Vehicle door opening / closing device and system

Abstract

Provided according to an embodiment is a vehicle door opening / closing device comprising: a communication unit which communicates with a portable device including a digital key; a control unit which outputs an opening / closing control signal for controlling opening / closing of a door of a vehicle by using a signal received from the portable device through the communication unit; a door opening / closing module which locks or unlocks the door of the vehicle according to the opening / closing control signal; and a wireless charging module which, when a battery for supplying power to the vehicle is discharged, wirelessly receives power from the portable device and supplies power for opening / closing the door of the vehicle.

Description

Vehicle door opening and closing devices and systems

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle door opening / closing device and system.

[0002] To provide LBS (Local Based Service), technologies such as GPS, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth are being utilized, but these have the problem of difficulty in precise measurement, whereas UWB (6-8 GHz, bandwidth of 500 MHz or more) has the advantage of a wide frequency band, low-power communication, and high positioning accuracy of within tens of centimeters.

[0003] Conventional GPS and mobile communication network-based location tracking technologies have error ranges of 5 to 50 m and 50 to 200 m, respectively, and in the case of GPS, signals sent from satellites may be blocked in urban forests.

[0004] While Wi-Fi allows for low-cost location tracking, its narrow frequency band can limit channel allocation when the number of targets increases. Furthermore, mobile devices can lose connection to fixed Wi-Fi access points (APs).

[0005] Although Bluetooth allows for the deployment of multiple sensors at low cost, its high communication latency makes it unsuitable for real-time location tracking in dynamic environments.

[0006] UW (Ultra Wide Band) is a technology that calculates the distance between communication subjects by multiplying the signal arrival time between communication subjects by the speed of light using ToF (Time of Flight) technology.

[0007] UWB is a technology that calculates the distance between communication entities by multiplying the signal arrival time between communication entities by the speed of light using ToF (Time of Flight) technology with a bandwidth of 6 to 8 GHz and 500 MHz or more.

[0008] Unlike Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, UWB uses a wide frequency band and can transmit large amounts of information at high transmission speeds with low power.

[0009] However, if you use a digital key without a physical key, there is a problem in that you cannot unlock the vehicle doors or control the vehicle if the vehicle battery is discharged.

[0010] The technical problem to be achieved by the present invention is to provide a vehicle door opening / closing device and system that can provide the minimum operating power for vehicle control using a portable device when the vehicle battery is discharged.

[0011] According to an embodiment, a vehicle door opening / closing device is provided, including: a communication unit for communicating with a portable device including a digital key; a control unit for outputting an opening / closing control signal for controlling opening / closing of a vehicle door using a signal received from the portable device through the communication unit; a door opening / closing module for locking or unlocking a door of the vehicle according to the opening / closing control signal; and a wireless charging module for wirelessly receiving power from the portable device when a battery supplying power to the vehicle is discharged and supplying power for opening / closing the vehicle door.

[0012] The above communication unit may include an NFC module.

[0013] The wireless charging module can receive the minimum operating power for operating the communication unit, the control unit, and the door opening / closing module from the portable device.

[0014] The wireless charging module can operate in a power reception mode to receive the minimum operating power from the portable device when the charging power of the battery is less than or equal to the minimum operating power.

[0015] According to an embodiment, a vehicle door opening / closing system is provided, comprising: a portable device including a digital key; a communication unit communicating with the portable device; a control unit outputting an opening / closing control signal for controlling opening / closing of a vehicle door using a signal received from the portable device through the communication unit; a door opening / closing module locking or unlocking a door of the vehicle according to the opening / closing control signal; and a wireless charging module wirelessly receiving power from the portable device when a battery supplying power to the vehicle is discharged and supplying power for opening / closing the vehicle door.

[0016] The above communication unit may include an NFC module.

[0017] The wireless charging module can receive the minimum operating power for operating the communication unit, the control unit, and the door opening / closing module from the portable device.

[0018] The wireless charging module can operate in a power reception mode to receive the minimum operating power from the portable device when the charging power of the battery is less than or equal to the minimum operating power.

[0019] If the portable device does not receive an NFC search signal within a preset distance from the vehicle, the portable device can switch to a power transmission mode and transmit the minimum operating power to the portable device.

[0020] According to an embodiment, a vehicle door opening / closing system is provided, including a portable device that includes a digital key and operates in a power transmission mode when the owner information of the vehicle matches the owner information of the portable device; a wireless charging module that wirelessly receives power from the portable device that operates in the power transmission mode when a battery supplying power to the vehicle is discharged; and a door opening / closing module that receives power from the wireless charging module and locks or unlocks the door of the vehicle.

[0021] The portable device can determine whether the owner information of the vehicle matches the owner information of the portable device by using at least one of ID / password information, biometric information, pattern information, PIN information, authentication information of a public certificate, and SMS authentication information.

[0022] The wireless charging module can receive the minimum operating power for operating the door opening / closing module from the portable device.

[0023] The wireless charging module can operate in a power reception mode to receive the minimum operating power from the portable device when the charging power of the battery is less than or equal to the minimum operating power.

[0024] A vehicle door opening / closing device and system according to an embodiment can provide a minimum operating power for vehicle control using a portable device when the vehicle battery is discharged.

[0025] Figure 1 is a conceptual diagram of a UWB system according to an embodiment.

[0026] Figure 2 is a diagram illustrating a communication process between multiple UWB devices.

[0027] Figure 3 is a block diagram of a UWB device (10) according to an embodiment.

[0028] Figure 4 illustrates a ranging process of a processor according to an embodiment.

[0029] Figure 5 is a conceptual drawing illustrating a control system for opening and closing a vehicle door.

[0030] Figure 6 is a drawing conceptually explaining the operation of a vehicle door opening / closing system according to an embodiment.

[0031] Figure 7 is a block diagram of a vehicle door opening / closing system according to an embodiment.

[0032] Figures 8 and 9 are drawings for explaining the operation of a vehicle door opening / closing system according to an embodiment.

[0033] Fig. 10 is a block diagram of a vehicle door opening / closing system according to another embodiment.

[0034] Fig. 11 is a drawing for explaining the operation of a vehicle door opening / closing system according to another embodiment.

[0035] Hereinafter, a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings.

[0036] However, the technical idea of ​​the present invention is not limited to some of the embodiments described, but can be implemented in various different forms, and within the scope of the technical idea of ​​the present invention, one or more of the components between the embodiments can be selectively combined or substituted for use.

[0037] In addition, terms (including technical and scientific terms) used in the embodiments of the present invention may be interpreted as having a meaning that can be generally understood by a person of ordinary skill in the technical field to which the present invention belongs, unless explicitly and specifically defined and described, and terms that are commonly used, such as terms defined in a dictionary, may be interpreted in consideration of the contextual meaning of the relevant technology.

[0038] Additionally, the terms used in the embodiments of the present invention are intended to describe the embodiments and are not intended to limit the present invention.

[0039] In this specification, the singular may also include the plural unless specifically stated otherwise in the phrase, and when it is described as “A and / or at least one (or more) of B, C”, it may include one or more of all combinations that can be combined with A, B, C.

[0040] Additionally, in describing components of embodiments of the present invention, terms such as first, second, A, B, (a), (b), etc. may be used.

[0041] These terms are intended only to distinguish one component from another, and are not intended to limit the nature, order, or sequence of the component.

[0042] And, when a component is described as being 'connected', 'coupled' or 'connected' to another component, it may include not only cases where the component is directly connected, coupled or connected to the other component, but also cases where the component is 'connected', 'coupled' or 'connected' by another component between the component and the other component.

[0043] Additionally, when described as being formed or arranged "above or below" each component, "above" or "below" includes not only cases where the two components are in direct contact with each other, but also cases where one or more other components are formed or arranged between the two components. Furthermore, when expressed as "above" or "below", it can include the meaning of a downward direction as well as an upward direction based on one component.

[0044] Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. Regardless of the drawing numbers, identical or corresponding components are given the same reference numbers, and redundant descriptions thereof will be omitted.

[0045] Figure 1 is a conceptual diagram of a UWB system according to an embodiment.

[0046] Referring to FIG. 1, in an embodiment, a digital key (UWB#7) and a plurality of UWB devices (UWB#1 to #6) that perform UWB communication can be mounted on a vehicle.

[0047] The mounting positions of the UWB devices (UWB#1 to #6) can be determined, for example, based on UWB frequency characteristics. In an embodiment, two UWB devices can be mounted inside the front bumper. Specifically, from the viewpoint of a driver in the vehicle, the UWB device (UWB#2) is mounted on the right side inside the front bumper, and the UWB device (UWB#1) is mounted on the left side inside the front bumper.

[0048] Two UWB devices are mounted inside the rear bumper. Specifically, from the driver's perspective, the UWB device (UWB#4) is mounted on the right side inside the rear bumper, and the UWB device (UWB#3) is mounted on the left side inside the rear bumper.

[0049] Two UWB devices are mounted on the vehicle's interior roof (headlining). Specifically, from the driver's perspective, UWB device (UWB#5) is mounted between the driver and passenger seats, while UWB device (UWB#6) is mounted above the rear seat.

[0050] UWB can refer to a short-range, high-speed wireless communication technology that utilizes a wide frequency band exceeding several GHz in baseband mode, low spectral density, and short pulse widths (1 to 4 nanoseconds). UWB can also refer to the band itself in which UWB communications are applied.

[0051] The UWB device (2) according to the embodiments may include a fixed terminal or a mobile terminal implemented as a computer device, and may communicate with other devices and / or servers using a wireless or wired communication method. For example, the UWB device (2) may include a smart phone, a mobile terminal, a laptop computer, a digital broadcasting terminal, a PDA (personal digital assistant), a PMP (portable multimedia player), a navigation device, a slate PC, a tablet PC, a desktop computer, a digital TV, a refrigerator, an artificial intelligence speaker, a wearable device, a projector, a digital key, a smart car, a printer, a vehicle console, a control device for controlling at least some functions of a vehicle, and the like, but is not limited to these examples.

[0052] In the embodiment, an example will be described in which a digital key or a smartphone and a UWB device are installed in a vehicle.

[0053] The UWB device (2) according to the embodiment can perform D2D (Device-to-Device) communication. D2D communication refers to a method in which geographically close devices communicate directly without going through infrastructure such as a base station. In D2D communication, devices can communicate 1:1, 1:many, or many:many. D2D communication can use unlicensed frequency bands such as Wi-Fi Direct and Bluetooth. Alternatively, D2D communication can improve the frequency utilization efficiency of cellular systems by utilizing licensed frequency bands. Although D2D communication is sometimes used restrictively as a term referring to communication between objects or machine-to-machine intelligent communication, D2D communication in the present embodiment can include communication between simple devices equipped with communication functions as well as communication between various types of devices equipped with communication functions, such as smartphones or personal computers.

[0054] In an embodiment, the upper controller (1) can determine the location between a plurality of UWB devices using the ranging result value. The upper controller (1) can classify each UWB device (2) into a plurality of nodes and analyze the location of each UWB device (2) according to the distance relationship between the nodes. The upper controller (1) can set a plurality of UWB devices (2) mounted on a vehicle as anchor nodes and set a UWB device (2) mounted on a digital key as a tag node, and determine the location of each UWB device (2) according to the distance relationship between the anchor node and the tag node.

[0055] In an embodiment, one of the UWB devices (2) installed in a plurality of vehicles may be designated as a master UWB device (UWB#5), and the upper controller (1) may be configured as a vehicle electronic control unit (ECU) or a body control unit (BDC, Body Domain Controller).

[0056] Figure 2 is a diagram illustrating a communication process between multiple UWB devices.

[0057] The first UWB device and the second UWB device can communicate through a device discovery process, a link creation process, and a data communication process.

[0058] During the device discovery process, each of the first UWB device and the second UWB device can discover other UWB devices capable of D2D communication among the UWB devices around it. Through this, each of the first UWB device and the second UWB device can determine whether to create a link for D2D communication. For example, the first UWB device can transmit a discovery signal so that the second UWB device can discover the first UWB device. In addition, the first UWB device can receive the discovery signal transmitted by the second UWB device to confirm that other electronic devices capable of D2D communication are within the D2D communication range (S201).

[0059] During the link creation process, each of the first UWB device and the second UWB device can create a link for data transmission with a UWB device to which data is to be transmitted among the UWB devices discovered during the device discovery process. For example, the first UWB device can create a link for data transmission with the second UWB device discovered during the device discovery process (S202).

[0060] During the data communication process, the first UWB device and the second UWB device can each transmit and receive data with the UWB devices that created the link during the link creation process. For example, the first UWB device can transmit and receive data with the second UWB device through the link created during the link creation process (S203).

[0061] Various embodiments of the present application relate to medium access control (MAC) based on the aforementioned D2D communication. For MAC, the distance between UWB devices must be measured. UWB ranging technology may be used to measure the distance between electronic devices.

[0062] In the embodiment, ranging refers to an act of measuring the distance between a UWB device (fob) and another UWB device (anchor), and the data structure follows the IEEE802.15.4z standard, and it may take about 200 us to transmit 1 packet.

[0063] Fig. 3 is a block diagram of a UWB device (10) according to an embodiment. Referring to Fig. 3, the UWB device (10) according to the embodiment performs ranging with another UWB device (20) via Ultra Wide Band (UWB), and may include a communication unit (11), at least one processor (12), and a memory (13) having a UWB ranging program built in. In addition, another UWB device (20) may also be configured to include a communication unit (21), at least one processor (22), and a memory (23) in the same manner.

[0064] In an embodiment, a UWB device (10) may function as an anchor as a UWB device installed in a vehicle, and another UWB device (20) may function as a fob as a UWB device installed in a digital key.

[0065] The communication unit (11) can perform data communication with the upper controller (1) to transmit ranging results and receive localization results from the upper controller (1). The communication unit (11) can perform data communication with the upper controller (1) via the L-CAN bus and transmit ranging results to the upper controller (1). In addition, the communication unit (11) can receive the localization results from the upper controller (1) via the L-CAN bus.

[0066] The processor (12) can perform ranging with another UWB device (20) through Ultra Wide Band (UWB) and measure the distance with another UWB device (20).

[0067] For example, when using a digital key stored in a smartphone to open and close a vehicle door, the vehicle can measure the distance between the smartphone and the vehicle using multiple UWB devices (10) (e.g., eight UWB communication modules), and then estimate the location of the smartphone based on the measurement results. When the vehicle and the smartphone come closer to each other within a predetermined distance, the vehicle can automatically open the vehicle door to increase user convenience. The vehicle and the smartphone can use multicast ranging or broadcast ranging.

[0068] Figure 4 illustrates a ranging process of a processor according to an embodiment.

[0069] Figure 4 shows the TWR (Two Way Ranging) method, including the DS (Double Sided) TWR and the SS (Single Sided) TWR.

[0070] Ranging refers to the act of measuring the distance between one fob and one anchor, and the data structure follows the IEEE802.15.4z standard, and it may take about 200us to transmit one packet.

[0071] In an embodiment, a UWB device (10) may operate as an anchor. When a UWB device (10) according to an embodiment operates as an anchor, another UWB device (20) may operate as a fob.

[0072] A slot can be defined as the time it takes for a fob or anchor to transmit (or receive) a signal once and then transmit (or receive) the next time.

[0073] First, the fob sends a poll packet and records the timestamp T0.

[0074] Next, the Anchor receives the poll packet and records T1.

[0075] Next, the anchor takes time Td1 to receive the signal and generate a response packet, sends the response message and records T2.

[0076] Next, the fob receives the response message and records T3.

[0077] Next, the fob receives the signal and takes Td2 hours to generate the final message.

[0078] Next, the fob sends the final message and records T4, and the anchor receives the final message and records T5.

[0079] The distance value between the fob and the anchor can be calculated according to the following mathematical formula 1.

[0080]

[0081] (In Equation 1, R is the distance between the fovea and the anchor, and C is the speed of light.)

[0082] Figure 5 is a conceptual diagram illustrating a control system for opening and closing vehicle doors. Referring to Figure 5(a), control operations such as opening and closing vehicle doors, trunk opening and closing, and engine start can be performed using ranging technology utilizing UWB.

[0083] However, these operations are performed using the vehicle's battery, and as shown in Fig. 5(b), if the vehicle's battery is discharged, communication with a portable device equipped with a digital key cannot be performed, and thus the ranging process utilizing UWB cannot be performed. In addition, in the case of vehicles utilizing digital keys, there are cases where a physical key is not provided, so there is a problem that the vehicle doors cannot be manually opened when the vehicle's battery is discharged, and it is difficult to take measures to immediately charge the vehicle's battery.

[0084] FIG. 6 is a diagram conceptually illustrating the operation of a vehicle door opening / closing system according to an embodiment. Referring to FIG. 6, the vehicle door opening / closing system according to the embodiment can open a vehicle door by supplying the minimum amount of power necessary to control the opening / closing of the vehicle door from a portable device when the vehicle battery is discharged.

[0085] Fig. 7 is a block diagram of a vehicle door opening / closing system according to an embodiment, and Figs. 8 and 9 are drawings for explaining the operation of a vehicle door opening / closing system according to an embodiment.

[0086] Referring to FIG. 7, a vehicle door opening / closing system (100) according to an embodiment may include a portable device (110), a communication unit (121), a control unit (122), a door opening / closing module (123), and a wireless charging module (124). The communication unit (121), the control unit (122), the door opening / closing module (123), and the wireless charging module (124) constitute a vehicle door opening / closing device (120) and may be mounted on a vehicle.

[0087] A vehicle door opening / closing system according to an embodiment changes the locking state of a vehicle door opening / closing module (123) when a portable device (110) having a predetermined code in an NFC chip and a memory device is detected to be placed within a transmission / reception area of ​​an NFC control device integrated into a vehicle. The NFC control device may be integrated, for example, into an area of ​​an external door handle of the vehicle, but need not necessarily be a door handle, and an NFC control device used as an NFC reader may be integrated into a B-pillar or a windshield.

[0088] The portable device (110) may be, for example, a smartphone, a conventional mobile phone, a smartwatch, or a smart card. Typically, any terminal capable of NFC and having a secure storage and execution environment, a so-called secure element, may be used. For example, a fitness bracelet may also be used. If the portable device (110) is, for example, a smartphone, the user does not need to carry a vehicle key to operate the vehicle door opening / closing system. Instead, the user can unlock the vehicle door by carrying the portable device (110) and placing it within the transmitting / receiving area of ​​an NFC control device integrated into the exterior door area of ​​the vehicle.

[0089] Through this operation, an NFC connection can be established between an NFC chip integrated into the portable device (110) and an NFC control device. Thereafter, the NFC chip and the NFC control device perform authentication, and, for example, a code stored in a memory device of the portable device (110) can be exchanged. Upon initial vehicle access, no codes are exchanged, and a challenge-response authentication process based on a shared secret or code using symmetric encryption can be performed. Alternatively, an asymmetric encryption method can be applied. Additional or different codes applied upon vehicle startup can be transmitted in encrypted form.

[0090] The memory device may be a security element, i.e., a tamper-resistant platform for storing data. Upon verification of the user's authorization through the exchanged code, the lock status of the vehicle door opening / closing system may be changed. Specifically, the vehicle door opening / closing system may be locked or unlocked depending on whether the vehicle door opening / closing system is locked or unlocked. Specifically, if the user holds an NFC-enabled terminal (e.g., a portable device (110)) against the vehicle door handle and the vehicle is locked, the vehicle is unlocked, and vice versa.

[0091] Specifically, the vehicle can transition to one of three states based on an NFC contact operation. For example, the vehicle is locked by a locking system in the first state. The vehicle may include a first NFC control unit in the area of ​​an exterior door handle. Additionally, the vehicle may include an additional NFC control unit inside the vehicle, which may be positioned beneath an inductive charging field. Additionally, the vehicle may further include a control unit for operating the vehicle. In this case, the control unit may be signal-triggered to two NFC control units. Additionally, the control unit is signal-triggered to a vehicle door opening / closing system.

[0092] In a second state, NFC communication occurs between a portable device (110) and an NFC control device integrated into the area of ​​an external door handle of a vehicle. The portable device (110) may include a predetermined code within an NFC chip and a memory device.

[0093] A user who wishes to unlock a vehicle door must bring the portable device (110) close to the transmitting / receiving area of ​​the NFC control device so that communication can be established between the portable device (110) and the NFC control device. During the communication, a code stored in the memory device of the portable device (110) may be exchanged. Once the code is verified, the vehicle in the first state is unlocked by a control corresponding to the locking system using the control device, and the vehicle can be operated without the need to operate a conventional vehicle key in advance. In the third state, the vehicle can be maintained in an unlocked state.

[0094] To lock and unlock a vehicle, a user does not need to directly contact the vehicle's door handle to enable communication between the NFC chip of the portable device (110) and the NFC control unit integrated into the area of ​​the vehicle's exterior door handle. The user only needs to bring the portable device (110) close enough to the NFC control unit, for example, within 10 cm, to enable communication between the NFC chip of the portable device (110) and the NFC control unit.

[0095] At this time, the communication unit (121) can periodically transmit an NFC signal (NFC search signal) to search for an authenticated portable device (110) around the vehicle.

[0096] The control unit (122) transmits an NFC search signal a set number of times through the communication unit (121), and can search for a portable device (110) in the process of transmitting the NFC search signal a set number of times.

[0097] NFC communication takes place within 10cm, and the periodic output of NFC search signals is for the vehicle door control function. Since NFC communication takes place when a user approaches the vehicle and attempts to control the door, a fast response is required.

[0098] Referring to Figure 8, the process of controlling the opening and closing of a vehicle door using NFC will be described. Figure 8 assumes that the vehicle's initial state is locked, and that the user wishes to unlock the vehicle door.

[0099] In Fig. 8, among the configurations of the vehicle door opening / closing system, the communication unit (121), control unit (122), door opening / closing module (123), and wireless charging module (124) can be installed in the vehicle and operated.

[0100] The vehicle periodically transmits an NFC search signal based on an NFC transmission cycle to check for the presence of a portable device (110) around the vehicle. The vehicle transmits an NFC search signal through NFC communication according to the set NFC transmission cycle and can count the number of transmissions of the NFC search signal.

[0101] When a portable device (110) is located at a distance where communication with the vehicle is possible and receives an NFC search signal, it transmits a response signal including an ID to the NFC vehicle in response to the received NFC search signal.

[0102] When the vehicle receives a response signal, it compares the ID included in the response signal with a preset ID to perform authentication on the portable device (110).

[0103] If authentication for the portable device (110) is successful, the vehicle unlocks the vehicle door by transmitting a door control signal to the motor drive unit. Specifically, the door opening / closing module (123) transmits the door control signal to the motor drive unit via CAN communication.

[0104] On the other hand, if authentication for the portable device (110) fails, the vehicle may retransmit an NFC search signal to the portable device (110) for re-authentication.

[0105] The portable device (110) may be configured to include a digital key. If the portable device (110) does not receive an NFC search signal within a preset distance from the vehicle, it may switch to a power transmission mode and transmit the minimum operating power. The preset distance may be set to, for example, 10 cm.

[0106] The portable device (110) can determine the distance to the vehicle using the built-in GPS. If the distance to the vehicle is within a preset distance and an NFC search signal is received, the portable device (110) can perform a process of unlocking the vehicle door through an authentication process as described above. However, if the distance to the vehicle is within a preset distance and the NFC search signal is not received, the portable device (110) can determine that the vehicle battery is discharged and switch to a power transmission mode for transmitting wireless power.

[0107] At this time, the power transmission mode may be switched automatically or may be switched after user confirmation through the user interface of the portable device (110). The portable device (110) switched to the power transmission mode may output a visual or auditory signal to transmit the minimum operating power, thereby guiding the movement of the portable device (110) to a location where the wireless charging module (124) of the vehicle is mounted. The portable device (110) in contact with the wireless charging module (124) of the vehicle in the power transmission mode may transmit the minimum operating power to the wireless charging module (124) of the vehicle through the built-in wireless power transmission coil and transmission antenna. The transmission coil of the portable device (110) may transmit a detection signal to the wireless power reception device or reception antenna to detect the presence of the wireless power reception device or reception antenna, and the transmission antenna may wirelessly transmit power when it detects the wireless power reception device or reception antenna.

[0108] The minimum operating power may refer to the minimum amount of power required to operate the vehicle's communication unit (121), control unit (122), and door opening / closing module (123) and to unlock the vehicle's door. In this case, the minimum operating power may refer to a power amount set in advance according to the vehicle's specifications. Alternatively, the portable device (110) may complete the charging operation if it receives an NFC search signal from the vehicle's communication unit (121) while transmitting power to the vehicle's wireless charging module (124). Alternatively, the portable device (110) may complete the charging operation if it receives a vehicle door unlock completion signal from the vehicle's communication unit (121) while transmitting power to the vehicle's wireless charging module (124).

[0109] The communication unit (121) can communicate with the portable device (110). The communication unit (121) can include an NFC module. The communication unit (121) can periodically output an NFC search signal according to the control of the control unit (122). In addition, when the vehicle door is unlocked, the communication unit (121) can transmit a vehicle door unlock completion signal to the portable device (110).

[0110] The control unit (122) may output an opening / closing control signal for controlling the opening / closing of the vehicle door using a signal received from the portable device (110) via the communication unit (121). An NFC connection may be established between the NFC chip integrated in the portable device (110) and the NFC control device mounted on the vehicle through the NFC search signal and the corresponding response signal output from the communication unit (121). Thereafter, the NFC chip and the NFC control device may perform authentication. For example, a code stored in the memory device of the portable device (110) may be exchanged. When the vehicle is initially accessed, the code is not exchanged, and a challenge-response authentication process based on a code using a shared secret or symmetric encryption may be performed. Alternatively, an asymmetric encryption method may be applied. Additional or different codes applied when the vehicle is started may be transmitted in an encrypted form. When the user is authenticated by the exchanged code, the lock status of the vehicle door opening / closing system may be changed. That is, depending on whether the vehicle door opening / closing system was locked or unlocked, the vehicle door opening / closing system may be locked or unlocked.

[0111] The door opening / closing module (123) can lock or unlock the vehicle door according to an opening / closing control signal. If authentication for the portable device (110) is successful, the door opening / closing module (123) can transmit a door control signal to the motor drive unit to unlock the vehicle door. Specifically, the door opening / closing module (123) can transmit the door control signal to the motor drive unit via CAN communication.

[0112] The wireless charging module (124) can wirelessly receive power from a portable device (110) when the battery supplying power to the vehicle is discharged, and supply power for opening and closing the vehicle door. The wireless charging module (124) can include an antenna for wirelessly receiving power from an external source.

[0113] The wireless charging module (124) can receive the minimum operating power for operating the communication unit (121), the control unit (122), and the door opening / closing module (123) from the portable device (110). When the charging power of the battery is lower than the minimum operating power, the wireless charging module (124) can operate in a power reception mode to receive the minimum operating power from the portable device (110). The wireless charging module (124) can operate in a constant power reception mode or can switch to the power reception mode and operate under the control of the control unit (122).

[0114] That is, the control unit (122) can detect the state of charge (SOC) of the vehicle battery, and if the charge amount of the vehicle battery is below a preset value, it can determine that the vehicle battery is discharged. If the vehicle battery is discharged, the control unit (122) can output a control signal so that the wireless charging module (124) switches to power reception mode.

[0115] When the wireless charging module (124) receives power from the portable device (110), it can supply power to the communication unit (121), the control unit (122), and the door opening / closing module (123). Through this, power charged through the portable device (110) can be directly supplied to components for opening and closing the vehicle door without charging the battery, thereby unlocking the vehicle door.

[0116] Referring to FIG. 8, first, the communication unit outputs an NFC search signal to a portable device using power supplied from a wireless charging module (S801).

[0117] Next, the portable device transmits a response signal to the NFC search signal to the communication unit, thereby establishing an NFC connection between the NFC chip integrated in the portable device and the NFC control device mounted on the vehicle (S802).

[0118] Next, an authentication process is performed through code exchange between an NFC chip integrated into a portable device and an NFC control device mounted on a vehicle (S803).

[0119] When authentication is completed, the door opening / closing module sends a door control signal to the motor drive unit to unlock the vehicle door (S804).

[0120] Referring to Figure 9, first, the portable device determines whether it has approached within a preset distance from the vehicle (S901).

[0121] Next, if the portable device does not receive an NFC search signal from the vehicle's communication unit within a preset distance, it switches to power transmission mode (S902~903).

[0122] Simultaneously or sequentially, the wireless charging module operates in power reception mode when the charging power of the battery is less than or equal to the minimum operating power (S904).

[0123] Next, the wireless charging module receives a minimum operating power from the portable device. At this time, the portable device may output a visual or auditory signal to guide the movement of the portable device to a location where the wireless charging module is installed in the vehicle (S905).

[0124] Next, the wireless charging module supplies the minimum operating power received from the portable device to the communication unit, control unit, and door opening / closing module (S906).

[0125] Next, the communication unit outputs an NFC search signal to the portable device using power supplied from the wireless charging module (S907).

[0126] Next, the portable device transmits a response signal to the NFC search signal to the communication unit, thereby establishing an NFC connection between the NFC chip integrated in the portable device and the NFC control device mounted on the vehicle (S908).

[0127] Next, an authentication process is performed through code exchange between an NFC chip integrated into a portable device and an NFC control device mounted on a vehicle (S909).

[0128] When authentication is completed, the door opening / closing module sends a door control signal to the motor drive unit to unlock the vehicle door (S910).

[0129] Fig. 10 is a block diagram of a vehicle door opening / closing system according to an embodiment, and Fig. 11 is a drawing for explaining the operation of a vehicle door opening / closing system according to an embodiment.

[0130] Referring to FIG. 10, a vehicle door opening / closing system (200) according to an embodiment may include a portable device (210), a control unit (221), a door opening / closing module (222), and a wireless charging module (223). The control unit (221), the door opening / closing module (222), and the wireless charging module (223) constitute a vehicle door opening / closing device (220) and may be mounted on a vehicle.

[0131] The portable device (210) may be configured to include a digital key.

[0132] The portable device (210) can determine whether the vehicle owner information matches the portable device (210) owner information by using at least one of ID / password information, biometric information, pattern information, PIN information, authentication information of a public certificate, and SMS authentication information.

[0133] The portable device (210) may output an authentication request signal to determine whether the vehicle owner information matches the portable device's (210) owner information when a user command is input through the user interface. Alternatively, the portable device may output an authentication request signal when an NFC search signal is not received within a preset distance from the vehicle.

[0134] The authentication request signal can be output visually / audibly through the user interface of the portable device (210). When at least one of the user's ID / password information, biometric information, pattern information, PIN information, authentication information of a public certificate, and SMS authentication information is input in response to the authentication request signal, the portable device (210) can determine whether the vehicle owner information stored in an external server or internally matches the owner information of the portable device (210).

[0135] The portable device (210) can operate in power transmission mode when the owner information of the vehicle and the owner information of the portable device (210) match.

[0136] The portable device (210) switched to the power transmission mode can guide the movement of the portable device (210) to a location where the wireless charging module (213) of the vehicle is mounted by outputting a visual or auditory signal in order to transmit the minimum operating power. The portable device (210) in contact with the wireless charging module (213) of the vehicle in the power transmission mode can transmit the minimum operating power to the wireless charging module (213) of the vehicle through the built-in wireless power transmission coil and transmission antenna. The transmission coil of the portable device (210) can transmit a detection signal to the wireless power reception device or the reception antenna in order to detect the presence of the wireless power reception device or the reception antenna, and the transmission antenna can wirelessly transmit power when it detects the wireless power reception device or the reception antenna.

[0137] The control unit (221) can output an opening / closing control signal to control the opening / closing of the vehicle door.

[0138] The door opening / closing module (222) can lock or unlock the doors of the vehicle according to an opening / closing control signal.

[0139] The control unit (221) can detect the state of charge (SOC) of the vehicle battery, and if the charge level of the vehicle battery is below a preset value, the control unit (221) can determine that the vehicle battery is discharged. If the vehicle battery is discharged, the control unit (221) can output a control signal so that the wireless charging module (223) switches to power reception mode.

[0140] When power is supplied from the wireless charging module (223) while the vehicle battery is discharged, the control unit (221) can output an open / close control signal to unlock the vehicle door to the door opening / closing module (212) using the supplied power.

[0141] The door opening / closing module (222) can unlock the vehicle door by transmitting a door control signal to the motor drive unit according to the opening / closing control signal. Specifically, the door opening / closing module (222) can transmit the door control signal to the motor drive unit via CAN communication.

[0142] The wireless charging module (223) can wirelessly receive power from a portable device (210) operating in power transmission mode when the battery supplying power to the vehicle is discharged, thereby charging the battery. The wireless charging module (223) can include an antenna for wirelessly receiving power from an external source.

[0143] The wireless charging module (223) can receive the minimum operating power for operating the control unit (221) and the door opening / closing module (222) from the portable device (210).

[0144] The wireless charging module (223) operates in power reception mode when the charging power of the battery is lower than the minimum operating power and can receive the minimum operating power from the portable device (210).

[0145] The wireless charging module (223) can operate in power reception mode to receive the minimum operating power from the portable device (210) when the charging power of the battery is lower than the minimum operating power. The wireless charging module (223) can operate in the constant power reception mode or can switch to the power reception mode under the control of the control unit (211).

[0146] When the wireless charging module (223) receives power from the portable device (210), it can supply power to the control unit (221) and the door opening / closing module (222). Through this, power charged through the portable device (210) can be directly supplied to components for opening and closing the vehicle door without charging the battery, thereby unlocking the vehicle door.

[0147] According to an embodiment, in a state where an NFC communication means is not provided or an NFC authentication process is omitted, the minimum power required to operate the control unit (221) and the door opening / closing module (222) can be charged from the portable device (210), and the vehicle door can be unlocked immediately. When the control unit (221) receives power from the wireless charging module (213) in a state where the vehicle battery is discharged, the control unit (221) can output an unlock signal so that the vehicle door can be unlocked immediately without a separate authentication process. In this case, since the authentication process between the portable device (210) and the vehicle owner has been completed through the portable device (210), the control unit (221) can unlock the vehicle door immediately without a separate authentication process. Therefore, power consumption during the authentication process can be prevented, and the vehicle can be unlocked using relatively less power compared to an embodiment that operates through NFC.

[0148] Referring to Fig. 11, first, when a user's command is input through the user interface, the portable device outputs an authentication request signal (S1101).

[0149] Next, the portable device receives at least one of the user's ID / password information, biometric information, pattern information, PIN information, public certificate authentication information, and SMS authentication information in response to the authentication request signal (S1102).

[0150] Next, the portable device determines whether the vehicle owner information stored on an external server or internally matches the owner information of the portable device (S1103).

[0151] Next, the portable device operates in power transmission mode if the owner information of the vehicle matches the owner information of the portable device (S1104).

[0152] Simultaneously or sequentially, the wireless charging module operates in power reception mode when the charging power of the battery is less than the minimum operating power (S1105).

[0153] Next, the wireless charging module receives a minimum operating power from the portable device. At this time, the portable device may output a visual or auditory signal to guide the movement of the portable device to a location where the wireless charging module is installed in the vehicle (S1106).

[0154] Next, the wireless charging module supplies the minimum operating power received from the portable device to the control unit and door opening / closing module (S1107).

[0155] Next, the door opening / closing module transmits a door control signal to the motor drive unit to unlock the vehicle door (S1108).

[0156] The term '~ part' used in this embodiment means a software or hardware component such as an FPGA (field-programmable gate array) or an ASIC, and the '~ part' performs certain roles. However, the '~ part' is not limited to software or hardware. The '~ part' may be configured to be on an addressable storage medium and may be configured to play one or more processors. Thus, as an example, the '~ part' includes components such as software components, object-oriented software components, class components, and task components, processes, functions, attributes, procedures, subroutines, segments of program code, drivers, firmware, microcode, circuits, data, databases, data structures, tables, arrays, and variables. The functionality provided within the components and '~ parts' may be combined into a smaller number of components and '~ parts' or further separated into additional components and '~ parts'. Additionally, components and '~parts' may be implemented to regenerate one or more CPUs within a device or secure multimedia card.

[0157] Although the present invention has been described above with reference to preferred embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various modifications and changes may be made to the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as set forth in the claims below.

Claims

1. A communication unit for communicating with a portable device including a digital key; A control unit that outputs an opening / closing control signal for controlling the opening / closing of a vehicle door using a signal received from the portable device through the communication unit; A door opening / closing module that locks or unlocks the door of the vehicle according to the opening / closing control signal; and A vehicle door opening / closing device including a wireless charging module that wirelessly receives power from a portable device when a battery supplying power to a vehicle is discharged and supplies power for opening / closing a vehicle door.

2. In paragraph 1, The above communication unit is a vehicle door opening / closing device including an NFC module.

3. In paragraph 2, A vehicle door opening / closing device in which the wireless charging module receives the minimum operating power for operating the communication unit, the control unit, and the door opening / closing module from the portable device.

4. In paragraph 3, A vehicle door opening / closing device in which the wireless charging module operates in a power reception mode when the charging power of the battery is lower than the minimum operating power and receives the minimum operating power from the portable device.

5. A portable device containing a digital key; A communication unit for communicating with the above portable device; A control unit that outputs an opening / closing control signal for controlling the opening / closing of a vehicle door using a signal received from the portable device through the communication unit; A door opening / closing module that locks or unlocks the door of the vehicle according to the opening / closing control signal; and A vehicle door opening / closing system including a wireless charging module that wirelessly receives power from a portable device when a battery supplying power to a vehicle is discharged and supplies power for opening / closing a vehicle door.

6. In paragraph 5, The above communication unit is a vehicle door opening / closing system including an NFC module.

7. In paragraph 6, A vehicle door opening / closing system in which the wireless charging module receives the minimum operating power for operating the communication unit, the control unit, and the door opening / closing module from the portable device.

8. In paragraph 7, A vehicle door opening / closing system in which the wireless charging module operates in a power reception mode when the charging power of the battery is lower than the minimum operating power and receives the minimum operating power from the portable device.

9. In paragraph 8, A vehicle door opening / closing system in which the portable device switches to a power transmission mode and transmits the minimum operating power to the portable device when the portable device does not receive an NFC search signal within a preset distance from the vehicle.

10. A portable device including a digital key and operating in power transmission mode when the vehicle owner information matches the owner information of the portable device; A wireless charging module that wirelessly receives power from the portable device operating in the power transmission mode when the battery supplying power to the vehicle is discharged; and A vehicle door opening / closing system including a door opening / closing module that receives power from the wireless charging module and locks or unlocks the vehicle door.

11. In paragraph 10, The above portable device is a vehicle door opening / closing system that determines whether the owner information of the vehicle matches the owner information of the portable device by using at least one of ID / password information, biometric information, pattern information, PIN information, authentication information of a public certificate, and SMS authentication information.

12. In paragraph 10, A vehicle door opening / closing system in which the wireless charging module receives the minimum operating power for operating the door opening / closing module from the portable device.

13. In paragraph 12, A vehicle door opening / closing system in which the wireless charging module operates in a power reception mode when the charging power of the battery is lower than the minimum operating power and receives the minimum operating power from the portable device.

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