Vehicle-mounted device for automatic charge receipt system

• US 6,087,963 A
• Filed: 08/07/1997
• Issued: 07/11/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 08/09/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Tanaka, Yasunari, Sakamoto, Toshiyuki, Kobayashi, Kenji
• Primary Examiner(s): Hofsass, Jeffery A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): TRIEU, VAN THANH
• Application Number:
  US08/908,197
• Time in Patent Office: 1,069 Days
• Field of Search: 340/928, 340/933, 340/937, 340/825.31, 340/825.34, 340/541, 235/379, 235/380, 235/384
• US Class Current: 340/928
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 15/063 using wireless information transmission between the vehicle and a fixed station identification of vehicles G08G
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/017 identifying vehicles G08G1/015, G08G1/054 take precedence

Abstract

A vehicle-mounted device for an automatic charge receipt system capable of being designed, manufactured and installed while an encrypting/decrypting algorithm and/or encrypting/decrypting keys remain hidden. Included is an arrangement for discrimination (i.e., identification) of a vehicle-mounted device or user each time a utilization charge is determined/settled, wherein an initial portion of communications concerning discrimination is conducted without encrypting/decrypting, and remaining portions of communications are conducted with encrypting/decrypting so as to protect an integrity and security of the automatic charge receipt system. Confindential components/information, e.g., the encrypting/decrypting algorithm and/or keys, and components directly handling such information are arranged within a tamper-/access-resistant unit (preferably as a sealed integrated circuit package) in the vehicle-mounted device. Since an encryptor and a decryptor directly read the encrypting/decrypting key without such key being detectable outside of the sealed unit, it is not necessary for components outside the sealed unit to receive and/or handle the aforesaid encrypting/decrypting key or their contents. Accordingly such key remains hidden (i.e., inaccessable) within the sealed unit. The arrangement can further include an authentication protocol such as a 3-way authentication protocol, a 2-way×2 authentication protocol and a Fiat-Shimir authentication protocol.

Claims

1. A vehicle-mounted device having at least a function to communicate with a road-side device for meeting a utilization charge in an automatic charge collecting system while a vehicle travels on a utilization charge road, said vehicle-mounted device comprising:

a discrimination information memory for holding discrimination information for uniquely identifying at least one of said vehicle-mounted device and a user;

a discrimination information provider for providing said discrimination information from said discrimination information memory to said road-side device;

an encrypting/decrypting key memory for holding at least one encrypting/decrypting key;

an encryptor for encrypting information sent to said road-side device using said at least one encrypting/decrypting key; and

a decryptor for decrypting encrypted information from said road-side device using said at least one encrypting/decrypting key;

wherein said vehicle-mounted device communicates said discrimination information to said road-side device without being encrypted by said encryptor;

further comprising a selector arrangement for selectably controlling so as to allow communications to be handled within said vehicle-mounted device with or without encrypting/decrypting.

2. A vehicle-mounted device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said selector arrangement is more specifically for allowing said discrimination information to be transmitted without being encrypted.

3. A vehicle-mounted device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said selector arrangement is more specifically for conducting a predetermined portion of communications pertaining to discrimination information transmission without encrypting/decrypting and conducting other portions of communications using encrypting/decrypting.

4. A vehicle-mounted device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said discrimination controller receives an input communication from said road-side device without such input communication being processed by said decryptor, and wherein said selector arrangement is more specifically comprised of:

a switch controlled by a signal obtained from said discrimination controller, for selecting an output of said vehicle-mounted device to correspond to an output of one of said discrimination information memory and said encryptor.

5. A vehicle-mounted device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said selector arrangement is more specifically comprised of:

an encrypting/decrypting controller for controlling at least one of said encryptor and said decryptor, for selectively stopping/starting an ecrypting/decrypting operation thereof so as to allow communications to be handled within said vehicle-mounted device with or without encrypting/decrypting.

6. A vehicle-mounted device as claimed in claim 5, wherein said device further comprises:

a utilization charge processor for receiving communications from said road-side device through said decryptor for meeting the utilization charge determined by said road-side device; and

wherein said selector arrangement is further comprised of;

a first switch controlled for selecting an input to said encryptor between said utilization charge processor and said discrimination controller; and

a second switch controlled for selecting an output from said decryptor to be delivered to one of said utilization charge processor and said discrimination controller.

7. A vehicle-mounted device as claimed in claim 5, wherein said device further comprises:

a switch controlled for selecting an output of said vehicle-mounted device to correspond to an output of one of said discrimination information memory and said encryptor.

8. A vehicle-mounted device as claimed in claim 7, wherein said device further comprises:

a utilization charge processor for receiving communications from said road-side device through said decryptor for meeting the utilization charge determined by said road-side device;

wherein said discrimination controller controls selecting of said switch, and wherein said utiliztion charge processor controlling starting/stopping of said at least one of said encryptor and said decryptor.

9. A vehicle-mounted device as claimed in claim 7, wherein said device further comprises:

a utilization charge processor for receiving communications from said road-side device through said decryptor for meeting the utilization charge determined by said road-side device;

wherein said utilization charge processor controls selecting of said switch, and controls starting/stopping of encrypting/decrypting of said at least one of said encryptor and said decryptor.

10. A vehicle-mounted device having at least a function to communicate with a road-side device for meeting a utilization charge in an automatic charge collecting system while a vehicle travels on a utilization charge road, said vehicle-mounted device comprising:

a discriminator having a discrimination information memory for holding discrimination information for uniquely identifying at least one of said vehicle-mounted device and a user;

a switch for conducting a predetermined portion of communications without using encrypting/decrypting and conducting other portions of the communications using encrypting/decrypting;

an ecrypting/decrypting key memory for holding at least one encrypting/decrypting key used in authentication and encrypting/decrypting; and

an authenticator/cryptographer unit for performing authentication and encrypting/decrypting using an encryptor and a decryptor and said at least one encrypting/decrypting key;

wherein said discrimination information memory, said switch, said encrypting/decrypting key memory and at least portions of said authenticator/cryptographer unit are provided in a tamper-/access-resistant unit.

11. A vehicle-mounted device as claimed in claim 10, wherein said tamper-/access-resistant unit is more specifically an integrated circuit.

12. A vehicle-mounted device as claimed in claim 11, further comprising a selector arrangement for selectably controlling activation/deactivation of encrypting/decryting so as to allow communications to be handled within said vehicle-mounted device with or without encrypting/decrypting.

13. A vehicle-mounted device as claimed in claim 12, wherein said selector arrangement is more specifically for allowing said discrimination information to be transmitted without being encrypted.

14. A vehicle-mounted device as claimed in claim 12, wherein said selector arrangement is more specifically for conducting a predetermined portion of communications pertaining to discrimination information transmission without encrypting/decrypting and conducting other portions of communications using encrypting/decrypting.

15. A vehicle-mounted device as claimed in claim 12, wherein said discriminator receives an input communication from said road-side device without such input communication being subjected to decrypting, and wherein said selector arrangement is more specifically comprised of:

a switch controlled by a signal obtained from said discriminator, for selecting an output of said vehicle-mounted device to correspond to an output of one of said discrimination information memory and said encryptor.

16. A vehicle-mounted device as claimed in claim 12, wherein said selector arrangement is more specifically comprised of:

an encrypting/decrypting controller for controlling at least one of said encryptor and said decryptor for selectively stopping/starting an ecrypting/decrypting operation thereof, so as to allow communications to be handled within said vehicle-mounted device with or without encrypting/decrypting.

17. A vehicle-mounted device as claimed in claim 16, wherein said device further comprises:

a utilization charge processor for receiving communications from said road-side device through said decryptor for meeting the utilization charge determined by said road-side device; and

wherein said selector arrangement is further comprised of;

a first switch controlled for selecting an input to said encryptor between said utilization charge processor and said discriminator; and

a second switch controlled for selecting an output from said decryptor to be delivered to one of said utilization charge processor and said discriminator.

18. A vehicle-mounted device as claimed in claim 16, wherein said device further comprises:

a switch controlled for selecting an output of said vehicle-mounted device to correspond to an output of one of said discrimination information memory and said encryptor.

19. A vehicle-mounted device as claimed in claim 18, wherein said device further comprises:

a utilization charge processor for receiving communications from said road-side device through said decryptor for meeting the utilization charge determined by said road-side device;

wherein said discriminator controls selecting of said switch, and wherein said utiliztion charge processor controlling starting/stopping of encrypting/decrypting of said at least one of said encryptor and said decryptor.

20. A vehicle-mounted device as claimed in claim 18, wherein said device further comprises:

a utilization charge processor for receiving communications from said road-side device through said decryptor for meeting the utilization charge determined by said road-side device;

wherein said utilization charge processor controls selecting of said switch, and controlling starting/stopping of encrypting/decrypting of said at least one of said encryptor and said decryptor.

21. A vehicle-mounted device as claimed in claim 10, wherein said tamper-/access-resistant unit is more specifically at least one of a welded-sealed unit, an epoxy-sealed unit, a resin-sealed unit, and a unit which at least one of self-destructs and self-disables upon unauthorized tampering/access thereof.

22. A vehicle-mounted device having at least a function to communicate with a road-side device for meeting a utilization charge in an automatic charge collecting system while a vehicle travels on a utilization charge road, said vehicle-mounted device comprising:

an encryptor for encrypting a communication delivered from said vehicle-mounted device to said road-side device;

a decryptor for decrypting an encrypted communication delivered from said road-side device to said vehicle-mounted device;

a encrypting/decrypting key memory connected to said encryptor and said decryptor, for holding/providing at least one encrypting/decrypting key used in said encryptor and said decryptor;

a discrimination information memory for holding a discriminating information uniquely identifying said vehicle-mounted device;

a discrimination controller for transmitting a content of said discrimination information memory to said road-side device without passing through said encryptor;

a utilization charge processor for receiving communications from said road-side device through said decryptor for meeting the utilization charge determined by said road-side equipment;

wherein said discrimination controller controlling at least one of said encryptor and said decryptor for selectively stopping an encrypting/decrypting operation thereof, so as to allow communications to travel through said at least one of said encryptor and said decryptor without encrypting/decrypting; and

wherein said discrimination controller carries out a communication with said road-side device in a predetermined order to perform a discriminating communication.