DE202023103316U1 - Integrated driving release system - Google Patents

Abstract

Integrated driving release system, comprising:
• at least one portable slave device (1) which is suitable for being assigned to a user of a vehicle and which has a user interface (3) for input/output, a first short-range radio connection device (10), a fingerprint sensor (13) and an optical sensor (12) capable of detecting the presence of ethanol in the blood through the skin, contained in a contact surface (14) with dimensions such as to simultaneously detect the user's identity and blood alcohol content is made possible, a first microprocessor (9) with a respective software, which receives the signals from the sensors (12, 13) and which transmits approval instructions for driving release via the first short-range radio connection device (10); and
• a release device (20) which is suitable for being assigned to a respective vehicle (A) and which has a device for connecting (23) to a cellular network, a second radio connection device (24) with a short range, at least one relay (26 ), which is suitable for enabling and disabling the starting and/or operation of the vehicle, a microprocessor (22) containing software suitable for driving the at least one relay based on consent instructions issued by the Device for Controlling the connection (23) to a cellular network and received from the second short-range radio connection device (24); and
• at least one master device (40) capable of being associated with a respective administrator (M) of the vehicle (A), comprising a respective device for connection to a cellular network, capable of issuing consent instructions for driving release to transmit to the release device (20).

Description

The present invention relates to a driving authorization system capable of checking the fitness to drive a vehicle for a user who in turn receives permission to drive from an administrator.

It is understood that this system may apply to any type of vehicle, for example a motor vehicle, a means of transport, a bus or other shared vehicle, a construction machine, a work machine, a pallet truck, rail vehicles, aircraft and so on.

This driving sharing system can be used, for example, as part of the management of a company vehicle fleet, a rental car fleet or simply to manage a family car that is shared by family members, some of whom may be new drivers, but who have ownership and therefore the rights associated with the use of the vehicle Strict liability associated with the vehicle lies with a single family member.

This system refers in particular to the type of fitness to drive that is linked to the consumption of alcohol and, consequently, to the driver's blood alcohol content, which, as is well known, is subject to legal restrictions in the Code of the Road (Italian Highway Code) (Articles 186 and 186bis), in particular with an upper limit of 0.5 g/l in Italy for driving vehicles on the road, although this limit can be further reduced in the case of special requirements, vehicles that require the utmost attention, new drivers, etc. or situations in which the current regulations may also require it that the blood alcohol content is not above, for example, 0.2 g/l or possibly zero.

In order to be sure that a vehicle driver complies with the limits imposed on him, breath or blood tests can be carried out to check fitness, even without taking samples using percutaneous tests.

Very often, however, a driver gets behind the wheel of a vehicle without preventative monitoring, which creates the need to link the activation of the vehicle to both a verification of the identity of the designated driver and a verification of his fitness.

The patent application US 2006/0253711 A1 describes a locking device from which a mechanical key is only removed after both the driver's fingerprint and his blood alcohol content have been checked in the same device through an analysis of the breath in combination with voice recognition.

The patent application US 2017/0035332 A1 describes a device similar to the previous one, in which the starting of the vehicle is authorized electronically.

However, these measures can be circumvented with the involvement of a third person.

The Chinese patent application CN 101 526 447 A describes, on the other hand, a device capable of simultaneously taking both a fingerprint and a quantity of sweat from the same finger, but this type of assessment of blood alcohol content is not precise because it does not assess the percentage of blood alcohol level in the bloodstream, but in that aforementioned sweat; In addition, the efficiency and therefore the precision of the evaluation of this sensor decreases over time, since the sensitivity of such sensors is based on a redox reaction of the electronic components of the sensor, and these reactions tend to oxidize over time, which leads to this that their sensitivity decreases over time. In addition, this evaluation is of course also related to the humidity of the environment as well as to the temperature, which suggests that it is very difficult to obtain a precise measurement system with such sensors, also considering the fact that the course of the conductivity in Depending on the concentration of the gas, there is a logarithmic function with which the blood alcohol content can be derived. This device is formed in a housing that is connected to the control panel of the vehicle and, upon confirmation of the identity and suitability, a signal is generated which is decisive for starting the engine.

Although the device can also be bypassed in this case, failure to consent to starting will still block the vehicle until the named driver's blood alcohol content is back within the specified limits, which can mean a wait of several hours.

The technical task on which the present invention is based is to provide a release system that is integrated into the vehicle, but which allows a certain flexibility of operation and thereby prevents the security of the system from being circumvented as far as possible.

• • mindestens eine tragbare Slave-Vorrichtung, die geeignet ist, einem Benutzer eines Fahrzeugs zugeordnet zu werden, und die eine Benutzerschnittstelle zur Eingabe/Ausgabe, eine erste Funkverbindungsvorrichtung mit kurzer Reichweite, einen Fingerabdrucksensor und mindestens einen Sensor, der in der Lage ist, das Vorhandensein von Ethanol im Blut durch die Haut hindurch nachzuweisen, wobei die Sensoren in einer Kontaktfläche mit derartigen Abmessungen enthalten sind, dass der gleichzeitige Nachweis der Identität des Benutzers und seines Blutalkoholgehalts ermöglicht wird, einen ersten Mikroprozessor mit einer jeweiligen Software, der die Signale von den Sensoren empfängt und der über die erste Funkverbindungsvorrichtung mit kurzer Reichweite Zustimmungsanweisungen zur Fahrfreigabe übermittelt, beinhaltet; und
• • eine Freigabevorrichtung, die geeignet ist, einem jeweiligen Fahrzeug zugeordnet zu werden, und die eine Vorrichtung zur Verbindung mit einem zellularen Netzwerk, eine zweite Funkverbindungsvorrichtung mit kurzer Reichweite, mindestens ein Relais, das geeignet ist, das Starten und/oder den Betrieb des Fahrzeugs freizugeben und zu sperren, einen Mikroprozessor, der eine Software enthält, die geeignet ist, das mindestens eine Relais auf der Grundlage von Zustimmungsanweisungen zur Fahrfreigabe, die von der Vorrichtung zur Verbindung mit einem zellularen Netzwerk und von der zweiten Funkverbindungsvorrichtung mit kurzer Reichweite empfangen werden, zu steuern, beinhaltet; und
• • mindestens eine Master-Vorrichtung, die geeignet ist, einem jeweiligen Administrator des Fahrzeugs zugeordnet zu werden, die eine jeweilige Vorrichtung zur Verbindung mit einem zellularen Netzwerk umfasst, die in der Lage sind, Zustimmungsanweisungen zur Fahrfreigabe an die Freigabevorrichtung zu übermitteln.

This task is solved with a system as specified above, characterized in that it includes:

• at least one portable slave device capable of being associated with a user of a vehicle and having an input/output user interface, a first short-range radio communication device, a fingerprint sensor, and at least one sensor capable of To detect the presence of ethanol in the blood through the skin, the sensors being contained in a contact surface with dimensions such that the simultaneous detection of the user's identity and his blood alcohol content is made possible, a first microprocessor with a respective software that receives the signals from the receives sensors and transmits approval instructions for driving release via the first short-range radio connection device; and
• • a release device suitable for being associated with a respective vehicle and comprising a device for connection to a cellular network, a second short-range radio connection device, at least one relay suitable for starting and/or operating the vehicle to enable and disable, a microprocessor containing software capable of operating the at least one relay based on drive enable consent instructions received from the device for connecting to a cellular network and from the second short-range radio communication device, to control includes; and
• • at least one master device capable of being associated with a respective administrator of the vehicle, comprising a respective device for connection to a cellular network, capable of transmitting driving authorization consent instructions to the authorization device.

The main advantage of the integrated system according to the invention is that it allows the management of the vehicle remotely based on the simultaneous verification of the identity and the value of the blood alcohol content, i.e. H. of ethanol present in the user's blood, with the ability for the vehicle's administrator to unlock the vehicle and grant temporary permissions, for example to a user based on verified alcohol content, e.g. B. in an emergency and at your own risk.

The sensors sensitive to the presence of ethanol in the blood through the skin are preferably of the type that employs a laser diode, i.e. H. an optoelectronic device capable of emitting a laser beam emitted from the active region of a semiconductor, the structure of which is similar to that used in the manufacture of LEDs.

In particular, the use of tunable laser diode (TLD) gas analyzers, which are designed to measure the concentration of certain gaseous species such as ethyl alcohol in a gas mixture using the technique of laser absorption spectrometry, is considered advantageous.

A modulatable laser is a laser whose operating wavelength can be changed in a controlled manner over a significant wavelength range.

The advantage of modulated diode laser absorption spectroscopy over other concentration measurement techniques is its ability to achieve very low detection limits (on the order of ppb).

The detection of ethanol with the above-mentioned techniques is described, for example, in Detection of Ethanol Using a Tunable Interband Cascade Laser at 3,345 µm, Hui GAO, Liang XIE, Ping GONG and Hui WANG - Photonic Sensors, 2018, and in Breath Analysis Using Laser Spectroscopic Techniques : Breath Biomarkers, Spectral Fingerprints, and Detection Limits, Chuji Wang and Peeyush Sahay, Sensors (Basel), 2009; 9(10): 8230-8262.

• * 1A und 1B perspektivische Ansichten der Vorderseite beziehungsweise der Rückseite einer Slave-Vorrichtung des erfindungsgemäßen integrierten Systems;
• * 2 ein Blockdiagramm, das eine Freigabevorrichtung des erfindungsgemäßen integrierten Systems zeigt;
• * 3 ein Diagramm, das die Interaktion eines Fahrzeugs mit einem erfindungsgemäßen integrierten Freigabesystem mit der Slave-Vorrichtung, der Freigabevorrichtung und einer Master-Vorrichtung, die von einem Systemadministrator aktiviert wird, zeigt; und
• * 4 ein Blockdiagramm, welches das Verfahren zur Fahrfreigabe zeigt, das von dem erfindungsgemäßen integrierten System ausgeführt wird.

The present invention is described below using a preferred, purely exemplary and non-restrictive embodiment with reference to the accompanying drawings. Show it:

• * 1A and 1B perspective views of the front and back of a slave device of the integrated system according to the invention;
• * 2 a block diagram showing an enabling device of the integrated system according to the invention;
• * 3 a diagram showing the interaction of a vehicle with an integrated release system according to the invention with the slave device, the release device and a master device activated by a system administrator; and
• * 4 a block diagram showing the drive enable method carried out by the integrated system according to the invention.

With reference to 1A and 1B A slave device of the integrated system, which will be referred to below, is denoted as a whole by 1. It is portable and has a box-like body with a flattened cuboid shape, which is defined by a respective housing 2, which has on its front a user interface 3, which in this embodiment is implemented by a screen of the touchscreen type and which has an alphanumeric keyboard 4 Send and enable buttons as well as a charging indicator 5 includes.

The slave device further comprises a power button 6, which is positioned on the edge at the level of a corner, and a connection socket 7, which is arranged at the lower edge of the housing 2 in the middle.

The connection socket 7 must be able to ensure the recharging of a battery 8 contained in the housing 7 and can be of the type that ensures both the recharging of a battery and data transmission. Such a socket 7 can be of the USB-C type, for example.

The slave device 1 includes in its interior a first microprocessor 9 and an antenna 10, both of which are powered by the battery 8, which also powers the user interface 3.

On the side of the housing 2 opposite the user interface 3, the slave device 1 comprises a sensor group 11 comprising a laser diode 12 connected to the first microprocessor 9 and a fingerprint sensor 13 of the type that detects the papillary ridges of the fingerprints by swiping .

The first microprocessor 9 contains a memory and software for registering and checking the fingerprints recorded by the fingerprint sensor 13: This software provides a phase of learning the print of a user named as a driver, whose suitability is to be checked, in which the user himself and the first microprocessor 9 communicate via the user interface 3.

In addition, the first microprocessor 9 also includes software for managing the laser diode sensor 12, which can detect the presence of ethyl alcohol molecules through the skin and detect and evaluate the presence of alcohol in the user's blood and/or calculate his blood alcohol content.

It should be noted that the sensor 13 for detecting the fingerprints and the laser diode 12 are contained in a contact surface 14 which has approximately the dimensions of a single fingertip, i.e. a diameter of no more than 10-15 mm. In this way, with a single contact between the surface and his finger, the user can check the presence of alcohol in the blood and also verify his identity, so that the two checks do not have to be done separately.

The surface 14, which is ergonomically slightly recessed and can be recognized by a certain color on the background, is built on the electronics base on which the aforementioned sensors 12, 13 are built and which is inserted into the device and the necessary connection pins for connection to the microprocessor 9 has.

The microprocessor 9 and the RFID antenna 10 form a radio connection device that operates with a short range, similar to common electronic car keys.

The radio link enabled by the antenna 10 can be of the RFID type, with radio frequency, is capable of identifying the identity of the slave device via a cryptographic key and operates with a limited radius of action of the order of a few meters, so that it can be operated in the vicinity of a vehicle A for which the user designated P would like to receive approval.

In the vehicle A, a release device, designated as a whole by 20, is installed at a position within the vehicle body so that it cannot be manipulated without expert technical intervention. The release device 20 comprises a circuit board 27 which contains a buffer battery 21 which is connected to the on-board electrical system of the vehicle A, designated B, so that it is charged during operation of the vehicle and stores a sufficient amount of energy for the operation of the release device.

On the board of the release device there are also a second microprocessor 22, a SIM card 23 in a corresponding reader, which allows the release device to connect to a cellular network and send and receive data in digital form, an RFID receiver 24, which is connected to the second microprocessor and is suitable for receiving an identification signal coming from a slave device and thus checking its identity, and a GPS positioning device 25, which is suitable for sending the geographical position data to the second microprocessor of vehicle A too means, provided. The SIM card reader includes a respective antenna to connect to the cellular network.

The SIM card reader with a valid SIM constitutes a device for connection to a cellular network, which enables the sharing device 20 to have long-range connections to an administrator of the vehicle, in particular providing information about the position of the vehicle and that determined for the user Can receive driving clearance or non-clearance.

The RFID receiver, on the other hand, represents a second short-range radio communication device capable of communicating with the slave device 1 when it is at a short distance from the vehicle and of recognizing it from other radio communication devices.

The enabling device further comprises a relay 26 connected to the engine of the vehicle A, designated as a whole by E, to enable or disable its operation.

In the present embodiment, the relay 26 is connected to the fuel pump 30, which connects the tank 31 to the drive 32 of the vehicle A.

However, it should be understood that this relay could be linked to another activating organ of the engine E, which could be an internal combustion, hybrid or electric motor. In such a case, the relay could block the connection between the vehicle batteries and the electric motor that serves as the drive.

The integrated sharing system, which may include an unlimited number of slave devices, also includes at least one master device, designated 40, owned exclusively by an administrator M. This device may be suitably embodied by a smartphone and by an app installed thereon, which carries out a procedure for detecting both the device on which it is installed and the administrator who has access to it in order to prevent the system can be manipulated by third parties. In any case, it is understood that several administrators recognizable by the master device 40 can be provided, or several administrators M, each of which is equipped with its own master device 40 and each of which is capable of working with the release device 20.

In this way, the master device 40 has a respective third microprocessor, an antenna and a SIM card for communicating with a cellular network, its own user interface and one or more devices for recognizing the identity of the administrator, which includes a fingerprint reader, a microphone for voice recognition and a camera for facial recognition. It further comprises a memory containing the identification numbers of the SIM cards 23 of the enabling devices 20 installed in the vehicle(s) managed by the administrator M.

The operation of the system described above is illustrated using the diagram in explained.

In a phase before the use of the vehicle A, the administrator M can, via his own master device 40 or directly on the slave device 1, by activating a management mode with a PIN, authorize a user P to register his own biometric identification data the slave device 1 can detect, i.e. H. in this example the fingerprint.

This data is checked and confirmed by the administrator M.

If user P wants to obtain permission to drive vehicle A, he must be in the vicinity of the vehicle, i.e. H. within the range of the RFID antenna 10, which can thus communicate with the vehicle-side release device 20.

This proximity is displayed on the user interface 3 of the slave device 1, and the user P can then proceed with the identification and verification of driving ability using the sensor group 11, which verifies these two data simultaneously. The user P is also the person to whom the key K is entrusted to start the vehicle, but who is completely separate and independent from the integrated release system described here.

If the user P passes the identification and alcohol level fitness test, the slave device 1 transmits a release signal to the release device 20, which operates the relay 26 to allow the user P to drive the vehicle A with his key K. This release can only be valid for a time interval and only remains valid if the slave device 1 remains in the vicinity of the vehicle A, which the release device 20 can determine via its own RFID antenna 24.

If the entire procedure is successful, the administrator M will not be turned on, but may possibly detect the movement of the vehicle A, which is transmitted by the release device 20 thanks to the GPS location device 25.

On the other hand, if the suitability is denied by the slave device 1, the user P can communicate with the administrator P remotely via the slave device 1, but via the enabling device 20, which connects to the master device 40 of the administrator M can. The user P and the administrator M do not have to know each other and can communicate via the vehicle A.

At this stage, the administrator M can, if he considers it necessary, check the position of the vehicle A; he can also authorize another previously registered user P or remotely register the identity and biometric data of another user. In this phase, the administrator M can decide to communicate directly with the user P via the telephone if he knows his identity.

If certain requirements are met, the administrator can unlock the authorization to drive vehicle A even if the fitness conditions do not meet the stricter limits, i.e. H. in the event of a real and proven emergency and when the user must use the vehicle with appropriate assumption of liability, possibly with reference to less strict limits, but always within the legal limits provided for by the regulations in force.

In this case, the integrated system can ask the administrator M to prove his identity, for example with an activation PIN, in order to activate this authorization.

A person skilled in the art may make numerous other modifications and modifications to the integrated drive release system described above to meet additional and subordinate requirements, all of which, however, fall within the scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims.

QUOTES INCLUDED IN THE DESCRIPTION

This list of documents listed by the applicant was generated automatically and is included solely for the better information of the reader. The list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA assumes no liability for any errors or omissions.

Cited patent literature

• US 20060253711 A1 [0007]
• US 20170035332 A1 [0008]
• CN 101526447 A [0010]

Claims (9)

Integrated driving release system, comprising: • at least one portable slave device (1) which is suitable for being assigned to a user of a vehicle and which has a user interface (3) for input/output, a first short-range radio connection device (10), a fingerprint sensor (13) and an optical sensor (12) capable of detecting the presence of ethanol in the blood through the skin, contained in a contact surface (14) with dimensions such as to simultaneously detect the user's identity and blood alcohol content is made possible, a first microprocessor (9) with a respective software, which receives the signals from the sensors (12, 13) and which transmits approval instructions for driving release via the first short-range radio connection device (10); and • a release device (20) which is suitable for being assigned to a respective vehicle (A) and which has a device for connecting (23) to a cellular network, a second radio connection device (24) with a short range, at least one relay (26 ), which is suitable for enabling and disabling the starting and/or operation of the vehicle, a microprocessor (22) containing software suitable for driving the at least one relay based on consent instructions issued by the Controlling the device for connection (23) to a cellular network and received from the second short-range radio connection device (24); and • at least one master device (40) capable of being associated with a respective administrator (M) of the vehicle (A), comprising a respective device for connection to a cellular network, capable of issuing consent instructions for driving release to transmit to the release device (20). Integrated release system Claim 1 , in which the user interface (3) comprises a touchscreen-type screen with a keyboard (4). Integrated release system Claim 1 or 2 , in which the at least one sensor, which is sensitive to the presence of ethanol in the blood through the skin (12), comprises a laser diode. Integrated release system according to one of the preceding claims, in which the contact surface (11) has a diameter of not more than 15 mm. Integrated release system according to one of the preceding claims, in which the first microprocessor (9) contains a memory and software for registering and checking fingerprints recorded by the fingerprint sensor (13), which provides a phase for learning the print of a user named as a driver Suitability is to be checked, in which the user himself and the first microprocessor (9) communicate via the user interface (3). Integrated release system according to one of the preceding claims, in which the first short-range radio connection device is of the RFID type and is capable of identifying the identity of the slave device via a cryptographic key. Integrated release system according to one of the preceding claims, in which the release device comprises a GPS positioning device (25) which is suitable for transmitting the data on the geographical position of the vehicle (A) to the second microprocessor. Integrated sharing system according to one of the preceding claims, in which the master device (40) is implemented by a smartphone and by an app installed thereon, which has a method for recognizing both the device on which it is installed and the administrator of the has access to it, to prevent the system from being manipulated by third parties. Integrated release system according to one of the Claims 1 until 6 , in which the master device (40) comprises its own user interface and one or more devices for recognizing the identity of the administrator (M).

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