Digital Key Extension for BLE-to-UWB Vehicle Unlocking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current intelligent terminals that support only Bluetooth low energy (BLE) and near field communication (NFC) cannot provide a digital key function for vehicles using communication technologies such as ultra-wideband (UWB) or low frequency (LF)+radio frequency (RF), necessitating the use of physical keys.
Innovation Solution
An extension device that supports both the first communication protocol (e.g., BLE) and the second communication protocol (e.g., UWB or RF) is used to relay instructions from a key carrier device that does not support the second protocol, enabling the digital key function for vehicles by communicating with them using the appropriate protocol.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a carrier device supports only BLE and NFC protocols, then the device complexity is reduced and ease of manufacture is improved, but the adaptability to vehicles using UWB or LF+RF protocols deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an extension device as an intermediary between the carrier device and the vehicle. The extension device supports multiple communication protocols including UWB and LF+RF, while the carrier device only needs to support BLE and NFC. The extension device receives instructions from the carrier device via BLE/NFC and translates them into the appropriate vehicle protocol, thereby resolving the protocol compatibility issue without requiring the carrier device to support all vehicle protocols directly.
2Ease of operation
If the carrier device directly communicates with the vehicle using unsupported protocols, then the adaptability is improved, but the ease of operation deteriorates due to the need for physical keys
Solution Approach 1:
The extension device serves as a mediator that enables keyless operation for vehicles using UWB or LF+RF protocols. The carrier device maintains its simple BLE/NFC support for keyless operation, while the extension device handles the protocol translation to communicate with the vehicle, thus preserving ease of operation while achieving protocol compatibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The extension device is designed with multi-functionality to support multiple communication protocols (UWB, LF, RF) in addition to BLE and NFC. This universal capability allows a single extension device to work with various vehicle types using different protocols, enabling the carrier device to provide keyless operation across multiple vehicle platforms without requiring protocol-specific modifications.
Data Source
AI summary
This application provides example vehicle unlocking methods and example digital keys. One example vehicle unlocking method includes receiving, by an extension device of the digital key, a first instruction from a carrier device of the digital key based on a first communication protocol. The extension device communicates with a vehicle based on a second communication protocol in response to the first instruction, where the first communication protocol is the Bluetooth protocol, and the second communication protocol is a wireless communication protocol used for ranging.