System and method for preventing unauthorized wireless communications

• US 20070247288A1
• Filed: 04/24/2006
• Published: 10/25/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations Incorporated (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Alrabady, Ansaf
• Granted Patent: US 7,623,875 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/425.500
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/12 Applying verification of the received information cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for data integrity or data verification H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/10 Integrity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/128 Anti-malware arrangements, e.g. protection against SMS fraud or mobile malware
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/02 Access restriction performed under specific conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/00 Wireless channel access

Abstract

A monitoring system and method for controlling access to, and especially protecting against unauthorized requests to provide input to, e.g., program, or elicit output from, a vehicular or other mobile device, such as an electronic control unit (ECU), adapted for use with the system, wherein said system, in a preferred embodiment, is configured to receive the request within a safe-zone, block its execution by the vehicle, send an objection message back to the source, and send a report to a law enforcement agency, based on the location of the source of the request.

Claims

1. A method of controlling access to a mobile device within an authorized zone having a communications network, wherein said method is autonomously performed by an electro-mechanical system, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) detecting a wireless request within the zone;

(b) determining within a period of manipulation whether the request emanated from the network; and

(c) communicating with the mobile device within the period of manipulation, so as to cause the request to be disobeyed by the device, when the request did not emanate from the network.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1,

steps (b), and (c) further including the steps of communicatively coupling the system and network, such that the system is operable to detect network activity within a period of potential promulgation, and causing the request to be disobeyed, when network activity is not detected within the period of promulgation.

3. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the mobile device detects the request contemporaneously with the system, waits a predetermined period at least equal to the period of manipulation, determines whether a blocking message has been received during the waiting period, obeys the request only if a blocking message has not been received during the waiting period, and

step (c) further includes the steps of communicating a blocking message to the mobile device within the period of manipulation, which instructs the mobile device not to obey the request.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1,

steps (b), and (c) further including the steps of determining and storing a list of the authorized node addresses of the network, determining the source address of the request, comparing the source address to the addresses in the list, and blocking delivery of the request to the mobile device, when the source address is not found in the list.

5. The method as claimed in claim 4,

step (a) further including the steps of manually determining and inputting the addresses.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the mobile device is a vehicle.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1,

step (a) further including the steps of detecting a wireless RF or cellular request.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the system includes at least one receiver oriented and configured to detect a wireless request within the zone, a controller communicatively coupled to said at least one receiver, and at least one transmitter communicatively coupled to the controller.

10. The method as set forth in claim 1,

steps (a) and (b) further including the steps of broadcasting within the zone a plurality of pings, wherein each ping is identifiable by and transmitted at a different channel, and detecting receipt of at least one ping by the mobile device, so as to determine the presence and communication channel of the mobile device.

11. The method as set forth in claim 1,

step (f) further including the steps of sending a blocking message to the mobile device, wherein said blocking message instructs the mobile device not to perform or accept the request.

12. The method as set forth in claim 11, wherein the mobile device detects the request, waits a predetermined period and determines whether a blocking message has been received, after detecting and prior to accepting the request, and accepts the request only when a blocking message has not been received during the period.

13. The method as set forth in claim 1;

and

(g) sending an objection message back to the source, after denying the request.

14. The method as set forth in claim 1;

and

(g) sending a report to a law enforcement agency, wherein the report informs the agency of the originating source location.

9. A method of controlling access to a mobile device within an authorized zone, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) determining the presence of the mobile device within the zone;

(b) determining and storing at least one communication channel of the mobile device;

(c) detecting a wireless request within the zone, and determining the transmission channel of the request;

(d) comparing the transmission channel to the communication channel of the mobile device;

(e) determining the location of the originating source of the request, when the transmission channel is congruent to the communication channel; and

(f) causing the request to be disobeyed by the mobile device, when the originating source is located outside of the zone.

15. A method of controlling access to a mobile device within an authorized zone, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) determining the presence of the mobile device within the zone;

(b) determining and storing at least one communication channel of the mobile device;

(c) detecting only a wireless request having a transmission channel congruent with the communication channel;

(d) determining the location of the originating source of the request; and

(e) denying acceptance of the request by the mobile device, when the originating source is located outside of the zone.

16. The method as set forth in claim 15,

steps (a) and (b) further including the steps of broadcasting within the zone a plurality of pings, wherein each ping is identifiable by and transmitted at a different channel, and detecting receipt of at least one ping by the mobile device, so as to determine the presence and communication channel of the mobile device.

17. The method as set forth in claim 15,

step (e) further including the steps of sending a blocking message to the mobile device, wherein said blocking message instructs the mobile device not to receive, accept, or perform the request.

18. The method as set forth in claim 17, wherein the mobile device detects the request, waits a predetermined period and determines whether a blocking message has been received, after detecting and prior to accepting the request, and accepts the request only when a blocking message has not been received during the period.

19. The method as set forth in claim 15;

and

(g) sending an objection message back to the source, after denying the request.

20. The method as set forth in claim 15;

and

(g) sending a report to a law enforcement agency, wherein the report informs the agency of the originating source location.