DE102018203946A1 - OBD dongle and method for determining unauthorized access to a means of transportation or to its periphery - Google Patents

Abstract

An OBD dongle (8) and a method for determining unauthorized access to a means of transportation (10) or to its periphery (11) are proposed. The method comprises the steps:
Receiving a first wireless communication signal (1) representing the unauthorized access from and in response to a sensor element (2)
• transmitting a first wired signal representing unauthorized access via an OBD interface (3) to an anti-theft alarm system (5) of the means of locomotion (10).

Description

The present invention relates to an OBD (on-board diagnostic) dongle and a method for detecting unauthorized access to a means of transportation or to its periphery. In particular, the present invention relates to a cost-effective and flexible expansion of an already existing in the means of transport anti-theft warning system (also: anti-theft alarm system, DWA).

In current means of transport (hereinafter "vehicles") alarm systems are sometimes installed as standard or as optional equipment. These systems essentially monitor the vehicle itself, e.g. Doors, windows, hood and trunk are monitored. In addition, more sophisticated systems also allow monitoring of the interior of the vehicle (e.g., by ultrasound) as well as the detection of vehicle pitch changes (e.g., by means of acceleration sensors).

Once a change is made in one or more monitored entities, an alarm is triggered and e.g. on the signaling devices of the means of transport (horn, lights, direction indicators, searchlights, etc.) and via an application e.g. wirelessly signaled. For example, the application may be executed on a wireless communication terminal (portable user terminal) and alert the user in response to the event.

The current systems allow only the monitoring of the vehicle itself, using the factory-installed sensors. Supervised attachments or goods provided on the vehicle at a later time are, at best, indirectly (for example through shocks / inclination changes) via the theft alarm system. A secure detection of unauthorized access to such peripherals of vehicles is therefore not known.

It is an object of the present invention to meet the need identified above.

The above object is achieved by a method for determining an unauthorized access to a means of transport or on its periphery according to the invention. Unauthorized access may be vandalism and / or theft. The means of transportation can be understood as a land vehicle, watercraft and / or aircraft. In particular, the means of locomotion is a car, van, truck, motorcycle, in particular a motorhome, etc. As peripheral in the context of the present invention, all attachments or transport goods are referred to, which can be attached to or on the means of transportation. The attachment can be temporary or permanent. Examples of the periphery are a roof rack (eg including cargo), roof boxes (eg including contents), bike rack (eg including bicycle), trailer / caravan, surfboards and aftermarket vehicle equipment (eg spoilers, front aprons, etc.). To protect the means of locomotion or its periphery, in a first step, a first wireless communication signal representing the unauthorized access is received by a sensor element. The sensor element is arranged on the corresponding part of the means of locomotion or its access control device (door, hood, window, trunk or the like). In the case of a periphery, the sensor element in the region of a lock, a holder, a hinge, a bolt, or the like. be arranged. The sensor element is capable of sensory detection of the unauthorized access and of transmitting the first wireless communication signal in response thereto. In particular, the sensor element can be arranged in such a way that a stealing of the periphery or a use of the periphery or of the means of locomotion is in each case sensory detected by the sensor element. In response to the first wireless communication signal, for example, as a Bluetooth signal, Bluetooth low energy signal, NFC (Near Field Communication) signal or similar. may be configured, a first wired signal representing the unauthorized access via an OBD interface to an anti-theft device of the means of transport is sent. In other words, the first wired signal is received by the means of transport via the OBD interface wired and forwarded to a theft warning device of the means of locomotion. The first wired signal represents, so to speak, the first wireless communication signal, which in turn represents the unauthorized access. For this purpose, an OBD dongle comprising an OBD connector can be used, whose OBD connector is arranged in the OBD socket of the OBD interface. In this way, the OBD dongle can exchange information and / or energy with the vehicle's on-board network. The wired signal may essentially represent known commands to the anti-theft alarm system by means of which the anti-theft alarm system is placed in an alarm state. For example, the commands may be similar to those which are generated by sensors (eg door or ultrasonic sensors) permanently installed in the means of transport anti-theft alarm system in case of alarm. In other words, for example, audible and / or visual alarm signals can alert the environment of the means of locomotion to the alarm state. Alternatively or additionally, an alerting of the user and / or or an operations center by means of wireless communication signals in order to initiate appropriate measures. In this way, a flexible extension of an existing anti-theft device of the means of transportation by the use of external sensor elements and a simply constructed OBD dongle is possible. Even after delivery of a means of transport made changes, attachments and structures can be protected in accordance with the invention against unauthorized access.

The dependent claims show preferred developments of the invention.

Preferably, an information contained in the first wireless communication signal for the identification of the sensor element can be interpreted. In other words, an identifier of the sensor element can be used to additionally provide the theft deterrent and / or the user / owner of the means of transport with information about the unauthorized access or possible errors. For this purpose, the sensor element and the vehicle electrical system or the OBD dongle can be made known to each other in advance ("pairing" or "pairing"). In other words, the sensor element in the vehicle electrical system or in the anti-theft alarm system is made known, so that not only the information that an unauthorized access to the means of transport or its periphery has taken place, but also at what place / in what form the unauthorized access is done, can be reported.

Preferably, a data communication user terminal (e.g., a portable mobile telecommunication device, smartphone, or the like) may be incorporated into the method of the present invention to place the user in the desired informational position substantially without any time delay. In this case, the user can be informed via a wireless communication connection with the Internet and / or with his means of locomotion that an unauthorized access has taken place and in what form / which component has been accessed without authorization. In addition, malfunction of the sensors, low energy states or malfunctioning communication infrastructure can be reported so that the user can take appropriate action.

Preferably, a second wireless communication signal representative of a live cyclic message may be sent from the sensor element. In other words, a live signal is transmitted in cyclic time sequence from the sensor element to detect any shielding / destruction of the sensor element from unauthorized access. Failure of the second wireless communication signal for a predefined amount of time (eg, between five seconds and one minute or so) may be detected by the OBD dongle or theft alerting system, and in response, a second wireline signal representing unauthorized access may be sent , The second wired signal may be generated, for example, from the OBD interface and sent to the anti-theft alarm system and / or sent from the anti-theft alarm to a wireless communication device of the vehicle, for example, to be wirelessly forwarded to an app of the user. Preferably, in response to the absence of the expected live signal, a request can be started by means of which the sensor element is actively triggered to broadcast the live message. Thus, even at a low energy level of the energy storage of the sensor element, a response can be provoked, for example, by sending a high-energy wireless communication signal to the sensor element which can generate sufficient energy from the emitted signal to generate the response (like an RFID chip or an NFC chip). Chips). In the response, the sensor element may, for example, name the cause of the missed live cyclic message and send information representing the cause to the theft alarm system and / or the user.

A failure of the cyclic live message can also be equated with a scenario in which a so-called. Radio Jammer disturbs / overloads the signal transmission between the sensor element and the OBD dongle and thus prevents, for example, the cyclic alive message or a first wireless communication signal properly or sufficiently often arrives at the OBD dongle. In particular, the overload / disturbance of the wireless communication signal between the sensor element and the OBD dongle may be detected by the OBD dongle using collision detect or collision avoidance mechanisms. Such mechanisms are basically known, for example, in the protocols "CDMA-CD", "CDMA-CA" or "TDMA" and can be used according to the invention for signal transmission between the sensor element and the OBD dongle. For example, a jammer disturbed by radio jamming may be used to output a corresponding signal to the user's application or trigger a conventional alarm state of the theft deterrent to ensure that radio jammed sensor elements / OBD dongles prevent proper alarm triggering.

Preferably, it can further be determined that the OBD interface is no longer set up to transmit the first and / or the second wired signal in the direction of the anti-theft alarm system. This can have different reasons. For example, the OBD dongle may have been removed from the OBD interface / OBD jack. For example, this can be a physical removal. Alternatively or additionally, this may be an electrical and / or information technology removal. In any case, the OBD interface is no longer able to participate in the method according to the invention. This can be detected, for example, by a cyclic live message of the OBD dongle, which no longer arrives in the anti-theft alarm system of the means of transportation for a predefined period of time. Alternatively or additionally, a terminating resistor at the OBD interface can assume an invalid value which, for example, is outside the range which is usually created or implemented by the OBD dongle at the OBD interface. In response to the realization that the OBD interface can no longer receive wired signals from the OBD dongle, unauthorized access can be detected. In other words, the unannounced removal of the OBD dongle from the OBD interface may be treated as unauthorized access and the above steps initiated.

The determination of unauthorized access by the anti-theft alarm system can essentially be acknowledged in a conventional manner: for example, a sound generator (amplifier and / or loudspeaker) can be activated in order to make the environment of the means of transportation aware of the unauthorized access. The sound signal can be replaced or accompanied by light / flashing signals, including all bulbs contained in the means of transport or the periphery can be used individually or in any combination with each other. Alternatively or additionally, the transmission of a wireless communication signal (for example directly and / or internet-switched) to a communication terminal of the user can take place. Thus, the present invention extends the scope of a conventional anti-theft alarm system in an on-demand manner.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, an OBD dongle is proposed for determining unauthorized access to a means of transportation or to its periphery. The OBD dongle corresponds to that which has already been mentioned above in connection with the method according to the invention. It comprises a wireless communication device, an OBD connector and an evaluation unit. The wireless communication device is configured to receive in particular wireless communication signals of a sensor element, by means of which the sensor element acknowledges the unauthorized access. The wireless communication device may include an antenna. The OBD connector qualifies the OBD dongle for mechanical, energetic and information technology integration into the means of transportation. The evaluation unit may e.g. as a programmable processor, microprocessor or similar be understood. In other words, the evaluation unit is designed for information processing within the OBD dongle. The wireless communication device may also (optionally) enable communication with a portable user terminal (e.g., via NFC, Bluetooth, Bluetooth Low Energy, or the like), thereby predetermining its behavior and / or pairing sensor elements with it. The OBD dongle is set up via the OBD plug to transmit a first wired signal representing unauthorized access or other inadmissible / undesired states. In this case, the OBD connector sends the first wired signal to the anti-theft alarm system of the means of transport, which can represent a permanent and ex-factory in the energy and wiring system architecture of the means of transport integrated element. Optionally, the OBD dongle can have an energy store (in particular an electrochemical energy store, a rechargeable battery or the like) and / or an energy converter (for example a solar cell, a vibration generator or the like for energy harvesting). In this way, the OBD dongle is energy self-sufficient at least for a certain time and can participate in the method according to the invention independently of electrical energy received via the OBD interface. The features, combinations of features and the advantages resulting therefrom of the OBD dongle according to the invention are correspondingly apparent to those of the abovementioned method according to the invention, in order to avoid repetition, reference is made to the above statements.

Since the OBD dongle is intended to provide the inventive expansion of the anti-theft alarm system, in particular during idle states of the means of locomotion and its on-board network, energetic states of the locomotion system may require a reduced power consumption of the OBD dongle. For example, in the context of a leakage current analysis, a reference of electrical energy by the OBD dongle may be undesirable. For this purpose, the energy storage of the OBD dongle in response to a corresponding signal via the OBD interface for supplying the evaluation unit (and other elements) can be made to reduce the external electrical energy consumption of the OBD dongle (from the OBD interface) or to prevent. So sends the means of transport a corresponding signal representing a leakage current analysis or a low state of charge of the battery of the means of locomotion, an electrical connection between the OBD dongle and the OBD socket of the means of locomotion can be interrupted and / or the energy supply of the components of the OBD dongle from the energy storage of the OBD dongle be denied. Thus, an unproblematic and low-risk integration of the OBD dongle in the data / energy infrastructure of the means of transport is possible.

The OBD dongle may preferably have a data memory which is set up to store data for identification (pairing) of the sensor element. In this case, the data memory can be described in the course of pairing with an identification of a first sensor element. For example, the user can associate the sensor element or the corresponding entry in the data memory with an identifier (for example roof rack, roof box, bicycle, bicycle carrier, surfboard or the like). In a corresponding manner, the data memory can have the identifiers of further sensor elements for which the statements made in connection with the first sensor element apply accordingly.

Irrespective of the aspect of the invention, the respectively addressed sensor element for generating the first wireless communication signal can use a sensor principle which is tuned to the respective application. For example, the unauthorized access can be detected by an altered optical signal and / or a magnetic signal and / or an electrical signal and / or an acceleration-based signal and / or an ultrasound-based signal. In other words, the aforementioned sensor principles can be generated by a respective sensor on the sensor element. For example, one side of the sensor element, which faces the periphery to be secured in the normal state, have a protruding pin, which is pressed out by spring pressure from a housing of the sensor element. In the case of proper peripheral mounting, the pin is pushed into the housing and an IO state (e.g., electrical) is signaled. In a corresponding manner, in addition to or as an alternative to the pin, a light sensor may be arranged in such a way that, in the case of IO, little light intensity is received by the light sensor. If the sensor element is now removed from the periphery, the light intensity which strikes the light sensor is abruptly increased and an alarm case can be signaled. The same applies to the pin which is pressed by the spring force out of the housing as soon as the periphery no longer pushes it into the housing. Of course, the presence of a first pin or of a first light sensor does not exclude that a respective second pin and / or a second light sensor can be provided on the sensor element in order to ensure proper positioning or to reliably detect an alarm case and the OBD dongle to instruct wirelessly to signal appropriate conditions to the anti-theft alarm system. A sensor element which can be used according to the invention can therefore have one of the aforementioned sensors and / or any combination of the aforementioned sensors in order to ensure the best possible detection of unauthorized access and / or the best possible avoidance of a false positive (erroneous notification of unauthorized access).

The sensor element may have a needs-based support / fastening device, by means of which the sensor element can be fastened in a suitable manner to the means of locomotion or its periphery. The attachment can be made, for example, adhesively and / or positively and / or magnetically. A positive connection can be made for example by screws.

• 1 eine schematische Darstellung eines Ausführungsbeispiels eines erfindungsgemäßen Fortbewegungsmittels bei der Ausführung eines Ausführungsbeispiels eines erfindungsgemäßen Verfahrens;
• 2 eine Detailansicht eines Ausführungsbeispiels eines erfindungsgemäßen OBD-Dongles;
• 3 eine Detailansicht von Komponenten eines Ausführungsbeispiels eines erfindungsgemäß verwendbaren Sensorelementes; und
• 4 ein Flussdiagramm veranschaulichend Schritte eines Ausführungsbeispiels eines erfindungsgemäßen Verfahrens zum Ermitteln eines unberechtigten Zugriffs auf ein Fortbewegungsmittel.

Further details, features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description and the figures. Show it:

• 1 a schematic representation of an embodiment of a means of transport according to the invention in the execution of an embodiment of a method according to the invention;
• 2 a detailed view of an embodiment of an OBD dongle according to the invention;
• 3 a detailed view of components of an embodiment of a sensor element used in the invention; and
• 4 a flowchart illustrating steps of an embodiment of a method according to the invention for determining an unauthorized access to a means of transportation.

1 shows a user with a smartphone 17 as a portable wireless communication terminal, by means of which he has unauthorized access to his RV 10 as an embodiment of a means of transport according to the invention and on its periphery 11 supervised. The motorhome 10 has an anti-theft alarm system 5 on which with an antenna 9 is equipped as a wireless communication device and with an OBD socket 3 an OBD interface is connected in terms of information technology. In the OBD socket 3 is an embodiment of an OBD dongle according to the invention 8th arranged, which is set up, wireless communication signals on the camper 10 and its periphery 11 attached sensor elements 2 to receive. A first sensor element 2 is on the bracket of a surfboard 11a arranged. The sensor element 2 must to remove the surfboard 11a to be moved. To the first wireless communication signal 1b to generate, the sensor element has 2 a position sensor, by means of which an unauthorized access to the anti-theft alarm system 5 is reported, provided the user unauthorized access not in advance information technology (eg using his smartphone 17 ) announces. If an unauthorized access occurs, the antenna sends 9 a wireless communication signal 18 to the smartphone 17 of the user, where an application is used to carry out predefined steps (eg alerting the user and / or forwarding the alarm message). In the same way is on a tailgate 19 of the camper 10 a sensor element 2 comprising a light sensor 16 arranged. Because the sensor element 2 inside the through the tailgate 19 enclosed space prevails, prevails with the tailgate closed 19 Darkness and the light sensor 16 of the sensor element 2 outputs a first level. Once the tailgate 19 Unannounced opens, the sensor element 2 with light applied, in response to which a second level access to the tailgate 19 reports and a first wireless communication signal 1a to the smartphone 17 sent by the user. At the rear of the motorhome 10 is a box 11b with a closure and a sensor element 2 arranged, wherein the sensor element 2 has a motion sensor which responds whenever the lock of the box 11b is pressed. If an unannounced actuation of the lock, a first wireless communication signal 1f to the OBD dongle 8th sent and the user by means of the anti-theft alarm system 5 and the antenna 9 on his smartphone 17 informed about the unauthorized access. The same applies to two sensor elements 2 , which on the locks of a bicycle carrier for the carriage of bicycles 11c . 11d as periphery of the mobile home 10 are provided, whereby also the bicycle carrier and the bicycles 11c . 11d are protected in accordance with the invention against unauthorized access. When the latches on the bike rack are opened unannounced, first wireless communication signals will be generated 1d . 1e to the OBD dongle 8th sent and the user through the smartphone 17 pointed to the unauthorized access.

2 shows an embodiment of an OBD dongle according to the invention 8th which has an OBD connector 4 for mechanical, electrical and information technology integration in an OBD socket (reference numeral 3 in 1 ) having. The OBD connector is information technology and energetic with a programmable processor 12 connected, which in turn with an electrochemical energy storage 13 and a data store 14 as well as with an antenna 9 for receiving the first wireless communication signals ( 1a to 1f in 1 ) is set up. The aforementioned elements are arranged in a shock-resistant and preferably splash-proof housing so as not to be damaged in daily use.

3 shows an embodiment of an inventively usable sensor element 2 which is a magnet 15 is set up for mechanical fixing to an object of the periphery of a means of locomotion. A light sensor 16 is information technology with a programmable processor 12 connected as an evaluation unit and set up the programmable processor 12 for transmitting a first wireless communication signal 1 by means of an antenna 9 if a light intensity level jump is detected due to unauthorized access to a locked volume. In an information technology with the programmable processor 12 connected data storage 14 is an identifier of the OBD dongle 8th ( 2 ), which was created in the course of a pairing with the OBD dongle. A vibration generator set up by vibrations for the delivery of electrical energy 20 is set up, the electrochemical energy storage 13 while driving the motorhome (reference numeral 10 in 1 ) to provide electrical energy. About the electrochemical energy storage 13 is a self-sufficient operation of the programmable processor 12 for a certain time easily possible.

4 shows steps of an embodiment of a method according to the invention for determining an unauthorized access to a means of transport or on its periphery. In step 100 A first wireless communication signal is received from a sensor element representing unauthorized access to the means of locomotion and its periphery. In step 200 an information contained in the first wireless communication signal is interpreted to identify the sensor element. In this case, an identifier of the sensor element is transmitted together with the first wireless communication signal and forwarded. In step 300 a first wired signal representing the unauthorized access via an OBD interface is sent to a theft warning device of the means of transportation. In other words, an OBD socket of the means of locomotion receives the input of the first wired signal, through which an unauthorized access and the identification of the sensor element are reported to an anti-theft device of the means of locomotion. In step 400 it is determined that a second wireless communication signal representative of a live cyclic message has not been received by the sensor element for a predefined period of time. This may, for example, have the cause that a thief in the course of unauthorized access, the sensor element in the hope to thwart a message of unauthorized access hereby, has taken out of service. In step 500 In response, a second wired signal representing the unauthorized access via the OBD interface is sent to a means of theft of the means of transportation. In step 600 is also determined that the OBD interface is no longer set up to send the first and / or the second wired signal. This may be due, for example, to the unauthorized access of the means of transport by the thief having removed the OBD dongle in the hope of preventing the unauthorized access to the anti-theft alarm. In step 700 For example, information contained in the first wireless communication signal and the first wired signal is forwarded to a portable data communications user terminal. On the data communication user terminal a corresponding application is made to inform the user about the unauthorized access and the attempts to thwart the method according to the invention.

The present invention allows flexible expansion of existing anti-theft alarm systems with flexible alarm triggers and radio modules. It allows the monitoring of vehicle attachment and cargo by connecting any number of monitoring modules (sensor elements) by the customer / user. The sensor elements can be freely positioned by wireless connection to the OBD dongle and energy self-sufficient. By identifying the individual sensor elements, the reason for the alarm is always transparent to the user. Even in the case of retrofitting vehicle attachments and / or peripherals the signaling mechanisms of an existing anti-theft alarm system can be used without structural changes to the vehicle / energy / information board network are required.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

1, 1a-1f

first wireless communication signal

2

sensor element

3

OBD socket

4

OBD connector

5

Car alarm

8th

OBD dongle

9

antenna

10

Camper

11a-11d

periphery

12

programmable processor

13

energy storage

14

data storage

15

magnet

16

light sensor

17

Smartphone

18

Wireless communication signal

19

tailgate

20

vibration generator

100-700

steps

Claims (10)

Method for determining unauthorized access to a means of locomotion (10) or to its periphery (11), comprising the steps: Receiving (100) a first wireless communication signal (1) transmitted by a sensor element (2) representing the unauthorized access and in response thereto • transmitting (300) a first wired signal representing unauthorized access via an OBD interface (3) to an anti-theft alarm system (5) of the means of locomotion (10). Method according to Claim 1 further comprising - interpreting (200) information contained in the first wireless communication signal (1) for identification of the sensor element (2). Method according to Claim 1 or 2 further comprising - transmitting (700) information contained in the first wireless communication signal (1) and / or in the first wired signal to a data communication user terminal (17). Method according to one of the preceding claims further comprising Determining (400) that a second wireless communication signal representative of a cyclic "alive" message of the sensor element (2) has not been received for a predefined amount of time and in response thereto - Sending (500) a second wired signal representing the unauthorized access via the OBD interface (3) to the anti-theft alarm system (5) of the means of locomotion (10). Method according to one of the preceding claims further comprising - determining (600) that the OBD interface (3) is no longer for transmitting the first and / or the second wired signal is set up and in response to it - detecting unauthorized access. OBD dongle (8) for detecting unauthorized access to a means of locomotion (10) or on its periphery (11) a wireless communication device (9), - an OBD connector (4) and - An evaluation unit (12), wherein The wireless communication device (9) is arranged to receive a first wireless communication signal (1) representing the unauthorized access from a sensor element (2) and in response to the reception of the first wireless communication signal (1) • via the OBD connector (4) representing a first wired signal to send the unauthorized access to an anti-theft alarm system (5) of the means of locomotion (10). OBD dongle (8) after Claim 6 wherein the evaluation unit (12) and / or an electrochemical energy store (13) of the OBD dongle (8) are arranged to be supplied with electrical energy via the OBD plug (4). OBD dongle (8) after Claim 7 wherein the OBD dongle (8) is arranged to make a power supply to the evaluation unit (12) from the energy store (13) in response to a signal received via the OBD connector (4). OBD dongle (8) after one of the Claims 6 to 8th , further comprising - a data memory (14) which is configured to store data for identification of the sensor element (2). Method according to one of Claims 1 to 5 or OBD dongle (8) after one of the Claims 6 to 9 in which the sensor element (2) is set up in response to an unauthorized access to the means of locomotion (10) or to its periphery - an optical and / or - magnetic and / or - electrical and / or - acceleration-based and / or - ultrasound-based sensor principle to use for generating the first wireless communication signal (1).

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