the driving authorization for the vehicle 1. For this purpose, the first device 4, designed as a control unit, also causes the ignition lock (electronic ignition lock EZS) and / or the steering lock (electric steering lock ELV) to be unlocked and / or locked according to the two states. Likewise, another functionally relevant component of the vehicle 1 can be controlled accordingly by the first device 4. For example, this can enable and / or disable an immobilizer, the engine control unit, or the like. The transmission of the coded operating signal for the authentication of the second device 5 occurs when the authorized user 2 is inside the vehicle 1, i.e., in its interior area 9, and activates a start / stop switch. This triggers the starting process or similar action of the vehicle 1 according to the KeylessGo functionality.The start / stop switch is conveniently located on the gear selector, the ignition lock, in the dashboard, in the center console or the like in the motor vehicle 1.

[0022] For the first device 4, only a single transmitting and / or receiving unit 10 is provided, which, however, comprises two antennas 11, 12. The two antennas 11, 12 are spatially separated, with one antenna 11 being assigned to the interior area 9 as an indoor antenna and the other antenna 12 to the exterior area 8 as an outdoor antenna. The two antennas 11, 12 thus serve to provide signal coverage for the respective areas 8, 9 of the vehicle 1. A signal distributor 13 in the form of a power splitter is provided for the two antennas 11, 12. The transmitting and / or receiving unit 10 is in turn connected to the two antennas 11, 12 via the signal distributor 13.

[0023] Preferably, the signal distributor 13 operates the two antennas 11 and 12 at different power levels in the manner of an asymmetrical signal distributor. The power distribution is selected such that the respective assigned area 8 and 9 is covered. To achieve this coverage, it has proven advantageous for the signal distributor 13 to operate the indoor antenna 11 with approximately 10% and the outdoor antenna 12 with approximately 90% of the total power or transmit power of the transmitting and / or receiving unit 10. This power distribution is based on the finding that the indoor antenna 11, due to its significantly smaller coverage area 9, requires less power than the outdoor antenna 12 for its larger coverage area 8.

[0024] Instead of an electronic key or similar device as a second device 5, a smartphone 5' can also be used as a second device, as described in Fig. 2 and Fig. Figure 3 shows this in more detail. As already mentioned, the signals 7 are transmitted using an electromagnetic carrier, preferably in the RF (radio frequency) range. Furthermore, the RF range can be a standardized Bluetooth connection, in particular Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) with a carrier frequency of approximately 2.45 GHz. A smartphone 5' typically has a BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) interface, making it a suitable option for transmitting the signals 7.

[0025] In Fig. Figure 2 shows the smartphone 5' located in the outdoor area 8 in more detail. A Bluetooth Low Energy connection between the smartphone 5' and the external antenna 12, designed as a BLE antenna and located on the vehicle body 20 of the motor vehicle 1, is used to transmit the signals 7. The BLE transmit and / or receive unit 10 of the first device 4 is connected to the signal distributor 13 via a BLE signal connection 14. For this purpose, the signal distributor 13 has an input 17 for signal transmission via the BLE signal connection 14. Furthermore, the signal distributor 13 has an output 18, thus establishing a BLE signal connection 15 to the external antenna 12.

[0026] In Fig. Figure 3 shows the smartphone 5' located inside the vehicle 9 in more detail. The Bluetooth Low Energy connection between the smartphone 5' and the interior antenna 11, designed as a BLE antenna and located inside the vehicle body 20 of the vehicle 1, is used to transmit the signals 7. The signal distributor 13 also has an output 19, so that a BLE signal connection 16 to the interior antenna 11 is established.

[0027] As shown by the Fig. 2 and Fig.As shown in Figure 3, the signal distributor 13 has an input 17 for signal transmission 14 between the transmitting and / or receiving unit 10 and the signal distributor 13, and one output 18, 19 each between the signal distributor 13 and the respective antennas 12, 11. The signal strength for output 18 to the external antenna 12 is virtually lossless at the signal distributor 13; in particular, the coupling at output 18 to the external antenna 12 is set with a loss of only approximately 0.5 dB. The signal strength for output 19 to the internal antenna 11 is lossy; in particular, the coupling at output 19 to the internal antenna 11 is set with a loss of approximately 10 dB. Furthermore, the signal strength for the external antenna 12 can be adjusted by means of a loose coupling between the input 17 of the asymmetric signal distributor 13 and the output 19 of the asymmetric signal distributor 13 to the internal antenna 11.

[0028] The invention is not limited to the described and illustrated embodiments. Rather, it also encompasses all technically refined developments within the scope of the claims. Thus, such a locking system 3 can be used not only in a motor vehicle 1, but also in applications where signal coverage is necessary both inside and outside a room. In particular, it can also be used for a door lock, for example, on a building or the like, or for other control devices. Reference symbol list 1 motor vehicle / vehicle 2 (authorized) users 3 locking system 4 first setup 5 second facility 5 Smartphone 6 car doors 7 Signal 8 Area of ​​influence / (outdoor) area 9 (Indoor) area 10 (BLE) transmit and / or receive units (for initial setup) 11 (Indoor) antenna (for indoor use) 12 (Outdoor) antenna (for outdoor use) 13 (asymmetric) signal distributors 14 BLE signal distribution / signal transmission (between transmitting and / or receiving unit and signal distributor) 15 BLE signal distribution (between signal distributor and external antenna) 16 BLE signal distribution (between signal distributor and indoor antenna) 17 Input (at signal distributor) 18 Output (to signal distributor for external antenna) 19 Output (to signal distributor for indoor antenna) 20 Vehicle body 21 Door handle QUOTES INCLUDED IN THE DESCRIPTION

[0000] This list of documents cited by the applicant was automatically generated and is included solely for the reader's convenience. The list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA accepts no liability for any errors or omissions. Cited patent literature

[0000] DE 43 40 260 A1

[0003]

Claims

Locking system, in particular for access and / or driving authorization in a motor vehicle (1) in the form of a keyless entry / go functionality, with a first device (4) having at least two states and designed as a control unit, such as a control unit for unlocking and / or locking the car doors (6), the ignition lock, the steering wheel lock, for releasing and / or disabling the immobilizer, the engine control unit or the like, and with an associated second device (5) designed in the form of an electronic key, an ID transmitter, a chip card or the like, wherein the two devices (4, 5) comprise transmitting and / or receiving units for the transmission of, in particular, electromagnetic signals (7) for their intended operation,wherein at least one of the signals (7) transmitted between the second device (5) and the first device (4) is a coded operating signal for authenticating the second device (5), such that, after a positive evaluation of the transmitted operating signal, a change in the state of the first device (4) can be effected by an authorized second device (5), and wherein the transmitting and / or receiving unit has an antenna for transmitting the signals (7), characterized in that the transmitting and / or receiving unit (10) for the first device (4) comprises two antennas (11, 12), that a signal distributor (13) in the form of a power splitter is provided for the two antennas (11, 12), and that the transmitting and / or receiving unit (10) is connected to the two antennas (11, 12) by means of the signal distributor (13). Locking system according to claim 1, characterized in that the two antennas (11, 12) are arranged spatially separately, and that preferably one antenna (11) is assigned to the interior area (9) as an interior antenna and the other antenna (12) is assigned to the exterior area (8) as an exterior antenna. Locking system according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the signal distributor (13) operates the two antennas (11, 12) with different powers in the manner of an asymmetric signal distributor, in particular that the signal distributor (13) operates the indoor antenna (11) with approximately 10% and the outdoor antenna (12) with approximately 90% of the total power. Locking system according to claim 1, 2 or 3, characterized in that the signal distributor (13) has an input (17) for signal transmission (14) between the transmitting and / or receiving unit (10) and the signal distributor (13) and one output (18, 19) each between the signal distributor (13) and the respective antenna (12, 11), and that preferably the signal strength for the output (18) to the external antenna (12) is virtually lossless, in particular that the coupling at the output (18) to the external antenna (12) is set with a loss of approximately 0.5 dB, and that further preferably the signal strength for the output (19) to the internal antenna (11) is lossy, in particular that the coupling at the output (19) to the internal antenna (11) is set with a loss of approximately 10 dB. Locking system according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the signal strength for the external antenna (12) is set by means of a loose coupling between the input (17) of the asymmetric signal distributor (13) and the output (19) of the asymmetric signal distributor (13) to the internal antenna (11). Locking system according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the transmission of the signals (7) takes place by means of a carrier in the RF (high frequency) range, and that the RF range is preferably Bluetooth, in particular Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) with a frequency of approximately 2.45 GHz. Locking system according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the second device is a smartphone (5'), in particular with a BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) interface.

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