Passive Entry Fleet Management via Dynamic Fob Authentication
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current passive entry systems for vehicles are limited in accommodating multiple keyless entry fobs and cannot efficiently manage the addition of new vehicles to a fleet without reconfiguring existing fobs, leading to inefficiencies and inconvenience, especially in fleets like police or taxi services.
Innovation Solution
A passive entry system that uses an unlocking module to broadcast authentication request packets with a range of identification values, allowing multiple fobs to respond and perform key operations, enabling any fob to unlock or lock a fleet of vehicles without being specifically married to them, using proximity sensors and unique identification values for authentication.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If multiple fobs are configured to interface with a fleet of vehicles using traditional passive entry systems, then each fob can unlock vehicles, but the system complexity increases significantly and new vehicles cannot be added without reconfiguring existing fobs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the authentication process into two independent parts: vehicle-side authentication (using unique vehicle identifiers) and fob-side authentication (using unique fob identifiers). This segmentation allows each component to be configured independently, enabling new vehicles to be added to the fleet without reconfiguring existing fobs. The vehicle controller stores a list of authorized fob identifiers, and when authentication is requested, it checks the fob's identifier against this list, allowing dynamic fleet composition.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a universal authentication mechanism where any authorized fob can access any authorized vehicle in the fleet through a common authentication protocol. The system uses universal identifiers (vehicle ID and fob ID) that work across the entire fleet rather than requiring specific pairings. This multi-functionality allows a single fob to potentially access multiple vehicles and multiple fobs to access the same vehicle, providing great flexibility for fleet management.
2Quantity of substance
If traditional passive entry systems use predetermined time slots for fob communication, then authentication can occur, but the number of supported fobs is limited by the number of time slots
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a dynamic authentication approach where the system does not rely on fixed time slots for each fob. Instead, when a vehicle authentication request is received, the system dynamically identifies the nearest fob and initiates authentication with that specific fob. This dynamic selection allows the system to support any number of fobs without being constrained by predetermined time slot allocations, as long as at least one authorized fob is present during the authentication request.
3Adaptability or versatility
If one-to-one communication is used between vehicle and fob, then authentication is straightforward, but the system cannot efficiently handle multiple fobs for a single vehicle
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary authentication mechanism where the vehicle controller acts as a mediator between multiple fobs and the vehicle. The controller maintains a list of authorized fob identifiers and uses this list to mediate authentication requests. When multiple fobs are present, the system uses proximity detection to identify the nearest fob as the intermediary for authentication, simplifying the communication management while supporting multiple authorized fobs.
Data Source
AI summary
A passive entry system is disclosed. The system comprises an unlocking module that performs a key operation in a keyless environment and a plurality of fobs configured to trigger the unlocking module to perform the key operation. each fob has a unique value associated thereto. The unlocking module determines a range of identification values, generates an authentication request packet based on the range, of identification values, and broadcasts the request packet. Each fob receives the request packet; and determines whether the unique identification value of the corresponding fob falls within the range of identification values. The fob also generates a response packet if the unique identification value falls within the range of identification values and transmits the response packet to the unlocking module. The unlocking module receives the response packets from the fobs, and performs the key operation based on one of the received response packets.