SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR DSRC COMMUNICATION

• US 20110187506A1
• Filed: 01/26/2011
• Published: 08/04/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kapsch TrafficCom AG (Datax Handelsgmbh)
• Original Assignee: Kapsch TrafficCom AG (Datax Handelsgmbh)
• Inventors: Karner, Georg, Tijink, Jasja, Güner, Refi-Tugrul
• Granted Patent: US 8,963,687 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/10.1
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 15/063 using wireless information transmission between the vehicle and a fixed station identification of vehicles G08G
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/062 for key distribution, e.g. centrally by trusted party cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key distribution involving a central third party H04L9/0819
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

A system and method for Dedicated Short-Range Communication (DSRC) between beacons and onboard units of a road toll system, wherein the beacons have a system-wide key and the onboard units have only individual keys, which are respectively formed from the system-wide key on the basis of a derivation code specific to the onboard units, wherein upon a communication from the onboard unit the derivation code is transmitted to the beacon in order to enable the beacon to emulate the individual key to encrypt/decrypt the communication with the onboard unit and/or for access to data stored in the onboard unit, and wherein upon communications with consecutive beacons the onboard unit transmits varying derivation codes.

Claims

1. A method for Dedicated Short-Range Communication (DSRC) communication between a plurality of beacons and one of a plurality of onboard units of a road toll system, the method comprising:

providing the plurality of the beacons with a system-wide key;

providing each of the plurality of the onboard units with a respective individual key formed from the system-wide key, respectively on the basis of a derivation code specific to a respective onboard unit;

upon a first communication from an onboard unit to a first beacon, transmitting the derivation code of said onboard unit to the first beacon to enable the first beacon to emulate the individual key of the onboard unit for en/decrypting said first communication with said onboard unit, or for accessing data stored in said onboard unit;

upon a second communication from said onboard unit to a second beacon, varying the derivation code to obtain a second derivation code; and

transmitting the second derivation code to the second beacon to enable the second beacon to emulate the individual key for said onboard unit for en/decrypting said second communication with said onboard unit, or for accessing data stored in said onboard unit.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein as part of a communication with an onboard unit, the beacon transmits thereto at least one new individual key and associated derivation code pair, which the onboard unit uses in a subsequent communication.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the beacon transmits said individual key and associated derivation code pair at the end of the communication.

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein the beacon transmits said individual key and associated derivation code pair only in the case of low current communication occurrence.

5. The method according to claim 3, wherein the beacon transmits said individual key and associated derivation code pair only in the case of low current communication occurrence.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein a pool of pairs of individual keys and associated derivation codes is stored in said onboard unit, and as part of a communication with a beacon, said onboard unit selects a pair of an individual key and an associated derivation code from said pool and uses the selected pair for said communication.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein a pair of individual key and associated derivation code is selected randomly or pseudo-randomly from the pool in said onboard unit.

8. The method according to claim 6, wherein as part of a communication with an onboard unit, the beacon transmits thereto at least one individual key and associated derivation code pair, which said onboard unit stores in its pool.

9. The method according to claim 7, wherein as part of a communication with an onboard unit, the beacon transmits thereto at least one individual key and associated derivation code pair, which said onboard unit stores in its pool.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the communication occurs in accordance with DSRC standard EN 15509, or standards based thereon, and the derivation code is a key diversifier of the standard.