Digital Key Authentication Fallback for Vehicle Startup Failures

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing digital key systems fail to confirm the presence of a digital key within a vehicle due to communication interface malfunctions, preventing vehicle startup.

Innovation Solution

Implement biometric authentication at the digital key device to enable vehicle startup even when the communication interface is malfunctioning, ensuring authentication results are used to authorize vehicle activation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If biometric authentication is implemented at the digital key device, then vehicle startup is enabled even when communication interface is malfunctioning, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvevehicle startup reliabilityVSAvoidauthentication system complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs biometric authentication in advance at the digital key device before vehicle startup is requested. The authentication result is stored and can be used even when the communication interface malfunctions during the startup process, ensuring reliable vehicle activation without requiring real-time communication.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The biometric authentication result acts as an intermediary credential that bridges the gap between the digital key device and the vehicle control system. When communication interface fails, this pre-validated authentication result serves as a mediator to enable vehicle startup without direct real-time communication.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If authentication is required at the digital key device, then security is enhanced, but ease of operation deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesecurity levelVSAvoidvehicle startup convenience
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The digital key device performs biometric authentication autonomously using its own built-in authentication unit. The user simply needs to provide biometric data (fingerprint, face, iris) at the device, and the authentication is automatically completed without requiring manual intervention or additional steps, maintaining ease of operation while enhancing security.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

3Reliability

If communication interface malfunction detection is implemented, then system reliability is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecommunication system reliabilityVSAvoidcommunication monitoring complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The vehicle control system continuously receives authentication results from the digital key device and uses this feedback to detect communication interface malfunctions. When authentication results stop arriving or show error patterns, the system identifies communication failure and switches to using pre-stored authentication results, enabling reliable malfunction detection without complex monitoring hardware.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentEP4155139B1Vehicle, judging method, and non-transitory, computer-readable recording medium on which computer program is recorded
Publication Date: 2025.09.03 TOYOTA JIDOSHA KK
  • EP4155139B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4155139B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4155139B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A vehicle includes a memory and a processor coupled to the memory. The processor is configured to determine whether or not a communication interface is malfunctioning, the communication interface being configured to perform communication for confirming that a device, which holds a digital key for activation, is inside a vehicle cabin, and in a case in which it is determined that the communication interface is malfunctioning, perform processing that enables activation based on a result of authentication of the device.