Method, system and vehicle for authenticating a user

Abstract

To provide a method for authenticating a user of a motor vehicle, a system for carrying out the method, and a motor vehicle comprising the system.SOLUTION: The invention relates to a method for authenticating a user of a motor vehicle (10), a system for carrying out the method, and the motor vehicle (10) comprising the system. Here, using a UWB signal, a position and / or movement gradient of an authorized user is determined on the basis of a received impulse response of an emitted UWB pulse and / or on the basis of a result of channel impulse response (CIR) measurement, and the authorized user is authenticated on the basis of these information.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for authenticating a user of a motor vehicle, to a system for implementing the method and to a motor vehicle comprising said system.

[0002] To allow keyless entry into the vehicle, today's vehicles have a variety of systems that are based on radio technology and are capable of identifying a user's portable terminal or transponder in the vehicle's vicinity.

[0003] An example of a system enabling passive access to a vehicle is described in the document US Patent Application Publication No. 2020 / 247363. The system disclosed therein establishes a Bluetooth-Low-Energy (BLE) or Ultra-wideband (UWB) communication connection with a portable device. Via a low-frequency transmitter, the system transmits an inquiry to the portable device and receives a corresponding response. Based on the information contained in the received response, the system authorizes the portable device. In response to the authorization of the portable device, the system performs vehicle functions including unlocking the vehicle doors, unlocking the vehicle compartment or enabling the vehicle to start.

[0004] A problem that often arises here is that the systems used are unable to reliably authenticate the source of the received wireless signal, i.e., to verify whether the received wireless signal actually comes from the user or from a source that has used criminal energy to obtain the wireless signal information. To address such security issues, today's systems interrogate the location and movement data of the portable device, thus determining the location of the user and authenticating the user based on the location information.

[0005] Known systems for determining a user's location for authentication purposes are described in the documents DE 102017201308 A1, DE 102022100583 A1 or DE 10202020103083 A1.

[0006] However, when determining the location of a user in order to authenticate him, the known systems rely on the user's portable terminal or transponder being suitable for establishing a corresponding wireless communication or for obtaining appropriate location and movement data. The problem here is that there are many relatively old models of portable terminals on the market, which in most cases do not meet the corresponding prerequisites. In these models, either the necessary hardware or the software used is outdated and therefore it is not possible to establish communication with, for example, a vehicle's system or to obtain location information. This is particularly relevant for devices that are not capable of UWB communication or of the latest Bluetooth communication (in particular at least Bluetooth standard version 5.1). Bluetooth 5.1 introduces, among other things, a radio direction finding function (so-called direction finding) that enables the device to identify the direction of an object.

[0007] The problem underlying the present invention is to develop a method that allows authentication of a larger number of users, as well as to provide a system for implementing this method.

[0008] This problem according to the invention is solved by a method for authenticating a user of a motor vehicle, by a system for implementing the method and by a motor vehicle comprising the system according to the independent claims. Preferred developments are the subject of the dependent claims, which respectively refer to the independent claims.

[0009] An embodiment relates to a method for authenticating a user of a motor vehicle, the motor vehicle having two modules configured for detecting the position of the user, each of which has a transceiver configured for transmitting and receiving UWB and Bluetooth signals, in particular BLE signals, each with one antenna. The transceivers are in particular configured for transmitting and receiving signals in a very wide frequency range, in particular in the frequency range from 2.4 GHz to 10.6 GHz. In the case of UWB signals, the transceivers are preferably configured for transmitting and receiving signals in the frequency range from 3.5 GHz to 9 GHz, particularly preferably in the frequency range from 6 GHz to 8.5 GHz. The Bluetooth communication is preferably performed in the known frequency band from 2.402 GHz to 2.480 GHz. Preferably, Bluetooth-Low-Energy radio technology is provided.

[0010] The transmission power of the UWB pulses is small. The bandwidth of the UWB signal is at least 500 MHz, and the UWB transceiver is preferably configured to transmit the signal with a transmission power between 0.5 mW / -41.3 dBm / MHz. More preferably, the transceiver is configured according to the IEEE 802.15.4 standard (particularly the UWB physical layer section), and preferably according to IEEE 802.15.4z. By scattering the signal over such a wide frequency range, other radio signals are only minimally disturbed by the UWB signal.

[0011] For user authorization, at least one antenna is used to receive a radio signal emitted via an external transceiver. In other words, the user uses his portable terminal or transponder to transmit a command signal, including authorization information, to the vehicle in order to execute one of a number of vehicle functions known per se. This communication is preferably based at least on UWB and / or Bluetooth radio technology.

[0012] The transceiver is controlled to transmit UWB pulses and receive impulse responses using at least one antenna and / or to perform a channel impulse response (CIR) measurement-based method using the antenna. Based on the received impulse response and / or CIR measurement results, the user's position and / or motion gradient are determined. Whereas during the CIR measurement, the antenna transmits a UWB signal to another antenna, which receives the transmitted signal, in the impulse response reception method, the same antenna that transmits the UWB signal also receives the impulse response. In this respect, echoes of the scanned surroundings are received here. In other words, according to the invention, the user's location is determined based on UWB radio technology without requiring communication between the vehicle and an external transceiver. As a result, it is possible to determine the location of users with portable terminals in the immediate vicinity of the vehicle, who use portable terminals or transponders and do not have UWB-capable communication or the necessary Bluetooth standard version 5.1 or later.

[0013] Due to the UWB pulses being strongly localized in time, it is possible to extract information about the propagation path of the UWB pulses from the received UWB pulses and their impulse responses resulting from the influence of the surroundings on the transmitted UWB pulses. The influence of the surroundings is based on physical phenomena, such as refraction, diffraction, reflection or attenuation, which cause the UWB pulse to deviate from its geometrically predetermined path. It is clear that the propagation time of a signal or a signal packet is different for different propagation paths and varies depending on whether there is an object on or near the propagation path. The pulse shape of the signal or the signal packet is also influenced depending on whether there is an object on or near the propagation path. This allows advantageously to deduce whether there is an object on or near the propagation path based on measurements of signals or signal packets transmitted along these propagation paths.

[0014] When the impulse response of the UWB pulses sent from the same antenna is received, this represents multiple echo signals resolved in time, which appear in the form of an impulse response depending on the distance of these objects and / or people to the transceiver. By comparing the echo signals for the time-shifted UWB pulses with their received impulse responses, the position changes of the objects and / or people relative to the transceiver can be estimated. From these position changes, the motion gradients can be determined. The echo signals are preferably identifiable based on amplitude and / or phase information and can be compared with each other. This advantageously makes it possible to scan the surroundings or the interior space of the vehicle in a location-resolved and time-resolved manner using at least one antenna. Of course, it is also possible to carry out an impulse response reception method with antennas of two modules or with antennas of other modules, so that the surroundings and / or the interior space of the vehicle are scanned in a location-resolved and time-resolved manner from different angles.

[0015] The further away an object is from the transceiver, the later the echo signal associated with the object is received by the transceiver, which allows the range of the transceiver to be limited by interrupting the reception of the impulse response and / or sending a new UWB pulse after a time corresponding to the desired range. At the time that a UWB pulse is sent via the transceiver, the reception of the impulse response by the transceiver used for transmission is not possible.

[0016] Furthermore, it is advantageously possible, additionally or alternatively, to use at least two antennas to scan the perimeter in a location-resolved manner using CIR measurements. By sending UWB pulses multiple times via one antenna and comparing multiple time-shifted impulse responses based on the impulse response received by another antenna, changes in the perimeter (e.g. new objects present in the area to be scanned) can be visualized in a location-resolved and time-resolved manner. In this way, objects entering the area to be scanned can be detected reliably. In particular, by scanning the perimeter using CIR measurements, particularly preferably constantly and / or repeatedly, a corresponding monitoring of the area to be scanned is possible.

[0017] The CIR measurement includes, for example, sending a predefined signal or signal packet (so-called telegram) between (at least) two antennas. In addition to the direct propagation path of the signal or signal packet between the antennas, there are several other propagation paths, which include, for example, reflections of objects from the interior or exterior space of the vehicle. Depending on the sufficient number of antennas and / or the advantageous arrangement of the antennas, these propagation paths can cover other parts of the space, for example the interior or exterior space of the vehicle. Of course, depending on the arrangement of the modules, the CIR measurement can be performed between several modules in order to scan the corresponding area.

[0018] Furthermore, the user is authenticated by associating the user with the received radio signal based on the determined position of the user and / or the determined movement gradient. The module preferably includes an authentication area that is predetermined by its predetermined arrangement in the vehicle and in which the user must remain in order to be authenticated by the vehicle. The effective range of the authentication area is preferably configurable by a set range of the transceiver and / or depends on the arrangement of the antenna for the CIR measurement. Using the movement gradient, it is preferably determined in which direction the user moves and / or whether the user performs a gesture movement stored in the storage unit. For example, users who move away from the vehicle and / or at most parallel to the vehicle direction can be excluded from the authentication. Advantageously in this case, only users who move in one direction relative to the vehicle and therefore who are likely to interact with and / or enter the motor vehicle are authenticated. Furthermore preferably, a gesture of the user is determined from the determined movement gradient, thereby enabling the operation of the vehicle or the authentication of the user by a gesture movement. As a result, the vehicle can be operated contactlessly by hand or gestures and / or by the portable terminal and / or transponder. The combination of the authentication area and the determined direction of movement of the user brings together the respective advantages described. Thus, an unauthorised communication between the vehicle and an external transceiver is not necessary according to the invention. This allows users of outdated or otherwise unsuitable portable terminals to be authenticated based on the determined position and / or movement data, thereby covering a larger user circle.

[0019] In a preferred embodiment, the transceivers of the two modules are adapted to be driven in order to perform a positioning method based on time of flight measurements, which uses the antennas to determine the location of the external transceiver, and further to authenticate the user by matching the determined location of the external transceiver with the determined location of the user and / or the determined motion gradient. Preferably, the positioning method comprises the indication of time of arrival (TOA), time of flight (TOF), two-way ranging (TWR), time difference on arrival (TDOA), angle of arrival (AOA), angle of departure (AOD) and / or received signal strength indication (RSSI). For the purposes of the positioning method, preferably UWB and / or Bluetooth radio technologies are provided. In other words, in the present invention, the location of the external transceiver is performed by wireless communication between the vehicle and the external transceiver. Advantageously, the positioning information about the external transceiver can be validated with the user's specified location and / or movement data, which can reduce the probability of false authentication. For portable terminals using Bluetooth standard versions earlier than 5.1, RSSI measurements are preferably made, the results of which are validated with the user's specified location and movement data.

[0020] In another preferred embodiment, the at least one or two transceivers further include an NFC antenna configured to transmit and receive near field communication (NFC), the NFC antenna being configured to receive radio signals for authorizing the user as NFC radio signals. It is also possible to receive the authorization data via the NFC antenna by a portable terminal or a transponder that cannot establish UWB or Bluetooth communication with the vehicle. Due to the short reach of NFC, which is a few centimetres up to 10 cm, the user can be easily authenticated using the determined position and / or determined motion gradient of the user. In other words, preferably, when an NFC data transmission is identified, only a narrow authentication area corresponding to the reach of the NFC is selected, and the user has to remain within this narrow authentication area in order to be authenticated by the vehicle. Preferably, the at least one transceiver is configured to transmit electromagnetic energy to the external transceiver by means of the antenna. This advantageously allows the exchange of authorization data via NFC even when the batteries of the portable terminal and / or the transponder are discharged.

[0021] In another advantageous embodiment, the device is adapted to determine the authorization status of the authenticated user based on the received radio signal and a database stored in the storage device, so that the authorization and subsequent authentication of the user by the vehicle can be taken over via the central system, advantageously without the need to equip the vehicle with a different system, which saves costs.

[0022] If the determined position of the authenticated user is below a predetermined distance relative to the vehicle, the antenna and / or at least one NFC antenna is preferably used to drive and control the two modules to send a query for the payment procedure. Preferably, the antenna and / or at least one NFC antenna is used to receive a confirmation signal for performing the payment procedure and adapt the authorization status of the authenticated user based on the received confirmation signal. In other words, the vehicle is configured to take over the payment function using one or more modules. Advantageously, the vehicle does not have to be equipped with a different system, which can save costs. Preferably, the predetermined interval is a maximum of 5 m, preferably a maximum of 2.5 m, particularly preferably 0.1 m to 1.5 m. By determining the position and / or movement gradient according to the invention, the maximum interval of 1.5 m of the devices communicating with each other, which is necessary for the payment function, can be guaranteed and thus a reliable payment function can be implemented with only one system.

[0023] The vehicle preferably executes at least one vehicle function based on the authorization status of the authenticated user, and particularly preferably opens or closes one or more vehicle doors and / or at least one vehicle window of the vehicle based on the authorization status of the authenticated user. Advantageously, the execution of the vehicle function is selectively performed by allowing only authorized and authenticated users.

[0024] In another preferred embodiment, the module is arranged to drive and control the transceiver for implementing the channel impulse response measurement based method and / or transmit UWB pulses and receive impulse responses to scan at least one access area of ​​the vehicle. The access area is an area of ​​the vehicle where a user can enter or leave the vehicle. Preferably, this is the area around the entrance door of the vehicle. The method is applicable in all embodiment types of doors, such as sliding doors or double doors. The access area preferably includes the area of ​​the door including the adjacent area in the closed state, which area extends 3 meters, preferably 2 meters, particularly preferably 1 meter into and / or outside the vehicle. Scanning the access area has the advantage that the user can be authenticated and authorized automatically, so that the user can enter the vehicle comfortably and without any operation. In other words, the access authorization can be performed automatically during passive access of the user. Thus, a special advantage is obtained in autonomous vehicles (without a driver). Furthermore, a possible collision between the closing driver's door and the user can be identified in time and the closing process can be interrupted.

[0025] Preferably, the authentication area depends on the state of the entrance door and / or the position of the vehicle. With the entrance door closed, and for example when approaching a bus stop, the effective range of the authentication area can be larger than when the entrance door is open. This takes into account that when the door is open, the user who is about to board is closer to the vehicle. When the vehicle approaches a bus stop with a large effective range of the authentication area, it is advantageous for the vehicle to know at a very early stage which or how many users are about to board the vehicle at the stop. The vehicle can then execute predefined vehicle functions for interacting with the user, in particular for displaying information on the human display interface of one module. For example, the seat occupancy rate and the further approaching bus stop are displayed. However, it can also be displayed that a UWB or Bluetooth connection with the user could not be established and that the user should communicate via NFC. Particularly preferably, the CIR measurement and / or the impulse response reception based measurement is performed only upon approaching the bus stop and / or as soon as a UWB, Bluetooth or NFC authorized user is present in the vicinity of the vehicle.

[0026] The modules preferably include a CAN interface (CAN-Interface), by means of which the modules can be connected to one another. A signal is preferably transmitted via the CAN interface for initiating a start phase, in order to determine the position and / or the motion gradient of the user. Also preferably, at least one module includes an interface (HMI: Human Machine Interface) for communication with the user. The HMI preferably shows real-time data and / or allows the user to enter inputs for communicating with the vehicle via a graphic user interface. Furthermore, the modules are preferably arranged in areas of the motor vehicle that are visible to the user. Areas that are visible to the user are, for example, windows, in particular windows at the entrance doors, seat backs, head rests or door linings. The windows can be trapezoidal or fixed windows.

[0027] Another aspect relates to a system configured to implement the method according to the invention. The system comprises a first module and a second module configured for detecting a position of a user, each of the first module and the second module comprising a transceiver having an antenna configured for transmitting and receiving UWB and Bluetooth signals. The system further comprises a control unit connected to the transceiver, the control unit configured to: use at least one antenna to receive radio signals emitted via the external transceiver, use at least one antenna to transmit UWB pulses and receive impulse responses, and / or use the antenna to drive and control the transceiver to perform a channel impulse response (CIR) measurement based scheme for user authorization, determine a position and / or a motion gradient of the user based on the results of the received impulse responses and / or CIR measurements, and authenticate the user by associating the user with the received radio signals based on the determined position and / or determined motion gradient of the user. The characteristic features and their advantages described by the method can be similarly realized by the system and thus can be arbitrarily combined with each other.

[0028] Although the system has been described with respect to an embodiment in an automobile, the system is not so limited, but rather can be used in any application where access rights should be additionally authenticated to control doors, flaps, windows and the like.

[0029] Another embodiment relates to a vehicle having the system described above. The two modules are arranged on the vehicle side, which has an access area for entering and leaving the vehicle. The features and their advantages described by the method above can be similarly realized by the vehicle and therefore can be combined with each other in any way.

[0030] In a preferred embodiment, at least one of the two modules is configured to be placed at a maximum distance of 20 cm from the access area, preferably on the side opposite the entrance door and / or with one module in the middle and one module on one of the opposite sides.

[0031] The above-mentioned control units of the motor vehicle are preferably implemented by electrical or electronic components or parts (hardware) or by firmware (ASIC). Additionally or alternatively, the functions of the control units are realized upon execution of appropriate programs (software). Also preferably, the control units are realized by a combination of hardware, firmware and / or software. For example, the individual components of the control units are configured as separate integrated circuits to provide the individual functions or are arranged on a common integrated circuit.

[0032] The individual components of the control unit are further preferably configured as one or more processes, which run on one or more processors in one or more electronic computing devices and are generated when executing one or more computer programs. The computing devices are preferably configured to cooperate with other components, e.g. modules, central locking systems, prime mover controllers, etc., to realize the functions described herein. The instructions of the computer programs are preferably stored in a storage device, e.g. a RAM element, etc. However, the computer programs can also be stored on non-volatile storage media, e.g. CD-ROM, flash memory or the like.

[0033] It will further be clear to a person skilled in the art that, to realize the functions of the control unit, these functions can be combined by several computing units (data processing devices), or can be combined in a single device, or the functions of a particular data processing device can be distributed across several devices.

[0034] Another aspect of the invention relates to a computer program comprising instructions which, when executed by a computer, for example a control device of a motor vehicle, i.e. a system comprising a first module and a second module configured for detecting the location of a user and each module comprising a transceiver and having an antenna configured for transmitting and receiving UWB and Bluetooth signals, cause the computer to carry out the method according to the invention, in particular the method for authenticating a user of a motor vehicle.

[0035] Further preferred embodiments of the invention result from the remaining characteristic features recited in the dependent claims.

[0036] The various embodiments of the invention presented in the present application can be advantageously combined with one another, unless stated otherwise in individual cases.

[0037] The invention is explained below in an embodiment with the aid of the accompanying drawings. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0038] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a method for an automobile, according to one embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a vehicle according to one embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a system according to one embodiment.

[0039] 1 to 3 show schematic diagrams of a method, a system and a vehicle proposed according to the invention, which allows the authentication of a relatively large number of users of the vehicle.

[0040] The method diagrammatically illustrated in Figure 1 is suitable for authenticating a user of a motor vehicle 10 (see Figure 2). The method will be described in relation to the motor vehicle 10 shown in Figure 2 and the system 100 shown in Figure 3.

[0041] The automobile 10 has a first module 14 and a second module 16 configured to detect the position of a user. Each module 14, 16 includes a transceiver 22, 22' including an antenna 24, 24' configured to transmit and receive UWB and Bluetooth signals (see FIG. 3). The two modules 14, 16 are exemplarily arranged on the left side of the automobile 10. In particular, the first module 14 is mounted in the center of the window and on the interior lining of the driver's door, while the second module 16 is arranged in the trapezoidal window and on the interior lining of the left rear vehicle door. In addition, a third module 28, exemplarily of the same structure, is exemplarily arranged on the opposite side (right side) of the automobile 10, on a bar between the front door and the rear door of the automobile 10. This is merely an example to allow a better understanding of the disclosure of the present invention.

[0042] The vehicle 10 further includes a control unit 12 connected to the transceivers 22, 22', which is configured to receive radio signals emitted via the external transceiver 18 (see FIG. 3) using the antennas 24, 24' of the modules 14, 16, 28 in order to authorize the user. The control unit 12 is further configured to drive and control the transceivers 22, 22' to transmit UWB pulses and receive impulse responses using at least one antenna 24, 24', and to perform a Channel Impulse Response (CIR) measurement-based method using the antennas 24, 24', as well as to determine the user's position and movement gradient based on the results of the received impulse response and CIR measurements. The CIR measurements differ from the received impulse responses in that the latter transmit multiple telegrams between the modules 14, 16, 28, which are modified in their propagation path by objects in the vicinity of the telegrams. In other words, the transmitted UWB signal of a module and its changes in the propagation path are received by another module (see the arrows between modules 14, 16 and 28 in FIG. 2).

[0043] In contrast, in the impulse response receiving method, the UWB signal sent from the antenna 24, 24' is received by the same antenna 24, 24'. In this respect, the surrounding area is scanned with a kind of echo signal of the surrounding area. Exemplary effective ranges of the modules 14, 16, 28 when using this method are shown by dashed circles in FIG. 2, which should be used merely for illustrative purposes. However, these circles have a radius of about 1 meter, and are not limited to these dimensions presented. Rather, effective ranges of up to 10 meters from each module 14, 16, 28 are also achievable with this method.

[0044] The arrangement of the modules 14, 16 and 28 exemplarily shown in Fig. 2 has the advantage that the vehicle interior space can be scanned by CIR measurements between the modules 28 and 14 and between the modules 28 and 16 and by an impulse response reception-based method by the module 28. At the same time, however, it is also possible to scan the periphery on the left side of the vehicle 10 by an impulse response reception-based method using the modules 14 and 16 and to scan the access area on the left side of the vehicle 10 by CIR measurements between the modules 14 and 16. This results in the identification of passengers (users of the vehicle 10) entering and leaving the vehicle on the basis of the motion gradients determined by the modules 14 and 16 arranged in the direction of the vehicle and along the left door of the vehicle 10. It is clear that the advantages mentioned here can also be realized by other arrangements of the modules 14, 16, 28, in particular on other vehicle sides of the vehicle 10 or by a different number of modules.

[0045] The control unit 12 is further configured to authenticate the user by associating the user with the received wireless signal based on the determined location and / or the determined motion gradient of the user, and if the determined location and the determined motion gradient of the user can be reasonably associated with the received wireless signal, the authorized user is authenticated using the received wireless signal.

[0046] The system 100 depicted in Fig. 3 includes two modules 14 and 16, which have been illustrated by the vehicle 10. Each module 14, 16 includes a CAN interface 20, 20', which connects the modules 14, 16 to each other. The connection via the CAN interfaces 20, 20' is used to initiate a start phase of the method (first method step 50 in Fig. 1). The start phase is initiated, for example, when the vehicle 10 approaches a predefined route point, such as a bus stop.

[0047] After the start phase, the antennas 24, 24' are synchronized (second method step 52) and receive radio signals from the user's external transceiver 18 (third method step 54). Depending on the configuration of the external transceiver 18, the system 100 is not only able to establish UWB and / or Bluetooth communication with the external transceiver 18. Rather, at least the module 14 includes an NFC antenna 26 for communicating with the external transceiver 18 via NFC. This allows for authorizing users who do not use a portable device (external transceiver 18) with UWB or Bluetooth capabilities.

[0048] After the system 100 receives the user's authorization data via radio signals, it performs a CIR measurement and an impulse response reception method by means of modules 14, 16. Based on the received impulse response and the result of the CIR measurement, the user's position and motion gradient are determined (fifth method step 58). In this form of user location determination, no communication between the external transceiver 18 and the system 100 is necessary, so that the user is located independently of the portable device used by this user, such as a smartphone or a transponder. In particular, this allows the location of devices with Bluetooth standard versions earlier than 5.1, which was previously problematic. This allows users of devices with only NFC functionality to be located by the system 100 as well.

[0049] Based on the determined location of the user and the determined motion gradient, the user is associated with the received radio signal and authorized (sixth method step 60), thereby authenticating the authorized user. The system 100 allows access to the motor vehicle 10, for example by opening or unlocking the vehicle door. Depending on the concrete application of the system 100, other vehicle functions can also be operated after successful authentication and authorization of the user, such as the luggage compartment flap or an actuator connected to the vehicle window. In this respect, the method presented in the present invention, the system 100 and the motor vehicle 10 including the system 100 allow passive access of the user of the motor vehicle 10. In other words, the (authorized) user can enter and exit the motor vehicle 10 without active support. [Explanation of symbols]

[0050] 10. Automobiles 12 Control unit 14 Module 1 16 Second Module 18 External Transmitter / Receiver 20,20' CAN interface 22,22' Transmitter / Receiver 24,24' UWB / BLE antenna 26 NFC antenna 28 Third Module 50 First Method Step 52 Second Method Step 54 Third Method Step 56 Fourth Method Step 58 Fifth Method Step 60 Sixth Method Step 100 Systems

Claims

1. A method for authenticating a user of a motor vehicle (10), said motor vehicle (10) having two modules (14, 16) configured to detect the location of the user, each module (14, 16) having one transceiver (22, 22') each equipped with an antenna (24, 24') configured to transmit and receive UWB and Bluetooth signals, said method comprising the steps of: receiving, using at least one of said antennas (24, 24'), a radio signal transmitted via an external transceiver (18) for authorizing a user; driving and controlling the transceivers (22, 22') to transmit UWB pulses and receive impulse responses using at least one of the antennas (24, 24') without communicating with the external transceiver (18) and / or to perform a channel impulse response (CIR) measurement based scheme using the antennas (24, 24') without communicating with the external transceiver (18); determining the position and / or motion gradient of the user based on the received impulse response and / or the CIR measurement results without communication with the external transceiver (18); authenticating the user by associating the user with the received wireless signals based on the determined location and / or the determined motion gradient of the user; have method.

2. and controlling the transceivers (22, 22') of the two modules (14, 16) to implement a positioning method based on transit time measurements, in which the antennas (24, 24') are used to determine the location of the external transceiver (18), performing said authentication of said user by matching said determined location and / or said determined motion gradient of said user with said determined location of said external transceiver (18); The method of claim 1.

3. 3. The method of claim 1 or 2, wherein at least one of the transceivers (22, 22') further comprises an NFC antenna (26) configured to transmit and receive NFC wireless signals, the NFC antenna (26) being configured to receive the wireless signals for authorizing the user as NFC signals.

4. The method of claim 1 or 2, further comprising the step of determining an authorization status of the authenticated user based on the received wireless signal and a database stored in a storage device.

5. At least one of the transceivers (22, 22') further includes an NFC antenna (26) configured to transmit and receive NFC wireless signals; The method comprises: - controlling the two modules (14, 16) to send a payment inquiry using the antennas (24, 24') and / or at least one of the NFC antennas (26) if the determined location of the authenticated user is below a predetermined distance from the vehicle (10); receiving, using said antennas (24, 24') and / or said at least one NFC antenna (26), a confirmation signal for performing said payment procedure; adapting the authorization status of the authenticated user based on the received confirmation signal; Further comprising: The method of claim 4.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising the step of opening at least one vehicle door and / or at least one vehicle window of the motor vehicle (10) based on the authorization status of the authenticated user.

7. 3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the module (14, 16) is arranged to perform the step of driving and controlling the transceiver (22, 22') to perform the channel impulse response measurement based method and / or the step of transmitting the UWB pulses and receiving the impulse responses to scan an access area for the vehicle (10).

8. A system (100), comprising: a first module (14) and a second module (16) each equipped with a transceiver (22, 22') configured to detect the location of a user, said first module (14) and second module (16) having antennas (24, 24') configured to transmit and receive UWB and Bluetooth signals; The system (100) further comprises a control unit (12) connected to the transceiver (22, 22'), the control unit (12) comprising: receiving, using at least one of said antennas (24, 24'), a radio signal transmitted via an external transceiver (18) for authorizing said user; driving and controlling said transceivers (22, 22') to transmit UWB pulses and receive impulse responses using at least one of said antennas (24, 24') without communicating with said external transceiver (18) and / or to perform a channel impulse response (CIR) measurement based scheme using said antennas (24, 24') without communicating with said external transceiver (18); determining a position and / or a motion gradient of the user based on the received impulse response and / or the CIR measurement results without communicating with the external transceiver (18); authenticating the user by associating the user with the received wireless signal based on the determined location and / or the determined motion gradient of the user; It is configured as follows: System (100).

9. A vehicle (10) having the system (100) of claim 8, wherein the two modules (14, 16) are arranged on a vehicle side of the vehicle (10) having an access area for entering and exiting the vehicle (10).

10. 10. The vehicle (10) according to claim 9, wherein at least one of the two modules (14, 16) is arranged at a maximum distance of 20 cm from the access area.

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