IP Library Granted Patent US 11,037,388
Granted Patent B2
US 11,037,388 · App. 16/597,551 · Granted Jun 15, 2021

Systems and methods for creating a password and/or a keypad code for executing keyless operations upon a vehicle

Inventors: Aaron Matthew DeLong (Toledo, OH); Eugene Karpinsky (Farmington Hills, MI); Cameron Smyth (Wyandotte, MI); Timothy Thivierge, Jr. (Carleton, MI); Daniel M. King (Northville, MI); Kevin Thomas Hille (Plymouth, MI); Farhan Ehsan (Lasalle, CA); John Robert Van Wiemeersch (Novi, MI); Santosh Kumar Lalwani (Dearborn, MI)
Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
G07C9/21B60R25/23B60R25/24B60R25/25G06F21/602B60R2325/103B60R2325/108B60R2325/205
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,037,388
App. No.
16/597,551
Granted
Jun 15, 2021
Kind
B2
Abstract

Exemplary embodiments described in this disclosure are generally directed to systems and methods for securely creating passwords for performing various keyless operations upon a vehicle. In an exemplary method, a computer receives a request for creating a password for a phone-as-a-key (PaaK) device. The computer determines that the PaaK device is present inside the vehicle and that the vehicle engine has been placed in an accessory state or a run state by an authorized PaaK device located in the vehicle. The computer further determines that a passive entry passive start (PEPS) key fob is present inside the vehicle. A prompt is provided for entry of a password. The computer checks to determine if an entered password has been already assigned to another PaaK device. If unassigned, the computer links the password to the PaaK device and authorizes the entered password as a valid keyless starting password for the vehicle.

Claims (67)

1. A method comprising:

determining that at least a first phone-as-a-key (PaaK) device is present inside a vehicle during a first time period;

determining that at least a first passive entry passive start (PEPS) key fob is present inside the vehicle during a second time period;

providing, a prompt to enter a password;

receiving a first signal comprising a first password during the first time period;

disregarding the first signal based on determining that the first PaaK device is not present inside the vehicle during the first time period;

receiving a second signal comprising a second password during the second time period;

determining, based on determining that the first PaaK device and the first PEPS key fob are present during the second time period, that the second password that is entered in response to the prompt is unassigned;

linking, after determining that the second password is unassigned, the second password to the first PaaK device; and

authorizing the second password as a valid keyless starting password for the vehicle.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein providing the prompt is subject to confirming that one of a second PaaK device or a second PEPS key fob has been used to place an engine of the vehicle in a run state, wherein the one of the second PaaK device or the second PEPS key fob is authorized for use in the vehicle.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein providing the prompt comprises:

transmitting a first wireless signal as a part of a password registration procedure; and

receiving a second wireless signal containing the first password.

4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising:

determining that the second wireless signal is received before an expiration of a preset time window.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the first password is rejected if the second wireless signal is not received before the expiration of the preset time window.

6. The method of claim 3 , wherein the first password is rejected if the first password is linked to another PaaK device.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining that at least the first PaaK device is present inside the vehicle comprises at least one of determining that the first PaaK device is plugged into a communications port in the vehicle or that the first PaaK device has been validated by a wireless handshake procedure.

8. A method executed by a computer, the method comprising:

transmitting, to a display system that is located inside a vehicle, a first wireless signal as a part of a password registration procedure;

setting a time window for receiving a response from the display system;

receiving, from the display system, a second wireless signal comprising a first password;

determining, that the second wireless signal is received before an expiration of the time window;

disregarding the second wireless signal based on determining that at least one of a first phone-as-a-key (PaaK) device is not present inside the vehicle or a first passive entry passive start (PEPS) key fob is not present inside the vehicle;

receiving a signal comprising a second password;

processing, when received before the expiration of the time window, the signal to determine that the second password provided via the signal is unassigned;

linking, after determining that the second password is unassigned, the second password to the first PaaK device that is present inside the vehicle; and

authorizing the second password as a valid keyless starting password for the vehicle.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:

determining that one of a second PaaK device or a second PEPS key fob has been used to place an engine of the vehicle in one of an accessory state or a run state, wherein the one of the second PaaK device or the second PEPS key fob is authorized for use in the vehicle; and

transmitting the first wireless signal subject to confirming that the vehicle is in the one of the accessory state or the run state and that each of the second PaaK device and the second PEPS key fob is present in the vehicle.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:

disregarding the signal if at least one of: the first PaaK device is not present inside the vehicle, the second PaaK device is not present inside the vehicle, or the signal is received after expiration of the time window.

11. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:

determining that at least one of the second PEPS key fob or a personal identification element is identified in the vehicle prior to transmitting the first wireless signal to the display system, wherein the personal identification element is one of a biometric trait of an individual or a near field communication (NFC) device.

12. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:

determining that the first PaaK device is present inside the vehicle prior to transmitting the first wireless signal to the display system.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein determining that the first PaaK device is present inside the vehicle prior to transmitting the first wireless signal comprises at least one of determining that the first PaaK device is plugged into a communications port in the vehicle or that the first PaaK device has been used to place the engine of the vehicle in the one of the accessory state or the run state from inside the vehicle.

14. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:

encrypting the first password; and

storing the encrypted first password in at least a first memory device that is located in the vehicle or is a part of a cloud storage system.

15. A computer comprising:

at least one memory that stores computer-executable instructions; and

at least one processor configured to access the at least one memory and execute the computer-executable instructions to at least:

determine that at least a first phone-as-a-key (PaaK) device is present inside a vehicle during a first time period;

determine that at least a first passive entry passive start (PEPS) key fob is present inside the vehicle during a second time period;

provide a prompt to enter a password;

receive a first signal comprising a first password during the first time period;

disregard the first signal based on determining that the first PaaK device is not present inside the vehicle during the first time period;

receive a second signal comprising a second password during the second time period;

determine, based on determining that the first PaaK device and the first PEPS key fob are present during the second time period, that the second password that is entered in response to the prompt is unassigned;

link the second password to the first PaaK device after determining that the second password is unassigned; and

authorize the second password as a valid keyless starting password for the vehicle.

16. The computer of claim 15 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to access the at least one memory and execute additional computer-executable instructions to:

confirm that one of a second PaaK device or a second PEPS key fob has been used to place an engine of the vehicle in one of an accessory state or a run state;

determine that the one of the second PaaK device or the second PEPS key fob is authorized for use in the vehicle; and

provide the prompt subject to confirming that the one of the second PaaK device or the second PEPS key fob is authorized for use in the vehicle and has been used to place the engine of the vehicle in the run state.

17. The computer of claim 15 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to access the at least one memory and execute additional computer-executable instructions to:

transmit to a display system in the vehicle, a first wireless signal as a part of a password registration procedure; and

receive, from the display system, a second wireless signal containing the first password.

18. The computer of claim 17 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to access the at least one memory and execute additional computer-executable instructions to:

determine that the second wireless signal is received before an expiration of a preset time window.

19. The computer of claim 18 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to access the at least one memory and execute additional computer-executable instructions to:

reject the first password if the second wireless signal is received after the expiration of the preset time window.

20. The computer of claim 17 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to access the at least one memory and execute additional computer-executable instructions to:

reject the first password if the first password is linked to another PaaK device.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 14, 2019
From: DELONG, AARON MATTHEW; KARPINSKY, EUGENE; SMYTH, CAMERON; THIVIERGE, JR., TIMOTHY; KING, DANIEL M.; HILLE, KEVIN THOMAS; EHSAN, FARHAN; VAN WIEMEERSCH, JOHN ROBERT; LALWANI, SANTOSH KUMAR
To: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
Reel/Frame 050700/0859 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20210110623A1 · Apr 15, 2021
Cited By (1)
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