Method for the Protection of a Movable Object, Especially a Vehicle, Against Unauthorized Use

• US 20090207004A1
• Filed: 03/15/2007
• Published: 08/20/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bundesdruckerei GmbH (Government of Germany)
• Original Assignee: Bundesdruckerei GmbH (Government of Germany)
• Inventors: Ziska, Andreas, Bortfeldt-Herkendell, Shirley, Küter, Joachim, Müffelmann, Gunda
• Granted Patent: US 8,222,989 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/426.100
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2325/105 Radio frequency identification data [RFID]
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2325/205 Mobile phones
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/2018 Central base unlocks or authorises unlocking
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/805 Lightweight hardware, e.g. radio-frequency identification [RFID] or sensor
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/84 Vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0853 using an additional device, e.g. smartcard, SIM or a different communication terminal cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving additional secure or trusted devices H04L9/3234
• 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: H04L 9/3226 using a predetermined code, e.g. password, passphrase or PIN network architectures or network communication protocols for supporting authentication of entities using passwords in a packet data network H04L63/083
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3263 involving certificates, e.g. public key certificate [PKC] or attribute certificate [AC]; Public key infrastructure [PKI] arrangements network architectures or network communication protocols for supporting authentication of entities using certificates in a packet data network H04L63/0823
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3271 using challenge-response

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for protection of a movable asset, particularly a motorvehicle (100), against unauthorized use with the following steps: cryptographic identity verification and/or cryptographic authentication of the vehicle with an external computer system (108), verification whether a blocking is stored for the motorvehicle, transmission of a signal from the computer system to the vehicle in order to allow use of the motorvehicle if no blocking is stored for the motorvehicle.

Claims

1-15. -15. (canceled)

16. A method for the protection of a mobile asset against unauthorized use, comprising the following steps:

cryptographic identity verification and/or cryptographic authentication of the asset with an external computer system,

verification whether a blocking is stored for the asset, and

transmission of a signal from the computer system to the asset in order to allow the use of the asset if no blocking is stored for the asset.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein the cryptographic identity verification and/or cryptographic authentication is done by using an asymmetric pair of keys that is attributed to the asset.

18. The method according to claim 16, wherein the computer system contains a database for storage of the blocking, and wherein the computer system accesses the database, after completion of the cryptographic identity verification and/or authentication of the asset, in order to verify whether the blocking for the asset is stored in the database.

19. The method according to claim 16, further comprising the steps of:

reception of a signed code by the asset,

verification of the validity of the signed code,

wherein the signal is only sent if the signed code is valid.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein the signed code and a certificate are received, and the certificate contains the code.

21. The method according to claim 19, wherein the signed code and a certificate are received, and the certificate contains an identifier identifying the asset, wherein the validity of the code is verified by means of the identifier.

22. The method according to claim 16, wherein the signal is signed with a secret key of the computer system.

23. The method according to claim 16, wherein a blocking signal is sent from the computer system to the asset for blocking usage of the asset, if a blocking is stored for the asset.

24. The method according to claim 23, wherein the blocking signal is signed with a secret key of the computer system.

25. The method according to claim 16, further comprising the steps of:

reception of a message signalizing the loss of the asset by the computer system, and

storing a blocking for the asset.

26. The method according to claim 16, further comprising the steps of:

reception of an auxiliary code by the computer system,

generation of an auxiliary certificate for the auxiliary code,

transmission of the auxiliary certificate via a secure connection to the asset in order to replace the certificate stored there.

27. The method according to claim 26, wherein the certificate is replaced by the auxiliary code upon request of an authorized garage.

28. The method according to claim 16, wherein the computer system belongs to a trust-center.

29. The method according to claim 16, wherein the mobile asset is one of an aircraft, vehicle, a passenger vehicle, a construction machine, a movable facility, a portable computer, a laptop computer, or a mobile telephone.

30. A computer readable storage medium, comprising instructions executable by a computer and which cause the computer to perform actions for the protection of a mobile asset against unauthorized use, comprising:

cryptographic identity verification and/or cryptographic authentication of the asset with an external computer system,

verification whether a blocking is stored for the asset, and

transmission of a signal from the computer system to the asset in order to allow the use of the asset if no blocking is stored for the asset.

31. A computer system, comprising:

means for cryptographic identity verification and/or cryptographic authentication of a movable asset,

means for determining a usage status of the asset, and

means for transmission of a signal to the asset depending on the usage status.

32. The computer system according to claim 31, further comprising:

means for reception of a signed code from the asset,

means for checking the validity of the signed code,

wherein the means for transmission are adapted for sending the signal depending on the checking of the validity of the signed code.

33. A method for the protection of a mobile asset against unauthorized use, comprising the following steps:

cryptographic identity verification and/or cryptographic authentication of the asset with the external computer system, and

reception of a usage signal or a blocking signal from the computer system.

34. The method according to claim 33, further comprising the steps of:

signing of a code, and

transmission of the signed code of the asset to the computer system.

35. The method according to claim 34, wherein the code is generated from one or several identifiers of electronic components of the asset.

36. The method according to claim 33, wherein a position signal defining the geographical position of the asset is transmitted by the asset after the asset has received the blocking signal.

37. A computer readable storage medium, comprising instructions executable by a computer and which cause the computer to perform actions for the protection of a mobile asset against unauthorized use, comprising:

cryptographic identity verification and/or cryptographic authentication of the asset with the external computer system, and

reception of a usage signal or a blocking signal from the computer system.

38. A motorvehicle electronics apparatus, comprising:

means for cryptographic identity verification and/or cryptographic authentication of the asset with a computer system, and

means for reception of a usage signal or a blocking signal from the computer system.

39. The electronic device according to claim 38, further comprising:

means for signing of a code, and

means for transmission of the signed code from the asset to the computer system.

40. The electronic device according to claim 38, further comprising means for the generation of the code from one or several identifiers that are assigned to the electronic device and/or other electronic components of the asset that can be networked with the electronic device.

41. The electronic device according to claim 40, further comprising means for cryptographic identity verification and/or cryptographic authentication of the further electronic components.

42. A method for the protection of a mobile asset against unauthorized use, comprising the following steps:

entry of information indicating loss of the asset into a first computer system,

transmission of the information to a second computer system for storing the information in a database, wherein the second computer system is adapted for generating a signal for enabling usage or blocking usage of the asset depending on the information stored in the database.

43. The method of claim 42, wherein a cryptographic identity verification and/or cryptographic authentication of the first computer system is performed with the second computer system.