Detection And Protection Against Jam Intercept And Replay Attacks

• US 20180089918A1
• Filed: 09/28/2016
• Published: 03/29/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Murray, Allen R., Lei, Oliver
• Granted Patent: US 10,043,329 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00555 comprising means to detect or avoid relay attacks
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00793 by Hertzian waves
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2209/61 Signal comprising different frequencies, e.g. frequency hopping
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00309 operated with bidirectional data transmission between data carrier and locks
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/20 involving the use of a pass
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 2203/22 for communication related to vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 3/222 wherein jamming detection includes detecting the absence or impossibility of intelligible communication on at least one channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 3/226 Selection of non-jammed channel for communication spectrum sharing arrangements H04W16/14; selection of wireless resources by user or terminal H04W72/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 3/46 characterized in that the jamming signal is produced by retransmitting a received signal, after delay or processing
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 3/65 using deceptive jamming or spoofing, e.g. transmission of false signals for premature triggering of RCIED, for forced connection or disconnection to/from a network or for generation of dummy target signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 3/88 related to allowing or preventing alarm transmission

Abstract

Method and apparatus are disclosed for detection and protection against jam intercept and replay attacks. An example disclosed key fob includes a first wireless transceiver tuned to communicate via a first frequency band, second wireless transceiver tuned to communicate via a second frequency band, and a communicator. The first frequency band is different than the second frequency band. The example communicator sends a first message via the first wireless transceiver in response to activation of a first button. Additionally, the example communicator, in response to not receiving a second message via the second wireless transceiver, provides an alert.

Claims

1. A key fob comprising:

first and second transceivers that respectively communicate via differing first and second frequency bands; and

a communicator to;

responsive to activation of a first button, send a first message to a vehicle via the first transceiver; and

responsive to not receiving a second message from the vehicle via the second transceiver;

provide an alert; and

send a third message to the vehicle including a resynchronization request via the first transceiver.

2. The key fob of claim 1, wherein the first frequency band includes at least one of 315 MHz or 433.92 MHz, and wherein the second frequency band includes 2.4 GHz.

3. The key fob of claim 1, wherein first message includes button command, a discrimination value, a first range value, an overflow value, and a counter value.

4. The key fob of claim 3, wherein the discrimination value, the first range value, the overflow value, and the counter value are encrypted by the communicator using an encryption key.

5. The key fob of claim 3, wherein:

the communicator is to generate the resynchronization request by modifying the overflow value; and

responsive to the resynchronization request, a remote keyless entry module of the vehicle is to resynchronize the first range value and the counter value.

6. The key fob of claim 1, including a light emitting diode, and wherein to provide the alert, the communicator is to illuminate the light emitting diode.

7. The key fob of claim 6, wherein the communicator is to stop illuminating the light emitting diode after a period of time.

8. The key fob of claim 6, wherein the communicator is to stop illuminating the light emitting diode in response to receiving input from a combination of the first button and a second button.

9. The key fob of claim 6, wherein the communicator is to stop illuminating the light emitting diode in response to receiving a new range value and a new counter value from a remote keyless entry module of the vehicle.

10. A method for a key fob comprising:

establishing a connection to a vehicle, via a short-range wireless module, using a first frequency band;

sending a first message to the vehicle, via a remote keyless entry node tuned to communicate via a second frequency band, in response to activation of a first button, the first and second frequency bands being different; and

in response to not receiving, from the vehicle, a second message responding to the first message via the short-range wireless module;

providing, via a processor, an alert; and

sending a third message to the vehicle including a resynchronization request via the remote keyless entry node.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the first frequency band includes at least one of 315 MHz or 433.92 MHz, and wherein the second frequency band includes 2.4 GHz.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein sending the first message includes generating the first message to include a button command, a discrimination value, a first range value, an overflow value, and a counter value.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein

generating the first message includes encrypting, using an encryption key, the discrimination value, the first range value, the overflow value, and the counter value.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein sending the third message includes generating the resynchronization request by modifying the overflow value and including resynchronizing, via a remote keyless entry module of the vehicle, the first range value and the counter value.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the key fob includes a light emitting diode, and wherein providing the alert includes illuminating the light emitting diode.

16. The method of claim 15, including turning off the light emitting diode after a period of time.

17. The method of claim 15, including turning off the light emitting diode in response to receiving input from a combination of the first button and a second button.

18. The method of claim 15, including turning off the light emitting diode in response to receiving a new range value and a new counter value from a remote keyless entry module of a vehicle.

19. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed, cause a key fob to:

establish a connection to a vehicle, via a first transceiver, using a first frequency band;

send a first message to the vehicle, via a second transceiver tuned to communicate via a second frequency band, in response to activation of a first button, the first and second frequency bands being different; and

in response to not receiving, from the vehicle via the first transceiver after a threshold period of time, a second message that includes a value in an encrypted portion of the first message;

provide an alert; and

send a third message to the vehicle including a resynchronization request via the second transceiver.

20. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 19, wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause a key fob to resynchronize with a remote keyless entry module of the vehicle.