Vehicle Configuration Method for Fleet User Access Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for configuring vehicles used by multiple users, such as fleet vehicles, allow temporary users to access and modify all settings, leading to unintentional changes and security risks, and fail to communicate software or setting availability effectively, affecting entire country codes and fleet usage.
Innovation Solution
A method that combines user data into a user account and stores vehicle properties in a central storage unit, allowing vehicle groups to be defined based on user affiliation, with specific availability of vehicle properties assigned to each group, enabling secure configuration and service availability management through a control device and standard interfaces.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If all vehicle settings are made accessible to temporary users, then users can fully configure the vehicle according to their preferences, but security risks increase and unintended changes may occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments vehicle settings into different access levels: basic settings that temporary users can modify and security-critical settings that require administrator approval. This segmentation allows users to have configuration freedom for non-critical functions while protecting security-sensitive functions from unauthorized changes.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary approval mechanism where temporary user configuration requests for security-critical settings are routed through an administrator who must approve or reject the changes. This intermediary layer prevents direct unauthorized access while still allowing legitimate configuration changes.
2Reliability
If a complete vehicle reset is performed upon detecting a new user, then security is maintained by removing previous user data, but all user preferences and settings are lost requiring reconfiguration
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of performing a complete vehicle reset, the patent applies local quality changes by selectively clearing only the specific user account data of the previous user while preserving other user accounts and system settings. This allows security to be maintained for the specific user context without losing overall system configuration or other users' data.
3Adaptability or versatility
If user-specific configurations are stored locally in each vehicle, then each user gets personalized settings, but centralized management and updates across the fleet become difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent establishes a feedback mechanism where the vehicle system communicates with a centralized server to receive configuration updates and service availability information. The server can push updates to multiple vehicles, and vehicle status information is fed back to the server, enabling centralized management while maintaining local user personalization.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a universal user account system that works across multiple vehicles and users. The same user account can access personalized settings across different vehicles in the fleet, and the system universally applies configuration rules and security policies across all vehicles, simplifying centralized management.
4Ease of operation
If software updates and service availability changes are not communicated to the vehicle system, then the vehicle operates independently, but entire country codes may be affected by service shutdowns without the fleet system being aware
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback communication channel between the vehicle system and the centralized server. The vehicle periodically checks for software updates and service availability information from the server, and this information is fed back to the fleet management system, ensuring that service shutdowns and updates are communicated across the entire fleet.
Data Source
Figure 1
AI summary
The invention relates to a method for configuring a vehicle (14) which is provided for a plurality of users, as well as a vehicle. Data of a respective user is gathered in a user account and stored in a storage unit (12) with available vehicle features of the vehicle (14); vehicle groups are defined according to the association of a respective user account to be assigned to the vehicle with a respective user group; a configuration (18) is defined by assigning the respective availability of vehicle features of the vehicle (14) for a user of a respective vehicle group, and the configuration (18) is stored in the storage unit (12).