SECURE COMMUNICATION OF IOT DEVICES FOR VEHICLES

• US 20180183610A1
• Filed: 02/06/2018
• Published: 06/28/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: T-Central, Inc.
• Original Assignee: T-Central, Inc.
• Inventors: Kravitz, David W., Graham, III, Donald Houston, Boudett, Josselyn L., Dietz, Russell S., Stacy, Kent William
• Granted Patent: US 10,333,720 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/84 Vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0823 using certificates cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving certificates H04L9/3263
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0876 based on the identity of the terminal or configuration, e.g. MAC address, hardware or software configuration or device fingerprint
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0819 Key transport or distribution, i.e. key establishment techniques where one party creates or otherwise obtains a secret value, and securely transfers it to the other(s) network architectures or network communication protocols for key distribution in a packet data network H04L63/062
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3255 using group based signatures, e.g. ring or threshold signatures
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3268 using certificate validation, registration, distribution or revocation, e.g. certificate revocation list [CRL]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/71 Hardware identity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/76 Group identity

Abstract

Method for establishing secure communication between a plurality of IoT devices in one or more vehicles include: provisioning the plurality of IoT devices by providing a unique identification, a digital identity token and a cryptographic key to each of the plurality of IoT devices; establishing a secure communication line between the plurality of IoT devices by authenticating respective communication lines between respective IoT devices and issuing a digital certificate to the respective communication lines; grouping the plurality of IoT devices into different groups based on a predetermined criteria; and including a group membership for a group of the different groups in an attribute certificate indicating group characterization.

Claims

1. A method for establishing secure communication between a plurality of Internet of Things (IoT) devices in one or more vehicles, each IoT device including a hardware processor, associated memory, a unique identification, a digital identity token and a cryptographic key, the method comprising:

inviting a second IoT device by a first IoT device to establish a communication line with the first IoT device by receiving a digital identity token from the second IoT device;

establishing a secure communication line between the first IoT device and the second IoT device by authenticating a communication line between the first IoT device and the second IoT device and issuing a digital certificate to the communication line;

grouping the plurality of IoT devices into different groups based on a predetermined criteria; and

including group memberships for the different groups in respective attribute certificates of the respective devices.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the secure communication line includes a digital agreement establishing terms of use of said each secure communication line between first IoT device and the second IoT device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein a group is issued an attribute certificate which includes associated rules for group membership in the attribute certificate.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the different groups include sub-groups, and wherein each different vehicle has a different group and each sub-group of a respective group includes components of that vehicle.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein a group for a particular vehicle includes variable identities for the particular vehicle for transmission to external devices, and wherein the variable identities dynamically change based on one or more of certain mode or time of operation of the particular vehicle or its IoT devices.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

establishing a second group of external devices;

issuing a second group private key to each member of the second group; and

establishing an attribute certificate for the second group to a member of one or more of said different groups.