Patent Publication Number: US-2016232727-A1

Title: Control system and control method for vehicle anti-theft

Description:
FIELD 
     The subject matter herein generally relates to control systems and control methods for vehicle anti-theft. 
     BACKGROUND 
     PKES (Passive Keyless Entry System) refers to a communication between a vehicle and a smart key via the vehicle transmitting the low-frequency signals and the smart key returning the high-frequency signals after receiving the low frequency signals so as to achieve opening the door of the vehicle. 
     The effective propagation distance of the low-frequency signals can be 2-3 meters, that is, only when the user is very close to the vehicle, the smart key can receive the low-frequency signals, such that a verification process can be started. However, the low-frequency signals can be multiplied by a third part, such that the low-frequency signals can be propagated to a much far distance, and the vehicle can be thus easily relayed and thefted. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Many aspects of the present disclosure are better understood with reference to the following drawings. The components in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, the emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the present disclosure. 
       Moreover, in the drawings, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the views. 
         FIG. 1  is a block diagram of an embodiment of a control system for vehicle anti-theft. 
         FIG. 2  is a block diagram of an embodiment of an operating environment of the control system for vehicle anti-theft shown in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIGS. 3 and 4  cooperatively constitute a signal flowchart of an embodiment of a control method for vehicle anti-theft. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     It will be appreciated that for simplicity and clarity of illustration, where appropriate, reference numerals have been repeated among the different figures to indicate corresponding or analogous elements. In addition, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments described herein. However, it will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that the embodiments described herein can be practiced without these specific details. Also, the description is not to be considered as limiting the scope of the embodiments described herein. The drawings are not necessarily to scale and the proportions of certain parts may be exaggerated to better illustrate details and features of the present disclosure. 
     A definition that applies throughout this disclosure will now be presented. 
     The term “comprising,” when utilized, means “including, but not necessarily limited to”; it specifically indicates open-ended inclusion or membership in the so-described combination, group, series and the like. 
       FIG. 1  shows a control system for vehicle anti-theft  1 . The control system  1  can be run on but not limited to a vehicle  100  and a smart key  200  which are shown on  FIG. 2 . 
     The vehicle  100  can include a first storage unit  110 , a first processing unit  120 , a low-frequency transmit unit  130 , a high-frequency receive unit  140  and a clock unit  150 . 
     The low-frequency transmit unit  130  can be attached to any locations of the vehicle  100 , such as a front side of a driver&#39;s seat, a left side of the driver&#39;s seat, a right side of the driver&#39;s seat, a left side of a passenger&#39;s seat, a right side of the passenger&#39;s seat, a left side of a back seat, a right side of the back seat, or a back side of the back seat, or the like. The low-frequency transmit unit  130  can be used to transmit a low-frequency signal. The magnetic intensity of the low-frequency signal can be decreased rapidly with the distance increasing between the low-frequency signal and the low-frequency transmit unit  130 . Furthermore, if the distance between the low-frequency signal and the low-frequency transmit unit  130  is greater than a predefined distance, the magnetic intensity of the low-frequency signal can be attenuated to zero. 
     The first storage unit  110  can be used to store a relationship recording a number of propagation distances and a number of predefined magnetic intensity ranges of a low-frequency signal. 
     The first storage unit  110  can further store data including a predefined identification code, and the predefined identification code can be used to verify an identity of the smart key  200 . 
     The clock unit  150  can be used to time. 
     The smart key  200  can include a second storage unit  210 , a second processing unit  220 , a low-frequency receive unit  230  and a high-frequency transmit unit  240 . 
     The second storage unit  210  can be used to store an identification code of the smart key  200 . 
     In at least one embodiment, the first storage unit  110  and the second storage unit  210  can be an internal storage system, such as a flash memory, a random access memory (RAM) for temporary storage of information, and/or a read-memory (ROM) for permanent storage of information. 
     In at least one embodiment, the first storage unit  110  and the second storage unit  210  can also be a storage system, such as a hard disk, a storage card, or a data storage medium. The first storage unit  110  and the second storage unit  210  can include volatile and/or non-volatile storage devices. 
     In at least one embodiment, the first storage unit  110  and the second storage unit  210  can include two or more storage devices such that one storage device is a memory and the other storage device is a hard drive. Additionally, the first storage unit  110  and the second storage unit  210  can be respectively located either entirely or partially external relative to the vehicle  100 . 
     In at least one embodiment, the first processing unit  120  and the second processing unit  220  can be a central processing unit, a digital signal processor, or a single chip, for example. 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 , the control system  1  can include a number of modules, and the number of modules can include a transmit controlling module  11 , a time recording module  12 , a feedback module  13 , an identification code determining module  14 , a time calculating module  15 , a distance calculating module  16 , a magnetic intensity determining module  17  and a vehicle unlocking module  18 . The number of modules can be stored in the first storage unit  110  and/or the second storage unit  210 , and further applied on the first processing unit  120  and/or the second processing unit  220 . In this embodiment, the transmit controlling module  11 , the time recording module  12 , the identification code determining module  14 , the time calculating module  15 , the distance calculating module  16 , the magnetic intensity determining module  17  and the vehicle unlocking module  18  can be stored in the first storage unit  110 , and further applied on the first processing unit  120 , and the feedback module  13  can be stored in the second storage unit  210 , and further applied on the second processing unit  220 . The details are as follows. The modules of the control system  1  can include separated functionalities represented by hardware or integrated circuits, or as software and hardware combinations, such as a special-purpose processor or a general-purpose processor with special-purpose firmware. 
     The transmit controlling module  11  can be used to control the low-frequency transmit unit  130  to transmit a low-frequency signal having a predefined magnetic intensity. 
     The time recording module  12  can be used to obtain a first time recorded by the clock unit  150  when the low-frequency signal has been transmitted and further control the first storage unit  110  to store the first time. 
     The low-frequency receive unit  230  of the smart key  200  can receive the low-frequency signal when the smart key  200  is within a predefined distance of the vehicle  100 . As the magnetic intensity of the low-frequency signal can be decreased rapidly with the distance increasing between the low-frequency signal and the low-frequency transmit unit  130  of the vehicle  100 , so the magnetic intensity of the received low-frequency signal can be substantially less than the predefined magnetic intensity. 
     The feedback module  13  can be used to analyze the magnetic intensity of the received low-frequency signal, obtain the identification code of the smart key  200  from the second storage unit  210 , and further control the high-frequency transmit unit  240  to transmit a high-frequency signal containing the magnetic intensity of the received low-frequency signal and the identification code of the smart key  200 . 
     The high-frequency receive unit  140  of the vehicle  100  can receive the high-frequency signal when the vehicle  100  is within a predefined distance of the smart key  200 . The time recording module  12  can be further used to obtain a second time recorded by the clock unit  150  when the high-frequency signal has been received and further control the first storage unit  110  to store the second time. 
     The identification code determining module  14  can be used to obtain the identification code from the high-frequency signal, and obtain the predefined identification code from the first storage unit  110 , and further determine whether the identification code matches with the predefined identification code. 
     The time calculating module  15  can be used to obtain the first time and the second time from the first storage unit  110  and further calculate a time duration between the first time and the second time when the identification code matches with the predefined identification code. 
     The distance calculating module  16  can be used to calculate a propagation distance according to the time duration, and the propagation distance can be the time duration multiplied by a light transportation speed and further divided by two. 
     The magnetic intensity determining module  17  can be used to obtain a predefined magnetic intensity range corresponding to the propagation distance from the first storage unit  110 , and obtain the magnetic intensity from the received high-frequency signal, and further determine whether the magnetic intensity is within the predefined magnetic intensity range. 
     The unlocking module  18  can be used to unlock the vehicle  100  when the magnetic intensity is within the predefined magnetic intensity range, otherwise, the vehicle  100  cannot be unlocked, which can effectively avoid vehicle anti-theft. 
     In at least one embodiment, the time recording module  12  can control the clock unit  150  to start timing when the low-frequency signal is transmitted, and further control the clock unit  150  to stop timing when the high-frequency signal is received, and the time calculating module  15  can be thus omitted. 
     In at least one embodiment, the process of identification code determination can be omitted, and the identification code determining module  14  can be thus omitted. 
       FIGS. 3 and 4  cooperatively illustrate a signal flowchart of a control method for vehicle anti-theft. The control method is provided by way of example, as there are a variety of ways to carry out the method. The control method described below can be carried out using the configurations illustrated in  FIG. 1 , for example, and various elements of these figures are referenced in explaining the example method. Each block shown in  FIGS. 3 and 4  represents one or more processes, methods, or subroutines carried out in the example method. Furthermore, the illustrated order of blocks is by example only and the order of the blocks can be changed. Additional blocks may be added or fewer blocks may be utilized, without departing from this disclosure. The example method can begin at block  310 . 
     At block  310 , a vehicle transmits a low-frequency signal and further obtains a first time that the low-frequency signal is transmitted. In detail, a transmit controlling module controls a low-frequency transmit unit of the vehicle to transmit a low-frequency signal having a predefined magnetic intensity, and a time recording module obtains the first time recorded by a clock unit of the vehicle that the low-frequency signal is transmitted and further controls a first storage unit of the vehicle to store the first time. 
     At block  320 , a low-frequency receive unit of a smart key receives the low-frequency signal when the smart key is within a predefined distance of the vehicle. 
     At block  330 , the smart key analyzes a magnetic intensity of the received low-frequency signal and transmits a high-frequency signal containing a magnetic intensity of the received low-frequency signal and an identification code of the smart key. In detail, a feedback module analyzes the magnetic intensity of the received low-frequency signal, obtains an identification code of the smart key from a second storage unit of the smart key, and further controls a high-frequency transmit unit of the smart key to transmit the high-frequency signal containing the magnetic intensity of the received low-frequency signal and the identification code of the smart key. 
     At block  340 , the vehicle receives the high-frequency signal when the vehicle is within a predefined distance of the smart key and further obtains a second time that the high-frequency signal is received. In detail, a high-frequency receive unit receives the high-frequency signal when the vehicle is within the predefined distance of the smart key, and the time recording module further obtains the second time recorded by the clock unit when the high-frequency signal is received and further controls the first storage unit of the vehicle to store the second time. 
     At block  350 , the vehicle determines whether the identification code matches with a predefined identification code, if yes, the process goes to block  360 , otherwise, the process goes to end. In detail, an identification code determining module obtains the identification code from the high-frequency signal, and obtains the predefined identification code from the first storage unit of the vehicle, and further determines whether the identification code matches with the predefined identification code, if yes, the process goes to block  360 , otherwise, the process goes to end. 
     At block  360 , the vehicle calculates a time duration between the first time and the second time. In detail, a time calculating module obtains the first time and the second time from the first storage unit and further calculates the time duration between the first time and the second time. 
     At block  370 , the vehicle calculates a propagation distance according to the time duration. In detail, a distance calculating module calculates the propagation distance according to the time duration, and the propagation distance can be the time duration multiplied by a light transportation speed and further divided by two. 
     At block  380 , the vehicle determines whether a magnetic intensity of the received high-frequency signal is within a predefined magnetic intensity range, if yes, the process goes to block  390 , otherwise, the process goes to end. In detail, a magnetic intensity determining module obtains the predefined magnetic intensity range corresponding to the propagation distance, and obtains the magnetic intensity from the received high-frequency signal, and further determines whether the magnetic intensity is within the predefined magnetic intensity range, if yes, the process goes to block  390 , otherwise, the process goes to end. 
     At block  390 , the vehicle is unlocked. In detail, an unlocking module unlocks the vehicle. 
     The embodiments shown and described above are only examples. Many details are often found in the art. Therefore, many such details are neither shown nor described. Even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the present technology have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structure and function of the present disclosure, the disclosure is illustrative only, and changes may be made in the detail, especially in matters of shape, size and arrangement of the parts within the principles of the present disclosure up to, and including the full extent established by the broad general meaning of the terms used in the claims. It will therefore be appreciated that the embodiments described above may be modified within the scope of the claims.