FR2942755A1 - Individual identification method for e.g. starting car, involves adapting portable telephone carried by individual to transmit identification data at destination of near field communication readers - Google Patents

Abstract

The method involves programming a control unit (UC) and portable telephones (T), so as to implement consistent identification procedures during a contact by an individual of an electrode (4) of actuating elements e.g. door handle (P). Emission of short distance radiofrequency signal of an identification request is controlled by the control unit, where the portable telephone carried by the individual is adapted to transmit identification data at a destination of near field communication readers (6, 10).

Description

The invention relates to a method for identifying an individual for authorizing an action controlled by an actuator, which method comprises using a mobile phone having a near-field communication function, called the NFC function, for the transmission of identification data of said mobile phone, and to associate with the actuator a reader, said NFC reader, able to read the identification data from mobile phones. Hands-free access devices to a vehicle conventionally comprise a box, portable remote control, a central unit embedded in the vehicle, and transmission means, on the one hand, arranged in the vehicle, and secondly , integrated in the control box, and adapted to allow to establish a dialogue between said central unit and control unit for the implementation of access authorization procedures to the vehicle. These hands-free access devices furthermore comprise detection sensors adapted to be installed in the door handles and to switch from a passive state to an active state when a user accesses said handle. , in order to control, during this activation, the triggering of a procedure of identification of the control box worn by the user and unlocking the door. One of the disadvantages of these hands-free access devices results from the obligation to obtain an unlocking of the door before the total actuation of the handle, otherwise the closing mechanism of this door remains locked, prohibiting the opening of the said door. It follows, in fact, from this obligation that the time allowed for carrying out identification and unlocking operations is frequently insufficient, so that the door does not unlock when first actuated (incident known as wall effect). In order to overcome this inconvenience, which proves to be disturbing for the owners of the vehicles, an evolution has consisted in producing hands-free access devices designed to enable identification of the control units as soon as they are introduced into a control zone. predetermined range around the vehicles.

For this purpose, these hands-free access devices comprise transmitting antennas located in the door handles, and are programmed so as to implement an identification procedure of controlling the periodic transmission by said transmitting antennas. an identification signal recognizable by specific control units programmed to transmit, in response, an identification signal to a receiver embedded in the vehicle.

According to this concept, the identification procedure is therefore performed before the activation of a detection sensor integrated in a handle, so that this activation only controls the unlocking procedure. Such a solution proves however expensive because it requires additional constraints not only concerning the equipment of vehicles (antennas and detection sensors incorporated in the handles ...) but also the control boxes. In particular in view of lowering the cost of hands-free access devices, a research path has been to consider replacing the control boxes with programmed multi-function mobile telephones to enable the implementation of authorization procedures for access to the vehicle. Developments made from this concept have resulted in a solution consisting of: • using mobile phones adapted to present the configuration of radio-tags incorporating identification data, able to be activated by a radio frequency signal, • and to equipping the vehicles with readers adapted to activate radio-tags positioned within their range of action by providing them with the energy necessary for this activation, and to read the identification data coming from these radio-tags. While this solution actually leads to a reduction in the cost of vehicle access devices, it also requires users to present their phones in front of readers in order to initiate identification procedures, a requirement that is akin to a technical regression for users of today's conventional hands-free access devices. The present invention aims to overcome this drawback and its main purpose is to provide a method for identifying an individual with a portable telephone to allow an action controlled by an actuator, without requiring any action. specific from the individual other than the retraction of the actuator. Another object of the invention is to provide a method capable of allowing identification of an individual even in the unloaded state of the power supply means own mobile phones. For this purpose, the invention relates to an identification method of using a mobile phone having a near-field communication function, called NFC function, for transmitting identification data of said mobile phone, and to associate with the actuator a reader, said NFC reader, able to read the identification data from mobile phones. According to the invention, this identification method further comprises: • using mobile telephones equipped with a function for transmitting / receiving short-distance radiofrequency signals, • equipping the actuating element with an element electrically conductive arranged to be contacted during a maneuver of said actuating member, • to connect the NFC reader, on the one hand to the conductive member of the actuating member, and secondly to a control unit comprising a short-range radiofrequency transmitter; and programming the control unit and the mobile telephones so as to implement identification procedures consisting, when an individual contacts the conductive element of the control unit. actuating member, to control the transmission by the control unit of a radio frequency short-term identification request signal to which the mobile phone carried by the said individual is ada to transmit, in the form of a near-field communication, identification data to the NFC reader, by means of a conductive link comprising the body of the individual and the conductive element of the body of the actuation.

It should be noted that, according to the invention, it is intended to define, by function of transmission / reception of short-range radiofrequency signals, a function implementing usual short-distance transmission / reception protocols such as in particular known under the names Bluetooth, Wiibree ... In addition, communication in the near field is meant to refer to a NFC (Near Field Communication) type of technology or equivalent of data exchange at a distance of a few centimeters. According to the invention, the NFC functions of the mobile phones are therefore configured in a transmission mode capable of enabling a conductive connection between the NFC transmitter of said mobile phones and the conductive element of an actuating device, the said connection extending through the body of the individual and being used to transmit the identification data of mobile phones. In addition, the identification procedures and therefore the transmission of the identification data, are triggered when an individual contacts the conductive element of the actuating member, so that this triggering does not require any specific action of the actuator. the individual. Therefore, the method according to the invention ensures the identification of an individual without requiring any specific action of the latter, because it is based on the recognition of data transmitted by a mobile phone worn by this ind vidu . A first advantageous example of application of the invention aims to start a vehicle comprising a control button acting as actuator of the start. According to the invention, the identification method then consists in providing the control button with an electrically conductive touch contact face forming a conductive element connected to an NFC reader connected to a control unit embedded in the vehicle. A second advantageous example of application of the invention is the access to a vehicle by means of actuators consisting of door handles. According to the invention, the method according to the invention then consists of equipping at least one of the handles of a conductive element connected to an NFC reader connected to a control unit embedded in the vehicle. In addition, for this application, each NFC reader is advantageously incorporated by the corresponding door handle. Moreover, particularly for this second application and in order to increase the security and reliability of the identification method, it is advantageous to use, according to the invention, a control unit comprising a short-distance radiofrequency transmitter / receiver, and identification procedures consisting in, when a mobile phone receives a short-range radiofrequency identification signal, to command, in response, in addition to the near-field communication, the transmission, by the said mobile phone, a short-distance radiofrequency identification signal to the radio frequency receiver of the control unit.

According to a first advantageous variant of implementation of the identification method according to the invention, aiming at using the connection established between the NFC transmitter of the mobile telephones and the conducting element of an actuating member for the purpose of triggering the identification procedures, it is programmed: • each mobile phone so that it presents an active state in which it transmits periodically, in the form of a near-field communication, data incorporating a wake up code adapted to be transmitted to a mobile phone. control unit during the contact by an individual of the conductive element of an actuator, • each control unit so as to trigger an identification procedure after receiving a wake-up code. According to this first implementation variant, in addition, and advantageously, each control unit is programmed so as to control the periodic transmission of a short-distance radiofrequency signal incorporating an activation code recognizable by the mobile phones, which, upon receipt of this activation code, are programmed to switch from a standby state to their periodic data transmission active state incorporating a wake-up code.

This solution which leads to switch mobile phones to their active state only when they fall within the scope of the transmitter of the control unit, in particular reduces the power consumption of said mobile phones. According to a second advantageous variant of implementation of the method of identification cation according to the invention favoring the reduction of the electrical consumption of the mobile phones, each actuator is equipped with a sensor arranged so as to be activated when a maneuver of said actuating member, and to issue, upon activation, a signal to the control unit, receptive of which said control unit is programmed to trigger an identification procedure. According to another advantageous embodiment of the invention, the periodic transmission, by each NFC reader, of radio-frequency signals adapted to activate radio-tags integrating the identification data, positioned in the range of action, is controlled. of said NFC reader, by providing them with the energy necessary for this activation. This specificity is intended to enable the implementation of the identification method for example before initialization and programming of a mobile phone, especially when buying a vehicle, using radio-tags dedicated to this identification.

This specificity also makes it possible to implement the identification method according to the invention by means of a mobile phone whose own power supply means are discharged. For this purpose and advantageously according to the invention, each mobile phone is programmed to present the configuration of a radio-tag capable of being activated by a radio frequency signal from an NFC reader, in the unloaded state of its means. own power supply. Other features and objects of the invention will become apparent from the detailed description which follows with reference to the accompanying drawings which show a non-limiting example of a preferred embodiment. In these drawings: FIG. 1a is a schematic view of a vehicle equipped with a hands-free access system designed for the implementation of an identification method according to the invention, FIG. is a schematic representative view of the elements of a hands-free access system designed for the implementation of the identification method according to the invention, • Figures 2a-2d, 3a-3d, and 4a-4d are graphs illustrating three different modes of operation of a hands-free access system, implemented according to the invention to allow an individual to access a vehicle, and in these figures: • Figures 2a, 3a and 4a represent the signals transmitted in the form of a near-field communication by a mobile phone, • Figures 2b, 3b and 4b represent the signals received by the NFC reader, • Figures 2c, 3c and 4c represent the transmissions of the short-range radiofrequency transmitter • and Figures 2d, 3d and 4d represent short-range radio frequency emissions from mobile phones. The invention relates to an identification method for allowing an individual to access a vehicle V and start the latter through the identification of a mobile phone T carried by the said individual. The device intended for the implementation of this invention consists of a device usually known as the hands-free access system, shown in FIGS. 1a and 1b, comprising, in addition to a mobile phone T, an electronic module M integrated in at least one of the door handles P of the vehicle V, a control button D acting as a vehicle start actuating member V, and a control unit UC embedded in said vehicle and connected to the (x) module ( s) M and the control button D. Firstly, for the implementation of the invention, each mobile phone comprises a short-distance radiofrequency transceiver 1 of the type using short-distance transmission / reception protocols usual such as especially confused under the names Bluetooth, Wiibree ...

Each mobile phone T also comprises a transmitter / receiver NFC 2 for near-field communication. The control unit UC embedded in the vehicle V consists of a specific computer integrating a transmitter / receiver short-distance radio 3 data exchange with short-range radiofrequency transmitters / receivers 1 mobile phones T. Each electronic module M integrated in a door handle P comprises, meanwhile, an electrically conductive element 4 constituting an electrode arranged to be contacted during a maneuver of the handle P. It should be noted that this electrode 4 can also be formed a conductive coating integrally or partially covering the handle P. Each module M includes a sub-module 5 for filtering and amplifying the electrical signals from the electrode 4, connected to an NFC reader 6 equipped, in a conventional manner, of a bidirectional antenna 7, the said reader being, meanwhile, connected by an electrical connection 8 to the UC control unit. Finally, the control button D has an electrically conductive touch contact face 9 forming a conductive element connected to an NFC reader 10 having a bidirectional antenna 11 connected to the control unit UC. A first mode of operation of this hands-free access device, intended to allow an individual to access a vehicle V, is illustrated in Figures 2a to 2d. According to this mode of operation, and firstly, each mobile phone T is adapted, as shown in Figure 2a, to periodically transmit, in the form of a near-field communication, data d incorporating a wake up code, so that, during the contact by an individual of an electrode 4 of a module M equipping a door handle P of a vehicle V, contact materialized by the flag P in Figure 2b, these data are transmitted to the NFC reader 6 and to the control unit UC of said vehicle, through a conductive connection consisting of a capacitive connection between the mobile phone T and the body of the individual, the body of the individual and the electrode 4. The validation of the wake-up code then triggers an identification procedure consisting in controlling the transmission, by the control unit UC, of a short-distance radiofrequency signal of identification request, materialized by the data block C h in FIG. 2c, on receipt of which the mobile phone T carried by the individual is adapted to transmit, in the form of a communication in the near field, identification data, materialized by the data block Id in FIG. 2a , which are transmitted, as shown in Figure 2b, to the NFC reader 6, through the aforementioned conductive connection consisting of a capacitive connection between the mobile phone T and the ccrps of the individual, the body of the 4. In addition, during the reception by the mobile phone T of the short-distance radio frequency signal Ch identification request, and according to the identification procedure, each mobile phone T is also programmed to transmit in response, in addition to the data Id emitted in the form of a near-field communication, a short-range radio frequency identification signal, represented by the data block R in FIG. 2d, to stination of the radio frequency receiver 3 of the control unit UC. This identification procedure leads to an unlocking control of the doors of the vehicle V, command materialized by the flag O, after a given time of processing and validation of the data Id and R received by the control unit UC. The second mode of operation intended to allow an individual to access a vehicle V, illustrated in FIGS. 4a to 4d, is adapted to reduce the electrical consumption of the mobile phones T caused by the periodic transmission of the data incorporating the code of awakening. For this purpose, and first of all, as represented in FIG. 4c, the CPU unit is adapted to control the periodic transmission of a short-distance radiofrequency signal d1 incorporating an activation code recognizable by mobile telephones. T.

Mobile phones T are adapted, after their entry, materialized by the flag Z in Figure 4a, in the field of action of the transmitter 3 of the control unit UC, and upon receipt of the code activating dl, to switch from a standby state to an active state of periodic transmission of data incorporating the wake up code.

Thus, according to this second mode of operation, the mobile telephones T switch to an active state of data transmission d only when they fall within the field of action Z of the transmitter 3 of the control unit UC, so that the power consumption of said mobile phones is reduced. The other steps of this second mode of operation, which relate to the identification procedure that takes place after the validation of the wake-up code, are identical to those of the first mode of operation described above, and concerning these steps, the Figures 4a to 4d are identical to Figures 2a to 2d. The third mode of operation intended to allow an individual to access a vehicle V, illustrated in FIGS. 3a to 3d, favors the reduction of the electrical consumption of mobile phones T and of vehicles V, and does not require periodic transmission. d data or data dl. For this purpose, in order to trigger the identification procedures, the door handles P are equipped with a detection sensor arranged to be activated during a maneuver of said handle, indicated by the flag P at the front. 3h, and adapted to deliver, upon activation, a signal to the control unit UC, receipt of which said control unit is programmed to transmit, as shown in Figure 3c, the short radiofrequency signal distance Ch identification request, which itself triggers, in response, the transmission of data Here (Figures 3a, 3b) and R (Figure 3d) by mobile phones T. It should be noted that the sensor detection can be removed when the handles P are provided with a mechanical actuation button whose actuation is then adapted to cause the transmission of a signal to the control unit UC. The procedure implemented by the hands-free access device according to the invention, in order to authorize the starting of a vehicle V, is, in turn, initiated when the touch contact face 9 of the control button D is contacted, and comprises a single step of controlling the transmission by the control unit UC of a radio frequency short-distance identification request signal to which the mobile phone T carried by the driver is adapted to transmit, under form of a near-field communication, identification data to the NFC reader 10, through a conductive connection comprising the body of the individual and the electrically conductive touch contact surface 9 of the control button D Furthermore, according to the invention, each NFC reader 6, 10 is programmed to periodically transmit radio frequency signals adapted to activate radio tags incorporating identification data. cation, positioned in the range of said NFC reader, providing them with the energy necessary for this activation.

This specificity is intended to allow access to a vehicle V and start the latter, for example when purchasing the vehicle, while waiting for the initialization and programming of a mobile phone T, using radio -Tags dedicated to this identification and supplied with the vehicle V. By radio-labels, it is meant to target for example radio-labels intended for the implementation of a so-called radio-identification technique (word derived from English ( <radio frequency identification, better known in its abbreviated form RFID), for storing data and then retrieving them using readers, that is to say active radiofrequency transmitting devices, adapted to activate the radio-tags that are within their short-range range by providing them with the energy necessary for this activation.This specificity also makes it possible to access a vehicle V and start it. by means of a mobile phone T whose own means of power supply are discharged. For this purpose, according to the invention, each mobile phone T is programmed to present the configuration of a radio-tag capable of being activated by a radio frequency signal coming from an NFC reader 6, 10, in the unloaded state of its own means of power supply.

In both cases, radio-etiquette or mobile phone, the only requirement concerns the obligation to present the radio-etiquette or the telephone in the field of action of the readers 6, 10. In addition, for reasons of economy of energy, the periodicity of the emissions of the NFC readers 6, 10 is variable and for example adjusted so that this periodicity is greater during a given period after the entry into circulation of the vehicle V, corresponding to a period estimated necessary for the owner to initialize a T. This periodicity can then be reduced by informing users of the obligation to maintain the mobile phone T for a sufficient time-predetermined in the field of action of the readers 6, 10 to ensure their identification. Finally, the initialization of the mobile telephones T can be carried out in a conventional manner during a secure connection with a specific telephone server, in which: the owner is identified, for example, by means of the data integrated into the radio labels provided with the vehicle V, and identification data are transmitted and stored in a secure element such as the SIM card of the mobile phone.

Claims (1)

REVENDICATIONS1. He method of identifying an individual in view CLAIMS1. A method of identifying an individual for authorizing an action controlled by an actuator (P, D), said method of using a mobile phone (T) having a function (2) for communicating in the field close, said NFC function, for the transmission of identification data of said mobile phone, and to associate with the actuator (P, D) a reader (6, 10), said NFC reader, readable the identification data from mobile telephones (T), and said method being characterized in that: • mobile telephones (T) with a function (1) for transmitting / receiving short radiofrequency signals are used distance, • the actuating member (P, D) is equipped with an electrically conductive element (4) arranged to be contacted during a maneuver of said actuating member, • the NFC reader ( 6, 10), on the one hand to the conductive element (4, 9) of the actuating member (P, D), and on the other hand to a control unit (UC) having a short-distance radiofrequency transmitter (3), and the control unit (UC) and the mobile telephones (T) are programmed so performing identification procedures consisting, upon contact by an individual of the conductive member (4) of the actuating member (P, D), with controlling transmission by the control unit ( UC) of a short radio frequency identification request signal to reception of which the mobile phone (T) carried by the said individual is adapted to transmit, in the form of a communication in the near field, identification data to destination the NFC reader (6, 10), via a conductive connection comprising the body of the individual and the conductive element (4, 9) of the actuating member (P, D). 2 / A method of identification according to claim 1 for authorizing the start of a vehicle (V) having a control button (D) acting as actuator of the start, characterized in that it provides the said control button of an electrically conductive touch race (9) forming a conductive element connected to an NFC reader (10) connected to a control unit (UC) embedded in the vehicle (V). 3 / A method of identification according to one of claims 1 or 2 wherein using a control unit (UC) comprising a transmitter / receiver radio frequency (3) short distance, characterized in that it implements procedures identification consisting, when a mobile telephone (T) receives a short-distance radio frequency identification request signal, for controlling, in response, the transmission by said mobile telephone of a short radiofrequency signal identification distance to the radio frequency receiver (3) of the control unit (UC). 4 / Identification method according to claim 3 for authorizing access to a vehicle (V) by means of actuators consisting of handles (P) doors, characterized in that one team at least one of said handles of a conductive element (4) connected to an NFC reader (6) connected to a control unit (UC) embedded in the vehicle (V). 5 / A method of identification according to claim 4 characterized in that one incorporates each NFC (6) in the corresponding door handle (P). 6 / method of identification according to one of claims 1 to 5 characterized in that it program: • each mobile phone (T) so that it has an active state in which it emits periodically, in the form of a near-field communication, data incorporating a wake-up code adapted to be transmitted to a control unit (UC) during the contact by an individual of the conductive element (4) of an actuating member (P, D ), • each control unit (CU) to trigger an identification procedure after receiving a wake-up code. 7 / An identification method according to claim 6 characterized in that each control unit (UC) is programmed so as to control the periodic transmission of a short-distance radiofrequency signal incorporating a recognizable activation code by the telephones. portable computers (T), which, upon receipt of this activation code, are programmed to switch from a standby state to their active state of periodic data transmission incorporating a wake up code. 8 / A method of identification according to one of claims 1 to 5 characterized in that one equips each actuator (P) of a sensor arranged to be activated during a maneuver of said body d actuation, and to deliver, upon activation, a signal to the control unit (UC), on receipt of which said control unit is programmed to trigger an identification procedure. 9 / Identification method according to one of the preceding claims characterized in that one controls the periodic transmission, by each NFC reader (6, 10), radiofrequency signals adapted to activate radio-tags incorporating the data d identification, positioned within the range of said NFC reader, providing them with the energy necessary for this activation. 10 / A method of identification according to claim 9 characterized in that each mobile phone (T) is programmed to present the configuration of a radio-tag capable of being activated by a radio frequency signal from a NFC reader (6, 10). ), in an unloaded state means own power supply of said mobile phone.