Apparatus And Method For Determining An Invalid Base Station

• US 20110151834A1
• Filed: 12/21/2009
• Published: 06/23/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Continental Automotive Systems, Inc. (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: Continental Automotive Systems, Inc. (Continental AG)
• Inventors: Dabholkar, Harsha, D'Avello, Robert F., Snider, James
• Application Number:
  US12/643,463
• Publication Number:
  US 20110151834A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/410
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/10 actuating a signalling device
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/2072 with means for preventing jamming or interference of a remote switch control signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/10 Integrity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/122 Counter-measures against attacks; Protection against rogue devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/126 Anti-theft arrangements, e.g. protection against subscriber identity module [SIM] cloning
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/042 Public Land Mobile systems, e.g. cellular systems

Abstract

It is determined whether a base station is an invalid base station. At an electronic device at the vehicle, communications are wirelessly received from a base station. It is determined whether the base station is an invalid base station based at least in part upon at least one security parameter included in the received communications.

Claims

1. A method of determining whether a base station is an invalid base station, the method comprising:

at an electronic device at the vehicle;

wirelessly receiving communications from a base station;

determining whether the base station is an invalid base station based at least in part upon at least one security parameter included in the received communications.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one security parameter comprises a security certificate.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one security parameter comprises an encrypted random number.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising discontinuing communication of information to the base station upon determining that the base station is an invalid base station.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the determination is made during a registration period.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the determining is made subsequent to a handover occurrence.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the determining is made periodically.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising transmitting an alarm message to an outside entity upon determining that the base station is determined to be invalid.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the outside entity is selected from the group consisting of:

a police agency and a private security provider.

10. An apparatus configured to determine whether a base station is an invalid base station, the method comprising:

an interface, the interface having an input that is configured to wirelessly receive communications from a base station and an output;

a controller coupled to the interface, the controller configured to determine whether the base station is an invalid base station based upon at least one security parameter of the received communication.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the at least one security parameter comprises a security certificate.

12. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the at least one security parameter comprises an encrypted random number.

13. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the controller is further configured to discontinue communication of information to the base station upon determining that the base station is an invalid base station.

14. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the determination by the controller is made during a registration period.

15. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the determination by the controller is made subsequent to a handover occurrence.

16. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the determination by the controller is made periodically.

17. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the controller is further configured to transmit an alarm message at the output of the interface to an outside entity when the base station is determined to be invalid.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the outside entity is selected from the group consisting of:

a police agency and a private security provider.

19. A computer usable medium having a computer readable program code embodied therein, said computer readable program code adapted to be executed to implement a method of determining whether a base station is an invalid base station, the method comprising:

at an electronic device at the vehicle;

wirelessly receiving communications from a base station;

determining whether the base station is an invalid base station based at least in part upon at least one security parameter included in the received communications.

20. The computer usable medium of claim 19 wherein the at least one security parameter comprises a security certificate.