CHALLENGE-RESPONSE METHODOLOGY FOR SECURING VEHICLE DIAGNOSTIC SERVICES

• US 20140150090A1
• Filed: 11/29/2012
• Published: 05/29/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Cicala, John J.
• Granted Patent: US 8,832,825 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/19
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/44 Program or device authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3271 using challenge-response

Abstract

A method for locally authenticating a vehicle diagnostic tool with a vehicle using a challenge-response authentication scheme includes: receiving a pairing request from the vehicle diagnostic tool; presenting a user with a challenge through at least one of an audio system and an LCD display associated with the vehicle; receiving a response to the challenge from a user; and authenticating the vehicle diagnostic tool if the response from the user is identical to an expected response.

Claims

1. A method for locally authenticating a vehicle diagnostic tool with a vehicle using a challenge-response authentication scheme, the method comprising:

receiving a pairing request from the vehicle diagnostic tool;

presenting a user with a challenge through at least one of an audio system and an LCD display associated with the vehicle;

receiving a response to the challenge from a user; and

authenticating the vehicle diagnostic tool if the response from the user is identical to an expected response.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the challenge includes an alphanumeric code;

wherein presenting the user with the challenge includes displaying the alphanumeric code to the user through an LCD display associated with the vehicle; and

wherein receiving a response to the challenge from a user includes receiving a representation of an entered alphanumeric code from the vehicle diagnostic tool.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the alphanumeric code is a randomly generated number.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the alphanumeric code includes an odometer reading, a trip meter reading, an average fuel economy reading, or an active radio station.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the challenge includes a requested local action;

and

wherein receiving a response to the challenge from a user includes receiving a sequence of user actions within the vehicle.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein authenticating the vehicle diagnostic tool includes granting the vehicle diagnostic tool write-access to a communication bus of the vehicle.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein granting the vehicle diagnostic tool write-access to a communication bus of the vehicle includes broadcasting a write-access message on the communication bus;

the method further comprising authenticating the write-access message to a master controller on the communication bus.

8. A system comprising:

a vehicle diagnostic tool including a display and an input device;

a vehicle in wireless communication with the vehicle diagnostic tool, the vehicle including;

a plurality of vehicle control systems;

an LCD display;

a master controller in networked communication with each of the plurality of vehicle control systems over a communication bus;

wherein the master controller is configured to;

receive a pairing request from the vehicle diagnostic tool;

present a user with a challenge through the LCD display in response to the pairing request;

receive a response to the challenge from a user; and

authenticate the vehicle diagnostic tool if the response from the user is identical to an expected response.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the challenge includes an alphanumeric code;

wherein the master controller is configured to present the user with the challenge by displaying the alphanumeric code to the user through the LCD display; and

wherein the master controller is configured to receive a response to the challenge from a user by receiving a representation of an alphanumeric code from the vehicle diagnostic tool.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the representation of the alphanumeric code is generated by the vehicle diagnostic tool in response to an alphanumeric entry by the user to the input device.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the alphanumeric code is a randomly generated number.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the alphanumeric code includes an odometer reading, a trip meter reading, an average fuel economy reading, or an active radio station.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the challenge includes a requested local action;

and

wherein the master controller is configured to receive a response to the challenge from a user by receiving a sequence of user actions within the vehicle.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the master controller is configured to authenticate the vehicle diagnostic tool by granting the vehicle diagnostic tool write-access to the communication bus of the vehicle.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the master controller is configured to grant the vehicle diagnostic tool write-access to a communication bus of the vehicle by broadcasting a write-access message on the communication bus;

and

the plurality of vehicle control systems are configured to authenticate the write-access message to the master controller.

16. A method for locally authenticating a vehicle diagnostic tool with a vehicle using a challenge-response authentication scheme, the method comprising:

receiving a pairing request from the vehicle diagnostic tool;

presenting a user with an alphanumeric challenge through at least one of an audio system and an LCD display associated with the vehicle;

receiving an alphanumeric response to the challenge from a user via an input device of the vehicle diagnostic tool; and

authenticating the vehicle diagnostic tool if the alphanumeric response from the user is identical to an expected alphanumeric response.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the alphanumeric challenge includes a randomly generated number.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the alphanumeric challenge includes an odometer reading, a trip meter reading, an average fuel economy reading, or an active radio station.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein authenticating the vehicle diagnostic tool includes granting the vehicle diagnostic tool write-access to a communication bus of the vehicle.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein granting the vehicle diagnostic tool write-access to a communication bus of the vehicle includes broadcasting a write-access message on the communication bus;

the method further comprising authenticating the write-access message to a master controller on the communication bus.