Vehicle clock tampering detector
First Claim
1. In a method for controlling an engine which provides the operator with a particular operating capability for a time period which is reestablished at a predefined reset interval, a method of determining whether the operator has tampered with the engine control system clock to obtain additional time for the particular operating capability, the method including:
- determining whether the system clock has been changed more than a preselected maximum number of times within a preselected time period and, if the number of clock changes exceeds the preselected maximum number of changes within that preselected time period, suspending any steps which would provide the particular operating capability to the operator for any additional time.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system, storage medium, and method for controlling an engine in a vehicle which provides the operator with a particular operating capability for a specified time period, which time period is reestablished at a predefined interval, including determining whether the operator has tampered with the engine control system clock to obtain additional time for the particular operating capability. The system, storage medium, and method monitor the system clock and utilize one or more criteria to determine whether tampering has occurred. If the system clock has been tampered with, one or more additional steps are taken, including logging the tampering event, suspending any steps which would provide the particular operating capability to the operator for any additional time until the next interval, or until the engine has been returned to personnel authorized to reprogram the engine control.
19 Citations
22 Claims
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1. In a method for controlling an engine which provides the operator with a particular operating capability for a time period which is reestablished at a predefined reset interval, a method of determining whether the operator has tampered with the engine control system clock to obtain additional time for the particular operating capability, the method including:
determining whether the system clock has been changed more than a preselected maximum number of times within a preselected time period and, if the number of clock changes exceeds the preselected maximum number of changes within that preselected time period, suspending any steps which would provide the particular operating capability to the operator for any additional time. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3)
- 4. In a method for controlling an engine which provides the operator with a particular operating capability for a time period which is reestablished at a predefined reset interval, a method of determining whether the operator has tampered with the engine control system clock to obtain additional time for the particular operating capability, the method including calculating the aggregate time difference associated with each of the time changes to the control system clock made during a preselected time period and, if such aggregate time change exceeds a preselected maximum aggregate time change threshold, suspending any steps which would provide the particular operating capability to the operator for any additional time.
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7. In a computer readable storage medium having stored data representing instructions executable by a computer for controlling an engine which provides the operator with a particular operating capability for a time period which is reestablished at a predefined reset interval, instructions for determining whether the operator has tampered with the engine control system clock to obtain an additional time period for the particular capability, the instructions including:
determining whether the system clock has been changed to a time which would prompt reinitialization of the time period during which the operator may utilize the particular capability and, if such a change has occurred, suspending any steps which would provide the capability to the operator for any additional time. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9)
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10. In a computer readable storage medium having stored data representing instructions executable by a computer for controlling an engine to allow an operator to override then normal vehicle speed limit for a cumulative passing period which is reestablished at a predefined reset interval, the computer readable storage medium including instructions for determining whether the operator has tampered with the engine control system clock to obtain an additional time period for exceeding the normal vehicle speed limit, the instructions including:
instructions for determining whether the system clock has been changed to a time which would prompt reinitialization of the passing period during which the operator may override the vehicle speed limit and, if such a change has occurred, suspending any steps which would provide the capability to the operator for any additional time. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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13. A computer readable storage medium having stored data representing instructions executable by a computer for controlling an engine in a vehicle including an internal combustion engine in communication with an electronic control module having a system clock to allow the operator to attain a passing speed greater than the preset vehicle speed limit, the method comprising:
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instructions for establishing a normal vehicle speed limit;
instructions for establishing a passing speed increment;
instructions for establishing a passing duration;
instructions for establishing a passing override reset interval;
instructions for controlling the engine in response to vehicle operator input to provide a vehicle speed exceeding the normal vehicle speed limit by an amount not greater than the passing speed increment for a cumulative period not greater than the passing duration at any time during the passing override reset interval; and
instructions for resetting the passing duration and the passing override reset interval to their established values upon the expiration of the passing override reset interval, to allow for operator requested passing speed exceeding the vehicle speed limit for the next override reset interval unless the system clock has been changed to a time which would prompt resetting the passing override reset interval and resetting the passing duration to its established value, and if such a change has occurred, maintaining the current value of the duration interval rather than resetting it to its established value until completion of the next reset interval to prevent an operator from obtaining additional speed limit override time by changing the clock.
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20. In a method for controlling an engine which provides the operator with a particular operating capability for a time period which is reestablished at a predefined reset interval, a method of determining whether the operator has tampered with the engine control system clock to obtain additional time for the particular operating capability, the method including:
determining whether the system clock has been changed more than a preselected maximum number of times within a preselected time period and, if the number of clock changes exceeds the preselected maximum number of changes within that preselected time period, logging the fact and time of the tampering in an events log. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22)
Specification