IDENTIFICATION-DEPENDENT COMMUNICATION BETWEEN VEHICLES

• US 20100313017A1
• Filed: 09/04/2008
• Published: 12/09/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/05/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Continental Teves AG & Company HG (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: Continental Teves AG & Co. OHG (Continental AG)
• Inventors: Stählin, Ulrich
• Granted Patent: US 8,364,986 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/168
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/12 related to parameters of the vehicle itself , e.g. tyre models
• 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 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/164 at the network layer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0897 involving additional devices, e.g. trusted platform module [TPM], smartcard or USB
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/32 including means for verifying the identity or authority of a user of the system or for message authentication, e.g. authorization, entity authentication, data integrity or data verification, non-repudiation, key authentication or verification of credentials
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/03 Protecting confidentiality, e.g. by encryption
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/46 for vehicle-to-vehicle communication [V2V]

Abstract

A method and assistance system drawn to identification-dependent communication that takes place between vehicles. The messages to be transmitted are encrypted by cryptographic methods, wherein the necessary keys for the cryptographic methods are stored in vehicle components which are protected from unauthorized removal and installation by means of protection mechanisms. The method and system make it possible to limit standardized broadcasts to a particular group of users.

Claims

1-16. -16. (canceled)

17. An assistance system for a first vehicle, said assistance system having:

a communication device for communication with selected transmission and reception devices;

a restriction device for restricting the communication to the selected vehicles;

wherein the restriction device is integrated in a vehicle component of the assistance system; and

wherein the vehicle component has a protection mechanism which protects the vehicle component from unauthorized removal and installation in the assistance system.

18. The assistance system as claimed in claim 17,

wherein the selected transmission and reception devices are assistance systems which are arranged in vehicles proximate to the first vehicle.

19. The assistance system as claimed in claim 17,

wherein the selected transmission and reception devices are a mobile communication appliance which is designed to support the assistance system.

20. The assistance system as claimed in claim 17,

wherein the restriction device has an encryption device which is designed to encrypt data which are to be transmitted and to decrypt received data;

wherein keys required for the encryption and decryption are stored in the restriction device.

21. The assistance system as claimed in claim 20,

wherein the restriction device or the keys required for the encryption and decryption is/are integrated in an ESP controller or in a driver assistance unit.

22. The assistance system as claimed in claim 17,

wherein the vehicle component is a separate, standalone module.

23. The assistance system as claimed in claim 17,

wherein the assistance system has an input device which is usable to select the vehicles which are involved in the communication.

24. The assistance system as claimed in claim 23,

wherein the selected vehicles are vehicles from a particular manufacturer, vehicles in a particular class, or vehicles in a particular model.

25. The assistance system as claimed in claim 23,

wherein the selected vehicles are emergency vehicles, rescue vehicles, or are vehicles for short-distance public transport.

26. The assistance system as claimed in claim 17,

wherein the communication unit is designed for communication using Bluetooth, ZigBee, WLAN, WiMax, DSRC or cellular radio.

27. A vehicle having an assistance system as claimed in claim 17.

28. A method for identification-dependent communication between vehicles, said method having the following steps:

receiving data from a transmission and reception device; and

determining whether the transmission and reception device is a transmission and reception device which belongs to a selected group of transmission and reception devices by accessing a vehicle component of an assistance system in the receiving vehicle in which said vehicle component has a protection mechanism which protects the vehicle component from unauthorized removal and installation in the assistance system.

29. A method for identification-dependent communication between a plurality of components of a vehicle, said method having the following steps:

receiving data sent by a transmitting component in the vehicle by another component in the vehicle; and

determining whether the transmitting component is a component which belongs to a group of selected components which are authorized for transmission.

30. The method as claimed in claim 29, further comprising using a cryptographic method to determine whether the transmitting component is a component which belongs to a group of selected components which are authorized for transmission.

31. The method as claimed in claim 30, further comprising storing keys required for the cryptographic method in the vehicle component.

32. A program element which, when executed on a processor, instructs the processor to perform the following steps:

receive data from a transmission and reception device;

determine whether the transmission and reception device is a transmission and reception device which belongs to a selected group of transmission and reception devices by accessing a vehicle component of an assistance system in the receiving vehicle in which said vehicle component has a protection mechanism which protects the vehicle component from unauthorized removal and installation in the assistance system.

33. A computer-readable medium which stores a program element which, when executed on a processor, instructs the processor to perform the following steps:

receive data from a transmission and reception device;

determine whether the transmission and reception device is a transmission and reception device which belongs to a selected group of transmission and reception devices by accessing a vehicle component of an assistance system in the receiving vehicle in which said vehicle component has a protection mechanism which protects the vehicle component from unauthorized removal and installation in the assistance system.