SE542474C2

SE542474C2 - Apparatus, system and method for controlling ignition of a vehicle

Info

Publication number: SE542474C2
Application number: SE1750837A
Authority: SE
Inventors: Martin Wennerblom
Original assignee: Stoneridge Electronics Ab
Priority date: 2017-06-28
Filing date: 2017-06-28
Publication date: 2020-05-19
Also published as: CN111033578A; EP3646296A1; WO2019004914A1; BR112019027740A2; SE1750837A1

Abstract

An ignition control apparatus (10) for controlling ignition of a vehicle (270) equipped with a vehicle unit (1) comprising a display (3) and at least one port (5, 5') adapted to receive a user data device (7, 7'), wherein the ignition control apparatus (10) is adapted to be connected to the vehicle unit (1) and to an ignition circuit (20) of the vehicle (270), wherein the ignition control apparatus (10) comprises means (11) for activating and deactivating the ignition circuit (20), depending on insertion of a user data device (7, 7') into the port (5, 5') and/or reception of an override signal (0). Further, a corresponding method, system and use thereof to control ignition of a vehicle (270) is disclosed.

Description

APPARATUS, SYSTEM, AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING IGNITION OF A VEHICLE Technical field

[0001] The present invention relates generally to an apparatus and method for con-trolling ignition of a vehicle, and more specifically a vehicle equipped with a vehicle unit such as a digital tachograph.

Background art[0002] Today, transportation by vehicle requires measurement of parameters andinformation relating to the driver activities. This is not exclusively done to satisfy reg-ulations regarding road transportation, but also for ﬂeet management to measure andincrease performance and efficiency, as well as for the purpose of electronic road toll-ing, monitoring vehicle or engine performance parameters, monitoring data relevantfor special transports e.g. dangerous goods, livestock or refrigerated food etc. There-fore, most vehicles, such as lorry trucks, carry a vehicle unit to measure, store andpossible also report the collected data. ln this document, the term ”vehicle unit" shallmean a digital unit capable of gathering information relating to the vehicle. Examplesof such information may be a geographical location, driving hours, distance travelled,start time, finish time, rest time, driver name, starting location and finishing location,exhaust measurements, fuel consumption, temperature data from vehicle or cargosensors, opening and closing of cargo doors or operation of other vehicle systems, e.g. cranes and lifts etc. One example of a vehicle unit is a digital tachograph, capable of recording and digitally compiling and storing the vehicle data.

[0003] The vehicle unit is normally located in the cabin of the vehicle, where the ve- hicle unit is arranged in the instrument board, so that the vehicle operator may oper-ate the vehicle unit in adjacency to start or stop of a journey. ln order to calculate andestimate the speed and the travel distance, or other parameters for instance as listed above, of the vehicle, the vehicle unit is in connectivity to one or more sensors, wherethe sensors are capable of measuring for instance the motion ofthe wheels or other pafametefS.

[0004] Legislation stipulates that the vehicle operator, i.e. the driver, owns a drivercard which must be inserted into the vehicle unit in order to record his/ her activitiesduring operation of the vehicle. Heavy fines are imposed on violations against thislegislation to ensure that the vehicle operator does not operate the vehicle withoutinserting the driver card into the vehicle unit. Still, there is a high number of infrac- tions which result in considerable negative economic consequences for ﬂeet owners.

[0005] Several technical solutions have been proposed to counteract driving withouta driver card inserted into the vehicle unit. For instance, EP 0 785 533 discloses amethod for monitoring driving time wherein in case of rest time falling below thestipulated period, it is impossible to start the vehicle. This necessitates insertion of the driver card into the vehicle unit to calculate the actual rest time.

[0006] US 2007/0168125 discloses a method and system which, provides real timeGPS based vehicle monitoring, management, and cruise control by a small, single,sealed, the in-vehicle monitoring unit, incorporating intelligent speed adaptation, re-cording driver and vehicle operating parameters in memory and on a smartcard aSATELlTE/GPRS/ GSM/BLUETOOTH mobile communication facility under the con-trol of a national Transport Management Command Centre. The monitoring unit issupplied with an upgradeable software program which, enables and disables engine ignition on the insertion and the removal of a valid driver card.

[0007] GB 2 252 847 discloses an electronic engine management system comprisinga first microprocessor for controlling engine function, and a removable token such asa contactless smart card having an electronic memory element included therein andoptionally a further microprocessor. Interface means is provided between the tokenmemory and the first microprocessor which may comprise a further microprocessor.At least part of the information required by the first microprocessor (e.g. program-ming or data) for controlling engine function is held in the token memory. Therefore,the vehicle cannot be operated without the token, even if the token reader is short- circuited.

[0008] However, situations could arise where a vehicle operator needs to start thevehicle without being in possession of his or her driver card. ln such cases, the solu- tions presented in the above-mentioned prior art are impractical, if not unworkable.

[0009] Hence, there is a need to develop improved solutions for controlling ignitionofvehicles having a vehicle unit installed without impeding or blocking operation of the vehicle in emergency situations.

Summary of invention[0010] An object of the present invention is to provide improved solutions for con-trolling ignition of vehicles having a vehicle unit installed without impeding or block-ing operation ofthe vehicle in emergency situations. This object is achieved in a firstaspect, by means of an ignition control apparatus for controlling ignition of a vehicleequipped with a vehicle unit comprising a display and at least one port adapted to re-ceive a user data device, wherein the ignition control apparatus is adapted to be con-nected to the vehicle unit and to an ignition circuit of the vehicle, wherein the ignitioncontrol apparatus comprises means for activating and deactivating the ignition cir-cuit, wherein the ignition control apparatus is arranged to receive a data signal fromthe vehicle unit comprising information about activities being detected by the vehicleunit and indicating whether a user data device is inserted into the port, wherein theignition control apparatus is arranged to activate the ignition circuit to allow ignitionofthe vehicle if the data signal indicates that a user data device is inserted into theport and to deactivate the ignition circuit to prevent ignition of the vehicle if the datasignal indicates that a user data device is not inserted into the port. lf the data signalindicates that a user data device is not inserted into the port, the ignition control ap-paratus is further arranged to receive an override signal and to activate the ignition circuit to allow ignition of the vehicle in response to receiving the override signal.

[0011] By providing an override signal to be transmitted and received by the igni-tion control apparatus, activation of the ignition circuit in the absence of a user datadevice is achieved. Preferably, the provision of the override signal should require an effort which is sufficiently cumbersome and inconvenient so as to deter users with user data devices from overriding the ignition control, yet not so complicated and protracted that ignition is hindered or prevented in the case of an emergency.

[0012] ln a preferred embodiment, the ignition control apparatus comprises a mi-croprocessor arranged to read data signals from the vehicle unit and to control themeans for activating and deactivating the ignition circuit. The microprocessor pro-vides the necessary functionality for controlling the components ofthe ignition con-trol apparatus in a compact format which facilitates installation and retrofitting into existing vehicles.

[0013] ln an advantageous embodiment, the data signal is transmitted and re-ceived in serial communication over a vehicle bus network, including a ControllerArea Network (CAN) bus or a Local Interconnect Network (LIN) bus, and/or a wire-less network connection, including Bluetooth®, and the data signal comprises serialdata. By using pre-existing in-vehicle communication infrastructure and protocols, in- stallation and retrofitting is facilitated.

[0014] ln a further preferred embodiment, the means for activating and deactivat-ing the ignition circuit comprises an electronic switch. Preferably, the electronicswitch comprises one or more of a relay, a transmission gate, an analogue switch,and/or a number of MOSFET transistors. The electromechanical components for mak-ing and breaking (switching) circuits are robust and simple which reduces the cost for manufacture.

[0015] ln an alternative embodiment, the means for activating and deactivating theignition circuit comprises means for sending an activation signal to a control unit ofthe ignition circuit to allow ignition of the vehicle. Such a solution allows for a simpli-fied installation where a physical connection between the ignition control apparatus and the ignition circuit ofthe vehicle may not be required.

[0016] ln a preferred embodiment, the override signal is comprised in the data sig-nal from the vehicle unit to the ignition control apparatus and comprises a sequenceof activities being detected by the vehicle unit. The sequence of activities detected by the vehicle unit may be initiated or caused by the user, such that the override signal may be generated in a simple manner, yet requiring a certain amount oftime and ef- fort from the user.

[0017] ln an advantageous embodiment, the ignition control apparatus comprisesmeans for communicating with an external server comprising a database containingdata relating to authorised user data devices, wherein the ignition control apparatusis arranged to verify whether the user data device inserted into the port ofthe vehicleunit is authorised and to activate the ignition circuit to allow ignition of the vehicleonly if an authorised user data device is inserted into the port ofthe vehicle unit. The verification of inserted user data devices provides an additional layer of security in that only authorised cards may be used to start the vehicle.

[0018] Preferably, the data relating to authorised user data devices comprises anidentifier and one or more of a time interval, route details, a list of locations and typeof vehicle associated with a user data device, wherein the verification of the user datadevice inserted into the port ofthe vehicle unit comprises comparing the data associ-ated with the inserted user data device obtained from the external database and cor-responding data obtained from the vehicle unit. The data used for verification may be tailored at an individual or group level to effectively control which users are author- ised to start a chosen vehicle under which conditions.

[0019] ln a further preferred embodiment, the ignition control apparatus furthercomprises means for communicating with an external server, wherein the overridesignal is received from the external server. By transmitting and receiving the overridesignal from an external server, an additional layer of security is provided in that ac- cess to and/or communication with an external server is required.

[0020] ln an advantageous embodiment, the override signal received from the ex-ternal server defines a predetermined sequence of activities to be detected by the ve-hicle unit, and wherein the ignition control apparatus is configured to verify that thesequence of activities detected by the vehicle unit corresponds to the predetermined sequence of activities to be detected by the vehicle unit defined by the override signal before activating the ignition Circuit to allow ignition of the vehicle. This gives the ad-vantage that the sequence of activities to be detected need not be predetermined, but instead transmitted in real time to prevent unauthorised overriding of the ignition.

[0021] ln an alternative embodiment, the ignition control apparatus is arranged tocommunicate with an external device, wherein the ignition control apparatus is ar-ranged to activate the ignition circuit to allow ignition of the vehicle in response to re-ceiving an override signal from the external device. The provision of the override sig-nal from an external device provides an additional layer of security in that only users in possession of such an external device may start the vehicle.

[0022] ln a second aspect ofthe present invention, there is provided a method per-formed by a vehicle ignition control system for controlling ignition of a vehicleequipped with a vehicle unit comprising a display and a port adapted to receive a user data device, comprising the steps: - receiving a data signal from the vehicle unit comprising information aboutactivities being detected by the vehicle unit and indicating whether a user data device is inserted into the port; - if the data signal indicates that a user data device is inserted into the port ofthe vehicle unit, activating an ignition circuit of the vehicle to allow ignition ofthe vehicle; or - if the data signal indicates that a user data device is not inserted into the portof the vehicle unit, deactivating an ignition circuit of the vehicle to prevent ig- nition ofthe vehicle,wherein the method further comprises the step: - if the data signal indicates that a user data device is not inserted into the portof the vehicle unit, in response to receiving an override signal, activating an ignition circuit of the vehicle to allow ignition of the vehicle.

[0023] tion control apparatus, activation of the ignition Circuit in the absence of a user data By providing an override signal to be transmitted and received by the igni- device is achieved. Preferably, the provision of the override signal should require aneffort which is sufficiently cumbersome and inconvenient so as to deter users withuser data devices from overriding the ignition control, yet not so complicated and protracted that ignition is hindered or prevented in the case of an emergency.

[0024] ln a preferred embodiment, the override signal is comprised in the data sig-nal received from the vehicle unit and comprises a predetermined sequence of activi-ties detected by the vehicle unit. The sequence of activities detected by the vehicleunit may be initiated or caused by the user, such that the override signal may be gen-erated in a simple manner, yet requiring a certain amount of time and effort from theuser. Preferably, the override signal is received from an external device or externalserver. By transmitting and receiving the override signal from an external server or external device, an additional layer of security is provided in that access to and/or communication with an external server or external device is required. [002 5] ln an advantageous embodiment, the method further comprises the steps: - communicating with an external server containing data relating to author- ised user data devices; - if the data signal indicates that a user data device is inserted into the port of the vehicle unit, verifying whether the inserted user data is authorised; and - activating the ignition circuit to allow ignition of the vehicle only if the in- serted user data device is verified to be authorised.

[0026] The verification of inserted user data devices provides an additional layer of security in that only authorised cards may be used to start the vehicle. [002 7] Preferably, the data relating to authorised user data devices comprises anidentifier and one or more of a time interval, route details, a list of locations and typeof vehicle associated with a user data device, wherein the step of verification of the inserted user data device comprises comparing data received from the external server associated with the inserted user data device and corresponding data con-tained in the data signal obtained from the vehicle unit. The data used for verificationmay be tailored at an individual or group level to effectively control which users are authorised to start a chosen vehicle under which conditions.

[0028] ln an alternative embodiment, the method further comprises the steps: - transmitting an unlocking signal defining a sequence of activities to be de-tected by the vehicle unit from the external server to an external device asso- ciated with the inserted user data device; - displaying the sequence of activities to be detected by the vehicle unit on the external device; and - activating the ignition circuit to allow ignition of the vehicle only if the se-quence of activities defined by the transmitted unlocking signal is detected by the vehicle unit.

[0029] not be predetermined, but instead transmitted and displayed to the user in real time This gives the advantage that the sequence of activities to be detected need to prevent unauthorised overriding of the ignition.

[0030] ln a third aspect ofthe present invention, there is provided a vehicle igni-tion control system for controlling ignition of a vehicle equipped with a vehicle unitcomprising a display and a port adapted to receive a user data device, the system be- ing arranged to: - receive a data signal from the vehicle unit comprising information about ac-tivities being detected by the vehicle unit and indicating whether a user data device is inserted into the port by means of a communication unit; - if the data signal indicates that a user data device is inserted into the port ofthe vehicle unit, activate an ignition circuit of the vehicle to allow ignition of the vehicle by means of an electronic switch; or - if the data signal indicates that a user data device is not inserted into the portof the vehicle unit, deactivate an ignition circuit of the vehicle to prevent igni- tion of the vehicle by means of an electronic switch,wherein the system is further arranged to: - if the data signal indicates that a user data device is not inserted into the portof the vehicle unit, receive an override signal, and in response to activate anignition circuit ofthe vehicle to allow ignition ofthe vehicle by means of an electronic switch.

[0031] By providing an override signal to be transmitted and received by the igni-tion control apparatus, activation of the ignition circuit in the absence of a user datadevice is achieved. Preferably, the provision of the override signal should require aneffort which is sufficiently cumbersome and inconvenient so as to deter users withuser data devices from overriding the ignition control, yet not so complicated and protracted that ignition is hindered or prevented in the case of an emergency.

[0032] ln a preferred embodiment, the override signal is comprised in the data sig-nal received from the vehicle unit and comprises a predetermined sequence of activi-ties detected by the vehicle unit. The sequence of activities detected by the vehicleunit may be initiated or caused by the user, such that the override signal may be gen-erated in a simple manner, yet requiring a certain amount of time and effort from theuser. Preferably, the override signal is received from an external device or externalserver. By transmitting and receiving the override signal from an external server or external device, an additional layer of security is provided in that access to and/or communication with an external server or external device is required.[0033] ln an advantageous embodiment, the system is further arranged to: - communicate with an external server comprising a database containing data relating to authorised user data devices by means of a communication unit; - if the data signal indicates that a user data device is inserted into the port ofthe vehicle unit, verify whether the user data device inserted into the port of the vehicle unit is authorised by means of a processing unit; and - activate the ignition circuit to allow ignition of the vehicle by means of anelectronic switch only if the inserted user data device is verified to be author- ised.

[0034] The verification of inserted user data devices provides an additional layer of security in that only authorised cards may be used to start the vehicle.

[0035] Preferably, the data relating to authorised user data devices comprises anidentifier and one or more of a time interval, route details, a list of locations and typeof vehicle associated with a user data device, wherein the verification of the inserteduser data device comprises comparing data received from the external server associ-ated with the inserted user data device and corresponding data contained in the datasignal obtained from the vehicle unit by means of a processing unit. The data used for verification may be tailored at an individual or group level to effectively control which users are authorised to start a chosen vehicle under which conditions.

[0036] ln an alternative embodiment, the system is further arranged to: - transmit an unlocking signal defining a sequence of activities to be detectedby the vehicle unit from the external server to an external device associated with the inserted user data device by means of a communication unit; - display the sequence of activities to be detected by the vehicle unit on the ex- ternal device; and - activate the ignition circuit to allow ignition of the vehicle by means of theelectronic switch only if the sequence of activities defined by the transmitted unlocking signal is detected by the vehicle unit. 11

[0037] not be predetermined, but instead transmitted and displayed to the user in real time This gives the advantage that the sequence of activities to be detected need to prevent unauthorised overriding of the ignition.

[0038] ln a fourth aspect ofthe present invention, there is provided use of an igni-tion control apparatus according to the first aspect or a vehicle ignition control sys- tem according to the third aspect to control ignition of a vehicle.

Brief description of drawings

[0039] The invention is now described, by way of example, with reference to theaccompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 shows a perspective view of a vehicle unit; Fig. 2 shows a schematic view of an apparatus according to the present invention con-nected between a vehicle unit and an ignition circuit of a vehicle; Fig. 3 shows a ﬂow chart of a method of controlling ignition of a vehicle according tothe present invention; Figs. 4a and 4b show further embodiments ofthe method; Fig. 5 shows a schematic view of an apparatus according to the present invention; and Fig. 6 shows a schematic view of communication Description of embodiments[0040] ln the following, a detailed description of an apparatus, method, and system for controlling ignition of a vehicle is provided.

[0041] Fig. 1 illustrates a perspective view ofa vehicle unit 1, such as a tachograph1, for measuring, processing, storing or reporting collected vehicle data. The outer de-sign and form factor of the vehicle unit 1 complies with standards in the field of tach-ographs such as e.g. ISO 7736. The front end 4 of the vehicle unit 1 comprises an ac-cess panel 2 being in a closed position, i.e. wherein the access panel is closed, therebycovering a space for housing a printer, preferably a removable printer module. Thevehicle unit 1 further comprises a display 3, a first user data device port 5 and a sec- ond user data device port 5', and a first side end 4' to disclose the depth ofthe vehicle unit 1 in a direction perpendicular to the front side 4. According to one embodiment, 12 the user data device ports 5, 5' are card slots adapted to receive user data devices 7,7' adapted to comprise stored user data. A first user data device 7 and a second userdata device 7' are further disclosed in Fig. 1. Eject or release buttons 6, 6' for eject-ing/releasing ofthe respective user data device 7, 7' upon pressing or touching saideject buttons 6, 6' are further shown in Fig. 1. Examples of user data devices 7, 7' to beinserted into the card slots 5, 5' include company cards, workshop cards or drivercards. The user data devices 7, 7' may have different levels of authorisation in orderto provide access to the different functions of the vehicle unit 1 as will be explained further below.

[0042] The front end 4 also comprises one or more buttons 8, 8' for operating thevehicle unit 1, for instance for inputting information or commands, confirming ac-tions etc. relating to the user data devices 7, 7' inserted into the respective card slots5, 5'. One action which may be performed is to change the activity that is detected bythe vehicle unit 1, e.g. to change which one ofthe card slots 5, 5' is active when a user data device 7, 7' is inserted in the respective card slots 5, 5'.

[0043] ln Fig. 2, a schematic connection diagram for an ignition control apparatus10 according to the present invention is shown. The ignition control apparatus 10 isadapted to be connected between the vehicle unit 1 and the ignition circuit 20 ofthevehicle 270. The ignition control apparatus 10 comprises means for activating or de-activating the ignition circuit, for instance by means of an electronic switch 11. Theelectronic switch 11 may comprise a relay, a transmission gate, an analogue switch,and/or a number of MOSFET transistors configured to interrupt the signal from theignition to the engine starter, i.e. to make or break the connection between the igni-tion and the starter, thus activating or deactivating the ignition circuit to controlstarting ofthe vehicle 270. The ignition circuit 20 is adapted to the vehicle 270 asknown in the art, and will therefore not be discussed further in the present disclo-sure. ln Fig. 2, the ignition circuit 20 is located on the right-hand side and here repre-sented only by its connection terminals to the electronic switch 11 of the ignition con-trol apparatus 10. A start signal generated by the driver, e.g. when turning the key ofthe ignition system in the vehicle 270, is fed to the ignition control apparatus 10. De- pending on the state of the electronic switch 11 (activated or deactivated), the start 13 signal will either be interrupted, such that the main electrical systems and engine re-main shut off, or relayed to the relevant components of the ignition circuit 20 to turn on the main electrical systems and engine and start the vehicle 270.

[0044] ln one embodiment ofthe present invention, the means for activating anddeactivating the ignition circuit comprises means for sending an activation signal to a control unit ofthe ignition circuit 20 to allow ignition ofthe vehicle 270.

[0045] Turning now to Fig. 3, a method according to the present invention, whichmay be performed by the ignition control apparatus 10 or an ignition control systemas a whole, is illustrated in the form of a ﬂow chart. lnitially, the ignition circuit 20 isdeactivated as would normally be the case when a driver enters a vehicle 270. ln afirst step, a data signal S is received S100 from the vehicle unit 1. The data signal Smay be transmitted and received in serial communication over a vehicle bus network,such as a Controller Area Network (CAN) bus or a Local Interconnect Network (LIN)bus or any other suitable cable connection in the vehicle 270. Alternatively, the datasignal S may be transmitted and received over a wireless network connection, usingprotocols such as e.g. Bluetooth®, zigbee, INSTEON, Wireless USB, Z-Wave, lrDA. Thedata signal S comprises serial data detected, recorded, and/or generated by the vehi-cle unit 1, such as e.g. geographical location, driving hours, distance travelled, starttime, finish time, rest time, driver name, starting location and finishing location, ex-haust measurements, fuel consumption, temperature data from vehicle 270 or cargosensors, opening and closing of cargo doors or operation of other vehicle 270 sys-tems, e.g. cranes and lifts etc. Additionally, the data signal S may include informationindicating whether a user data device 7, 7' is inserted into the vehicle unit 1 and data contained on the user data device 7, 7', inherently associated with the user/driver.

[0046] Next, the data signal S is read to determine whether a user data device 7, 7'is inserted into one ofthe ports 5, 5'. lfthe data signal S indicates that a user data de-vice 7, 7' is indeed inserted into the vehicle unit 1, the ignition circuit 20 is activated S110, i.e. by actuating the electronic switch 11 ofthe ignition control apparatus 10, 14 such that the vehicle 270 may be started. lf, on the other hand, the data signal S indi-cates that a user data device 7, 7' is not inserted into the vehicle unit 1, the ignition circuit 20 remains deactivated and the vehicle 270 may not be started.

[0047] ln such a case, a next step comprises receiving S120 an override signal Oand in response, activating S130 the ignition circuit 20 to enable starting ofthe vehi-cle 270. Again, in the opposite case, if no override signal O is received, the ignition cir- cuit 20 remains deactivated S140.

[0048] ln one embodiment ofthe present invention, the override signal O is com-prised in the data signal S from the vehicle unit 1 to the ignition control apparatus 10and comprises a sequence of activities being detected by the vehicle unit 1. Prefera-bly, the sequence of activities is to be detected within a predetermined period of time.Examples of activities includes switching between which one of the card slots 5, 5' isactive when a user data device 7, 7' is inserted in the respective card slots 5, 5', out ofscope selection, selection of start or end country, printout, or any other interactionwith the vehicle unit 1, e.g. by pressing the buttons 8, 8' ofthe vehicle unit 1 in a pre-determined pattern or sequence. ln one embodiment, the sequence of activities to bedetected by the vehicle unit 1 may be pre-programmed into the ignition control appa- ratus 10 and displayed in the vehicle 270, e.g. on a sticker or label placed on or near the vehicle unit 1 or other appropriate location in the driver cabin ofthe vehicle 270.

[0049] Alternatively, the override signal O may be received from an external device400 communicating with the ignition control apparatus 10, e.g. a smartphone, a lap-top computer, an electronic control unit (ECU) /dongle having diagnostic functionsand/ or remote communication capability. The external device 400 may communicatewirelessly with the ignition control apparatus 10 via a communication unit 13 com-prised therein. Alternatively, the external device 400 may be plugged into the vehicle unit 1 and communicate with the ignition control apparatus 10 over the vehicle bus network.

[0050] For an added layer of security, in one embodiment of the present invention, the ignition control apparatus 10 is arranged to communicate with an external server 300 in order to activate the ignition Circuit 20 of the vehicle 270. The external server300 may comprise or have access to a database 150 containing data relating to au-thorised user data devices 7, 7'. Fig. 4a illustrates a method according to one embodi-ment of the invention, wherein a first step comprises communicating S150 with anexternal server 300 which comprises a database 150 containing data relating to au-thorised user data devices. lfthe data signal S indicates that a user data device 7, 7' isinserted into the port 5, 5' ofthe vehicle unit 1, the next step comprises verifyingS160 whether the inserted user data 7, 7' is authorised. Then, only if the inserted user data device 7, 7' is verified to be authorised, the ignition circuit 20 is activated.

[0051] ln one embodiment ofthe present invention, the data relating to authoriseduser data devices comprises an identifier and one or more of a time interval, route de-tails, a list of locations and type of vehicle associated with a user data device, whereinthe step of verification ofthe inserted user data device comprises comparing data re-ceived from the external server associated with the inserted user data device and cor-responding data contained in the data signal S obtained from the vehicle unit 1. lnother words, the external server 300, which may be located at and operated from aremote location by the ﬂeet owner directly or indirectly, has access to a database 150containing the card information (number, name etc.) for all cards (driver, workshop,company, ﬂeet) that are authorised to be used to operate the vehicles in the ﬂeet owned by the company. Only cards included in the database 150 may then be used to start a vehicle 270 in the ﬂeet.

[0052] ln one further embodiment of the present invention, illustrated in Fig. 4b,the method may comprise an initial step of transmitting S180 an unlocking signal de-fining a sequence of activities to be detected by the vehicle unit 1 from the externalserver 300 to an external device associated with the inserted user data device 7, 7'.The external device may for instance be a handheld device such as a smartphone orcomputer. Next, the sequence of activities to be detected by the vehicle unit 1 is dis-played S190 on the external device as an instruction for the user. Finally, only if the sequence of activities defined by the transmitted unlocking signal is detected by the vehicle unit 1, the ignition circuit 20 is activated S200. The user may optionally be prompted to cause the vehicle unit 1 to detect the displayed sequence of activities, e.g. 16 by pressing the buttons 8, 8' in a particular order, preferably within a certain (prede- termined) period oftime.

[0053] With reference to Fig. 5, an ignition control apparatus 10 for controlling ig-nition ofa vehicle is disclosed. The ignition control apparatus 10 comprises a micro-processor 12 arranged to read data signals S from the vehicle unit 1 and to controlmeans for activating and deactivating the ignition circuit 20 in the form of an elec-tronic switch 11. As explained above, an override signal O may be received and readby the microprocessor 12 to determine that the electronic switch 11 should be actu-ated to activate the ignition circuit 20. Additionally, the ignition control apparatus 10comprises a communication unit 13 arranged to communicate with the vehicle unit 1,for instance over the vehicle bus network, and with the external server 300 or with the external device 400, for instance over a wireless network or connection as will be explained further below.

[0054] With reference to Fig. 6, a block chart illustrating a signalling scenario in-volving a vehicle unit 1 and an ignition control apparatus 10 comprised in a vehicle270. The vehicle unit 1 and/or the ignition control apparatus 10 each comprisesmeans for communicating with external servers or remote nodes 300. According toone embodiment, the vehicle unit 1 and/or the ignition control apparatus 10 may becapable of communicating using a Radio Access Network, RAN, comprising a base sta-tion 34. The base station 34 can then communicate, using a Wide Area Network, suchas Internet or a private WAN, such as a corporate network, with a remote node 300,e.g. a back-end server, which may comprise a ﬂeet management system as well as adatabase 150 containing data relating to authorised user data devices, as explainedabove. The vehicle unit 1 and/or the ignition control apparatus 10 may also beadapted to communicate directly with a remote node 300 using a WAN or in certainsituations a Wireless Local Area Network, WLAN. The latter may be preferable in asituation wherein the vehicle 270 comprising the vehicle unit 1 and the ignition con-trol apparatus 10 is located or parked close to and using the WLAN of for instance ahome office, goods terminal or at a customs station. Then, the vehicle unit 1 and/ orthe ignition control apparatus 10 may provide parts, or all, of the information relating to the operation of the vehicle to a remote node 300. The remote node 300, according 17 to one embodiment comprising a ﬂeet management system may then, based on theprovided information, help the vehicle operator to make decisions for a more efficient transportation.

[0055] Additionally, an external device 400 such as a smartphone, a laptop com-puter, an electronic control unit (ECU) /dongle having diagnostic functions and/or re-mote communication capability is illustrated. The external device 400 is configured tocommunicate using a Radio Access Network, RAN, comprising the base station 34.The base station 34 can then communicate, using a Wide Area Network, such as Inter-net or a private WAN, such as a corporate network, with the remote node 300, as ex-plained above. The external device 400 may also be adapted to communicate directlywith a remote node 300 using a WAN or in certain situations a Wireless Local AreaNetwork, WLAN. As explained above, the external device 400 is arranged to receivean override signal O from the external server 300, which may then be transmitted tothe ignition control apparatus 10 to activate the ignition circuit 20. Alternatively, anunlocking signal may be transmitted by the external server 300 to the external device400, and said unlocking signal defines a certain sequence of activities to be detectedby the vehicle unit 1, which is displayed on the external device 400 as an instructionto the user. Examples of activities may be the same as explained above. The user must then cause or initiate this sequence of activities on or in the vehicle unit 1 in order to activate the ignition circuit 20 via the ignition control apparatus 10.

Claims

1. An ignition control apparatus (10) for controlling ignition of a vehicle (2 70)equipped with a digital tachograph (1), capable of recording and digitally compilingand storing vehicle data and comprising a display (3) and at least one card slot (5, 5')adapted to receive a user data device (7, 7') in the form of a card comprising storeduser data relating to the activities of a user during operation of a vehicle, wherein the ignition control apparatus (10) is adapted to be connected tothe digital tachograph (1) and to an ignition circuit (20) ofthe vehicle (270), wherein the ignition control apparatus (10) comprises means (11) for acti-vating and deactivating the ignition circuit (20) and a microprocessor (12) arrangedto read data signals (S) from the digital tachograph (1) and to control the means (11)for activating and deactivating the ignition circuit (20), wherein the ignition control apparatus (10) is arranged to receive a datasignal (S) from the digital tachograph comprising information about activities beingdetected by the digital tachograph and indicating whether a user data device is in-serted into the card slot (5, 5'), wherein the ignition control apparatus (10) is arranged to activate the igni-tion circuit (20) to allow ignition of the vehicle (270) if the data signal (S) indicatesthat a user data device (7, 7') is inserted into the card slot (5, 5') and to deactivate theignition circuit (20) to prevent ignition of the vehicle (2 70) if the data signal (S) indi-cates that a user data device (7, 7') is not inserted into the card slot (5, 5'),wherein if the data signal (S) indicates that a user data device (7, 7') is not insertedinto the card slot (5, 5'), the ignition control apparatus (10) is further arranged to re-ceive an override signal (0) and to activate the ignition circuit (20) to allow ignition of the vehicle (2 70) in response to receiving the override signal (0).

2. The ignition control apparatus (10) according to claim 1, wherein the datasignal (S) is transmitted and received in serial communication over a vehicle bus net- work, including a Controller Area Network (CAN) bus or a Local Interconnect 19 Network (LIN) bus, and/ or a wireless network connection, including Bluetooth®, and wherein the data signal (S) comprises serial data.

3. The ignition control apparatus (10) according to any one of the precedingclaims, wherein the means for activating and deactivating the ignition circuit (20) comprises an electronic switch (11).

4. The ignition control apparatus (10) according to claim 3, wherein the elec-tronic switch (11) comprises one or more ofa relay, a transmission gate, an analogue switch and/or a number of MOSFET transistors.

5. The ignition control apparatus (10) according to any one of the precedingclaims, wherein the means for activating and deactivating the ignition circuit (20)comprises means for generating (12, 15) and sending (13) an activation signal to a control unit of the ignition circuit (20) to allow ignition of the vehicle (270).

6. The ignition control apparatus (10) according to any one of the precedingclaims, wherein the override signal (0) is comprised in the data signal (S) from thedigital tachograph to the ignition control apparatus (10) and comprises a sequence of activities initiated by the user and being detected by the digital tachograph (1).

7. The ignition control apparatus (10) according to any one of the precedingclaims, wherein the ignition control apparatus (10) comprises means (14) for com-municating with an external server (300) comprising a database (150) containingdata relating to authorised user data devices, wherein the ignition control apparatus(10) is arranged to verify whether the user data device (7, 7') inserted into the cardslot (5, 5') of the digital tachograph (1) is authorised and to activate the ignition cir-cuit (20) to allow ignition ofthe vehicle (270) only if an authorised user data device is inserted into the card slot (5, 5') of the digital tachograph (1).

8. The ignition control apparatus (10) according to claim 7, wherein the datarelating to authorised user data devices comprises an identifier and one or more of atime interval, route details, a list of locations and type of vehicle associated with a user data device, wherein the verification of the user data device (7, 7') inserted into the card slot (5, 5') of the digital tachograph (1) comprises comparing the data associ-ated with the inserted user data device (7, 7') obtained from the external database (150) and corresponding data obtained from the digital tachograph (1).

9. The ignition control apparatus (10) according to any one of the precedingclaims, wherein the ignition control apparatus (10) further comprises means (14) forcommunicating with an external server (300), wherein the override signal is received from the external server (300).

10. The ignition control apparatus (10) according to claims 5 and 8, whereinthe override signal (0) received from the external server (300) defines a predeter-mined sequence of activities to be detected by the digital tachograph (1), and whereinthe ignition control apparatus (10) is configured to verify that the sequence of activi-ties detected by the digital tachograph (1) corresponds to the predetermined se-quence of activities to be detected by the digital tachograph (1) defined by the over-ride signal (0) before activating the ignition circuit (20) to allow ignition of the vehi-cle (270).

11. The ignition control apparatus (10) according to any one of the precedingclaims, wherein the ignition control apparatus (10) is arranged to communicate withan external device (400), wherein the ignition control apparatus (10) is arranged toactivate the ignition circuit (20) to allow ignition of the vehicle (270) in response to receiving an override signal from the external device (400).

12. A method performed by a vehicle (2 70) ignition control system for control-ling ignition of a vehicle (2 70) equipped with a digital tachograph (1) , capable ofre-cording and digitally compiling and storing vehicle data and comprising a display (3)and a card slot (5, 5') adapted to receive a user data device (7, 7') in the form ofa cardcomprising stored user data relating to the activities of a user during operation of a vehicle, comprising the steps: - receiving (S100) a data signal (S) from the digital tachograph comprising in-formation about activities being detected by the digital tachograph (1) and indicating whether a user data device is inserted into the card slot (5, 5'); 21 if the data signal (S) indicates that a user data device is inserted into the cardslot of the digital tachograph, activating (S110) an ignition circuit (20) of thevehicle (2 70) to allow ignition ofthe vehicle (2 70); or if the data signal (S) indicates that a user data device is not inserted into thecard slot of the digital tachograph, deactivating (S140) an ignition circuit (20)of the vehicle (270) to prevent ignition ofthe vehicle (270), characterised in that the method further comprises the step:

13. if the data signal (S) indicates that a user data device is not inserted into thecard slot of the digital tachograph, in response to receiving (S120) an over-ride signal (O), activating (S130) an ignition circuit (20) of the vehicle (2 70) to allow ignition of the vehicle (2 70). The method according to claim 12, wherein the override signal (0) is com- prised in the data signal (S) received from the digital tachograph and comprises a pre- determined sequence of activities initiated by the user and detected by the digital tachograph.

14. The method according to claim 12, wherein the override signal (0) is re- ceived from an external device (400) or external server (300).

15. steps: The method according to any one of claims 12-14, further comprising the communicating (S150) with an external server (300) containing data relating to authorised user data devices; if the data signal (S) indicates that a user data device is inserted into the cardslot of the digital tachograph, verifying (S160) whether the inserted user data is authorised; and activating (S170) the ignition circuit (20) to allow ignition of the vehicle (2 70) only if the inserted user data device is verified to be authorised. 22

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the data relating to authoriseduser data devices comprises an identifier and one or more of a time interval, route de-tails, a list of locations and type of vehicle (270) associated with a user data device,wherein the step of verification of the inserted user data device comprises comparingdata received from the external server (300) associated with the inserted user datadevice and corresponding data contained in the data signal (S) obtained from the digi- tal tachograph.

17. The method according to claim 15 or 16, further comprising the steps: - transmitting (S180) an unlocking signal defining a sequence of activities to bedetected by the digital tachograph from the external server (300) to an exter- nal device (400) associated with the inserted user data device; - displaying (S190) the sequence of activities to be detected by the digital tacho- graph on the external device (400) ; and - activating (S200) the ignition circuit (20) to allow ignition of the vehicle (270)only if the sequence of activities defined by the transmitted unlocking signal is detected by the digital tachograph.

18. A vehicle (270) ignition control system for controlling ignition of a vehicle(270) equipped with a digital tachograph (1) , capable of recording and digitally com-piling and storing vehicle data and comprising a display and a card slot adapted to re-ceive a user data device in the form of a card comprising stored user data relating to the activities of a user during operation of a vehicle, the system being arranged to: - receive a data signal (S) from the digital tachograph comprising informationabout activities being detected by the digital tachograph and indicatingwhether a user data device is inserted into the card slot by means of a com- munication unit; - if the data signal (S) indicates that a user data device is inserted into the card slot of the digital tachograph, activate an ignition circuit (20) of the vehicle 23 (2 70) to allow ignition ofthe vehicle (270) by means of an electronic switch; OI' - if the data signal (S) indicates that a user data device is not inserted into thecard slot of the digital tachograph, deactivate an ignition circuit (20) of thevehicle (270) to prevent ignition ofthe vehicle (2 70) by means of an elec- tronic switch,characterised in that the system is further arranged to: - if the data signal (S) indicates that a user data device is not inserted into thecard slot of the digital tachograph, receive an override signal (O), and in re-sponse to activate an ignition circuit (20) of the vehicle (270) to allow igni- tion of the vehicle (270) by means of an electronic switch.

19. The system according to claim wherein the override signal (0) is com-prised in the data signal (S) received from the digital tachograph (1) and comprises apredetermined sequence of activities initiated by the user and detected by the digital tachograph (1).

20. The system according to claim l1-áï_'§š__§§, wherein the override signal (0) is re-ceived from an external device (400) or external server (300) by means ofa commu- nication unit (13, 14).

21. The system according to any one of claims '23 further arranged to: - communicate with an external server (300) comprising a database (150) con-taining data relating to authorised user data devices by means of a communi- cation unit (14) ; - if the data signal (S) indicates that a user data device (7, 7') is inserted into thecard slot (5, 5') of the digital tachograph (1), verify whether the user inserted data device is authorised by means of a controller (15); and 24 - activate the ignition Circuit (20) to allow ignition of the vehicle (2 70) by meansof an electronic switch (11) only if the inserted user data device (7, 7') is veri- fied to be authorised.

22. The system according to claim wherein the data relating to author- 5 ised user data devices comprises an identifier and one or more ofa time interval,route details, a list of locations and type of vehicle (2 70) associated with a user datadevice, wherein the verification of the inserted user data device comprises comparingdata obtained from the external database (150) associated with the inserted userdata device (7, 7') and corresponding data contained in the data signal (S) obtained 10 from the digital tachograph by means of a controller (15).

23. The system according to claim further arranged to: - transmit an unlocking signal defining a sequence of activities to be detected bythe digital tachograph from the external server (300) to an external device(400) associated with the inserted user data device (7, 7') by means of a com- 15 munication unit (13, 14); - display the sequence of activities to be detected by the digital tachograph on the external device (400) ; and - activate the ignition circuit (20) to allow ignition of the vehicle (270) by meansof the electronic switch (11) only if the sequence of activities defined by the 20 transmitted unlocking signal is detected by the digital tachograph (1).

24. Use of an ignition control apparatus (10) according to any one of claims 1-11 or a vehicle (270) ignition control system according to any one of claims 18-23 to control ignition of a vehicle (270).