Localization and passive entry/passive start systems and methods for vehicles

1. A system comprising:

a communication gateway in a vehicle configured to establish a wireless communication link with a portable device;

a plurality of sensors in communication with the communication gateway, each configured to receive connection information about the wireless communication link, to receive communication packets sent from the portable device to the communication gateway via the wireless communication link, and to measure signal information of communication signals transmitting the communication packets;

a localization module configured to receive the signal information from each of the plurality of sensors and to determine a location of the portable device based on the signal information from the plurality of sensors;

a passive entry/passive start (PEPS) system configured to receive the location of the portable device from the localization module and to perform a vehicle function including at least one of unlocking a door of the vehicle, unlocking a trunk of the vehicle, and allowing the vehicle to be started based on the location of the portable device; and

a security module configured to compare first data in the communication packets received by the communication gateway with second data in the communication packets received by the plurality of sensors.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the security module is further configured to generate an alert to the portable device when the first data does not match the second data.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the alert indicates that the PEPS system is being attacked.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the wireless communication link is a Bluetooth low energy (BLE) communication link.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the signal information includes at least one of a received signal strength, a time of arrival, a time difference of arrival, and an angle of arrival of the communication signals transmitting the communication packets.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the connection information includes at least one of a channel map, a channel hop interval, a slave latency, a next channel, a next channel time, a clock accuracy, filtering data, channel pre-scan parameters, channel post-scan parameters, and connection monitoring parameters of the wireless communication link.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the PEPS system is further configured to receive motion data from the portable device indicating detected motion of the portable device, to compare the motion data with a predetermined threshold, and to disable the vehicle function when the motion data is greater than the predetermined threshold.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the wireless communication link is a secure wireless communication link.

9. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a vehicle module that includes the communication gateway and the security module.

10. A system comprising:

a communication gateway in a vehicle configured to establish a wireless communication link with a portable device;

a plurality of sensors in communication with the communication gateway, each configured to receive connection information about the wireless communication link, to receive communication packets sent from the portable device to the communication gateway via the wireless communication link, and to measure signal information of communication signals transmitting the communication packets;

a localization module configured to receive the signal information from each of the plurality of sensors and to determine a location of the portable device based on the signal information from the plurality of sensors;

a passive entry/passive start (PEPS) system configured to receive the location of the portable device from the localization module and to perform a vehicle function including at least one of unlocking a door of the vehicle, unlocking a trunk of the vehicle, and allowing the vehicle to be started based on the location of the portable device; and

a security module configured to compare an arrival time of a received communication packet with an expected arrival time for the received communication packet and to determine whether the received communication packet was sent by an unauthorized device based on the comparison.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the security module is further configured to generate an alert to the portable device in response to the received communication packet being sent by the unauthorized device.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the alert indicates that the PEPS system is being attacked.

13. The system of claim 11 , wherein the security module is further configured to determine a difference between the arrival time of the received communication packet and the expected arrival time, compare the difference with a predetermined threshold, and generate the alert in response to the difference being greater than the predetermined threshold.

14. The system of claim 10 , wherein the wireless communication link is a Bluetooth low energy (BLE) communication link.

15. The system of claim 10 , wherein the signal information includes at least one of a received signal strength, a time of arrival, a time difference of arrival, and an angle of arrival of the communication signals transmitting the communication packets.

16. The system of claim 10 , wherein the connection information includes at least one of a channel map, a channel hop interval, a slave latency, a next channel, a next channel time, a clock accuracy, filtering data, channel pre-scan parameters, channel post-scan parameters, and connection monitoring parameters of the wireless communication link.

17. The system of claim 10 , wherein the PEPS system is further configured to receive motion data from the portable device indicating detected motion of the portable device, to compare the motion data with a predetermined threshold, and to disable the vehicle function when the motion data is greater than the predetermined threshold.

18. The system of claim 10 , wherein the wireless communication link is a secure wireless communication link.

19. The system of claim 10 , further comprising a vehicle module that includes the communication gateway and the security module.

20. A method comprising:

establishing, with a communication gateway in a vehicle, a wireless communication link with a portable device;

receiving, with a plurality of sensors in communication with the communication gateway, connection information about the wireless communication link;

receiving, with the plurality of sensors, communication packets sent from the portable device to the communication gateway via the wireless communication link;

measuring, with the plurality of sensors, signal information of communication signals transmitting the communication packets;

receiving, with a localization module, the signal information from each of the plurality of sensors;

determining, with the localization module, a location of the portable device based on the signal information from the plurality of sensors;

receiving, with a passive entry/passive start (PEPS) system, the location of the portable device from the localization module;

performing, with the PEPS system, a vehicle function including at least one of unlocking a door of the vehicle, unlocking a trunk of the vehicle, and allowing the vehicle to be started based on the location of the portable device; and

comparing, with a security module, first data in the communication packets received by the communication gateway with second data in the communication packets received by the plurality of sensors.

21. The method of claim 20 , further comprising generating, with the security module, an alert to the portable device when the first data does not match the second data.

22. The method of claim 21 , wherein the alert indicates that the PEPS system is being attacked.

23. The method of claim 20 , wherein the wireless communication link is a Bluetooth low energy (BLE) communication link.

24. The method of claim 20 , wherein the signal information includes at least one of a received signal strength, a time of arrival, a time difference of arrival, and an angle of arrival of the communication signals transmitting the communication packets.

25. The method of claim 20 , wherein the connection information includes at least one of a channel map, a channel hop interval, a slave latency, a next channel, a next channel time, a clock accuracy, filtering data, channel pre-scan parameters, channel post-scan parameters, and connection monitoring parameters of the wireless communication link.

26. The method of claim 20 , further comprising:

receiving, with the PEPS system, motion data from the portable device indicating detected motion of the portable device;

comparing, with the PEPS system, the motion data with a predetermined threshold; and

disabling, with the PEPS system, the vehicle function when the motion data is greater than the predetermined threshold.

27. The method of claim 20 , wherein the wireless communication link is a secure wireless communication link.

28. The method of claim 20 , wherein the communication gateway and the security module are included in a vehicle module in the vehicle.