Classifications

• • G—PHYSICS
  • G07—CHECKING-DEVICES
  • G07C—TIME OR ATTENDANCE REGISTERS; REGISTERING OR INDICATING THE WORKING OF MACHINES; GENERATING RANDOM NUMBERS; VOTING OR LOTTERY APPARATUS; ARRANGEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS FOR CHECKING NOT PROVIDED FOR ELSEWHERE
  • G07C9/00—Individual registration on entry or exit
  • G07C9/00174—Electronically operated locks; Circuits therefor; Nonmechanical keys therefor, e.g. passive or active electrical keys or other data carriers without mechanical keys
  • G07C9/00309—Electronically operated locks; Circuits therefor; Nonmechanical keys therefor, e.g. passive or active electrical keys or other data carriers without mechanical keys operated with bidirectional data transmission between data carrier and locks
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G07—CHECKING-DEVICES
  • G07C—TIME OR ATTENDANCE REGISTERS; REGISTERING OR INDICATING THE WORKING OF MACHINES; GENERATING RANDOM NUMBERS; VOTING OR LOTTERY APPARATUS; ARRANGEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS FOR CHECKING NOT PROVIDED FOR ELSEWHERE
  • G07C9/00—Individual registration on entry or exit
  • G07C9/00174—Electronically operated locks; Circuits therefor; Nonmechanical keys therefor, e.g. passive or active electrical keys or other data carriers without mechanical keys
  • G07C9/00309—Electronically operated locks; Circuits therefor; Nonmechanical keys therefor, e.g. passive or active electrical keys or other data carriers without mechanical keys operated with bidirectional data transmission between data carrier and locks
  • G07C2009/00317—Electronically operated locks; Circuits therefor; Nonmechanical keys therefor, e.g. passive or active electrical keys or other data carriers without mechanical keys operated with bidirectional data transmission between data carrier and locks keyless data carrier having only one limited data transmission range
  • G07C2009/00333—Electronically operated locks; Circuits therefor; Nonmechanical keys therefor, e.g. passive or active electrical keys or other data carriers without mechanical keys operated with bidirectional data transmission between data carrier and locks keyless data carrier having only one limited data transmission range and the lock having more than one limited data transmission ranges
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G07—CHECKING-DEVICES
  • G07C—TIME OR ATTENDANCE REGISTERS; REGISTERING OR INDICATING THE WORKING OF MACHINES; GENERATING RANDOM NUMBERS; VOTING OR LOTTERY APPARATUS; ARRANGEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS FOR CHECKING NOT PROVIDED FOR ELSEWHERE
  • G07C9/00—Individual registration on entry or exit
  • G07C9/00174—Electronically operated locks; Circuits therefor; Nonmechanical keys therefor, e.g. passive or active electrical keys or other data carriers without mechanical keys
  • G07C9/00309—Electronically operated locks; Circuits therefor; Nonmechanical keys therefor, e.g. passive or active electrical keys or other data carriers without mechanical keys operated with bidirectional data transmission between data carrier and locks
  • G07C2009/00365—Electronically operated locks; Circuits therefor; Nonmechanical keys therefor, e.g. passive or active electrical keys or other data carriers without mechanical keys operated with bidirectional data transmission between data carrier and locks in combination with a wake-up circuit

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a "keyless" unlocking method for an access door to an enclosed space, in particular a car.
• a person skilled in the art knows several modes of implementation and variants of such methods for opening the door of a car, that is to say unlocking his electronic lock, or allowing it to start. , in which the ignition keys or traditional mechanical keys are replaced by transponders or RFID electronic units.
• the activation of the electronic lock is controlled via wireless communication between a control device associated with the door and at least one transponder intended for this application and arranged to communicate in particular an identification code.
• Document US 4,688,036 discloses a "keyless" access system for a motor vehicle, in which provision is made to activate the device for controlling the electronic lock, in particular the signal transmission and reception circuits. electromagnetic, only after activation of a manual switch by the user. The user in possession of an authorized transponder, therefore actuates a switch arranged outside the car to first activate the transmitter of the control device so that the latter can send an interrogation signal to the transponder after the to have woken up.
• the activation of the electronic transmission and reception circuits of the system and the communication protocol making it possible to determine whether the transponder is authorized take place between the actuation of the external switch and the sending of an unlocking signal. to the electronic lock.
• the power consumption of the door lock control device is limited, this control device being activated only during a given period of time following the actuation of the external switch.
• the continuous activation of the control device in particular the periodic sending of an interrogation signal to detect the presence of an authorized transponder, generates a high consumption of energy, in particular because of certain materials forming the car.
• the source of energy in a car can be important, in particular by taking the energy from a battery of this one, the continuous activation of the means of emission of electromagnetic signals can lead to the discharge of the battery in question when the vehicle is not used regularly.
• Document US Pat. No. 4,688,036 plans to use a single communication frequency and to arrange the external switch under the handle of the door in question.
• Document DE 198 27 586 describes a more sophisticated car access system, in which low frequency (LF) and high frequency (HF) communication is provided so as to increase the speed of transmission of the coded data between the electronic device for unlocking a door and an authorized transponder, the presence of which has been validly detected, opens the door.
• the speed of this communication is particularly important in the context of the main embodiment proposed where the circuit for transmitting an interrogation signal is activated by the actuation of the handle used to open the door. It is therefore preferable in such an embodiment that the unlocking of the electronic lock is rapid, without which the user initially has a locked lock when he pulls on the handle to open the door.
• the low frequency transmitter is mainly used to send the interrogation signals to the transponders in a small area, close to the door.
• the region for receiving a LF interrogation signal by a transponder defines approximately a semicircle 2 having a radius of 1.5 to 2 m around the antenna 6 arranged in a door of the car 8.
• the circle 4 of high frequency communication between the transponder 10 and the HF receiver arranged in the car typically has a radius of at least 30 m.
• Document DE 198 27 586 also provides for arranging in the transponder a remote actuation button for the electronic lock.
• a remote actuation button for the electronic lock For the user wishes to open one or more doors of his car remotely, it suffices for the latter to press the switch button of the transponder so that the latter sends an HF signal to the HF reception means of the device for controlling the locks.
• This improved embodiment requires that the HF receiver means of the control device be in permanent or almost permanent listening. Although this function requires a certain amount of energy, the consumption generated is however relatively low for conventional energy sources which can be fitted in cars.
• Document DE 198 27 586 also proposes a particular embodiment in which there is no provision for an external switch for activating the communication means of the device for controlling the lock, the low-frequency transmission means continuously sending, cyclically, a signal question. Since the communication radius is typically 1.5 to 2 m for the LF transmitter, the authorization protocol for opening a door can be started as soon as a transponder enters the LF communication region. When a user equipped with a transponder actuates an external switch of the vehicle, this transponder is located between 0.5 and 1 m from the LF transmitter.
• the protocol for authorizing the opening of the door can begin approximately one second before the time where the user reaches the door handle.
• the communication time available is greatly increased so that it is possible to implement a highly secure identification protocol and to be able to unlock the electronic lock before the user pulls on the handle to open the door .
• This feature increases the comfort of using the "keyless" opening system.
• this embodiment is not used in practice because it generates a large consumption of energy, as has been explained above. Given this major problem, car manufacturers generally plan to open the doors of a car either by actuating the handle or by pressing a button-switch arranged on the surface of the transponder.
• the object of the present invention is to alleviate the aforementioned problem while retaining the optimum use of the low frequency communication region of the control device.
• the invention relates to a method for unlocking an access door to an enclosed space, the characteristics of which are given in claim 1 attached. Thanks to the characteristics of the method according to the invention, it is possible to activate the low frequency transmission means of the control device of an electronic lock before the transponder enters the communication region of these transmission means; without having to manually activate a switch on the transponder. Indeed, the periodic sending of an activation signal from the LF transmission means of the control device makes it possible to keep your hands free during the preliminary operating mode of the electronic system. This preliminary mode can be continuously operated as long as the transponder is powered.
• the periodic sending of an activation signal of the LF emission means does not generate any additional consumption for the vehicle when it is planned to be able to activate this control device remotely using a high signal frequency sent by the transponder. Indeed, in such a case currently conventional, the control device has its HF reception means continuously activated. In addition, the transponders are already equipped with HF transmission means. Concerning the consumption of a transponder, an average consumption to supply the LF reception system in a listening mode consumes approximately 2 to 5 ⁇ A. If it is planned to send the activation signal of the LF transmission means with a repetition period of approximately 30 seconds, the additional average consumption for the transponder can be estimated at approximately 3 ⁇ A.
• FIG. 2 and 3 respectively show a control device for an electronic lock and a transponder associated therewith, which are used for the implementation of the present invention.
• FIG. 4 is a diagram schematically representing various stages of an embodiment of the method according to the invention.
• FIGS. 2 and 3 an embodiment of an electronic system for implementing the method according to the invention will be briefly described below.
• This electronic system comprises on the one hand a device 12 for controlling at least one electronic lock 14 of an access door to an enclosed space, in particular a car, and on the other hand at least one transponder 16 intended for be worn by a person authorized to enter said enclosed space, in particular to enter said car.
• the device 12 is formed in particular of a central data management unit 20 associated with a high frequency (HF) receiver circuit 22 connected to an antenna 23 and to a low frequency (LF) transmitter circuit 24 connected to an antenna 25
• the circuits 20, 22 and 24 are supplied by a battery 26 via a management circuit 28 of food.
• the central unit 20 is connected to a circuit 30 for controlling at least one electronic lock, the latter circuit being itself electrically connected to the electronic lock (s) of the door (s) access to the confined space.
• a high frequency transmitter circuit 32 connected to the antenna 23 or to another similar antenna.
• the transponder 16 also includes a data management unit 36 associated with a BF receiver circuit 38 connected to an antenna 39 and an HF transmitter circuit 40 connected to an antenna 41.
• the circuits 36, 38 and 40 are powered by a battery 44 via a power management circuit 46.
• the transponder 16 also includes an HF receiver circuit 48.
• the transmitting or receiving units of the transponder are arranged so as to be able to communicate with the corresponding units of the device 12.
• the method according to the invention provides that at least part of the communication protocol between the transponder and the electronic lock control device uses at least one low frequency signal, that is to say requires low communication frequency and therefore at close distance between the transponder 16 and the device 12.
• the device 12 sends a LF interrogation signal to the transponder and receives in response an identification signal.
• This identification signal can contain various messages and must be understood in a broad sense.
• the protocol for identifying and triggering the unlocking of the electronic lock may provide for a combination of information transmitted at low frequency and also at high frequency.
• HF includes electromagnetic signals having a high frequency, that is to say a frequency included in the HF band or in a higher frequency band, in particular UHF.
• the LF transmission means 24, 25 are inactive and that the HF transmission means 40, 41 of the transponder (s) 16 of the system transmit periodically an HF signal to activate the LF transmission means of the device 12.
• active or “deactivated”
• the transmission means are in a low consumption mode in which no signal emission occurs.
• reception means it is understood that they are at rest and not in a listening mode.
• the repetition period is provided between 10 seconds and 1 minute, in particular 30 seconds. This latter value activates the LF emission means for a user approaching the car while walking at a speed of around 1 m / s.
• the LF transmission means of the device 12 are deactivated after a certain determined activation period if no valid identification signal has been received by the device. In this case, said preliminary mode is then selected again.
• the LF interrogation signal is sent with a high repetition rate as soon as the LF transmission means of the device 12 have been activated.
• the identification and authorization protocol for actuating the electronic lock is implemented.
• the time available between the reception of an interrogation signal by the transponder 16 and the actuation of the handle to open the door considered is here at least one second. The time available to the unlocking protocol of the electronic lock and therefore approximately at least three times greater in the case where the LF transmitter means are activated by the start of the actuation of the handle of said door.
• this transponder when an interrogation signal is received by the reception means LF of the transponder 16, this transponder ceases to send said activation signal as long as it receives low frequency signals from the device 12 at least periodically.
• FIG. 4 is shown a diagram of an embodiment of the method according to the invention.
• the system and in particular the device 12 are switched on. in a low consumption operating mode.
• the HF receiving means of the device 12 are in a listening mode.
• the system remains in this operating mode.
• a UHF message is received, the latter is decoded and the destination of the message is determined. In the context of the process considered, this may be a command to open the door remotely by means of the manual switch 50 (FIG.
• the HF signals transmitted by the transponders have a header part for the commands so as to indicate whether it is a said identification signal or a said activation signal.
• the message header should be read or decoded first and the next part of the message should only be decoded if the header corresponds to a command provided by the system.
• the UHF messages received are decoded directly, provision is preferably made to test first whether it is a valid command to activate said LF transmitter since an opening command by actuating d a switch 50 is generally carried out at a certain distance from the car.
• Said activation signal may contain an identification sequence which limits the transponders capable of activating the vehicle's LF transmitter.
• an identification sequence which limits the transponders capable of activating the vehicle's LF transmitter.
• the activation of the LF emitting means of the device 12 is also carried out by the actuation of the handle of the door considered or of another external switch. meant for that purpose. This can make it possible to increase the robustness of the system and in particular to remedy a situation where the transponder has not supplied a valid activation command signal or in which this signal has not been received for any reason.
• the latter when said activation signal is received by the device 12, the latter sends a receipt signal to the transponder using the transmitter circuit 32 (FIG. 2) to the transponder 16 in which is arranged an HF 48 receiver circuit.
• This receipt signal is used to signal to the transponder having supplied the activation signal that it has been detected.
• said transponder activates, following reception of the receipt signal, the receiver means LF in a flow mode so as to be able to receive an interrogation signal.
• the BF 38 receiver is deactivated at least most of the time when the system is operating in said preliminary mode. This last characteristic is particularly advantageous by the fact that it makes it possible to reduce the energy consumption of the transponders since they activate the LF listening means only during limited periods.
• said identification signal and said activation signal are respectively transmitted at first and second different frequencies in the UHF band.
• the HF reception means 22, 23 are arranged with first and second listening channels corresponding respectively to the first and second frequencies.
• the HF transmission means 40, 41 of the transponder 16 are arranged to be able to transmit in one or the other of these frequencies. Thanks to this characteristic, it is thus possible to differentiate the type of command as a function of the frequency of the signal received by the device 12. This eliminates the need to determine the type of command received and in particular to provide an head determining this type.
• only the first channel is selected during the periods of activation of the LF transmission means of the device 12.
• the device 12 no longer receives signals d activation of its LF transmission means.

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Computer Networks & Wireless Communication (AREA)
• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Lock And Its Accessories (AREA)

Priority Applications (1)

Applications Claiming Priority (4)

Publications (1)

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• 2002
  • 2002-06-20 WO PCT/EP2002/006815 patent/WO2003005309A1/fr not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 2002-06-20 US US10/482,647 patent/US6882268B2/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 2002-06-20 EP EP02754715A patent/EP1407426A1/de not_active Withdrawn

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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