Vehicle Accessory Wireless Connection via Unique Code Derivation
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for establishing a communication channel between vehicles and accessories, such as trailers, are limited by the CAN-bus's standardized messaging and lack of convenience in setting up wireless connections, especially when dealing with IoT devices, requiring manual operator intervention.
Innovation Solution
A method that uses wireless transceivers in vehicles and accessories to derive a unique code from vehicle and accessory identifiers via a predetermined function, broadcasting this code to establish a secure and automatic wireless connection without operator involvement, utilizing standards like IEEE 802.11 for WiFi communication.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a CAN-bus is used to establish communication between vehicle and accessory, then communication is established, but communication possibilities are limited due to standardized messages and shared bus usage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the communication channel into two distinct parts: the CAN-bus for basic vehicle integration and a separate wireless communication channel (WiFi) for enhanced data transfer. This allows the system to maintain compatibility with existing vehicle architectures while adding versatile communication capabilities through the wireless interface, resolving the limitation of standardized CAN messages.
2Reliability
If manual steps are required to set up wireless communication with IoT device, then secure connection is established, but operator burden increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements self-service authentication where the vehicle and accessory automatically perform mutual authentication using pre-shared certificates stored in their respective systems. The accessory's certificate is verified by the vehicle's authentication module without requiring any manual operator intervention, thus maintaining secure connection establishment while eliminating operator burden.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements preliminary action by pre-installing authentication certificates in both the vehicle and accessory systems before they are connected. This preparatory step enables automatic authentication and secure connection establishment upon connection, eliminating the need for manual setup steps while maintaining security.
3Productivity
If wireless transceiver is added to accessory for IoT functionality, then data transfer capability is enhanced, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies universality by implementing a standardized WiFi transceiver module that can be integrated into various accessory types (trailers, cranes, tipper boxes) with a single universal communication protocol and authentication mechanism. This multi-functional approach enables different accessory types to use the same wireless communication infrastructure, enhancing data transfer capability while minimizing the increase in device complexity through standardization.
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a method for establishing a wireless communication channel between a vehicle and a vehicle accessory. The method comprises, in the vehicle: detecting a wired communication channel between the vehicle and the accessory; transmitting a vehicle identifier from the vehicle to the accessory via the wired communication channel; receiving an accessory identifier; deriving a unique code based on the vehicle identifier and the accessory identifier using a predetermined function; broadcasting the unique code by a vehicle wireless transceiver. In the vehicle accessory: deriving the unique code based on the vehicle identifier and the accessory identifier using the same predetermined function as used in the vehicle; receiving the broadcast unique code; determining that the received code corresponds to the determined unique code; finding a network broadcasting the unique code; and establishing a wireless connection between the wireless transceiver of the vehicle and the wireless transceiver of the accessory using the network characterized by the unique code.