In-Vehicle Camera Driver Authentication via Trusted Mobile Device

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Modern vehicles face challenges in seamless driver authentication, particularly when using in-car cameras for face-based identification, as the enrollment process can be cumbersome and may not provide a seamless 'get-in-and-drive' experience, and existing methods may not adequately ensure user privacy and security.

Innovation Solution

A system utilizing a trusted mobile computing device that performs facial enrollment by capturing data in various poses and associates it with a user account, then authenticates unknown users by comparing their feature data to enrolled data, ensuring secure and reliable login operations while maintaining user privacy.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If facial recognition authentication is implemented using in-vehicle cameras, then driver identification accuracy is improved, but the enrollment process becomes cumbersome and time-consuming

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedriver identification accuracyVSAvoidenrollment time
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs facial feature extraction and enrollment data preparation in advance, storing processed feature vectors in the vehicle's computing system before actual authentication is needed. This preliminary processing reduces the time required during actual enrollment and authentication operations.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces a trusted mobile computing device as an intermediary that facilitates the enrollment process. The mobile device captures facial images and works cooperatively with the vehicle system, making the enrollment process more convenient and less time-consuming while maintaining accuracy.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Speed

If facial feature data is stored in the vehicle computing system for authentication, then authentication speed is improved, but user privacy and data security are compromised

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveauthentication speedVSAvoiduser privacy and data security
Core Design Contradiction:
SpeedVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts and stores only essential facial feature vectors in the vehicle system, removing unnecessary personal identifiable information. This extraction approach enables fast authentication while minimizing privacy risks by storing only the mathematical representations needed for comparison.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements differential privacy techniques that add controlled noise to the stored feature data, ensuring that individual facial characteristics cannot be reconstructed. This local quality modification protects user privacy while maintaining the functional ability to perform authentication comparisons.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

3Reliability

If comprehensive facial data is captured during enrollment, then authentication reliability is improved, but the complexity of the enrollment process increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveauthentication reliabilityVSAvoidenrollment process complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The enrollment process is designed to be dynamic and adaptive, adjusting the number and type of facial images required based on lighting conditions, camera quality, and initial recognition confidence levels. This dynamic approach ensures reliable feature capture without requiring a fixed complex sequence of actions from the user.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The system automatically performs facial feature extraction, quality assessment, and duplicate detection without requiring user intervention beyond positioning their face. The automated processing reduces enrollment complexity while capturing comprehensive facial data for reliable authentication.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Data Source

PatentEP3771314B1Seamless driver authentication using an in-vehicle camera in conjunction with a trusted mobile computing device
Publication Date: 2022.08.03 GOOGLE LLC
  • EP3771314B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3771314B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3771314B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

An example method includes establishing, by a mobile computing device, a connection with a vehicle computing system of a vehicle, receiving, from the vehicle computing system, feature data associated with at least one image of a face of a user of the vehicle, wherein the at least one image of the face is captured by an image capture device included in the vehicle, determining, based on a comparison between the feature data associated with the at least one image of the face of the user and feature data of at least one image of a face of a previously enrolled user, a match between the user of the vehicle and the previously enrolled user, authenticating, based on the match, the user of the vehicle, and sending, to the vehicle computing system, authentication data for the user of the vehicle, wherein the authentication data is indicative of the match.