METHOD FOR CONTROLLING ACCESS TO AN IN-VEHICLE WIRELESS NETWORK

• US 20170093536A1
• Filed: 09/27/2016
• Published: 03/30/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Yazaki Corporation
• Original Assignee: Yazaki Corporation
• Inventors: Yoganathan, Sivashankar, Kaygee, Anand Ganesan, Dipperstein, Michael David, Soto, Roy Lujan
• Granted Patent: US 10,057,022 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/172 Caching, prefetching or hoarding of files
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/84 Vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0032 Distributed allocation, i.e. involving a plurality of allocating devices, each making partial allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0492 by using a location-limited connection, e.g. near-field communication or limited proximity of entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0807 using tickets, e.g. Kerberos cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using tickets or tokens H04L9/3213
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/18 using different networks or channels, e.g. using out of band channels cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key distribution involving distinctive intermediate devices or communication paths H04L9/0827; cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for authentication using a plurality of channels H04L9/3215
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• 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 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/068 using credential vaults, e.g. password manager applications or one time password [OTP] applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/12 Detection or prevention of fraud
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/122 Counter-measures against attacks; Protection against rogue devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/48 for in-vehicle communication
• 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 88/02 Terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices

Abstract

Disclosed is a technique for managing access by a portable device to an in-vehicle router system (IVRS). The IVRS determines network access privilege of the portable device located within the vehicle. The portable device determines whether it is connected to a wireless access point (AP) of the IVRS or a rogue network. The portable device transmits a first token to the wireless AP, via a first communication link implementing a first protocol stack, to prompt the wireless AP to reply with a second token. The portable device receives the second token via a second communication link implementing a second protocol stack different than the first protocol stack between the portable device and the IVRS. The portable device determines whether the second token matches the first token. If the second token is determined to match the first token, the portable device authenticates the wireless AP.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

transmitting, by a portable device located within a vehicle, a first token to a wireless access point (AP) associated with an in-vehicle router system (IVRS) of the vehicle, via a first communication link, to prompt the wireless access point to reply with a second token, the first communication link implementing a first protocol stack;

receiving, by the portable device, the second token via a second communication link between the portable device and the IVRS, the second communication link implementing a second protocol stack different from the first protocol stack;

determining, by the portable device, whether the second token matches the first token; and

authenticating the wireless AP, by the portable device, only when the second token has been determined to match the first token.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the portable device establishes communication with the IVRS by the following steps:

transmitting, by the portable device via the second communication link, a request for network access credentials and a first set of identification information;

receiving, by the portable device via the second communication link, a set of network access credentials for connecting to the first communication link; and

transmitting, by the portable device via the first communication link, a connection request using the set of network access credentials, wherein the IVRS is configured to authenticate the portable device by verifying the network access credentials.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first token is communicated from the portable device to the wireless AP via either of a wireless local area network (WLAN) link or a near field communication (NFC) link.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the second token is communicated over a communication link other than a communication link in which the first token is communicated.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the second communication link has a communication range limited to within the vehicle.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the second communication link is either of a near field communication (NFC) link or a universal serial bus (USB) link.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

terminating communication in response to determining that communication is with a rogue wireless system.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first token is produced using a random or pseudo-random value generator.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the first token and the second token include binary patterns.

10. A method comprising:

establishing communication with a portable device by an in-vehicle router system (IVRS), the IVRS communicating with the portable device over a wireless local access network (WLAN) and a short range communication link, wherein communication by the portable device with the IVRS is limited to communication with an authentication subsystem of the IVRS;

transmitting, via the WLAN, a first token to the portable device;

receiving, via the short range communication link, a second token from the portable device;

determining whether the first token matches the second token; and

determining network access privilege of the portable device only when the first token has been determined to match the second token.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the WLAN and the short range communication link remain established at least until network access privilege is granted to the portable device.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein establishing communication with the portable device comprises:

receiving from the portable device, via the short range communication link, identification information and a request for network access credentials;

transmitting to the portable device, via the short range communication link, network access credentials for connecting the portable device to the wireless AP;

receiving from the portable device, via the WLAN, a connection request using the network access credentials;

authenticating the portable device, by the IVRS, by verifying the network access credentials; and

in response to authenticating the portable device, enabling limited communication by the portable device to the authentication subsystem.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

receiving, via the short range communication link, a third token from the portable device; and

in response to receiving the third token, transmitting to the portable device, via the WLAN, a fourth token corresponding to the third token, the portable device being configured to verify that the third token matches the fourth token,

wherein the short range communication link and the WLAN remain active until verification by the portable device is complete.

14. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

receiving, via the WLAN, a third token from the portable device; and

in response to receiving the third token, transmitting to the portable device, via the short range communication link, a fourth token corresponding to the third token, the portable device being configured to verify that the third token matches the fourth token,

wherein the WLAN and the short range communication link remain active until verification by the portable device is complete.

15. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

determining that the portable device does not have network access privilege if an elapsed time between transmitting the first token to the portable device and receiving the second token from the portable device is greater than a threshold time period.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein the first token is produced using a random or pseudo-random value generator.

17. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

generating another token in response to at least one of a startup of a vehicle, expiration of a time period, request from an administrator, or a portable device establishing communication with the authentication subsystem of the IVRS.

18. The method of claim 10, wherein another token is generated using a random or pseudo-random value generator.

19. The method of claim 10, wherein the first token and the second token include binary patterns.

20. The method of claim 10, wherein obtaining authorization to enable network access privilege to the portable device comprises at least one of:

receiving authorization for the portable device from an administrator of the IVRS;

or

identifying the portable device among one or more authorized devices previously authorized by an administrator of the IVRS.

21. The method of claim 10, wherein a communication range of the short range communication link is limited to within a vehicle.

22. A method comprising:

establishing, by a portable device within a vehicle, communication with a wireless access point (AP) associated with an in-vehicle router system (IVRS) of a vehicle, the portable device communicating with the IVRS over a wireless local access network (WLAN) and a short range communication link, the communication by the portable device with the IVRS being limited to communication with an authentication subsystem of the IVRS;

receiving, by the portable device via the WLAN, a first token, the first token having randomly generated data produced by the IVRS in response to the WLAN connection by the portable device; and

transmitting, by the portable device via the short range communication link, the first token to the IVRS to prompt the IVRS to grant network access privilege to the portable device;

transmitting, by the portable device, a second token via the short range communication link to the IVRS;

receiving, by the portable device, a third token via the WLAN from the IVRS;

determining, by the portable device, whether the second token matches the third token; and

authenticating the wireless AP, by the portable device, only when the second token has been determined to match the third token.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the WLAN and the short range communication link remain established at least until authenticating the wireless AP is performed by the portable device.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein establishing communication with the IVRS comprises:

transmitting, by the portable device via the short range communication link, a request for network access credentials and a first set of identification information;

receiving, by the portable device via the short range communication link, information for connecting to the WLAN; and

transmitting, by the portable device via the WLAN, a connection request using the network access credentials, wherein the IVRS is configured to authenticate the portable device by verifying the network access credentials and establish communication with the authentication subsystem.

25. The method of claim 22, wherein the second token is not determined to match the third token if a time period expires before receiving the third token.

26. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

receiving network access credentials from the IVRS, wherein the network access credentials enable the portable device to access a network via the IVRS.

27. An in-vehicle router system comprising:

a wireless access point (AP) configured to communicate with a portable device over a wireless local access network (WLAN);

one or more near field communication (NFC) or wired communication devices configured to communicate with the portable device over a short range communication link; and

at least one processor configured to;

establish communication with the portable device via the wireless AP and the short range communication link, wherein communication with the in-vehicle router system is limited to an authentication subsystem of the in-vehicle router system;

cause the wireless AP to transmit, via the WLAN, a first token to the portable device, wherein the first token is produced by a random or pseudo-random generator;

receive, via the short range communication link, a second token from the portable device;

determine whether the first token matches the second token; and

determine network access privilege of the portable device only when the first token has been determined to match the second token.

28. The in-vehicle router system of claim 27, wherein the at least one processor is configured to establish communication with the portable device by performing the following:

receive, via the short range communication link, a request for network access credentials and a first set of identification information from the portable device;

transmit, via the short range communication link, information for connecting the wireless AP to the portable device;

receive, via the wireless AP, a connection request using the network access credentials from the portable device; and

authenticate the portable device by verifying the network access credentials, and in response to authenticating the portable device, enable limited communication to the secure subsystem.

29. The in-vehicle router system of claim 27, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

receive, via the short range communication link, a third token from the portable device; and

in response to receiving the third token, transmit, via the WLAN, a fourth token corresponding to the third token to the portable device, wherein the portable device is configured to verify that the third token matches the fourth token.

30. The in-vehicle router system of claim 27, wherein the portable device is determined not to have network access privilege if a time elapse between transmitting the first token and receiving the second token is greater than a threshold time period.

31. The in-vehicle router system of claim 27, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

in response to determining the first token does not match the second token, transmit, via the short range communication link, a message to the portable device indicating that network access is denied.

32. The in-vehicle router system of claim 27, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to perform at least one of:

receive authorization for the portable device from an administrator of the IVRS;

or

identify the portable device among one or more authorized devices previously authorized by an administrator of the IVRS.

33. The in-vehicle router system of claim 27, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to contact an administrator device to determine network access privilege of the portable device by at least one contact method of a hierarchical list of contact methods.

34. The in-vehicle router system of claim 33, wherein contact methods of the hierarchical list of contact methods include any of a text message, electronic mail, application notification, or automated voice message.