Method for projecting a light pattern into the surroundings of a vehicle, and entry control system

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for projecting a light pattern (1) into the surroundings of a vehicle (2) using an illumination device (3) of the vehicle (2), wherein the light pattern (1) is configured such that it comprises a coding, an optical reader (4) captures the light pattern (1), and a computing unit (5) coupled to the reader (4) recognizes the coding in the light pattern (1) and takes information described by the coding as a basis for prompting the performance of an action. The method according to the invention is characterized in that the computing unit (5) is integrated in or coupled to an entry control station (6) that checks whether a coding corresponding to the coding described by the light pattern (1) can be found in a memory of the computing unit (5) and, if a corresponding coding is found, prompts an obstacle (8) that can be controlled by the entry control station (6) and that blocks the entrance to an area (7) to be removed, with the result that the vehicle (2) can enter the area (7), or prompts the obstacle (8) to be left in the entrance to the area (7) if the computing unit (5) does not find a corresponding coding in the memory, wherein a central computing device (9) generates the coding and initially transmits it to the vehicle (2) and the computing unit (5).

Description

[0001] Method for projecting a light pattern into the surroundings of a vehicle and access control system

[0002] The invention relates to a method for projecting a light pattern into the surroundings of a vehicle with a lighting device of the vehicle according to the type defined in more detail in the preamble of claim 1 and to an access control system according to the type defined in more detail in the preamble of claim 9.

[0003] Garage door openers are generally known from the prior art, for example from DE 10 2005 058 144 A1. For convenient opening, the motor for operating the garage door can be controlled using a radio remote control. This radio remote control can be carried in a vehicle, meaning that a user who wants to park their vehicle in the garage does not have to get out to open the garage door. The disadvantage, however, is that the radio remote control must be carried and thus takes up space in the vehicle or makes annoying noises by sliding back and forth while driving. In addition, the garage door cannot be opened if the radio remote control is forgotten. Furthermore, the radio remote control can be stolen, allowing third parties access to the garage.

[0004] Access systems are also known for areas separated from the public road network, such as private parking lots, multi-story car parks, or even company premises. To enter such an area, one typically has to pass through a barrier or guardhouse. Cards containing an RFID chip can be used to identify a vehicle authorized to enter the area. The disadvantages mentioned in connection with radio remote controls also apply to such cards. Furthermore, such chip cards can be easily copied. To read the RFID chip, the vehicle must be held up to a suitable reader. This makes access to the area more difficult for vehicles that are not permitted to stop, for example, because a VIP is being transported and stopping would be too dangerous.

[0005] Automated toll stations are also known, where the license plate number of a vehicle that has already paid a toll can be stored as an identification feature. This number is then recorded at the toll station using a camera system. If the license plate number is recognized, the vehicle is granted access to the toll road. A disadvantage of such systems, however, is that they are particularly easy to defeat. For example, it is sufficient for an attacker to copy the license plate number of an authorized vehicle and attach it to their own vehicle.

[0006] A method for controlling a moving vehicle is also known from US 2022 / 0032874 A1. The method makes it possible to take control of an autonomously controllable vehicle using a mobile device such as a tablet computer and to use the mobile device to communicate to the vehicle in which free parking space it should park. To couple the mobile device with the vehicle, the vehicle projects a light pattern such as an optoelectronic code into the environment, which is scanned with the mobile device. The mobile device communicates the scanned information to the vehicle wirelessly or by displaying a corresponding optoelectronic code, which in turn is read by the vehicle. If the mobile device communicates the correct light pattern to the vehicle, a coupling between the mobile device and the vehicle takes place.

[0007] DE 10 2020 130 473 B3 also describes a method and a system for the distance-dependent projection of image objects using HD matrix spotlights.

[0008] Furthermore, DE 10 2016 010 373 A1 discloses a method and a device for detecting the opening state of a garage door.

[0009] The present invention is based on the object of providing an improved method and corresponding system with the aid of which access control for driving a vehicle into an area can be carried out particularly simply, conveniently, safely and reliably.

[0010] According to the invention, this object is achieved by a method for projecting a light pattern into the surroundings of a vehicle with a lighting device of the vehicle having the features of claim 1, as well as an access control system configured for this purpose having the features of claim 9. Advantageous embodiments and further developments emerge from the dependent claims.

[0011] In a method for projecting a light pattern into the surroundings of a vehicle with a lighting device of the vehicle of the type mentioned above, the light pattern is designed such that it comprises a coding, an optical reader detects the light pattern, a computing unit coupled to the reader recognizes the coding in the light pattern and, depending on information described by the coding, causes an action to be carried out, wherein according to the invention the computing unit is integrated into an access control station or is coupled to such a station, checks whether a coding corresponding to the coding described by the light pattern can be found in a memory of the computing unit, and upon finding a corresponding coding, causes an obstacle that can be controlled by the access control station and that blocks entry into an area to be removed so that the vehicle can enter the area,or the obstacle is left in the entrance to the area if the computing unit does not find a corresponding coding in the memory, whereby a central computing device generates the coding and initially transmits it to the vehicle and the computing unit.

[0012] The method according to the invention enables particularly simple, convenient, secure, and reliable vehicle access control to the site. This eliminates the need to carry any radio remote controls, chip cards, or other identification devices, meaning they cannot be lost or stolen. Furthermore, any loss of comfort for vehicle occupants caused by objects lying around in the vehicle interior is prevented. Furthermore, the light pattern is comparatively difficult to copy compared to, for example, a license plate. The optical reader can be a camera, for example. This can be stationary at the entrance to the site and can capture the immediate area around the entrance. In particular, the light pattern can be recognized by the optical reader while the vehicle is moving, enabling access control without the vehicle having to stop.

[0013] The obstacle blocking entry to the area could be, for example, a barrier, a retractable hydraulic cylinder, a gate, a garage door, or something similar. The area could therefore be a garage, a private parking lot, such as a private underground car park in a residential complex, or even company premises or military grounds. The optical reader can be integrated into a corresponding garage or set up in the garage area and, for example, detect light patterns cast by the vehicle onto a roadway or a vertical object such as a wall. The obstacle could also be a virtual boundary such as a geofence. In the case of a geofence, the vehicle or the user of the vehicle could face a fine if it enters the area without permission.However, by means of the projected light pattern, the vehicle can communicate to the access control station that permission to enter the area has been granted, thereby granting the vehicle (penalty-free) entry into the area.

[0014] The central computing device can be implemented, for example, as a cloud server. The central computing device generates the coding, for example, upon receiving a manual request from a vehicle user or an operator of the access control station, and transmits it accordingly, e.g., wirelessly, to the vehicle and the computing unit. To receive the coding, the vehicle comprises a telematics unit and a control unit suitable for managing the coding and controlling the lighting device. A mobile device such as a smartphone, tablet computer, or the like can also be coupled to the vehicle, with the mobile device communicating with the central computing device. A corresponding app configured to provide the functionality of the method according to the invention can then be executed on the mobile device.The processing unit integrated into the access control station or coupled to it can receive the coding from the central processing unit, in particular via cable, for example via the Internet.

[0015] In particular, the request to generate the coding by the central processing unit contains a corresponding identifier for the respective vehicle and the respective access control station. This allows the respective access control stations to be assigned to the corresponding vehicles authorized to enter the areas. The identifier of the respective vehicle and the processing unit can also be determined by the central processing unit itself, depending on the specific application.

[0016] The coding generated by the central computing device can be stored in the computing unit and in the vehicle (in the control unit) for a longer period of time and can be used each time to control the vehicle's access to the area.

[0017] Preferably, however, the central processing unit generates a new code before each vehicle entry into the area and transmits it to the processing unit and the vehicle. This creates a particularly secure access control system, since even if an attacker captures a single-use light pattern and uses it to project it onto their own vehicle, access is no longer granted for that light pattern. Instead, the vehicle and access control station use a new, individual light pattern with the corresponding code for each access control.

[0018] The central computing device can be manually instructed by a vehicle user to generate and transmit the coding. For example, while stopping in front of the obstacle, the vehicle user can enter an operating action via a human-machine interface of the vehicle or a mobile device coupled to the vehicle, which instructs the central computing device to generate and transmit the coding. The transmission of a new coding / light pattern can also be coupled with the vehicle starting to project the light pattern. According to a further advantageous embodiment of the method, the light pattern is embodied as an optoelectronic code. For example, one-dimensional barcodes such as barcodes, or two-dimensional patterns such as matrix codes or QR codes are considered optoelectronic codes.Such optoelectronic codes allow the integration of comparatively large amounts of data into comparatively small light patterns. Furthermore, optoelectronic codes can be read by the optical reader regardless of the orientation or alignment of the light pattern projected into the environment with respect to the optical reader. This enables particularly reliable recognition of the coding. The corresponding light pattern can be projected onto any surface, such as a ground covered by the vehicle or a vertical obstacle such as a wall. In general, the light pattern could also be formed, for example, by a flashing pattern, in particular a Morse code. However, this has the disadvantage that in order to transmit a comparatively large amount of information, the light pattern must be emitted for a comparatively long time, which increases the time required to identify the vehicle.

[0019] A further advantageous embodiment of the method according to the invention further provides that at least one vehicle headlight is used to project the light pattern. Vehicle headlights are typically aligned in the direction of travel of the vehicle and thus allow a projection of the light pattern onto a surface in front of the vehicle. Since the vehicle intends to enter an area, the front of the vehicle is typically pointed in the direction of the area, whereby a projection of the light pattern in front of the vehicle is particularly suitable for capturing the light pattern by the optical reader. A particularly sharp and bright light pattern can also be achieved by simultaneously projecting the light pattern with both vehicle headlights. In particular, the vehicle headlights are designed as so-called high-resolution matrix headlights. This enables the generation of a wide variety of light patterns with little effort.

[0020] According to a further advantageous embodiment of the method, the light pattern comprises at least a portion of wavelength components attributable to the infrared spectrum. Using infrared light to create the light pattern has the advantage that people do not perceive the light pattern. As a result, people are not disturbed by the projection of the light pattern. Accordingly, the optical reader is configured to detect infrared light. Lighting such as low or high beam can also be activated simultaneously, and the light pattern can be emitted in the infrared spectrum. This prevents the driver from being disturbed by the interruption of the low or high beam, or from temporarily being unable to perceive their surroundings due to darkness.

[0021] Furthermore, a light pattern generated primarily in the visible spectrum may not be recognized by the optical reader because it is outshone by another light source, such as a particularly bright streetlight or even the sun. Since other electrical lighting devices, such as the aforementioned streetlight or even sunlight, have little or no intensity in the infrared spectrum, a light pattern attributable to the infrared spectrum is difficult to outshone, which improves its detection by the optical reader.

[0022] A further advantageous embodiment of the method according to the invention further provides that the light pattern is projected into the environment for less than 100 ms, preferably less than 10 ms, and particularly preferably less than 1 ms. These are particularly short projection time windows, in particular with a projection duration so short that it is undetectable by humans. This also prevents people from being disturbed or impaired by the emission of the light pattern. Furthermore, projecting the light pattern with such a short projection time makes it more difficult for an attacker to copy the coding, since the attacker must record an image of the light pattern at the exact time it is emitted.

[0023] Preferably, the light pattern is projected into the environment several times in succession. For example, the light pattern can be projected into the environment in pulsed form at a specific frequency. In order to capture the light pattern using the optical reader, the vehicle's lighting system and the optical reader must be synchronized with regard to the projection frequency and sampling rate, depending on the projection duration. If the optical reader is a camera, for example, the camera's sampling rate coincides with the projection frequency, so that the camera always records a camera image when the vehicle also projects the light pattern into the environment using the lighting system.

[0024] A further advantageous embodiment of the method according to the invention further provides that during an authentication period, a sequence of at least two different light patterns is projected into the environment, and the computing unit grants access to the area if the sequence of light patterns detected by the reader corresponds to a sequence of light patterns read from the memory of the computing unit. Accordingly, the sequence of light patterns is determined by the central computing device and transmitted to the vehicle and the computing unit. A database of possible light patterns can be maintained in the vehicle and the computing unit, which can then be read out by the vehicle and the computing unit depending on the sequence received from the central computing device. This enables even more reliable and secure access control for the vehicle to the area.It's no longer enough for an attacker to simply copy a specific light pattern; they also need to know the sequence of the correct light patterns. In particular, a new sequence of light patterns can be defined by the central computer before each vehicle enters the area. This makes it even more difficult for the attacker to gain access to the area.

[0025] Preferably, the vehicle automatically begins projecting the light pattern into the surrounding area when the vehicle falls within a specified distance from the access control station. This enables particularly convenient access control for the vehicle user. This eliminates the need for the vehicle user to enter any manual commands to gain access to the area.

[0026] The vehicle itself determines the distance of the vehicle to the access control station, for example by comparing its position with the position of the access control station on a digital road map. The vehicle can determine its position, for example, based on a global navigation satellite system such as GPS, Galileo, Beidou, GLONASS, or the like. The vehicle or access control station can also have a transponder or corresponding receiver, which can detect the vehicle's approach to the access control station. The vehicle can also have one or more cameras to record the surroundings, with the images generated by the camera(s) being evaluated using image recognition algorithms. This allows characteristic features of the access control station to be recognized, allowing the vehicle to determine exactly which access control station it is approaching.The vehicle then begins projecting the light pattern required to grant access to the respective access control station into the surrounding area.

[0027] In general, it is also possible for a manual control action to be entered in the vehicle to cause the light pattern to be projected into the surrounding area, whereby the person driving the vehicle then manually selects the respective access control station so that the appropriate light pattern is projected through the vehicle.

[0028] In an access control system comprising a central computing device, a vehicle, at least one access control station, and a computing unit integrated into or coupled to the access control station, the respective components of the access control system are configured to carry out a method described above. The vehicle can be any vehicle, such as a car, truck, van, bus, construction equipment, or the like.

[0029] Further advantageous embodiments of the method according to the invention also emerge from the exemplary embodiment which is described in more detail below with reference to the figure.

[0030] The single figure shows a schematic top view of a vehicle which is granted access to an area from an access control station by projecting a light pattern into the surroundings.

[0031] In Figure 1, a vehicle 2 approaches an area 7 that is cordoned off by an access control station 6. The access control station 6 is, for example, a barrier, as shown, whose boom forms an obstacle 8. Area 7, for example, is a company premises.

[0032] The vehicle 2 comprises a control unit 11 for controlling a lighting device 3 of the vehicle 2, for example, as shown in Figure 1, the two vehicle headlights 10. By means of the lighting device 3, a light pattern 1 is projected into the surroundings of the vehicle 2. For example, the light pattern 1 is projected onto the ground in front of the vehicle 2 in the direction of travel.

[0033] The light pattern 1 comprises a code that authorizes the vehicle 2 to enter the area 7. The light pattern 1 is designed in particular as an optoelectronic code, for example as a QR code as shown in Figure 1.

[0034] The coding can be carried out in a suitable manner, for example, the QR code shown in Figure 1 can, as shown, comprise an identifier of the access control station 6, the vehicle 2 and a validity period.

[0035] The light pattern 1 is captured by an optical reader 4, for example, a camera. This is also possible, as indicated by an arrow, with a moving vehicle 2. Data generated by the optical reader 4 is evaluated by a computing unit 5. The computing unit 5 is able to recognize the coding in the light pattern 1 and check whether a corresponding coding is present in a memory of the computing unit 5. If this is the case, the computing unit 5 controls the access control station 6 to remove the obstacle 8 so that the vehicle 2 can enter the area 7.

[0036] The coding is generated by a central computing device 9 and distributed from there to the vehicle 2 and the computing unit 5. For communication with the central computing device 9, the vehicle 2 includes, in particular, a wireless communication interface 12 such as a telematics unit. This is coupled to the control unit 11 to store the coding in the control unit 11.

[0037] For example, by entering a manual operator action into a human-machine interface, a user of vehicle 2 can cause the central computing device 9 to generate the coding. The central computing device 9 receives an identifier for the access control station 6 or the computing unit 5, as well as for the vehicle 2. The respective vehicle 2 and the respective computing unit 5 then receive the coding. Each time the vehicle 2 arrives at the access control station 6, a new coding can be generated and sent to the vehicle 2 and the computing unit 5.

[0038] The central management of the coding by the central computing device 9 has the advantage that a user can easily and conveniently gain access to area 7 even if they change their vehicle 2. The user can thus identify themselves at a particular vehicle 2, for example, using a user name and password or via an app running on a mobile device such as a smartphone, whereupon the central computing device 9 transmits the appropriate coding to the particular vehicle 2 used by the user. No other authorization objects such as radio remote controls, transponders, key cards, or the like need to be carried by the user. Using light patterns 1 to identify a particular user or vehicle 2 by means of a coding also makes it more difficult for an attacker to obtain access authorization to area 7.

Claims

Patent claims Method for projecting a light pattern (1) into the surroundings of a vehicle (2) with a lighting device (3) of the vehicle (2), wherein the light pattern (1) is designed such that it comprises a coding, an optical reader (4) detects the light pattern (1), a computing unit (5) coupled to the reader (4) recognizes the coding in the light pattern (1) and, depending on information described by the coding, causes an action to be carried out, characterized in that the computing unit (5) is integrated into an access control station (6) or is coupled to such a station, checks whether a coding corresponding to the coding described by the light pattern (1) can be found in a memory of the computing unit (5), and upon finding a corresponding coding, causes an obstacle (8) controllable by the access control station (6) and blocking entry into an area (7) to be removed,so that the vehicle (2) can enter the area (7), or the obstacle (8) is left in the entrance to the area (7) if the computing unit (5) does not find a corresponding coding in the memory, wherein a central computing device (9) generates the coding and initially transmits it to the vehicle (2) and the computing unit (5). Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the central computing device (9) generates a new coding before each entry of the vehicle (2) into the area (7) and transmits this to the computing unit (5) and the vehicle (2). Method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the light pattern (1) is designed as an optoelectronic code. Method according to claim 1 or 3, characterized in that at least one vehicle headlight (10) is used to project the light pattern (1). Method according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the light pattern (1) at least partially comprises wavelength components attributable to the infrared spectrum. Method according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the light pattern (1) is projected into the environment for less than 100 ms, preferably less than 10 ms, and particularly preferably less than 1 ms. Method according to claim 6, characterized in that the light pattern (1) is projected into the environment several times in succession.Method according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that during an authentication period a sequence of at least two different light patterns (1) is projected into the environment and the computing unit (5) grants access to the area (7) if the light patterns (1) transmitted by the reading device are received. (4) recorded sequence of light patterns (1) of a sequence stored in the memory of the processing unit (5) read out sequence of light patterns (1). Method according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the vehicle (2) automatically begins projecting the light pattern (1) into the surroundings when the vehicle (2) falls below a predetermined distance from the access control station (6). An access control system comprising a central computing device (9), a vehicle (2), at least one access control station (6), and a computing unit (5) integrated into or coupled to the access control station (6), characterized by a device for carrying out a method according to one of claims 1 to 9.

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