A vehicle authentication apparatus includes first and second communication devices, first and second area determination devices, and a control execution device. The first communication device specifies a first area as a communication area. The second communication device specifies a second area as the communication area. The first area determination device determines whether the mobile devices are present at the first area based on a communication status of the first communication device with the mobile devices. The second area determination device determines whether at least one of mobile devices is present at the second area based on a communication status of the second communication device with the mobile devices. The control execution device executes predetermined vehicle control in response to determining no mobile devices being present at the first area; and determining at least one of the mobile devices being present at the second area.

Exemplary embodiments described in this disclosure are generally directed to systems and methods for ensuring password security when starting a vehicle having a keyless engine starting system. In an exemplary method, a computer detects a depression of an engine start push button when no phone-as-a-key (PaaK) device or passive-entry-passive-start (PEPS) key fob is present in the vehicle. The computer responds by executing a verification procedure prior to password validation. The verification procedure can include operations such as determining that no PaaK device or PEPS key fob is present either inside the vehicle or within a defined geofence outside the vehicle. If the verification procedure is successful, the computer displays a prompt upon a display screen for entering of a password. The computer then uses various security measures when verifying the validity of an entered password, followed by displaying of a message indicating acceptance or rejection of the password.

Smart car operations methods are disclosed to access a car includes detecting when a person is alone in a car, adjusting a speech recognizer in the car to focus capturing speech from the person's position in the car; operating the car as requested by the person; when the person exits the car and enters a building, locking the car based on a personal area network (PAN) secured key; and when the person approaches the car, automatically unlocking the car and providing access to the car based on a set of rules. The PAN may be Bluetooth or Zigbee, among others.

A vehicle is provided and includes a digital key system that receives a result of alcohol drinking authentication from a user terminal in which at least one application is installed and an engine management system that generates a control signal for activating or deactivating engine driving of the vehicle based on the result. A controller receives a result for an alcohol drinking status of a first driver based on the alcohol drinking authentication performed by the user terminal and initiates a call to a second driver when the first driver is determined to be in the alcohol drinking status. The controller receives a result for alcohol drinking status of the second driver and operates the engine management system according to the alcohol drinking status of the second driver.

An in-vehicle authentication device may perform wireless communication with a portable device in a vicinity of a vehicle. The in-vehicle authentication device may transmit a call signal that requests a reply of a response signal to the portable device. The in-vehicle authentication device may transmit an authentication request signal that requests a reply of an authentication signal to the portable device when the in-vehicle authentication device determines that the portable device exists in the vicinity of the vehicle by receiving the response signal. The in-vehicle authentication device may authenticate the portable device that transmits the authentication signal based on the authentication signal when the authentication signal is received.

A system and method for securely delivering a package to a trunk of a vehicle. An administrator generates an electronic key that is assigned to a communication device and the communication device is coupled to the OBD system of vehicle. A courier service or individual courier uses the electronic key to transmit a trunk-open command to the communication device coupled to the OBD system of the parked customer vehicle. Alternatively, a courier may leave the package in the trunk of a parked courier vehicle and the customer may use the electronic key to transmit a trunk-open command to the communication device coupled to the OBD system of the parked courier vehicle.

A vehicle starting control system includes a server for managing a starting state of a vehicle and a vehicle-mounted device for controlling the starting state of the vehicle based on a control command for controlling the starting state of the vehicle provided from the server. The server is accessibly connected to a financial system and can monitor a status of payment of a predetermined charge for the vehicle via the financial system. When the payment of the predetermined charge for the vehicle is detected, the server can control the starting state of the vehicle by providing the vehicle-mounted device with the control command for controlling the starting state of the vehicle via at least one of a communication means, a mobile terminal, and an IC card.

An exterior door handle assembly for a vehicular door includes a base portion and a handle portion. The base portion is configured to mount at an exterior door handle region of the vehicular door and the handle portion is movable relative to the base portion to actuate a door opening latch mechanism. A pocket lighting and sensing module includes at least one LED and at least one light sensor. The LED, when energized, emits light to illuminate a pocket surface at the base portion. With the LED energized to emit light, the light sensor senses the light emitted by the LED and reflected off the pocket surface. Responsive to light sensed by the light sensor with the light emitting diode energized being below a threshold level, the pocket lighting and sensing module determines presence of a person's hand at the handle portion.

An authentication pattern generation unit, if a signal from a portable device is received, prompts a user who uses the portable device to perform a specific action. A checking unit determines whether or not the user has performed the specific action. If the checking unit determines that the user has performed the specific action, the checking unit authenticates that the portable device is an authorized device.

A mobile device position estimation system includes: a vehicular system having a vehicle side transmitter transmitting an impulse signal, a vehicle side receiver receiving a response signal, and a vehicle side control unit outputting a transmission command signal of the impulse signal and receiving a notification signal of the response signal; and a mobile device having a mobile device side receiver receiving the impulse signal and a mobile device side transmitter transmitting the response signal. The vehicle side control unit includes: a reception detection unit detecting the response signal; a round-trip timer measuring a round-trip time; and a position estimation unit estimating a position of the mobile device. The position estimation unit: calculates a round-trip distance; and determines whether the mobile device is within a detection area.