CN112910580A

CN112910580A - Signal monitoring system applied to vehicle key ring, corresponding vehicle and method

Info

Publication number: CN112910580A
Application number: CN201911117152.9A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 孙永旭; 范文远; 托马斯·约瑟夫·赫尔曼恩; 彭鹏
Original assignee: Ford Global Technologies LLC
Current assignee: Ford Global Technologies LLC
Priority date: 2019-11-15
Filing date: 2019-11-15
Publication date: 2021-06-04

Abstract

The invention provides a signal monitoring system applied to a vehicle key ring, which comprises a processor and a memory, wherein the memory stores processor executable instructions, and the instructions are executed by the processor to realize the following steps: monitoring signals within a preset frequency range; decoding the received signal within the preset frequency range; determining a signal characteristic of the received signal; in response to the received signal failing to be decoded, the vehicle computing system is notified to display an alert to the driver based on the signal characteristic. The invention also discloses a corresponding vehicle and a corresponding method. The scheme provided by the invention does not need to be modified on the aspect of hardware, and different countermeasures can be taken according to the signal characteristics and the source of the interference signal, so that the production cost is reduced, and the use satisfaction of a driver is improved.

Description

Signal monitoring system applied to vehicle key ring, corresponding vehicle and method

Technical Field

The present invention relates generally to the field of automotive vehicle technology, and more particularly to a signal monitoring system applied to a vehicle key fob, a corresponding vehicle and a method.

Background

The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present disclosure. Accordingly, this description does not constitute an admission of prior art.

Modern motor vehicles typically include remote control systems (RKS) for allowing access to the vehicle or control of vehicle functions without the use of a conventional key or otherwise making physical contact with the vehicle. The remote control system may communicate wirelessly with a key fob (also known as a remote control). Buttons or switches for controlling various vehicle functions, such as remote control buttons for locking and/or unlocking the doors and opening and/or closing the trunk or tailgate, may be included on the key fob. Some key fobs also include buttons or other control functions for remote ignition (RKI) systems to allow, for example, remote starting of the vehicle engine.

In daily use, wireless communication between the key fob and the vehicle is often disturbed by various factors in the environment, such as internal interference from a vehicle-internal tachograph, a USB charger, a wireless charging device, or external interference from a charging post, a short wave transmission tower, external to the vehicle. These disturbances sometimes result in the vehicle failing to detect the key fob and thus failing to open the doors or start the vehicle, etc., which can cause inconvenience and reduce the driver's satisfaction with the use.

In response to this situation, a method, a computer program and a device for reducing interference to a time communication resource used for wireless communication between a vehicle key and a vehicle are disclosed in patent document US20190023224a 1. Wherein the method comprises the following steps: it is determined whether there is interference with the time communication resource. In the presence of interference, the method further comprises: switching off the interference source causing said interference or adapting the use of time communication resources for wireless communication between the vehicle key and the vehicle. This solution requires modification of the hardware of the vehicle, which raises the cost in terms of production, while it does not further distinguish the signal characteristics and their sources considering the interfering signals.

Disclosure of Invention

This disclosure summarizes aspects of the embodiments and should not be used to limit the claims. Other embodiments are contemplated in accordance with the techniques described herein, as will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art upon study of the following figures and detailed description, and are intended to be included within the scope of the present application.

The inventor of the present application has recognized that there is a need for a signal monitoring system, corresponding vehicle and method for a vehicle key fob that does not require modification in hardware and that can take differentiated countermeasures based on the signal characteristics of the interfering signal and its source, thereby reducing production costs while also improving driver satisfaction.

According to the invention, there is provided a signal monitoring system for a vehicle key fob comprising a processor and a memory, the memory storing processor-executable instructions which, when executed by the processor, implement the steps of:

monitoring signals within a preset frequency range;

decoding the received signal within the preset frequency range;

determining a signal characteristic of the received signal;

in response to the received signal failing to be decoded, the vehicle computing system is notified to display an alert to the driver based on the signal characteristic.

According to an embodiment of the invention, the steps further comprise:

recording the effective action measures and the corresponding signal characteristics taken by the driver after receiving the alarm;

in response to detecting the corresponding signal feature again, the vehicle computing system is notified to present the effect countermeasure to the driver.

According to one embodiment of the invention, determining the signal characteristic of the received signal further comprises:

it is determined whether the location of the signal source is inside or outside the vehicle based on the signal characteristics.

According to one embodiment of the invention, notifying the vehicle computing system to display a warning to the driver based on the signal characteristic further comprises:

in response to the location of the signal source being inside the vehicle, the vehicle computing system is notified to display a prompt to the driver to move the signal source or the key fob.

in response to the location of the signal source being outside the vehicle, the vehicle computing system is notified to display to the driver a prompt that parking at the location may cause the vehicle to subsequently fail to start before the vehicle stops operating.

According to an embodiment of the invention, monitoring the signal in the predetermined frequency range further comprises:

signals with received signal strength indications greater than a threshold are monitored over a preset frequency range.

the vehicle computing system is notified to display a warning to the driver that the tire pressure monitoring system is disturbed.

According to the present invention, there is also provided a vehicle comprising a key fob and a vehicle computing system, the key fob comprising a processor and a memory, the memory storing processor-executable instructions that when executed by the processor implement the steps of:

monitoring signals within a preset frequency range;

decoding received signals within a predetermined frequency range

Determining a signal characteristic of the received signal;

According to an embodiment of the invention, the steps further comprise:

According to the invention, there is also provided a signal monitoring method comprising the steps of, by a vehicle key fob:

monitoring signals within a preset frequency range;

decoding received signals within a predetermined frequency range

Determining a signal characteristic of the received signal;

According to an embodiment of the present invention, further comprising:

Drawings

For a better understanding of the invention, reference may be made to the embodiments illustrated in the following drawings. The components in the figures are not necessarily to scale, and related elements may be omitted, or in some cases the scale may have been exaggerated, in order to emphasize and clearly illustrate the novel features described herein. In addition, the system components may be arranged differently as is known in the art. Moreover, in the drawings, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

FIG. 1 shows a block diagram of a key fob including a signal monitoring system applied to a vehicle key fob according to an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 illustrates a block diagram of a VCS of a vehicle in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 shows a block diagram of method steps performed by a signal monitoring system applied to a vehicle key fob according to one embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 4 shows a flow chart of method steps performed by a signal monitoring system applied to a vehicle key fob according to one embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 5 shows a flow chart of method steps performed by a signal monitoring system applied to a vehicle key fob according to one embodiment of the invention;

fig. 6 shows a flow chart of method steps performed by a signal monitoring system applied to a vehicle key fob according to an embodiment of the invention.

Detailed Description

Embodiments of the present disclosure are described below. However, it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely examples and that other embodiments may take various and alternative forms. The figures are not necessarily to scale; certain features may be exaggerated or minimized to show details of particular components. Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the present invention. As one of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate, various features illustrated and described with reference to any one of the figures may be combined with features illustrated in one or more other figures to produce embodiments that are not explicitly illustrated or described. The combination of features shown provides a representative embodiment for a typical application. However, various combinations and modifications of the features consistent with the teachings of the present disclosure may be desirable for certain specific applications or implementations.

As mentioned in the background above, in order to solve the high costs involved in the prior art of hardware modification required to cope with the jamming signal and to take differentiated countermeasures depending on the signal characteristics of the jamming signal and its source, the inventors of the present application in one or more embodiments provide a signal monitoring system, corresponding vehicle and method applied to a vehicle key fob, which are believed to solve one or more of the problems of the prior art.

One or more embodiments of the present application will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Where flow diagrams are intended to illustrate processes performed, it is to be understood that the illustrated processes need not be performed in the order in which one or more steps are omitted, one or more steps may be added, and one or more steps may be performed in the same or reverse order, or even simultaneously in some embodiments.

Referring to fig. 1-3, according to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a signal monitoring system 100 for a vehicle key fob including a processor 105 and a memory 110, the memory 110 storing processor-executable instructions that when executed by the processor 105 implement the steps shown in fig. 3 including: s305, monitoring signals in a preset frequency range; s310, decoding the received signal in the preset frequency range; s315 determines a signal characteristic of the received signal; s320, in response to the received signal failing to be decoded, notifies the vehicle computing system 20 to display an alert to the driver based on the signal characteristics.

FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate exemplary system hardware environments in which the present invention may be implemented. Fig. 1 shows a block diagram of a key fob 10 including a signal monitoring system 100 applied to a vehicle key fob according to an embodiment of the invention. The key fob 10 may be configured to allow control of various vehicle operations or functions to be achieved and commands entered therein to be transmitted to the vehicle. As shown, the key fob 10 includes a processor 105 and memory 110 for key fob operation. For example, when the key fob 10 is in operation, the processor 105 may be configured to execute software stored within the memory 110, to transfer data to and from the memory 110, and to generally control the operation of the key fob 10 in accordance with the software. In particular, the memory 110 may house software executed by the processor 105 to enable interaction between the key fob 10 and the vehicle. Under the concept of the present invention, a key fob may include a key fob device with or without a conventional key blade, a mobile device or wearable device configured to control vehicle functions, or any other device that may perform similar functions.

The processor 105 may be any custom made or commercially available processor including a semiconductor based microprocessor (in the form of a microchip or chip set), other types of microprocessors or any device for executing software instructions in general. The memory 110 includes any one or combination of volatile memory elements (e.g., Random Access Memory (RAM), such as Dynamic Random Access Memory (DRAM), Static Random Access Memory (SRAM), Synchronous Dynamic Random Access Memory (SDRAM), etc.)) and nonvolatile memory elements (e.g., Read Only Memory (ROM), hard drive, tape, compact disc read only memory (CD-ROM), etc.). Further, memory 110 may include electronic, magnetic, optical, and/or other types of storage media. Memory 110 may include a computer-readable medium configured to store software for implementing system 100 and/or the techniques described herein.

As shown in fig. 1, the key fob 10 includes a plurality of input devices 115, the plurality of input devices 115 being operable by a user to communicate operating commands to the vehicle for controlling various vehicle functions. The input device 115 may be any type of input device including, but not limited to, keys or buttons, sliders, switches, knobs, dials, and/or touch input devices. Further, each input device 115 may be configured to allow control of at least one vehicle function. In some embodiments, the input devices 115 may include a door lock input device for locking a door, a door unlock input device for unlocking one or more doors, an emergency input device (PAN) for activating a vehicle alarm system, and a remote start input device (RS) for remotely starting vehicle ignition, among others. In some embodiments, the input device 115 is a button that can be selectively pressed by a user to activate performance of a vehicle function associated therewith. In some cases, at least some vehicle functions are performed upon receiving a single user input (e.g., a single press) at the input device 115 for controlling some vehicle functions, while other vehicle functions are performed upon receiving a sequence of inputs or combinations of inputs (e.g., two presses) at one or more of the input devices 115.

In some embodiments of the invention, the fob 10 may communicate wirelessly with the vehicle, for example, when the fob 10 is within a predetermined distance (e.g., 200 meters) of the vehicle. In some cases, the fob 10 may be configured for passive communication with a vehicle. For example, the fob 10 may constantly transmit wireless signals and the vehicle may constantly look for the transmitted wireless signals so that the fob 10 may be automatically connected once the two are within a predetermined distance of the vehicle. In other cases, the fob 10 may be configured for active communication with a vehicle. For example, the vehicle may constantly search for wireless signals transmitted from the fob 10, but the fob 10 may only transmit wireless signals or be "visible" to the vehicle when the user selects or operates one of the input devices 115 on the fob 10. In this case, the key fob 10 and the vehicle are connected only in response to user manipulation of the key fob 10.

According to some embodiments, the fob 10 includes a wireless unit 120 to facilitate wireless communication with the vehicle. In some embodiments, the fob 10 is configured for only one-way communication with the vehicle. For example, the wireless unit 120 may be configured to transmit only user-entered commands to the vehicle. In other embodiments, the fob 10 is configured to communicate bi-directionally with the vehicle. For example, the wireless unit 120 may be configured to transmit command inputs to the vehicle and receive commands or other information from the vehicle.

The wireless unit 120 includes an antenna communicatively connected to one or more receivers, transmitters, and/or transceivers for receiving input signals from the vehicle and/or transmitting commands or other output signals to the vehicle. In an embodiment, the wireless unit 120 is configured to implement at least one type of short-range wireless communication technology, such as, for example, Radio Frequency (RF), bluetooth, infrared, and/or Near Field Communication (NFC) technologies. In some embodiments, the fob 10 communicates with the vehicle using RF technology. In other embodiments, the wireless unit 120 may also be configured to implement long-range or broadband wireless communication technologies such as, for example, wireless fidelity (WiFi), worldwide interoperability for microwave access (WiMax), other wireless ethernet, cellular, Global Positioning System (GPS), and/or satellite technologies.

In some embodiments, the key fob 10 may also include an output device 125, such as a display screen, indicator lights, buzzer, etc., to relay information or instructions to the user, for example, from the key fob itself or the vehicle, etc.

FIG. 2 illustrates a Vehicular Computing System (VCS)20 of a vehicle, such as but not limited to a system manufactured by Ford Motor company, according to an embodiment of the present invention. In some embodiments of the present invention, VCS20 may be configured to communicate with key fob 10 and receive, process, and execute command inputs received therefrom. VCS20 may include a processor 205, a storage device 210, and a vehicle data bus 240. According to some embodiments, VCS20 may further include various Electronic Control Units (ECUs) responsible for monitoring and controlling the electrical systems or subsystems of the vehicle. Each ECU may include, for example, one or more inputs and outputs for collecting, receiving, and/or transmitting data, a memory for storing the data, and a processor for processing the data and/or generating new information based thereon. In several embodiments of the present invention, the ECU of the VCS20 may include a remote control system (RKS)215, a Telematics Control Unit (TCU)220, a Body Control Module (BCM)225, a human-machine interface (HMI)230, and a Powertrain Control Module (PCM) 235.

The ECUs of VCS20 may be interconnected by a vehicle data bus 240 (e.g., a Controller Area Network (CAN) bus), where vehicle data bus 240 transmits data to and from the various ECUs and other vehicular and/or auxiliary components in communication with VCS 20. Further, the processor 205 may communicate with any of the ECUs and the storage device 210 via the data bus 240 to perform one or more functions.

A remote control system (RKS)215 is an ECU configured to control and monitor the remote interaction between the key fob 10 and the vehicle. The RKS 215 may include a remote entry system and, in some cases, a remote ignition system. In the latter case, RKS 215 may also be referred to as a "Passive Entry Passive Start (PEPS) system". In some embodiments, the RKS 215 is a separate stand-alone ECU interconnected to the BCM225, the PCM 235, the TCU 220, and other ECUs of the vehicle via the vehicle data bus 240 in order to perform RKS/PEPS operations. For example, RKS 215 may receive vehicle commands from key fob 10 via TCU 220, process the commands to identify the appropriate ECUs for executing the commands, send the commands to the identified ECUs, and confirm execution of the commands. In other embodiments, the RKS 215 may contain portions of various ECUs incorporated into the VCS20, such as the BCM225, the PCM 235, and/or the TCU 220, to process RKS/PEPS commands received at each ECU. In other embodiments, the RKS 215 may be included within an ECU, for example, the TCU 220, to operate or process the RKS/PEPS commands when they are received by the TCU 220.

A Body Control Module (BCM)225 is an ECU for controlling and monitoring various electronic accessories in the body of the vehicle. In some embodiments, the BCM225 may include an ECU that controls the doors of the vehicle for locking, unlocking, opening, and/or closing the doors. In some embodiments, the BCM225 also controls the power windows, power roofs (e.g., sunroofs, convertible tops, etc.), and interior lighting of the vehicle. The BCM225 may also control other electrically powered components in the body of the vehicle, such as, for example, air conditioning units, powered mirrors, and powered seats. As can be appreciated. The BCM225 may be configured to execute commands received from the key fob 10 related to the doors, windows, or other body components controlled by the BCM 225.

The Powertrain Control Module (PCM)235 is an ECU used to control and monitor the engine and transmission of the vehicle. In some embodiments, the PCM 235 may be divided into two separate ECUs, specifically an engine control unit and a transmission control unit. In either case, the PCM 235 may be configured to control the starting and stopping of the vehicle's engine, and may execute commands received from the key fob 10 to start the engine.

A Telematics Control Unit (TCU)220 is an ECU for allowing the vehicle to connect to various wireless networks including, for example, GPS, WiFi, cellular, bluetooth, NFC, Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), satellite, and/or infrared. In some embodiments, TCU 220 includes a wireless communication module containing one or more antennas, radios, modems, receivers, and/or transmitters for connecting to various wireless networks. For example, the wireless communication module may include a mobile communication unit for wireless communication over a cellular network (e.g., global system for mobile communications (GSM), General Packet Radio Service (GPRS), Long Term Evolution (LTE), third generation mobile communication technology (3G), fourth generation mobile communication technology (4G), Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), etc.), an 802.11 network (e.g., WiFi), a WiMax network, and/or a satellite network. The TCU 220 may also be configured to control the tracking of the vehicle using latitude and longitude values obtained from GPS satellites. In some embodiments, the wireless communication module includes a bluetooth or other short-range receiver for receiving vehicle commands and/or data transmitted by the fob 10 (and a bluetooth or other short-range transmitter for transmitting data to the fob 10).

In some embodiments, the TCU 220 receives external data, including command inputs from the key fob 10, via the wireless communication module and provides the external data to the appropriate ECU of the VCS 20. For example, if the TCU 220 receives a lock door command, the TCU 408 sends the command to the BCM225 via the vehicle data bus 240. Likewise, if the TCU 220 receives a start engine command, the TCU 220 sends the command to the PCM 235 via the vehicle data bus 240. In some embodiments, the TCU 408 also receives internal data from other ECUs of the VCS20 and/or the processor 205 that contains instructions to transmit the internal data to the vehicle or other components of the wireless system 100.

Human Machine Interface (HMI)230 (also referred to as a "user interface") may be an ECU for allowing a user to interact with the vehicle and for presenting vehicle information to a vehicle operator or driver. For example, the HMI 230 may contain a dashboard, a media display screen, and one or more input devices and/or output devices for inputting, typing, receiving, capturing, displaying, or outputting data associated with a vehicle computing system or the techniques disclosed herein. HMI 230 may be configured to interact with other ECUs of VCS20 and/or processor 205 via data bus 240 in order to provide information or input received via HMI 230 to the appropriate components of VCS20 and to present information or output received from various components of VCS20 to a vehicle operator or driver.

The inventive concept is further explained below in conjunction with fig. 4, which shows a flow chart of method steps performed by a signal monitoring system applied to a vehicle key fob according to an embodiment of the invention.

The process 400 begins at block 405 and the starting steps may occur at any time while the vehicle is traveling or parked. According to some embodiments of the invention, the beginning step may occur at the moment the key fob 10 is inside the vehicle.

The process 400 then proceeds to block 410 where the signal is monitored for a predetermined frequency range. For example, the key fob 10 monitors signals in a predetermined frequency range via the antenna of the wireless unit 120. In some embodiments, the signal of the preset frequency range may be a low frequency signal of 125 kHz. In the parked state, the vehicle may transmit a low frequency signal of 125kHz, for example, every 500ms, to scan for the proximity of the fob 10.

According to some embodiments of the invention, monitoring the signal within the predetermined frequency range comprises: signals having a Received Signal Strength Indication (RSSI) greater than a threshold value, such as but not limited to-53.9 dBm, are monitored over a preset frequency range. In practice, the wireless unit 120 of the key fob 10 will detect the highest received signal strength at a predetermined frequency, so that signals with an RSSI below the threshold or correction value will not actually interfere with the system and can be disregarded. This reduces the actual computational burden or the energy consumption burden of the system.

Following block 410, process 400 proceeds to decision block 415 where it is determined whether a signal within the predetermined frequency range has been received.

In the event that the determination at decision block 415 is negative, the process 400 returns to block 410 where monitoring for signals within the preset frequency range continues.

In the event the determination in decision block 415 is yes, flow 400 proceeds to block 420 where the received signal is decoded. The key fob 10 may decode the signal via, for example, a manchester encoding algorithm. In some embodiments, there is an authorization code for identity authentication in the low frequency signal sent by the VCS to the fob 10, and the fob 10 may obtain this authorization code by decoding the received signal to confirm a match.

Following block 420, flow 400 proceeds to decision block 425 where it is determined whether the received signal cannot be decoded by the intended receiving system. The target receiving system may be, for example, the receiving system of the key fob 10.

In the event that the determination in decision block 425 is negative, i.e., the signal can be decoded by the target receiving system, the process 400 proceeds to block 440 where an acknowledgement signal is returned to the vehicle. This indicates that there is currently no interference, the key fob 10 may feed back a reply signal to the vehicle VCS20, for example at 434 MHz. The process 400 then returns to block 410 where monitoring for signals within the predetermined frequency range continues.

In the event that the determination at decision block 425 is yes, i.e., the signal cannot be decoded by the intended receiving system, e.g., the received signal does not carry a specified authorization code, then process 400 proceeds to block 430 where the signal characteristics of the received signal are determined. By signal characteristics is meant characteristics of the signal itself (such as intensity, frequency, etc.) as well as characteristics of the signal source that can be reflected by the signal, such as location, distance, etc. of the signal source. In some embodiments, the location, distance of the signal source may be estimated, for example, by the antenna unit 120 of the key fob 10 from the RSSI of the received signal. In some embodiments, the key fob 10 may also send a request to the vehicular VCS20 to accurately estimate the location and distance of the signal source via devices in the vehicle, such as by triangulation via multiple vehicle antennas. This may confirm the possible location and characteristics of the interfering signal before alerting and taking any further action and help to subsequently propose further targeted action. Further, it should be understood that the step of determining the signal characteristics of the received signal may also occur before the step of confirming whether the received signal is not decodable by the intended receiving system, and the order described herein is not limiting.

Following block 430, the process 400 proceeds to block 435, where the VCS20 is notified to display an alert to the driver based on the signal characteristics. This may include displaying an alert based on the location and distance of the signal source as revealed by the signal characteristics. During this step, hardware devices connected to vehicular VCS20 may also be invoked to further pinpoint the location of the signal source. According to some embodiments, the act of displaying the alert may be implemented by the HMI 230 of the VCS20, such as through textual content displayed on a screen, or through voice played through a speaker, or the like. According to some embodiments, possible countermeasures options may be provided sequentially in the displayed alert for the driver to try in turn, e.g., disconnect certain potential sources of interference, move a key fob, etc. Providing the countermeasure options sequentially helps VCS20 to ascertain which countermeasures in particular have an actual effect. It is understood that in other embodiments, possible countermeasure options may also be provided in the alert at the same time.

According to some embodiments of the present invention, notifying the VCS20 to display a warning to the driver based on the signal characteristics further includes: the notification VCS20 displays to the driver an alert that a Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) may be subject to interference. In the concept of the present invention, the warning sent by the signal monitoring system 100 applied to the vehicle key fob includes informing the driver of interference to other components, such as the potential signal source and the TPMS sensor, in addition to informing the driver of possible interference between the potential signal source and the key fob 10. The frequency band of the tire pressure monitoring signal transmitted by the TPMS sensor to the vehicle, such as, but not limited to, around 125kHz, may be confirmed to potentially interfere with the TPMS sensor's monitoring signal, for example, based on signal characteristics of the signal emitted by the potential interference source. In the use of the vehicle, if the vehicle cannot receive the monitoring signal of the TPMS due to the interference of the potential signal source, certain danger may be caused to the running vehicle. Therefore, the signal monitoring system 100 applied to the vehicle key ring can also monitor the interference aiming at the monitoring signals sent by the TPMS sensors and provide an alarm correspondingly, which ensures the continuous acquisition of the TPMS monitoring signals by the vehicle, thereby further increasing the vehicle safety and the user satisfaction.

According to several further embodiments of the present invention, notifying the VCS20 to display a warning to the driver based on the signal characteristics further includes: the notification is sent to the vehicle computing system at a frequency different from the preset frequency range. In some embodiments, the preset frequency range may be a low frequency, e.g., 125kHz, and the frequency different from the preset frequency range may be a high frequency, e.g., 434 MHz. This may ensure as much as possible that the alerting action of the fob 10 to the vehicle VCS20 is not disturbed by the potential source of the signal.

The flow 400 may then proceed to block 445, where it ends. It should be noted that the end shown at block 445 does not represent a complete termination of the method, but merely represents the end of the present round of decision. In some embodiments, the process 400 returns to continue monitoring for signals within the predetermined frequency range.

Further, according to some embodiments of the invention, the steps implemented when the instructions are executed by the processor 105 further comprise: recording the effective action measures and the corresponding signal characteristics taken by the driver after receiving the alarm; in response to detecting the corresponding signal characteristic again, VCS20 is notified to present the effect countermeasure to the driver. This may provide a potentially optimal solution in a simple manner, reducing repeated attempts by the driver, and thus improving usage satisfaction.

This embodiment is described in detail below in conjunction with the step flow 500 shown in fig. 5. The process 500 begins at block 505, which may be, for example, after the VCS20 is notified to display an alert to the driver based on the signal characteristics of the received undecodable signal, such as after block 435 of the process 400.

From block 505, flow 500 proceeds to decision block 510 where it is determined whether the driver has taken effective countermeasures the last time the warning was received. By effective countermeasures are meant countermeasures that may eliminate or mitigate the problem of interfering signals, such as turning off or moving a certain vehicle device, moving a key fob, moving a vehicle, etc. Monitoring of the effective countermeasures may be accomplished, for example, through detection and feedback by VCS 20. For example, the vehicle VCS20 may detect via a connected sensor that the driver has disconnected the wireless charger after the last alarm was received (e.g., a disconnection is detected via a current sensor), or that the fob 10 has been taken off the wireless charger (e.g., detected via a camera performing image analysis techniques), while the fob 10 detects that the previously received signal has disappeared or dropped below a predetermined RSSI, the system 100 determines that the driver has taken action after the last alarm was received.

In the event the determination in decision block 510 is negative, flow 500 may proceed to block 530, where it ends.

In the event that the determination at decision block 510 is yes, process 500 may proceed to block 515 where the effect counter-measures and corresponding signal characteristics described above are recorded. This recorded action may be performed by key fob 10 and/or VCS20, for example in the form of a look-up table in memory 110 and/or 210 in which the countermeasures to be effected are associated with corresponding signal characteristics for later retrieval and retrieval.

Following block 515, flow 500 proceeds to decision block 520 where a determination is made as to whether the corresponding signal characteristics described above are again present in the subsequent monitored undecodable signal. This may be determined, for example, by the key fob 10 and/or the VCS20 retrieving from a look-up table stored in memory 110 and/or 210.

In the event the determination at decision block 520 is negative, flow 500 may proceed to block 530, where it ends.

In the event that the determination at decision block 520 is yes, process 500 may proceed to block 525 and notify VCS20 to present the retrieved determined effect counter-measures corresponding to the signal characteristic to the driver. For example, the determined take-effect counter-measure retrieved from the look-up table of memory 110 and/or 210 is presented to the user, which action may be implemented, for example, by the HMI 230 of the VCS20 through textual content displayed on a screen, or through voice played through a speaker, etc. According to some embodiments, the retrieved determined effective countermeasures may be presented first in the displayed alert and other possible countermeasures options may be provided in sequence thereafter for the driver to try in turn, e.g., disconnect certain potential sources of interference, move a key fob, etc. Likewise, providing the countermeasure options sequentially helps the VCS20 to ascertain which of the countermeasures actually has an effect at the time.

The flow 500 may then proceed to block 530, where it ends. It should be noted that the end shown at block 530 may not represent a complete termination of the method, but merely represents the end of the present round of decision. In some embodiments, the process 500 returns to block 520 to continue monitoring signals in the predetermined frequency range.

Further, according to some embodiments of the present invention, the determining the signal characteristic of the received signal in the aforementioned flow steps may include: it is determined whether the location of the signal source is inside or outside the vehicle based on the signal characteristics. Whether the location of the computing signal source is inside or outside the vehicle is estimated, for example, by whether the fob 10 is already in the vehicle and the distance of the signal source. According to some embodiments, a signal source may be considered to be inside a vehicle, for example, in the case where the key fob 10 is already inside a vehicle, such as by detecting a signal source within, for example, 50cm based on signal characteristics; and the key fob 10 is located in the vehicle and at a distance of 2 meters from the signal source, which is an example only and not a limitation, indicating that the signal source is outside the vehicle. Likewise, in some embodiments, key fob 10 may also invoke hardware devices of vehicle VCS20 to accurately estimate whether the signal source is inside or outside the vehicle, for example, by triangulating the distance of the signal source with multiple vehicle antennas. This also helps the vehicle to give different solutions for different situations, whether the signal source is inside or outside the vehicle, which improves the effectiveness of the method and the user satisfaction.

According to some further embodiments of the present invention, the informing the VCS20 of the foregoing process steps of displaying a warning to the driver based on the signal characteristic further includes: in response to the location of the signal source being inside the vehicle, VCS20 is notified to display a prompt to the driver to move the signal source or key fob. In some embodiments, VCS20 may predict signal source candidates based on the type of peripheral within the vehicle, such as evaluating possible signal transmission strengths of various devices (such as a tachograph, USB charger, wireless charging device, etc.) and determining their distance from fob 10 (e.g., by camera-implemented image analysis techniques), and provide the driver with a recommendation to temporarily disconnect the most likely candidate device to allow the vehicle to detect the fob 10, such as by the HMI 230 of VCS 20. This may avoid the embarrassment of having the VCS20 unable to detect a key fob and thus unable to start the vehicle where the vehicle needs to verify the key fob 10 to start the vehicle.

According to some still further embodiments of the present invention, the informing the VCS20 of the aforementioned process step of displaying the warning to the driver based on the signal characteristic further includes: in response to the location of the signal source being outside the vehicle, VCS20 is notified before the vehicle is shut down to display to the driver a prompt that parking at that location may cause the vehicle to subsequently fail to start. In the presence of an external source of interference, for example, a charging post, a short wave tower, etc., outside the vehicle, if the driver unknowingly parks the vehicle at that location and shuts down, there is a serious problem that the vehicle may not be started because the vehicle VCS20 cannot detect the key fob 10 when it subsequently wants to drive away. In contrast, informing the driver to stop at the position before the vehicle stops running may cause the vehicle to be unable to start subsequently, so that the driver can be given an opportunity to select other non-interference parking positions, thereby avoiding the problems related to subsequent starting and improving the satisfaction degree of the driver.

In some other embodiments, for a parking position where there is a disturbance, the vehicle's position may also be recorded by its global positioning system and a corresponding recommendation to change the parking position is given directly the next time the driver wants to park at that position. This further simplifies the process steps and improves convenience.

Several embodiments described above are described in detail below in conjunction with the step flow 600 shown in fig. 6. The process 600 begins at block 605, which may be, for example, after the key fob 10 detects an undecodable signal, such as after block 425 of the process 400.

From block 605, flow 600 proceeds to block 610 where signal characteristics of the received signal, such as location, distance, etc. of the signal source, are determined. As previously mentioned, in some embodiments, the location, distance of the signal source may be estimated, for example, by the antenna unit 120 of the key fob 10 from the RSSI of the received signal. In some embodiments, the key fob 10 may also send a request to the vehicular VCS20 to accurately estimate the location and distance of the signal source via the vehicular device, such as by triangulation via multiple vehicular antennas.

Following block 610, flow 600 proceeds to decision block 615, where it is determined whether the signal source is in the vehicle based on the signal characteristics. As previously described, it may be possible to estimate from the key fob 10 and/or VCS20 whether the signal source is inside or outside the vehicle by distance. According to some embodiments of the invention, this determination step may be performed only when the key fob 10 is inside a vehicle.

In the event the determination at decision block 615 is yes, process 600 may proceed to block 620 to notify VCS20 to display a prompt to the driver for a source of the mobile signal or a key fob therein; in the event that the determination at decision block 615 is negative, process 600 may proceed to block 625 to inform the driver, via VCS20, that parking at the location may result in subsequent failure of the vehicle to start.

After

blocks

620 and 625, flow 600 may proceed to block 630 and end there.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is also provided a vehicle comprising the signal monitoring system 100 described above as applied to a vehicle key fob. It should be understood that all the embodiments, features and advantages set forth above with respect to the system 100 according to the invention apply equally to the vehicle according to the invention, without conflict therewith. That is, all of the embodiments of the signal monitoring system 100 applied to a vehicle key fob and variations thereof described above may be directly transferred to and applied to a vehicle according to the present invention and directly incorporated therein. For the sake of brevity of the present disclosure, no repeated explanation is provided herein.

According to yet another aspect of the present invention, there is also provided a signal monitoring method 300, as shown in fig. 3, comprising the steps of: s305, monitoring signals in a preset frequency range; s310, decoding the received signal in the preset frequency range; s315 determines a signal characteristic of the received signal; s320, in response to the received signal failing to be decoded, notifies VCS20 to display a warning to the driver based on the signal characteristics. Likewise, all embodiments, features and advantages explained above for the signal monitoring system 100 according to the invention applied to a vehicle key fob and a vehicle apply equally to the method according to the invention and are not described in detail here.

In summary, compared with the prior art, the invention provides a signal monitoring system applied to a vehicle key ring, a corresponding vehicle and a method, and compared with the prior art, the scheme of the invention does not need to be modified in terms of hardware, and different countermeasures can be taken according to the signal characteristics and the source of the interference signal, so that the production cost is reduced, and the use satisfaction of a driver is improved.

The features mentioned above in relation to different embodiments may be combined with each other to form further embodiments within the scope of the invention, where technically feasible.

In this application, the use of the conjunction of the contrary intention is intended to include the conjunction. The use of definite or indefinite articles is not intended to indicate cardinality. In particular, references to "the" object or "an" and "an" object are intended to mean one of many such objects possible. Furthermore, the conjunction "or" may be used to convey simultaneous features, rather than mutually exclusive schemes. In other words, the conjunction "or" should be understood to include "and/or". The term "comprising" is inclusive and has the same scope as "comprising".

The above-described embodiments are possible examples of the embodiments of the present invention and are given only for clear understanding of the principles of the present invention by those skilled in the art. Those skilled in the art will understand that: the above discussion of any embodiment is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to intimate that the scope of the disclosure, including the claims, of embodiments of the invention is limited to those examples; features from the above embodiments or from different embodiments can also be combined with each other under the general idea of the invention and produce many other variations of the different aspects of the embodiments of the invention as described above, which are not provided in the detailed description for the sake of brevity. Therefore, any omissions, modifications, substitutions, improvements and the like that may be made without departing from the spirit and principles of the embodiments of the invention are intended to be included within the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A signal monitoring system for use with a vehicle key fob comprising a processor and a memory, the memory storing processor-executable instructions that when executed by the processor implement the steps of:

monitoring signals within a preset frequency range;

decoding the received signal in the preset frequency range;

determining a signal characteristic of the received signal;

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the steps further comprise:

in response to detecting the corresponding signal feature again, notifying a vehicle computing system to present the effect countermeasure to the driver.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the determining a signal characteristic of the received signal further comprises:

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the notification vehicle computing system displaying a warning to a driver based on the signal feature further comprises:

in response to the location of the signal source being inside a vehicle, notifying a vehicle computing system to display a prompt to a driver to move the signal source or the fob.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein the notification vehicle computing system displaying a warning to a driver based on the signal feature further comprises:

in response to the location of the signal source being outside the vehicle, the vehicle computing system is notified to display to the driver a prompt that parking at the location may result in subsequent failure of the vehicle to start before the vehicle stops operating.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the monitoring signals within a preset frequency range further comprises:

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the notification vehicle computing system displaying a warning to a driver based on the signal feature further comprises:

8. A vehicle comprising a key fob and a vehicle computing system, the key fob including a processor and a memory, the memory storing processor-executable instructions that when executed by the processor implement the steps of:

monitoring signals within a preset frequency range;

decoding the received signal in the preset frequency range;

determining a signal characteristic of the received signal;

in response to the received signal failing to be decoded, notifying the vehicle computing system to display an alert to the driver based on the signal characteristic.

9. The vehicle of claim 8, wherein the steps further comprise:

10. The vehicle of claim 8, wherein the determining the signal characteristic of the received signal further comprises:

11. The vehicle of claim 10, wherein the notifying the vehicle computing system to display a warning to the driver based on the signal feature further comprises:

in response to the location of the signal source being inside a vehicle, notifying the vehicle computing system to display a prompt to a driver to move the signal source or the fob.

12. The vehicle of claim 10, wherein the notifying the vehicle computing system to display a warning to the driver based on the signal feature further comprises:

13. The vehicle of claim 8, wherein the monitoring signals within a preset frequency range further comprises:

14. The vehicle of claim 8, wherein the notifying the vehicle computing system to display a warning to the driver based on the signal feature further comprises:

15. A method of signal monitoring comprising performing the following steps by a vehicle key fob:

monitoring signals within a preset frequency range;

decoding the received signal in the preset frequency range;

determining a signal characteristic of the received signal;

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

in response to detecting the corresponding signal feature again, notifying the vehicle computing system to present the effect countermeasure to the driver.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the determining a signal characteristic of the received signal further comprises:

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the notifying a vehicle computing system that displays a warning to a driver based on the signal feature further comprises:

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the notifying a vehicle computing system that displays a warning to a driver based on the signal feature further comprises:

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the notifying a vehicle computing system that displays a warning to a driver based on the signal feature further comprises: