ESTABLISHING AND SECURING A UNIQUE WIRELESS RF LINK BETWEEN A TRACTOR AND A TRAILER USING A WIRED CONNECTION

• US 20080303648A1
• Filed: 06/05/2007
• Published: 12/11/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/05/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Omnitracs LLC (Solera Holdings Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Day, Jeffrey Lee
• Granted Patent: US 7,760,077 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/431
• CPC Class Codes: B60D 1/62 involving supply lines, electric circuits, or the like
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/061 for key exchange, e.g. in peer-to-peer networks cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key agreement H04L9/0838
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/033 of the user plane, e.g. user's traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication

Abstract

Communications between a tractor and trailer are established and secured using a wired connection between the physically connected tractor and trailer. Wireless ID or authentication information is communicated between tractor and trailer using the wired connection. Thereafter, a wireless, secure RF communication link may be established between the tractor and trailer using the ID/authentication information. Further, wireless messages may be encrypted between tractor and trailer using the identification/authentication information received over the wired connection.

Claims

1. A method of communicating among at least two tethered transportation units comprising:

sending identification/authentication information from one transportation unit to another using a wired connection therebetween; and

communicating wirelessly between transportation units using the identification/authentication information.

2. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein said transportation units consist of a tractor, a container, a trailer, a dolly or a combination thereof.

3. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein said wheel connection uses a conductor within a 7-pin connect.

4. A method as recited in claim 3 wherein said identification/authentication information is modulated on said conductor.

5. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein said communicating occurs using mobile communication terminals, each associated with a transportation unit.

6. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein said identification/authentication information comprises an encrypted session key.

7. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein said communicating wirelessly occurs using encrypted communications.

8. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein sending identification/authentication information from one transportation unit to another using a wired connection is accomplished when said at least two tethered transportation units are substantially still.

9. A method of communicating comprising:

receiving a public key of the entity over a wired connection;

generating a substantially random session key;

encrypting, according to said public key, before wirelessly sending said session key to said entity; and

wirelessly communicating with said entity using messages encrypted according to said session key.

10. A method as recited in claim 9 wherein receiving said pubic key of said entity over said wired connection occurs when said entity is substantially still.

11. A method of communicating comprising:

requesting a session key in order to communicate with an entity;

receiving a session key encrypted according to an associated secret key;

decrypting said session key according to said secret key;

sending said session key to an MCT over a wired connection; and

communicating wirelessly with said MCT using messages encrypted according to said session key.

12. A method as recited in claim 11 wherein said MCT is associated with a transportation unit consisting of a trailer, a container or a dolly.

13. A method as recited in claim 11 wherein sending said session key to an MCT over a wired connection occurs during a time said transportation unit is substantially still.

14. A mobile communications terminal associated with a vehicle comprising:

a transmitter/receiver;

a memory for storing identification/authentication data; and

a processor programmed to permit communication over a wired connection only when said vehicle is substantially stationary.

15. A system for communicating between a tractor and a hauled transportation unit comprising:

a mobile communication terminal for said tractor

a mobile communication terminal for said hauled transportation unit;

a wired connection coupling mobile communication terminal of said tractor with said mobile communication terminal of said hauled transportation unit;

a network management facility operable to dispatch a session key, wherein communications between said mobile communication terminal of said tractor and said mobile communication terminal of said hauled transportation unit occur in connection with messages encrypted according to said session key after said session key has been forwarded by said mobile communication terminal of said tractor to said mobile communication terminal of said hauled transportation unit using said wired connection.

16. A system as recited in claim 15 wherein said transportation unit consists of a container, a trailer, or a dolly.

17. A system as recited in claim 15 further including a satellite network through which communications between said network management facility and said mobile communications terminal for said tractor occur.

18. A system as recited in claim 15 further including a terrestrial network through which communications between said network management facility and said mobile communications terminal for said tractor occur.

19. A system as recited in claim 18 wherein communications between said network management facility and said mobile communications terminal for said tractor occur using one consisting of GSM, CDMA, or UTMS.

20. A system as recited in claim 15 wherein said mobile communication terminal for said hauled transportation is communication enabled according to one consisting of GSM, CDMA, UTMS, Wi-Fi, ZigBee, or a combination thereof.