Vehicle Unlocking With Contextual Biometric Map Verification

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing biometric recognition systems in vehicles do not consider the road environment or user habits and preferences when granting access, leading to inefficiencies and potential safety issues.

Innovation Solution

An unlocking system that integrates imaging devices to capture surrounding environment and user data, generates a high-definition map, and uses biometric recognition to identify users based on their habits and preferences, adjusting access permissions and providing feedback.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If traditional biometric recognition systems are used to identify users, then user identification can be achieved, but the system does not consider road environment or user habits leading to reduced safety and user experience

Engineering Contradiction:
ImprovesafetyVSAvoidcontextual awareness
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary actions by capturing images of the road environment and generating a contextual map before user identification occurs. This pre-processing of environmental data allows the system to evaluate safety conditions and user habits in advance, making the identification process more reliable and context-aware without adding delay to the actual authentication.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

A contextual map is introduced as an intermediary element that bridges the gap between basic biometric recognition and environmental awareness. This map serves as a mediator that integrates road environment data, user habits, and safety parameters, allowing the system to make informed authentication decisions without requiring direct complex interactions between all system components.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Adaptability or versatility

If environmental imaging and map generation are added to enhance contextual awareness, then safety and user experience improve, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecontextual awarenessVSAvoidsystem complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The imaging device is designed with multi-functionality, serving both as a standard biometric recognition camera and as an environmental mapping device. By making the imaging system universal, the patent avoids adding separate dedicated sensors for environmental capture, thereby reducing overall system complexity while still achieving enhanced contextual awareness through the same hardware component.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Measurement precision

If confidence score verification with threshold comparison is implemented, then identification accuracy improves, but processing time increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveidentification accuracyVSAvoidprocessing time
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system applies partial verification by using confidence score threshold comparison only when necessary, rather than always performing full verification. This selective approach allows the system to maintain high identification accuracy for uncertain cases while avoiding unnecessary processing time for clear, unambiguous identifications, thus balancing precision with speed.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Data Source

PatentEP4629205A1Unlocking system, and method implemented in an electronic system
Publication Date: 2025.10.08 VALEO COMFORT & DRIVING ASSISTANCE
  • EP4629205A1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4629205A1 patent drawingFigure 2~3
  • EP4629205A1 patent drawing

AI summary

The invention relates to an unlocking system (10) for a movable panel of a vehicle. According to the invention, the unlocking system comprises: - an imaging device (12) configured to capture at least one image in a region surrounding the vehicle, - a map generation module (13) configured to generate a map representing at least a portion of an environment of the vehicle, and - a biometric recognition device (14), configured to identify a user of the vehicle from the at least one image provided by the imaging device and the map generated by the map generation module.