METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR SECURING IN-VEHICLE COMMUNICATION WITH A PORTABLE DEVICE USING NFC

• US 20150038073A1
• Filed: 08/01/2013
• Published: 02/05/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/01/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Denso International America Incorporated (DENSO Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Denso International America Incorporated (DENSO Corporation)
• Inventors: Vang, Doua, Alasry, Bilal
• Granted Patent: US 9,451,642 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/41.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/71 Hardware identity
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

A method for securing wireless communication between an in-vehicle system and multiple portable devices brought into a vehicle. The method can include receiving a communication request from a portable device, and determining whether a primary device has authorized wireless communication between the in-vehicle system and the portable device requesting communication, where such authorization can be provided via near field communication (NFC). The method can further include establishing wireless communication between the in-vehicle system and the portable device requesting communication when the portable device requesting communication is the primary device, and when the portable device requesting communication is a secondary device and the primary device has authorized wireless communication via NFC.

Claims

1. A method for securing wireless communication between an in-vehicle system and multiple portable devices brought into a vehicle, the method comprising:

receiving a communication request from a requesting portable device, wherein the requesting portable device is one of the portable devices;

determining whether a primary device has authorized wireless communication between the in-vehicle system and the requesting portable device, wherein the primary device is one of the portable devices that is registered in a primary device registry;

establishing wireless communication between the in-vehicle system and the requesting portable device when the requesting portable device is the primary device; and

establishing wireless communication between the in-vehicle system and the requesting portable device when the requesting portable device is a secondary device and the primary device has authorized wireless communication, wherein the secondary device is one of the portable devices that is not registered in the primary device registry.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein authorization from the primary device is provided via near field communication NFC.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a subject portable device as the primary device when a device ID of the subject portable device is provided in the primary device registry, which has device ID of the primary device listed therein, wherein the subject portable device is one of the portable devices; and

determining the subject portable device as the secondary device when the device ID of the subject portable device is not provided in the primary device registry.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the communication request received specifies a communication profile to be established, and the method further comprising:

determining whether the communication profile being requested by the requesting portable device is registered in a profile registry as a public profile or a secured profile;

establishing wireless communication between the in-vehicle system and the requesting portable device when the communication profile requested is registered as the public profile in the profile registry; and

establishing wireless communication between the in-vehicle system and the requesting portable device when the requesting portable device is the secondary device, the communication profile requested is registered as the secured profile in the profile registry, and the primary device has authorized wireless communication.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the primary device has authorized wireless communication further comprises:

receiving a device ID of one of the portable devices from a near field communication NFC sensor;

comparing the device ID received from the NFC sensor to device ID provided in the primary device registry, which has device ID of the primary device;

determining the primary device has authorized wireless communication when the device ID received from the NFC sensor is registered in the primary device registry;

determining the primary device has not authorized wireless communication when the device ID received from the NFC sensor is not registered in the primary device registry; and

determining the primary device has not authorized wireless communication when the NFC sensor has not received the device ID.

6. An in-vehicle system for establishing wireless communication with multiple portable devices brought into a vehicle, the in-vehicle system comprising:

a primary device registry configured to include a device ID of a primary device, wherein the primary device is one of the portable devices;

a first communication subsystem configured to establish a wireless communication link with a requesting portable device, wherein the requesting portable device is one of the portable devices and is requesting wireless communication;

a second communication subsystem different from the first communication system, configured to wirelessly communicate with a subject portable device and receives the device ID of the subject portable device when the subject portable device is in close proximity to a communication sensor of the second communication subsystem, wherein the subject portable device is one of the portable devices; and

a control unit configured to establish wireless communication with the requesting portable device via the first communication subsystem when the requesting portable device is registered as the primary device in the primary device registry, and configured to establish wireless communication with the requesting portable device via the first communication subsystem when the requesting portable device is not registered as the primary device in the primary device registry and the second communication subsystem communicates with the subject portable device that is the primary device.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the communication sensor of the second communication subsystem is a near field communication NFC sensor to receive the device ID of the subject portable device, which is in close proximity to the NFC sensor.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the second communication subsystem includes a NFC pad having NFC sensors, as the communication sensor, disposed therein to receive the device ID of the subject portable device.

9. The system of claim 6 further comprising:

a profile registry configured to include communication profiles being registered as either a public profile or a secured profile, wherein

the control unit establishes wireless communication with the requesting portable device via the first communication subsystem when a communication profile being requested by the requesting portable device is provided as the public profile in the profile registry, and establishes wireless communication with the requesting portable device via the first communication subsystem when the communication profile being requested is provided as the secured profile in the profile registry, the requesting portable device is not registered in the primary device registry as the primary device, and the second communication subsystem receives the device ID of the subject portable device that is provided in the primary device registry as the primary device.

10. The system of claim 6, wherein

the first communication subsystem is configured to establish the wireless communication link via Bluetooth protocol;

the second communication subsystem includes a near field communication NFC sensor as the communication sensor; and

the control unit is further configured to determine that the second communication subsystem communicates with the primary device when the device ID received by the NFC sensor from the subject portable device is provided in the primary device registry as the primary device.