Exploiting Application Characteristics for Multiple-Authenticator Broadcast Authentication Schemes

• US 20120265995A1
• Filed: 04/14/2011
• Published: 10/18/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/14/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations Incorporated (Motors Liquidation Co. GUC Trust)
• Inventors: Kherani, Arzad A., Bhattacharya, Debojyoti, Muthaiah, Skanda N.
• Granted Patent: US 8,756,430 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/179
• 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 63/12 Applying verification of the received information cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for data integrity or data verification H04L9/32
• 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 9/3247 involving digital signatures
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/069 using certificates or pre-shared keys
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/106 Packet or message integrity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/027 using movement velocity, acceleration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/40 for vehicles, e.g. vehicle-to-pedestrians [V2P]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/70 Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/005 Moving wireless networks

Abstract

A method for securing communications in a vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) system including an on-board computer of a broadcasting vehicle predicting a value for a vehicle parameter, generating a heavyweight signature corresponding to the predicted value, and obtaining an actual value for the vehicle parameter. The method also includes the computer comparing the predicted value to the actual value to determine if the predicted value bears a first relationship to the actual value. If the computer determines that the predicted value bears the relationship to the actual value, the on-board computer generates a lightweight authenticating signature to correspond to the predicted value and broadcasts a data message having the predicted value with the corresponding heavyweight authenticating signature and the corresponding lightweight authenticating signature.

Claims

1. A method for securing communications between automotive vehicles in a vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communications system, the method comprising:

an on-board computer of a broadcasting vehicle predicting a value for a vehicle parameter;

the on-board computer of the broadcasting vehicle generating a heavyweight authenticating signature to correspond to the predicted value;

the on-board computer of the broadcasting vehicle, subsequent to predicting the value and generating the heavyweight authenticating signature to correspond to the predicted value, obtaining an actual value for the vehicle parameter;

the on-board computer of the broadcasting vehicle comparing the predicted value for the vehicle parameter to the actual value for the vehicle parameter to determine if the predicted value for the vehicle parameter bears a first relationship to the actual value for the vehicle parameter; and

if the on-board computer of the broadcasting vehicle determines in the comparing step that the predicted value bears the first relationship to the actual value;

the on-board computer of the broadcasting vehicle (i) generating a lightweight authenticating signature to correspond to the predicted value and (ii) broadcasting a data message having the predicted value with the corresponding heavyweight authenticating signature and the corresponding lightweight authenticating signature.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

an on-board computer of a receiving vehicle receiving the data message broadcasted by the on-board computer of the broadcasting vehicle;

the on-board computer of the receiving vehicle comparing the predicted value to the actual value to determine if the predicted value bears a second predetermine relationship to the actual value; and

if the on-board computer of the receiving vehicle determines in the comparing step that the predicted value bears the second relationship to the actual value;

the on-board computer of the receiving vehicle processing the heavyweight authenticating signature and the lightweight authenticating signature to verify the predicted value; and

after verifying the predicted value as such, the on-board computer of the receiving vehicle utilizing the predicted value.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

the on-board computer of the broadcasting vehicle determining whether to predict the future value of the vehicle parameter;

wherein the on-board computer of the broadcasting vehicle performs the step of predicting the value for the vehicle parameter only in response to a positive result in the determining step.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the on-board computer of the broadcasting vehicle, in comparing the predicted value for the vehicle parameter to the actual value for the vehicle parameter to determine if the predicted value vehicle parameter bears the first relationship to the actual value for the vehicle parameter, determines whether the predicted value is within a threshold value of the actual value.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the on-board computer of the receiving vehicle, in comparing the predicted value to the actual value to determine if the predicted value bears the second predetermine relationship to the actual value, determines whether the predicted value is within a threshold value of the actual value.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein if the on-board computer of the broadcasting vehicle determines in the comparing step that the predicted value does not bear the first relationship to the actual value, the on-board computer of the broadcasting vehicle:

generates a heavyweight authenticating signature to correspond to the actual value;

generates a lightweight authenticating signature to correspond to the actual value; and

prepares and broadcasts a message including the actual value and the heavyweight and lightweight authenticating signatures corresponding to the actual value.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein if the on-board computer of the receiving vehicle determines in the comparing step that the predicted value does not bear the second relationship to the actual value:

the on-board computer of the receiving vehicle processing the heavyweight authenticating signature and/or the lightweight authenticating signature to verify the actual value; and

after verifying the actual value, the on-board computer of the receiving vehicle utilizing the predicted value.

8. A method for securing communications between automotive vehicles in a vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communications system according to a prediction-and-multiple-authenticator protocol, the method comprising:

the on-board computer of the broadcasting vehicle generating a first value for the vehicle parameter;

the on-board computer of the broadcasting vehicle preparing a first authenticating signature, having a first security level, to correspond with the first value for the vehicle parameter;

the on-board computer of the broadcasting vehicle preparing a predicted, second value for the vehicle parameter having lower accuracy than an accuracy of the first value for the vehicle parameter;

the on-board computer of the broadcasting vehicle generating a second security authenticating signature to correspond with the predicted, second value for the vehicle parameter, the second authenticating signature having a lower security level than the security level of the first authenticating signature;

the on-board computer of the broadcasting vehicle preparing and broadcasting a data message including the first value, the second, predicted value, and the corresponding authenticating signatures;

an on-board computer of a receiving vehicle receiving the data message;

the on-board computer of the receiving vehicle determining which level of data accuracy it prefers;

the on-board computer of the receiving vehicle processing the authenticating signature corresponding to the preferred level of data accuracy; and

then, the on-board computer of the receiving vehicle utilizing the data having the preferred accuracy.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

the on-board computer of the broadcasting vehicle determining levels at which to prepare values for the vehicle parameter;

wherein the on-board computer of the broadcasting vehicle performs the step of preparing the first value and preparing the second, predicted value in response to determining (i) to prepare the first value having an accuracy that the first value is prepared to have and (ii) to prepare the second value having an accuracy that the first value is prepared to have.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein:

the on-board computer of the broadcasting vehicle generating the first value for the vehicle parameter includes the on-board computer preparing an actual value for the vehicle parameter; and

the on-board computer of the broadcasting vehicle preparing the authenticating signature to correspond with the first value for the vehicle parameter includes the on-board computer of the broadcasting vehicle preparing the authenticating signature to have a very-high level of security.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein:

the on-board computer of the broadcasting vehicle predicting the second, predicted value includes the on-board computer of the broadcasting vehicle predicting the second, predicted value to be a relatively high-accuracy prediction of the value;

the on-board computer of the broadcasting vehicle preparing the first authenticating signature includes preparing the first authenticating signature to have a relatively-high level of security;

the method further includes;

the on-board computer of the broadcasting vehicle predicting with relatively moderate accuracy a third, moderate-accuracy predicted value for the vehicle parameter; and

the on-board computer of the broadcasting vehicle generating a relatively moderate-security authenticating signature to correspond with the moderate-accuracy predicted value for the vehicle parameter; and

the on-board computer of the broadcasting vehicle, in preparing and broadcasting a data message, prepares the message to include the first value, the second, predicted future value, the third, moderate-accuracy value, and the corresponding authenticating signatures.

12. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

the on-board computer of the broadcasting vehicle determining whether to predict any future value of the vehicle parameter;

wherein the following steps are only performed in response to a positive result from the determining step;

(1) the on-board computer of the broadcasting vehicle generating the first value for the vehicle parameter;

(2) the on-board computer of the broadcasting vehicle preparing the relatively high-security authenticating signature;

(3) the on-board computer of the broadcasting vehicle preparing the predicted, second value for the vehicle parameter;

(4) the on-board computer of the broadcasting vehicle generating the security authenticating signature;

(5) the on-board computer of the broadcasting vehicle preparing and broadcasting the data message;

(6) the on-board computer of the receiving vehicle receiving the data message;

(7) the on-board computer of the receiving vehicle determining which level of data accuracy it prefers; and

(8) the on-board computer of the receiving vehicle processing the authenticating signature corresponding to the preferred level of data accuracy; and

(9) the on-board computer of the receiving vehicle utilizing the data having the preferred accuracy.

13. A method for securing communications between automobiles in a vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communications system according to a delayed-authentication protocol, the method comprising:

an on-board computer of a broadcasting vehicle determining whether to predict a future value for a vehicle parameter; and

if the on-board computer of the broadcasting vehicle determines in the determining step to predict the future value;

the on-board computer of the broadcasting vehicle predicting the future value for the vehicle parameter;

the on-board computer of the broadcasting vehicle generating, using an authenticating key, an authenticating signature to correspond to the predicted future value; and

the on-board computer of the broadcasting vehicle preparing and broadcasting an initial predicted-value message including the predicted value and the corresponding authenticating signature;

the on-board computer of the broadcasting vehicle preparing and broadcasting a subsequent predicted-value message including the authenticating key, for use by the receiving vehicles to authenticate the authenticating signature received in the initial predicted-value message for using the predicted value received in the initial predicted-value message.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the on-board computer of the broadcasting vehicle, in determining whether to predict a future value for the vehicle parameter, considers needs of an application of the receiving vehicle.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

if the on-board computer of the broadcasting vehicle determines in the determining step not to predict a future value;

the on-board computer of the broadcasting vehicle preparing an actual value for the vehicle parameter;

the on-board computer of the broadcasting vehicle generating an authenticating signature to correspond to the actual value; and

the on-board computer of the broadcasting vehicle broadcasting an actual-value message including the actual value and the corresponding authenticating signature; and

16. A method for securing communications between automobiles in a vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communications system according to a delayed-authentication protocol, the method comprising:

an on-board computer of a broadcasting vehicle predicting a future value for a vehicle parameter;

the on-board computer of the broadcasting vehicle generating a first authenticating signature, using an authenticating key, to correspond to the predicted future value;

the on-board computer of the broadcasting vehicle preparing and broadcasting an initial message including the predicted future value and first authenticating signature;

the on-board computer of the broadcasting vehicle preparing an actual value of the vehicle parameter;

the on-board computer of the broadcasting vehicle generating a second authenticating signature to correspond to the actual value; and

the on-board computer of the broadcasting vehicle preparing and broadcasting a subsequent message including the actual value, the second authenticating signature, and the authenticating key used to generate the first authenticating signature, so that receiving vehicles can determine which of the first authenticating signature and the second authenticating signature to process for accessing the predicted value or the actual value, respectively.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

an on-board computer of a receiving vehicle receiving the broadcasted initial message;

the on-board computer of the receiving vehicle receiving the broadcasted subsequent message;

the on-board computer of the receiving vehicle determining whether to process the first authenticating signature for authenticating the predicted value or to process the second authenticating signature for authenticating the actual value.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the on-board computer of the receiving vehicle, in determining whether to process the first authenticating signature, using the authenticating key, for authenticating the predicted value, or to process the second authenticating signature for authenticating the actual value, considers needs of an application of the receiving vehicle.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

if the on-board computer of the receiving vehicle determines to process the first authenticating signature for authenticating the predicted value, the on-board computer of the receiving vehicle authenticating the first authenticating signature using the authenticating key received in the initial message, and upon the authentication, uses the predicted value.

20. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

if the on-board computer of the receiving vehicle determines to process the second authenticating signature for authenticating the predicted value, the on-board computer of the receiving vehicle authenticating the second authenticating signature and, upon the actuation, uses the actual value.