Vehicle Access Control via Centralized Digital Identification
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for managing vehicle access and usage, such as key-based systems, are cumbersome and prone to unauthorized use, especially in fleet management scenarios where vehicles are rented temporarily and returned at different locations, requiring improved reliability, flexibility, and safety.
Innovation Solution
A method involving a central computer system that uses user identification to control vehicle functions, allowing for secure and flexible management of vehicle access and usage through digital means, including validation of user identifiers and conditional activation of vehicle features like engine start and locking, without the need for physical keys or codes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If key-based locking systems are used for vehicle access control, then physical security is provided, but the system becomes cumbersome and prone to unauthorized use
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces mechanical key-based locking systems with an electronic identification system using RFID transponders or smart cards. The control unit reads the identifier digitally and communicates with a central system to validate authorization, eliminating the need for physical keys and their associated handling complexities.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a central computer system as an intermediary between the user's identification and the vehicle's control functions. This central system manages the database of authorized users and coordinates the activation of vehicle functions, providing a reliable security layer while simplifying the user interface.
2Reliability
If additional lock codes are used for engine starting, then security is enhanced, but the complexity of access control increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the identification and authorization functions into a single integrated system. The same identifier used for vehicle access control is also used for engine starting authorization, eliminating the need for separate lock codes and reducing system complexity while maintaining security.
Solution Approach 2:
The identification system serves multiple functions: it controls vehicle access, enables engine starting, and manages other vehicle functions. This universal approach replaces multiple separate security mechanisms with a single streamlined system that reduces complexity.
3Ease of operation
If physical keys are distributed to multiple personnel, then vehicle access is enabled, but the risk of unauthorized use increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses digital copies of identification data stored in a centralized database rather than physical key duplicates. Multiple personnel can be authorized through electronic identifiers without the risks associated with physical key duplication, as the central system can control and revoke access digitally.
Solution Approach 2:
The central computer system provides feedback by continuously monitoring and validating user identifiers against the authorized users database. This feedback mechanism ensures that only currently authorized personnel can access vehicles, maintaining reliable authorization control even as access rights change over time.
4Adaptability or versatility
If vehicles are made interchangeable for fleet management, then operational flexibility improves, but precise control of individual vehicle functions becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The central computer system acts as an intermediary that maintains precise control over individual vehicle functions even when vehicles are interchangeable. The system communicates with each vehicle's control unit to specifically activate or deactivate functions based on user authorization and service requirements, enabling both fleet-wide flexibility and individual vehicle precision.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a method for checking the use of a vehicle provided to a predetermined user, characterised in that it includes the following steps: a digital means, located in a terminal or in a vehicle connected to said terminal, reads data containing an identifier of said user; said user identifier is sent to a central computer system managing a plurality of vehicles and a plurality of users, in order to compare said user identifier with at least one datum from a user database; and, in the event the vehicle has been provided correctly, said central system sends at least one message enabling a control signal to be sent to a means for controlling at least one function of said assigned vehicle, or an infrastructure to which the latter is connected.