KR20160013334A - Smartkey system and method for integrated managing vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a smart key system and a vehicle integrated management method using the smart key system,
The smart key system communicates with an ECU embedded in a vehicle in a short-range or long-distance wireless communication system to collect and store vehicle status information, or to control the ECU in accordance with vehicle control information, Smart keys; And an NFC communication method to communicate with the smart key to read and display the vehicle status information stored in the smart key or to generate the vehicle control information according to a user control value obtained through a menu displayed on the screen, And a user terminal for providing the service.

Description

Technical Field [0001] The present invention relates to a smart key system,

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a smart key system for monitoring vehicle status information or performing a vehicle control operation using a smart key that can communicate with an electronic control unit (ECU).

A smart key system is a system in which a smart key having unique identification information is installed in a vehicle so that a user having a smart key can open or close the vehicle door or start the engine without inserting or manipulating a separate key. When the smart key electronic control device reads the unique identification information received and succeeds in user authentication, the smart key electronic control device can perform door opening / closing or engine control commands of the vehicle.

However, since the smart key applied to the conventional smart key system includes only a predetermined number of buttons, there is a limit to the level of the vehicle state information and the degree of vehicle control that can be provided through the smart key (Korean Patent Laid- -2010-0101849).

That is, although the smart key capable of communicating with the ECU can easily acquire various vehicle status information through communication with the ECU, the conventional smart key is a device focused on downsizing to be portable by a user, The vehicle state information to be provided from the ECU can not be displayed sufficiently and in detail.

In addition, since the number of buttons included in the smart key is limited, the types of vehicle control information that can be generated through the smart key are limited to a predetermined number.

Accordingly, the present invention proposes a smart key that can communicate with a user terminal using NFC communication technology, monitors vehicle status information using resources of a user terminal and generates vehicle control information, And a method of managing the integrated vehicle using the smart key system.

The objects of the present invention are not limited to the above-mentioned objects, and other objects not mentioned can be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the following description.

As a means for solving the above problems, according to one embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a communication system for communicating with an ECU embedded in a vehicle in a short-distance or long-distance wireless communication system to collect and store vehicle status information, A smart key for wirelessly controlling the ECU according to vehicle control information transmitted from the vehicle; And an NFC communication method to communicate with the smart key to read and display the vehicle status information stored in the smart key or to generate the vehicle control information according to a user control value obtained through a menu displayed on the screen, And a user terminal providing the smart key system.

Wherein the smart key comprises: a communication unit for transmitting and receiving data through at least one of a short-distance wireless communication method, a long-distance wireless communication method, and an NFC communication method; And transmits data for smart key recognition to and from the ECU in a short distance wireless communication system when the ECU is within a first distance, and transmits data for vehicle condition monitoring or vehicle control in a long distance wireless communication system when the ECU is within a second distance A smart key controller for transmitting and receiving data for vehicle condition monitoring or vehicle control with the user terminal in an NFC communication mode when the user terminal is within a third distance; And a battery for supplying operation power of the smart key.

The smart key may further include a wireless charging module for receiving wireless power, AC-DC converting the received wireless power, and providing the wireless power to the battery.

Wherein the user terminal comprises: a communication unit for recognizing the smart key and supporting NFC communication with the smart key; A vehicle application for visualizing the vehicle state information provided from the smart key to display the vehicle state information, or generating vehicle control information corresponding to a user request and providing the generated vehicle control information to the smart key; And a controller for downloading and installing the vehicle application according to a user's request, and automatically executing the vehicle application when the smart key is recognized through the communication unit.

The vehicle state information includes at least one of a password, a vehicle parking position, a travelable distance according to a fuel amount, a date of updating vehicle information stored in a smart key, a gear position, a door open / close state, a trunk open / close state, a parking brake state, Trip computer B average speed, trip computer A average speed, trip computer A vehicle driving time, trip computer B driving time, trip computer B average driving speed, trip computer A average driving speed, Trip computer A driving time, trip computer B driving time, At least one of trip computer A average fuel consumption, trip computer B average fuel consumption, vehicle fuel consumption standard value, vehicle model name, warning sound presence / absence information, date lists maintained by A / S center, vehicle option value, . ≪ / RTI >

The vehicle control information includes a status of whether or not the option value is applied, a vehicle engine starting time, a welcome light upon turning on the vehicle, a vehicle automatic locking function after stopping the vehicle, a double unlocking function, If the door is open, the door is opened, the door is closed, the door is closed, the door is open, and the door is closed. , Warning beep off, engine start, engine off, vehicle information read, vehicle information write.

As a means for solving the above-mentioned problem, according to another embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a method for controlling a vehicle, comprising the steps of: acquiring and storing vehicle state information collected in the ECU by communicating with an ECU embedded in the vehicle in a smart key in a long- If the smart key is in contact or adjacency, automatically causing the user terminal to perform the vehicle application; Reading the vehicle status information stored in the smart key by the vehicle application in an NFC communication manner, generating vehicle control information according to a user input value, and providing the vehicle control information to the smart key; And transmitting the vehicle control information provided by the vehicle application to the ECU by the smart key in a long distance wireless communication manner.

In the present invention, the information synchronization operation can be performed using the NFC communication technology between the smart key and the user terminal, so that the user can indirectly monitor and control the operation state of the ECU through the user terminal carried by the user.

In this case, the user terminal can perform monitoring and control operations through a resource such as a touch screen and a keypad provided in the user terminal, so that the type of the monitorable information and the type of the control object can be dramatically increased.

Also, the monitoring and control operation results are provided in the form of images and texts, thereby enabling the user to perform monitoring and control operations more conveniently and accurately.

1 is an overall configuration diagram of a smart key system according to an embodiment of the present invention.
2 is a detailed block diagram of a smart key according to an embodiment of the present invention.
3 is a detailed configuration diagram of a user terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention.
4A to 4D are diagrams for explaining an NFC communication protocol used for data communication between a smart key and a user terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention.
5A to 5H are views for explaining a screen configuration method of an application according to an embodiment of the present invention.
6 is a view for explaining a vehicle integrated management method according to an embodiment of the present invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be more apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: FIG. In the following description of the present invention, a detailed description of known functions and configurations incorporated herein will be omitted when it may make the subject matter of the present invention rather unclear.

The following terms are defined in consideration of the functions of the present invention, and these may be changed according to the intention of the user, the operator, or the like.

The present invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. These embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains. Only. Therefore, the definition should be based on the contents throughout this specification.

1 is an overall configuration diagram of a smart key system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 1, the smart key system of the present invention communicates with an ECU (Electronic Control Unit) 100 embedded in a vehicle in a short-distance or long-distance wireless communication system to collect and store various vehicle status information, A smart key 200 for wirelessly controlling the ECU 100 according to a result of a button operation of the smart key 200 or vehicle control information transmitted from the outside, And a user terminal 300 that generates and transmits vehicle control information to the smart key 200 according to various control values input by the user.

The user terminal 300 at this time has a communication function such as a smart phone, a tablet PC, a notebook, and a smart watch, and can access all kinds of communication devices Be implemented.

That is, in the present invention, a vehicle application interlinked with the smart key 200 is downloaded and installed in the user terminal 300, and the smart key 200 relays data communication between the vehicle application and the ECU 100, Vehicle applications can be used to indirectly monitor or remotely control various vehicle conditions.

For this purpose, it is desirable that the smart key 200 actively change the data communication mode according to the distance between the communication object and the communication object as follows. This is to enable the smart key system to perform the optimum data communication operation while utilizing the existing device as it is.

For example, when the distance between the smart key 200 and the user terminal 300 is about 10 mm or less, the smart key 200 performs an information synchronization operation with the user terminal 300 through the NFC communication method, To receive the vehicle control information provided from the vehicle control unit 300. At this time, the communication frequency is 13.56 MHz.

When the distance between the smart key 200 and the ECU 100 is about 1.5 m or less, the smart key 200 transmits and receives data for smart key recognition through a short distance communication method such as an LF (Low Frequency) communication method. At this time, the communication frequency is 125 KHz.

When the distance between the smart key 200 and the ECU 100 is within about 100 m, the smart key 200 transmits and receives data for vehicle status confirmation and vehicle control through a long distance communication method such as an RF (Radio Frequency) . At this time, the communication frequency is 433.92 MHz or 900 MHz, and the communicable distance is 100 m or more.

In addition, according to the present invention, the battery of the smart key 200 can be implemented as a smart phone battery or as a rechargeable battery in a wireless manner, thereby eliminating the inconvenience of battery replacement.

2 is a detailed block diagram of a smart key according to an embodiment of the present invention.

2, the smart key 200 of the present invention includes a communication unit 210, a smart key control unit 220, a button unit 230, a battery 240, and a battery charging unit 250 .

The communication unit 210 includes an LF communication module 211 for supporting data communication with a nearby ECU 100, an RF communication module 212 for supporting data communication with the ECU 100 located at a long distance, And an NFC communication module 213 for supporting data communication with the user terminal 300 in contact with or adjacent to the user terminal 200.

For reference, NFC communication technology is an advanced technology based on RFID technology, a contact smart technology using frequency band of 13.56MHz, which supports data transmission up to 424kbit / s. The NFC communication module 213 included in the smart key 200 of the present invention may include a P2P (point to point), a reader, and a card mode capable of 1: 1 communication between devices, Or card mode.

The smart key control unit 220 performs data communication between the ECU 100 and the user terminal 300 while changing the communication mode according to the distance between the ECU 100 and the user terminal 300. [ That is, when the ECU 100 is located in a short distance, the smart key ID is provided in the LF communication mode so that the ECU 100 recognizes the smart key located around the smart key, and drives the LED of the door handle according to the smart key recognition result And to perform user-friendly operation such as performing On the other hand, when the ECU 100 is located within a range capable of communicating over a long distance, the ECU 100 communicates with the ECU 100 via the RF communication method to acquire vehicle status information (e.g., vehicle management information, driving information, The ECU 100 is controlled in accordance with the vehicle control information generated by operating the button unit 230 or the vehicle control information provided to the user terminal 300, And the like. When the user terminal 300 is located within the NFC communication range, the smart key 200 transmits the vehicle status information read from the ECU 100 to the user terminal 300 or transmitted from the user terminal 300 And transmits the vehicle control information to the ECU 100 again.

The button unit 230 includes a plurality of buttons for vehicle control such as "door open "," door closed ", "alert sound ON "," open trunk ", and the like, 220).

The battery charging unit 250 includes an adapter type wired charging module 251 and a wireless charging module 252. The battery charging unit 250 charges the battery 240 through one of the wired charging module 251 and the wireless charging module 252, Generate and supply power.

The wireless charging module 252 of the present invention converts a received AC power into a DC power and supplies the converted AC power to the battery 240 by receiving a radio wave to receive radio power transmitted in a frequency range of 100 KHz to 200 KHz on the transmission side The receiving antenna may further include a coil that serves as a receiver in power transmission, a coil that coils a radio transmission frequency received by the coil to improve efficiency, (SHEET). Of course, this is only one example of the wireless charging module 252, and the embodiment may be variously changed within a range in which the battery can be charged in a wireless manner.

3 is a detailed configuration diagram of a user terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention.

3, the user terminal 300 of the present invention may include a communication unit 310, a control unit 320, a vehicle application 330, and a user interface 340. Of course, the user terminal 300 may additionally include a video call function, an internet surfing function, a camera shooting function, etc., but a description thereof will be omitted, and only the functions related to the smart key will be mainly described.

The communication unit 310 includes an NFC communication module 312 for supporting data communication with the smart key 200 in contact with or adjacent to the user terminal 300 in addition to a mobile communication module 311 capable of accessing a mobile communication network or a data communication network, Respectively. However, the NFC communication module 312 at this time can be operated in the P2P or reader mode.

The control unit 320 includes an operating system of the user terminal, thereby controlling the operation of the user terminal as a whole. Particularly, if the smart key 200 is recognized through the NFC communication module 312 after accessing the application server according to a user request to download and install the vehicle application, the vehicle application is automatically executed to allow the user to use the vehicle application .

The vehicle application 330 has a vehicle management menu, a driving information menu, a parking position menu, a vehicle information menu, a consumable management menu, a maintenance history confirmation menu, and a vehicle control menu, Vehicle control information corresponding to the user's request is generated and provided to the smart key 200 so that the vehicle ECU 100 is displayed on the smart key 200 through the smart key 200. [ And performs an operation such as indirect control.

The user interface 340 is provided with a touch screen, a monitor, and a keypad for supporting data input / output operations so that the user can be notified of the operation status of the user terminal 300 or can acquire various control values inputted by the user .

4A to 4D are diagrams for explaining an NFC communication protocol used for data communication between a smart key and a user terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIGS. 4A to 4D, the NFC communication protocol includes a protocol (Read Car Status) for acquiring information on a vehicle status using a smart key with an NFC communication module installed therein, a smart (Write Command) for controlling the state of the vehicle using a key, a protocol for controlling the vehicle (door open / close, trunk open / close, warning sound generation / release, vehicle update, engine on / off) Setting, and a protocol (Read Command Status Protocol) for checking whether the control protocol is normally transmitted to the vehicle.

More specifically, through the protocol "Read Car Status "," password, ", " Park Location ", " DriveToEmpty " DataLampState, TirePressure, TirePressure, GearPosition, DoorState, TrunkState, ParkingBrake, RoomLampState, TirePressure, Trip Computer A Tripmeter B Trip Computer B Tripped Computer A Average Speed Average A Trip Computer B Average Speed Average Trip A Trip Vehicle Traveling (DrivingTime_A), trip computer B driving time (DrivingTime_B), trip computer A average fuel economy (AverageFuelCon_A), trip computer B average fuel economy (AverageFuelCon_B) (ServiceList1, 2), a vehicle option value (Option Value), a setting value that can be set at engine start-up Vehicle control value (RKE-Cranking Info.) &Quot;, and the like.

Option Writing Status, RKE-Cranking Option, WelcomeLight Option when the vehicle is approaching, and Vehicle Auto-Stop after stopping the vehicle, through the protocol "Write Car Setting" If you find an effective smart key inside the vehicle in the ARM state, you can use the Smart Key invalidation function (Deactivation Option), Battery Saving Option (Battery Saving Option), Vehicle Can transmit vehicle control information such as Temperature, Sun Roof, Window State, Heating Seat, Defogger, Password, and so on. have.

By using the protocol "Write Command Setting", the door open command (LOCK), the door lock command (UNLOCK), the trunk open command (TRUNK), the alarm sound ON (PANIC START), the beep sound OFF (PANIC STOP 1, 2) (Vehicle control command) such as ENGINE START, ENGINE STOP, CAR INFO READ, CAR INFO WRITE, and the like.

It is possible to provide a button information transmission result (i.e., a vehicle control command transmission result) such as a button operation completion confirmation (SUCCESS) and a button operation completion failure (FAIL) through the protocol "Read Command Status Protocol ".

5 to 5H are diagrams for explaining a screen configuration method of an application according to an embodiment of the present invention.

5A is an application start screen. This is the first screen provided when the user terminal 300 automatically executes the vehicle application 330 by recognizing the smart key 200 contacting and adjoining the user terminal 300.

The application start screen may constitute a button in the same manner as the actual smart key 200, and the user can perform a vehicle control operation or a vehicle condition monitoring operation through these buttons. That is, by clicking the door open button LOCK, the vehicle door is indirectly opened, the vehicle control menu including the door lock button UNLOCK, the trunk menu TRUNK, and the alarm sound button PANIC, A vehicle monitoring menu (i) for accessing the screen, and the like.

When the user requests the door opening or locking operation, the trunk opening operation, or the warning sound through the button provided in the vehicle control menu, the vehicle application generates the vehicle control information reflecting the button selection result And transmits it to the smart key 200 through the NFC protocol "Write Command Setting ".

Then, the smart key 200 converts the vehicle control information received by the NFC communication method back to the RF communication method and transmits the same to the ECU 100 so that the ECU 100 can receive the vehicle control information according to the vehicle control information provided by the vehicle application 330 Change the status of the door, trunk, or beep of the vehicle.

5B is a vehicle monitoring screen linked to the vehicle monitoring menu (i), which includes a vehicle management menu, a travel information menu, a parking position menu, a vehicle information menu, a consumables management menu, a maintenance history confirmation menu, And the like.

Each of the vehicle management menu, the driving information menu, the parking position menu, the vehicle information menu, the consumable item management menu, the maintenance history confirmation menu, and the vehicle control menu again forms a link relationship with the screen shown in FIGS. 5C to 5F, , The driving information menu, the parking position menu, the vehicle information menu, the consumable item management menu, the maintenance history confirmation menu, and the vehicle control menu, so that more detailed information on the vehicle condition can be provided.

That is, the information of the vehicle state, the tire state, and the cluster state is displayed on the screens of FIG. 5C linked to the vehicle management menu, the distance traveled by the remaining fuel on the vehicle through the travel information menu, Information (image or text form) about the vehicle parking position is displayed on the screens of FIG. 5D linked to the parking position menu, the vehicle model, the total mileage, the average fuel consumption 5f linked to the consumable item management menu, information on the state of the vehicle consumables such as the engine oil and the filter, the air cleaner filter, and the filter for the air conditioner is displayed on the screen of FIG. 5f linked to the maintenance history confirmation menu, Through the screen, you can check the information about the summary. For reference, the information necessary for the screen configuration of FIGS. 5C to 5G may be extracted from the vehicle status information provided by the smart key in contact with or adjacent to the user terminal 300 via the protocol "Read Car Status ".

5h linked to the vehicle control menu allows the vehicle options such as remote start, vehicle temperature, sunroof, seat heating, etc. to be adjusted or a password can be registered / reset. The information obtained through the screen of FIG. 5H may be provided to the smart key 200 by the user terminal 300 through the protocol "Write Command Setting. &Quot;

6 is a view for explaining a vehicle integrated management method according to an embodiment of the present invention. Hereinafter, for convenience of explanation, it is assumed that the smart key 200 has already provided and stored vehicle status information from the ECU 100. [

When the smart key 200 contacts or is adjacent to the user terminal 300, the user terminal 300 automatically executes the vehicle application 330 and the automatically executed vehicle application 330 performs NFC communication The vehicle state information stored in the smart key 200 is read and a vehicle control menu and a vehicle monitoring menu are constructed and displayed on the screen (S3).

When the user selects the vehicle monitoring menu and requests the vehicle condition monitoring (S4), the vehicle application 330 displays the vehicle condition information read from the smart key 200 as a menu (i.e., , A driving information menu, a parking position menu, a vehicle information menu, a consumable item management menu, and a maintenance history confirmation menu) so that the user can visually confirm the displayed information (S5).

On the other hand, if the user selects the vehicle monitoring menu to request vehicle control (S6), vehicle control information including the user control value input through the vehicle monitoring menu is generated (S7) (S8).

Then, the smart key 200 converts the vehicle control information provided by the NFC communication method into a data format that can be recognized by the in-vehicle ECU 100, and then transmits the data to the ECU 100 through the RF communication method (S9) .

After a predetermined time has elapsed, the smart key 200 receives the vehicle status information again from the ECU 100, compares the vehicle status information with the vehicle control information provided by the smart key 200, and confirms whether the vehicle control operation is successful. And also notifies the user terminal 300 of the success or failure. Then, the user terminal 300 additionally provides the vehicle control information to the smart key 200 only when the vehicle control operation fails, so that the success rate of the vehicle control operation can be increased (S10).

Such vehicle monitoring operation and vehicle control operations S4 to S10 will be repeated until the end of application execution is requested by the user.

It is also to be understood that the terms such as " comprises, "" comprising," or "having ", as used herein, mean that a component can be implanted unless specifically stated to the contrary. But should be construed as including other elements. All terms, including technical and scientific terms, have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs, unless otherwise defined. Commonly used terms, such as predefined terms, should be interpreted to be consistent with the contextual meanings of the related art, and are not to be construed as ideal or overly formal, unless expressly defined to the contrary.

The foregoing description is merely illustrative of the technical idea of the present invention, and various changes and modifications may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the essential characteristics of the present invention. Therefore, the embodiments disclosed in the present invention are intended to illustrate rather than limit the scope of the present invention, and the scope of the technical idea of the present invention is not limited by these embodiments. The scope of protection of the present invention should be construed according to the following claims, and all technical ideas within the scope of equivalents should be construed as falling within the scope of the present invention.

Claims (7)

A smart key for communicating with an ECU installed in a vehicle in a short-distance or long-distance wireless communication system to collect and store vehicle status information, or wirelessly control the ECU in accordance with a result of a button operation of a user or vehicle control information transmitted from outside; And
Communication with the smart key by the NFC communication method to read and display the vehicle status information stored in the smart key or generate the vehicle control information according to a user control value obtained through a menu displayed on the screen, The smart key system comprising: The method of claim 1, wherein the smart key
A communication unit for transmitting and receiving data through at least one of a short-distance wireless communication scheme, a long-distance wireless communication scheme, and an NFC communication scheme;
And transmits data for smart key recognition to and from the ECU in a short distance wireless communication system when the ECU is within a first distance, and transmits data for vehicle condition monitoring or vehicle control in a long distance wireless communication system when the ECU is within a second distance A smart key controller for transmitting and receiving data for vehicle condition monitoring or vehicle control with the user terminal in an NFC communication mode when the user terminal is within a third distance; And
And a battery for supplying operation power of the smart key. 3. The method of claim 2, wherein the smart key
Further comprising a wireless charging module for receiving wireless power and AC-DC converting the received wireless power to provide the battery with the AC power. The method of claim 1, wherein the user terminal
A communication unit for recognizing the smart key and supporting NFC communication with the smart key;
A vehicle application for visualizing the vehicle state information provided from the smart key to display the vehicle state information, or generating vehicle control information corresponding to a user request and providing the generated vehicle control information to the smart key; And
And a controller for downloading and installing the vehicle application according to a user's request and automatically executing the vehicle application when the smart key is recognized through the communication unit. 2. The method according to claim 1,
The date of the vehicle information stored in the smart key, the gear position, the door opening / closing state, the trunk opening / closing state, the parking brake state, the vehicle room lamp state, the tire air pressure abnormality check, Trip Computer A Resettable Trip Distance Trip Computer B Reset Trip Distance Trip Computer A Average Speed Trip Computer A Average Speed Trip Computer A Vehicle Travel Time Trip Computer B Vehicle Travel Time Trip Computer A Average Fuel Economy , A trip computer B average fuel consumption, a vehicle fuel consumption reference value, a vehicle model name, a warning sound presence / absence notification, a list of date stored in the A / S center, a vehicle option value, Smart key system. The method according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle control information
Option value applied status, vehicle engine starting, welcome light on vehicle approach, auto lock function after vehicle stop, double unlock function, invalid smart key in case of finding an effective smart key inside the vehicle in ARM state Function, battery saving setting function, vehicle temperature, sunroof state control, window state control, seat heating line state control, deformation state control, password, door open command, door lock command, trunk open command, Wherein the smart key system includes at least one of a start, an engine stop, a vehicle information read, and a vehicle information write. The smart key communicating with an ECU embedded in the vehicle in a long distance wireless communication manner to acquire and store the vehicle status information collected in the ECU;
If the smart key is in contact or adjacency, automatically causing the user terminal to perform the vehicle application;
Reading the vehicle status information stored in the smart key by the vehicle application in an NFC communication manner, generating vehicle control information according to a user input value, and providing the vehicle control information to the smart key; And
And the smart key transmitting vehicle control information provided by the vehicle application to the ECU in a long distance wireless communication manner.

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