In accordance with embodiments of this disclosure, a method of securing an autonomous vehicle is presented. The method includes receiving a request for an action at the autonomous vehicle; requesting permission from a user device that has been paired with the autonomous vehicle; and performing the action if permission is received from the user device.

Disclosed is a vehicle-mounted ranging system having a communication transceiver configured to wirelessly communicate with at least one external communication transceiver and a plurality of ultra-wideband (UWB) transceivers configured to transmit and receive ranging pulses to and from at least one external UWB transceiver associated with the at least one external communication transceiver. A controller is interfaced between the communication transceiver and the plurality of UWB transceivers. The controller is configured to communicate with the associated at least one external communication transceiver to schedule transmission of ranging pulses between the plurality of UWB transceivers and the at least one external UWB transceiver and to calculate ranges between each of the plurality of UWB transceivers and the at least one external UWB transceiver based upon time-of-arrival of ranging pulses transmitted between the plurality of UWB ranging transceivers and the at least one external UWB transceiver.

A method for providing temporary access to a vehicle includes receiving a vehicle access request at a vehicle, transporting the vehicle from a storage space to a user originating the vehicle access request using the at least one of the semi-autonomous mode and the fully autonomous mode, providing the user access to the vehicle via a smartlock system, and transporting the vehicle from the user to the storage space subsequent to the user's access. The vehicle includes a controller configured to operate the vehicle in at least one of a semi-autonomous mode and a fully autonomous mode.

Examples provide a multicolor light device having a plurality of lockable functions, such as color combinations and flash pattern functions. At production, one or more of the available functions are placed in a locked state in which the locked function is inoperable. The dealer or user can obtain an unlock code to unlock one or more light colors and/or flash patterns when desired. Thus, if a user wants the red and blue lights to be operable, the user can obtain one or more unlock codes to unlock the red and/or blue lights in the user-selected flash patterns and color combinations. When unlocked, the selected function operates normally. A data storage device on the multicolor light device stores an assigned UID, a set of available functions associated with the plurality of LED lights, and a lock status of each function in the set of available functions.

Examples provide a system and method for remote management of lockable devices associated with emergency vehicles. A lockable device is a device, such as a multicolor light device or a siren device having one or more available functions which are initially placed in a locked state at the time of manufacture. A user can unlock the locked functions by logging into a remote device manager on a user device while the locked device is connected to the user device. The user selects one or more locked functions to unlock. The remote device manager generates a unique unlock code for each locked function selected for unlock. The unlock code is returned to the user device for utilization in unlocking the selected functions. The unlock code enables operation of the locked function. A lock status is updated to indicate which functions have been unlocked.

When an autonomous driving vehicle picks a user up, a control device performs departure condition confirmation processing. The departure condition confirmation processing includes first authentication processing that performs authentication of the user outside the autonomous driving vehicle based on first authentication information, door lock release processing that releases a door lock in response to the completion of the first authentication processing, second authentication information provision processing that makes the user acquire second authentication information different from the first authentication information in response to the completion of the first authentication processing, second authentication processing that performs authentication of the user inside a vehicle cabin of the autonomous driving vehicle based on the second authentication information, and start permission processing that permits the start of the autonomous driving vehicle in a case where the second authentication processing is completed.

The present invention provides a method for unlocking a vehicle door using a mobile terminal. The unlocking method comprises: authenticating, by a mobile key management server, a user and a smartphone of the user; authenticating, by the mobile key management server, a vehicle having a door to be unlocked using the authenticated smartphone; generating, by the mobile key management server, a mobile key issuance algorithm corresponding to the authenticated vehicle and smartphone; issuing, by the mobile key management server, a mobile key, using the generated mobile key issuance algorithm, in response to a request from the smartphone; receiving, at the mobile key management server, the issued mobile key via the smartphone and the vehicle; confirming, by the mobile key management server, whether the issued mobile key matches the received mobile key; and requesting, by the mobile key management server, the vehicle to unlock the door thereof, when the issued mobile key matches the received mobile key.

An information processing system includes an object information acquiring unit, a receiver information acquiring unit, and an authentication information issuing unit. The object information acquiring unit acquires delivery object information of an object from a deliverer of the object. The object is stored in an interior space of a vehicle and of which delivery is desired. The receiver information acquiring unit acquires receiver information on a receiver of the object. The authentication information issuing unit issues authentication information for locking and unlocking a door of the vehicle based on the delivery object information and the receiver information and transmits the authentication information to a terminal of the receiver.

Methods and systems for sharing digital electronic keys (e-keys) to use a vehicle with the e-key are provided. One example method includes sending, via a first application of a first mobile device, a message to a second mobile device to initiate providing access to the vehicle via the e-key. The method includes receiving, by the first mobile device, data confirming from the second mobile device indicating receipt and creating the e-key at the second mobile device for the vehicle with a level of access that was set via the first application of the first mobile device. The data confirming receipt for the e-key is authenticated by the first mobile device. The method includes sending, by the first mobile device, verification of the e-key for use via the second mobile device. The e-key is registered with a server to enable activation of the e-key on the second mobile device. A second application of the second mobile device provides a user interface for access of the e-key for unlocking and starting the vehicle. In one example, the e-key is usable via wireless communication with the vehicle over a near field communication (NFC) connection. In one example, the first application of the first mobile device is provided with an interface to enable revocation to disable the e-key shared with a user of the second mobile device.

A method of operating an access system for a vehicle, the method comprising: 5 scanning for a first communication signal from a first communications device using a first communication channel; and initiating a vehicle access process in dependence on detecting the first communication signal from the first communications device; wherein the vehicle access process comprises: comparing a received signal strength indication, RSSI, of the received first communication signal to a predetermined 10 threshold signal strength value; sending a challenge signal for a second communications device using a second communication channel in the event that the RSSI of the received first communication signal exceeds the threshold signal strength value; and controlling the vehicle access system in dependence on a response signal received from the second communications device, the response signal having been 15 sent in response to the challenge signal.