Vehicle Digital Key Cloud Storage Authentication

Solution Overview

Problem

The existing digital key authentication process for vehicles via mobile devices is time-consuming, especially for first-time connections, causing inconvenience in ride-hailing and vehicle rental services due to the 'brick wall effect' where users cannot access the vehicle during the authentication process.

Innovation Solution

A system that utilizes a cloud server to store and manage digital keys, implementing a double connection process where the mobile device acts as the master initially, and then the vehicle takes over, allowing for faster authentication by associating unique identifiers with encryption keys and storing them in a lookup database for future connections.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If a digital key authentication process is implemented between mobile device and vehicle, then user can access vehicle without physical key, but authentication time is too long causing brick wall effect

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveaccess methodVSAvoidauthentication time

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary actions by establishing a double connection between mobile device and vehicle before the authentication process begins. The mobile device connects to the vehicle via Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) and the vehicle connects to the mobile device via Wi-Fi simultaneously, so that when authentication is needed, the connection is already in place, eliminating the delay of establishing connections during authentication.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces an intermediary authentication mechanism where the vehicle's controller acts as a mediator between the mobile device and the authentication server. The controller receives authentication requests, manages the double connection, and coordinates the key exchange process, streamlining the overall authentication flow and reducing delays.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If first-time connection authentication is performed, then secure key exchange is achieved, but connection time ranges from seconds to tens of seconds causing inconvenience

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveauthentication securityVSAvoidfirst-time connection time

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary actions by establishing a double connection between mobile device and vehicle before the authentication process begins. The mobile device connects to the vehicle via Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) and the vehicle connects to the mobile device via Wi-Fi simultaneously, so that when authentication is needed, the connection is already in place, eliminating the delay of establishing connections during authentication.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent maintains continuous useful action by keeping the double connection (BLE and Wi-Fi) active and ready throughout the authentication process. Instead of establishing connections only when needed, the system maintains both connections continuously, ensuring that authentication can proceed immediately without interruption or delay.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #20Continuity of useful action

3Adaptability or versatility

If digital key authentication is implemented for ride hailing services, then users can access different vehicles, but each first-time connection causes time delay

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvevehicle access capabilityVSAvoidconnection delay per vehicle

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary actions by establishing a double connection between mobile device and vehicle before the authentication process begins. The mobile device connects to the vehicle via Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) and the vehicle connects to the mobile device via Wi-Fi simultaneously, so that when authentication is needed, the connection is already in place, eliminating the delay of establishing connections during authentication.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements a universal authentication system that works across multiple vehicles and ride-hailing platforms. The double connection mechanism and authentication protocol are designed to be platform-agnostic, allowing the same mobile device to authenticate with different vehicles from different manufacturers and services without requiring vehicle-specific customization.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentUS11569983B2Vehicle digital key cloud storage

Publication Date: 2023.01.31 FORD GLOBAL TECH LLC

AI summary

A vehicle includes a wireless transceiver; and one or more controllers, programmed to receive, via the wireless transceiver, a hailing instruction that identifies a user to ride in the vehicle, the hailing instruction including an identifier of a mobile device of the user, responsive to receiving a key from the mobile device via a wireless connection between the mobile device and the wireless transceiver, associate the key with the identifier, and send the key and the identifier as an associated pair to a server via the wireless transceiver.