COMMUNICATION SYSTEM FOR A MOTOR VEHICLE

• US 20140259143A1
• Filed: 09/13/2012
• Published: 09/11/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/11/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG (Zeppelin - Stiftung der Stadt Friedrichshafen)
• Original Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG (Zeppelin - Stiftung der Stadt Friedrichshafen)
• Inventors: Khnl, Jrg
• Application Number:
  US14/351,215
• Publication Number:
  US 20140259143A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/11
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/85 interconnection devices, e.g. bus-connected or in-line devices
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 25/00 Arrangements for preventing or correcting errors; Monitoring arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0209 Architectural arrangements, e.g. perimeter networks or demilitarized zones
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0218 Distributed architectures, e.g. distributed firewalls
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/30 using a wired architecture
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/40 using a wireless architecture
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 9/00 Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom

Abstract

A communication system for a motor vehicle comprises a telemetry terminal with a plurality of interfaces, a motor vehicle control device terminal, a bus by means of which the telemetry terminal and the motor vehicle control device terminal are communicating with each other, and a firewall which monitors the communication between the telemetry terminal and the motor vehicle control device terminal.

Claims

1-10. -10. (canceled)

11. A communication system for a motor vehicle, comprising:

a telemetry terminal;

a motor vehicle control device terminal in communication with the telemetry terminal via a bus; and

a firewall configured to monitor the communication between the telemetry terminal and the motor vehicle control device terminal.

12. The communication system according to claim 11, wherein the firewall is integrated in the bus, linking to the telemetry terminal via a first interface and linking to the motor vehicle control device terminal via a second interface.

13. The communication system according to claim 11, wherein the firewall is configured to monitor write accesses the telemetry terminal conducts on the motor vehicle control device terminal.

14. The communication system according to claim 11, wherein to monitor the communication between the telemetry terminal and the motor vehicle control device terminal, the firewall is configured to:

receive a write access command from the telemetry terminal;

retrieve a communication rule from a whitelist;

examine whether there is a communication rule that applies to the write access command;

determine whether the write access command is permitted based on the examination; and

transmit the write access command to the motor vehicle control device terminal when the write access command is permitted.

15. The communication system according to claim 14, wherein the communication rule in the whitelist comprises at least one of a permitted command, a value range, and a rule.

16. The communication system according to claim 11, wherein the firewall is further configured to supplement communicated user data with at least one of a header, additional data, a time stamp, a security code, and a transmission code prior to the user data being transmitted between the motor vehicle control device terminal and the telemetry terminal.

17. The communication system according to claim 11, wherein the firewall is configured to handle an error in the communication between the telemetry terminal and the motor vehicle control device terminal.

18. The communication system according to claim 17, wherein the error comprises at least one of repetition of a same message, omission of an unintended message, insertion of an unintended message, interchange of a message, distortion of a message, delay of a message, and manipulation of a message.

19. The communication system according to claim 11, wherein the firewall is an independent platform from the telemetry terminal and motor vehicle control device.

20. The communication system according to claim 19, wherein the independent platform includes a microcontroller.

21. The communication system according to claim 11, wherein the firewall further comprises a watchdog unit for monitoring operations of the firewall.

22. The communication system according to claim 11, wherein the firewall is an external firewall.

23. The communication system according to claim 11, wherein the firewall is an integral part of the telemetry terminal.

24. The communication system according to claim 11, wherein the bus comprises a CAN bus;

the telemetry terminal comprises a telemetry box; and

the motor vehicle control device terminal comprises a transmission control unit.

25. A method for monitoring communication between a telemetry terminal and a motor vehicle control device terminal, comprising:

providing;

a telemetry terminal;

a motor vehicle control device terminal in communication with the telemetry terminal via a bus; and

a firewall configured to monitor the communication between the telemetry terminal and the motor vehicle control device terminal;

receiving, by the firewall, a write access command from the telemetry terminal;

retrieving, by the firewall, a communication rule from a white list;

examining, by the firewall, whether there is a communication rule that applies to the write access command;

determining, by the firewall, whether the write access command is permitted based on the examination; and

transmitting, by the firewall, the write access command to the motor vehicle control device terminal when the write access command is permitted.

26. The method according to claim 25, wherein the firewall is integrated in the bus and wherein the firewall is linked to the telemetry terminal via a first interface and linked to the motor vehicle control device terminal via a second interface.

27. The method according to claim 25, wherein the communication rule in the white list comprises at least one of a permitted command, a value range, and a rule.

28. The method according to claim 25, further comprising:

handling, by the firewall, an error in the communication between the telemetry terminal and the motor vehicle control device terminal.

29. The method according to claim 28, wherein the error comprises at least one of repetition of a same message, omission of an unintended message, insertion of an unintended message, interchange of a message, distortion of a message, delay of a message, and manipulation of a message.

30. The method according to claim 25, further comprising providing a watchdog unit for monitoring operations of the firewall.