Vehicular Control System Dual-Key Authentication

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Solution Overview

Problem

The existing smart key systems for carsharing services face security risks due to the potential for unauthorized access and theft, as the vehicle key is stored in the vehicle cabin, which can be compromised through unlawful unlocking or picking.

Innovation Solution

A vehicular control system utilizing a dual-key device setup with a first key device that operates as a vehicle key upon successful authentication with a mobile terminal and a second key device that verifies and responds to authentication signals, employing different communication technologies (BLE, LF, and RF) to enhance security, ensuring the vehicle key only functions when properly authorized.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If the vehicle key is stored in the glove compartment or key box within the vehicle cabin, then the user can easily access the vehicle key for carsharing service, but the security risk increases due to potential unlawful unlocking or picking of the vehicle door or key box

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveaccess to vehicle keyVSAvoidvehicle theft risk
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the vehicle key function from the physical key device stored in the vehicle cabin and relocates it to a mobile terminal carried by the user. The mobile terminal communicates with the vehicle-mounted machine via wireless communication, eliminating the need for physical key storage in the vehicle. This resolves the contradiction by removing the vulnerable physical key storage location while maintaining convenient access through the user's mobile device.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

2Ease of operation

If a single vehicle key system is used, then the system is simple to operate, but the security level is insufficient against unauthorized access

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesystem simplicityVSAvoidauthentication security
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the authentication system into multiple independent components: a mobile terminal for key generation, a vehicle-mounted machine for authentication, and multiple communication modules (first and second communication units) operating on different frequency bands. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function securely while maintaining overall system simplicity for the end user.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces a mobile terminal as an intermediary between the user and the vehicle authentication system. The mobile terminal generates and transmits authentication information to the vehicle-mounted machine, acting as a secure mediator that enhances authentication security without requiring the user to directly interact with complex security mechanisms.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Reliability

If multiple communication technologies are implemented for authentication, then the security is improved through multi-layer verification, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveauthentication securityVSAvoidcommunication system complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines multiple communication technologies (first communication using radio waves of first frequency band and second communication using radio waves of second frequency band) into a single integrated vehicle-mounted machine. This merging allows the system to perform multi-layer authentication while presenting a unified interface to users, reducing perceived complexity despite enhanced security capabilities.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Data Source

PatentEP3640880B1Vehicular control system
Publication Date: 2021.02.24 TOYOTA JIDOSHA KK
  • EP3640880B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3640880B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3640880B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A vehicular control system includes: a vehicle-mounted machine (40); a mobile terminal (10); a first key device (20) provided in a vehicle, the first key device (20) being configured to obtain authentication information including an identifier of the vehicle from the mobile terminal (10) and operate as a vehicle key of the vehicle specified by the identifier; and a second key device (30) provided in the vehicle, the second key device (30) being configured to receive a first computation result of predetermined computation performed by the first key device (20) based on a first signal transmitted from the vehicle-mounted machine (40), obtain a second computation result by performing predetermined computation based on the first signal and send a second signal to the vehicle-mounted machine (40) when the first computation result matches the second computation result.