Digital Vehicle Key Account Binding Without In-Vehicle Linking

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing digital key systems require tedious manual linking to vehicle OEM user accounts and lack secure, efficient methods for binding user accounts without direct vehicle interaction.

Innovation Solution

A method where a smart device generates a user account attestation with a signature based on the digital key, which is verified by an administrative platform, enabling secure binding without user interaction with the vehicle, and allows secure storage and access management of the digital key.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If manual linking of digital keys to user accounts is implemented through HMI in the vehicle, then the binding can be established, but the process becomes tedious and requires direct vehicle interaction

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvebinding securityVSAvoidbinding convenience

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces an intermediary binding process that occurs through the smartphone application and backend server, eliminating the need for direct vehicle interaction. The HMI serves as an intermediary interface on the smartphone that facilitates account binding without requiring physical presence or interaction with the vehicle itself, thus improving convenience while maintaining security through the intermediary verification process.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements preliminary action by performing the account binding process before the user actually needs to use the vehicle. The binding is established through the smartphone app in advance, allowing the digital key to be pre-configured and associated with the user account prior to vehicle access, thereby eliminating the need for tedious on-site vehicle interaction.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Reliability

If digital keys are stored in secure storage on smart devices, then security is improved, but the identity of the smart device remains anonymized towards the vehicle OEM

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvekey securityVSAvoiddevice identity information

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the information architecture into multiple layers: the secure storage layer on the smartphone that maintains anonymity, the HMI layer that handles user interaction, and the backend server layer that stores and manages device identity information. This segmentation allows the digital key to remain secure and anonymized on the device while enabling the system to access and verify device identity through the HMI and backend infrastructure when needed.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentUS12580745B2Method and system for binding a user account to a digital vehicle key

Publication Date: 2026.03.17 BAYERISCHE MOTOREN WERKE AG

AI summary

A method and system for a vehicle for binding a user account with a digital key is disclosed herein. The method includes receiving information about an account binding of a user from an administrative platform for the vehicle, the information about the account binding comprising information on a digital account key. The method also includes receiving access information from a user, the access information comprising information on a digital user key, and verifying that the digital account key and the digital user key match to obtain user grant information. The method further includes obtaining information about one or more personalized settings or services of the user for the vehicle based on the user grant information, and applying the one or more settings to the vehicle or enabling the one or more services for the user in the vehicle.