An automobile digital key control system and an automobile

Abstract

The utility model discloses a kind of automobile digital key control system and car, including key terminal, vehicle terminal, the key terminal is provided with Bluetooth module, star flash module;The vehicle terminal includes control unit, star flash main module, star flash anchor point and Bluetooth main module;The key terminal is connected with Bluetooth main module by Bluetooth module;The key terminal is connected with star flash anchor point, star flash main module by star flash module, to realize the position positioning of key terminal;The control unit is connected with Bluetooth main module, star flash main module respectively;The control unit is connected with vehicle ECU by whole car CAN bus, to execute the control signal of key terminal.The utility model is characterized in that: the purpose of vehicle digital key control is realized by the mode of star flash and Bluetooth combination, improves the range of key control and the accuracy of positioning.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of automotive key technology, and in particular to a dual-chip positioning automotive digital key control system and an automotive. Background Technology

[0002] Traditional digital key systems rely heavily on technologies such as Bluetooth and NFC, which suffer from problems such as short communication distance, low security, high power consumption, and poor connection stability. Despite these issues, their mature application has led to widespread use in the automotive field, even in retrofitting without original equipment. For example, patent application number 202220615919.1 describes a system for aftermarket Bluetooth key functionality, comprising a mobile terminal, a vehicle terminal, and a backend server. The vehicle terminal includes a Bluetooth RF receiver and a body controller, which are connected. The mobile terminal features a digital key app. The backend server includes a payment module and a store module. The payment module obtains authorization for the aftermarket Bluetooth key function based on the vehicle's VIN and the Bluetooth RF receiver's TUID provided by the digital key app. The store module verifies the accuracy of the VIN and TUID and binds them to activate the aftermarket Bluetooth key function, allowing vehicle control via the digital key app. The system also includes a diagnostic tool connected to the body controller, used to operate the Bluetooth RF receiver, input the VIN, read the TUID, and perform vehicle key learning to ensure the VIN and TUID match.

[0003] The aforementioned patent allows car owners to add Bluetooth key functionality to their vehicles later on, improving convenience. This demonstrates the widespread application of Bluetooth keys; however, Bluetooth keys also have inherent limitations, such as inaccurate positioning and a limited recognition range. Therefore, traditional solutions relying solely on Bluetooth for vehicle control are flawed and cannot meet user needs. Utility Model Content

[0004] The purpose of this utility model is to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art and provide a car digital key control system and car, which realizes the purpose of vehicle digital key control by combining Star Flash and Bluetooth, thereby improving the range of key control and the accuracy of positioning.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the technical solution adopted by the present invention is as follows: A car digital key control system includes a key terminal and an in-vehicle terminal. The key terminal is equipped with a Bluetooth module and a star flash module. The in-vehicle terminal includes a control unit, a star flash main module, a star flash anchor point, and a Bluetooth main module. The key terminal is connected to the Bluetooth master module via a Bluetooth module; the key terminal is connected to the star flash anchor point and the star flash master module via a star flash module to achieve location positioning of the key terminal; The control unit is connected to the Bluetooth main module and the Star Flash main module respectively; The control unit is connected to the vehicle ECU via the vehicle's CAN bus to execute control signals from the key terminal.

[0006] The control unit obtains the distance of the key terminal from the Star Flash main module. When the distance is greater than a set threshold, the control unit receives the control command sent by the key terminal through the Star Flash module.

[0007] When the distance to the key terminal is less than or equal to the set threshold, the control terminal selects to receive the control command via Star Flash Communication or Bluetooth Communication according to the control signal type.

[0008] When the control signal type is a distance-related control command, the key terminal and the control unit exchange control signals via Star Flash communication; otherwise, the key terminal and the control unit exchange control signals via Bluetooth communication.

[0009] The key terminal is a digital key, mobile phone, or wearable device equipped with Bluetooth and StarFlash communication.

[0010] An automobile, the automobile including the aforementioned control system.

[0011] The advantages of this invention are: by combining star flash and Bluetooth, the purpose of vehicle digital key control is achieved, thereby improving the range of key control and the accuracy of positioning. Attached Figure Description

[0012] The following is a brief explanation of the contents of each of the accompanying drawings and the markings in the drawings: Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the control system of this utility model. Detailed Implementation

[0013] The specific embodiments of the present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and the description of the preferred embodiments.

[0014] This embodiment addresses the shortcomings of existing technologies that rely solely on Bluetooth for digital key development and control. It develops a digital key compatible with both StarFlash and Bluetooth communication methods. This solves the problem of low Bluetooth positioning accuracy in existing single-Bluetooth keys. Completely replacing Bluetooth is problematic because Bluetooth is too mature, and many applications and functions are based on it. Considering that Bluetooth cannot be directly replaced, this solution adopts a digital key control system combining Bluetooth and StarFlash. It integrates the high-precision positioning and wide-range capability of StarFlash technology, achieving the advantages of accurate positioning and long distance, while still retaining Bluetooth control, thus improving the versatility of applications.

[0015] like Figure 1 As shown in this embodiment, a car digital key control system includes a key terminal and an in-vehicle terminal. The key terminal is equipped with a Bluetooth module and a star-flash module. The in-vehicle terminal includes a control unit, a star-flash main module, a star-flash anchor point, and a Bluetooth main module. The key terminal is connected to the Bluetooth main module via the Bluetooth module. The key terminal is connected to the star-flash anchor point and the star-flash main module via the star-flash module to achieve position positioning of the key terminal. The control unit is connected to both the Bluetooth main module and the star-flash main module. The control unit is connected to the in-vehicle ECU via the vehicle CAN bus to execute control signals from the key terminal.

[0016] In this embodiment, the key terminal needs to be compatible with both StarFlash communication and Bluetooth communication; therefore, the StarFlash module and Bluetooth module are integrated into the key terminal. The vehicle side is equipped with an in-vehicle terminal, which includes a control unit, a StarFlash main module, a StarFlash anchor point, and a Bluetooth main module. Both the StarFlash main module and the StarFlash anchor point module are located on the vehicle side and communicate with the StarFlash module in the key terminal when implementing key functions, to achieve data interaction authentication and vehicle key control functions. The Bluetooth main module is located on the vehicle side. Within the Bluetooth communication range, the Bluetooth module of the key terminal communicates with the Bluetooth main module. The Bluetooth main module and the Bluetooth module communicate and exchange control information and acquire the RSSI strength of the communication signal to realize the function and purpose of the Bluetooth digital key.

[0017] In this embodiment, the control unit obtains the distance to the key terminal from the StarScan master module. When the distance exceeds a set threshold, the control unit receives control commands from the key terminal via the StarScan module. The control module interacts with the StarScan module within the key terminal through the StarScan master module and the StarScan anchor point to complete authentication and ranging / positioning. Since Bluetooth communication has a short range and its positioning becomes more prone to errors over longer distances, StarScan leverages its long-range and positioning advantages over Bluetooth. When the distance exceeds a certain threshold, communication between the key terminal and the control unit is completed using StarScan communication. Distance detection is achieved through the interaction between the StarScan master module, the StarScan module, and the StarScan chip in the key module. Then, based on the accurate distance measured by StarScan, it determines whether to use StarScan communication for key terminal control signal exchange and forwarding. A distance threshold is preset; when the distance exceeds the threshold, StarScan communication is used. The distance threshold is generally set based on the effective range of accurate Bluetooth communication.

[0018] When the distance to the key terminal is less than or equal to a set threshold, the control terminal selects to receive control commands via either StarFlash communication or Bluetooth communication, depending on the control signal type. When the control signal type is a distance-related control command, the key terminal and the control unit exchange control signals via StarFlash communication; otherwise, they exchange control signals via Bluetooth communication. When the distance is less than the set distance threshold, either StarFlash communication or Bluetooth communication is used for interaction. The choice between StarFlash and Bluetooth communication depends on the type of control command issued by the digital key. When the control command issued by the key is distance-related, StarFlash communication is used for interaction because the StarFlash chip provides more accurate positioning and ranging, enabling interaction between the key terminal and the vehicle control unit. Other control commands besides distance-related ones are exchanged via Bluetooth. Distance verification uses StarFlash, while identity authentication uses Bluetooth. The main purpose of this approach is to consider the respective advantages of StarFlash and Bluetooth, while also taking into account the maturity of Bluetooth solutions and the widespread use of mobile wearable devices. This allows for compatibility with both advantages, as well as compatibility with wearable devices and other Bluetooth-enabled devices for accessing the vehicle key function. In this embodiment, the key terminal is a digital key, mobile phone, or wearable device with both Bluetooth and StarFlash communication capabilities. This expands the scope of application, enables the effective use of the key terminal, and also broadens the usage scenarios of vehicle keys, making it compatible with older wearable devices and mobile phones that only have Bluetooth functionality.

[0019] This embodiment also provides a vehicle that includes the control system described in the above embodiments. Because it employs the control system described in the above embodiments, it possesses all the features and technical advantages of the control system described in the above embodiments.

[0020] In this embodiment, the control system uses NearLink communication to replace some traditional Bluetooth digital key application scenarios. It fully leverages the advantages of each communication method, using Bluetooth to continue and traditional mobile phone interconnection to obtain RSSI values ​​through listening methods, and using authentication communication to execute vehicle control commands. It satisfies the ecosystem of traditional Bluetooth technology, and uses NearLink to connect with new generation mobile phones and physical keys with NearLink functionality to leverage the advantages of NearLink, resulting in better positioning performance and more stable communication, thus making up for the shortcomings of Bluetooth to a certain extent.

[0021] This solution combines traditional Bluetooth and StarFlash technology primarily because StarFlash's application ecosystem is relatively limited, and it's considered a relatively new technology. To cater to the traditional digital key ecosystem, the StarFlash chip, which also features Bluetooth communication, is chosen, thus broadening the product's applications. In the product architecture, the StarFlash communication system in this system includes a main module with StarFlash communication capabilities, a physical key, and slave anchor points. This system meets the usage scenarios of digital keys, including contactless positioning, contactless locking and unlocking, welcome functions, and remote vehicle control.

[0022] The advantages of using StarFlash in this embodiment are greater security, mainly reflected in the contactless unlocking and closing of the digital key. Using StarFlash technology, the distance value and RSSI value of the communication terminal can be obtained, and the update frequency can reach 10HZ update rate. In scenarios with distance values, the positioning is more stable, and the repeated unlocking and closing (ping-pong effect) of traditional digital keys will not occur. It also greatly reduces the situation of not unlocking when approaching.

[0023] This solution uses four StarSpark slave modules connected to the vehicle domain controller main chip via private CANFD. The main module is connected to the vehicle domain controller main chip via serial port. In this way, a large amount of digital key business logic is integrated at the vehicle domain controller end, which greatly reduces costs compared to the separate processing modules in traditional digital key systems. In this architecture, the SE (Secure Element) is also connected to the vehicle domain controller main chip via SPI. The purpose of doing this is: A) The main module no longer has a main MCU and is directly connected to the vehicle domain controller, which greatly reduces costs by eliminating the cost of an MCU. B) This operation allows the StarSpark chip to only act as a high-frequency transceiver, reducing the error rate, reducing the probability of system upgrades, and increasing functional integration.

[0024] Compared to traditional Bluetooth systems that only provide RSSI values, StarSignal significantly improves positioning performance, directly enhancing the user experience. This distance value is obtained by having the physical key connect to the main module via StarSignal communication. After successful authentication, both the main anchor point and the primary anchor point establish distance measurements with the key, calculating the distance using phase and timestamp methods. This distance value is then sent to the vehicle domain controller at a 10Hz frequency. The positioning algorithm then combines the distance values ​​from the anchor point installation location and the individual key distances to calculate the key's real-time position, thus achieving a seamless, contactless function.

[0025] Obviously, the specific implementation of this invention is not limited to the above-described methods. Any non-substantial improvements made using the inventive concept and technical solution of this invention are within the protection scope of this invention.

Claims

1. A car digital key control system, comprising a key terminal and an in-vehicle terminal, characterized in that: The key terminal is equipped with a Bluetooth module and a star flash module; the vehicle terminal includes a control unit, a star flash main module, a star flash anchor point, and a Bluetooth main module. The key terminal is connected to the Bluetooth master module via a Bluetooth module; the key terminal is connected to the star-flash anchor point and the star-flash master module via a star-flash module to achieve location positioning of the key terminal; The control unit is connected to the Bluetooth main module and the Star Flash main module respectively; The control unit is connected to the vehicle ECU via the vehicle's CAN bus to execute control signals from the key terminal.

2. The automotive digital key control system as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The control unit obtains the distance of the key terminal from the Star Flash main module. When the distance is greater than a set threshold, the control unit receives the control command sent by the key terminal through the Star Flash module.

3. The automotive digital key control system as described in claim 2, characterized in that: When the distance to the key terminal is less than or equal to the set threshold, the control terminal selects to receive the control command via Star Flash Communication or Bluetooth Communication according to the control signal type.

4. The automotive digital key control system as described in claim 3, characterized in that: When the control signal type is a distance-related control command, the key terminal and the control unit exchange control signals via Star Flash communication; otherwise, the key terminal and the control unit exchange control signals via Bluetooth communication.

5. A car digital key control system as described in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The key terminal is a digital key, mobile phone, or wearable device equipped with Bluetooth and StarFlash communication.

6. A car, characterized in that: The vehicle includes the control system as described in any one of claims 1-5.

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