Vehicle clock tampering detector

• US 6,671,608 B2
• Filed: 02/11/2002
• Issued: 12/30/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Detroit Diesel Corporation (Mercedes-Benz Group AG)
• Original Assignee: Detroit Diesel Corporation (Mercedes-Benz Group AG)
• Inventors: Flammersfeld, Stephen Karl, McKenzie, Ian D., Avery, Richard M. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Camby, Richard M.
• Application Number:
  US10/073,435
• Publication Number:
  US 20020111735A1
• Time in Patent Office: 687 Days
• Field of Search: 180/170-179, 701/93, 701/96, 701/97, 701/98, 701/110, 123/350
• US Class Current: 701/93
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 31/042 where at least one electrical quantity is set by the vehicle operator
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 31/18 including a device to audibly, visibly, or otherwise signal the existence of unusual or unintended speed to the driver of the vehicle devices primarily intended for indicating speed to other traffic B60Q1/54
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/146 Speed limiting
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2200/14 Trucks; Load vehicles, Busses

Abstract

A system, storage medium, and method for controlling an engine in a vehicle which provides the operator with a particular operating capability for a specified time period, which time period is reestablished at a predefined interval, including determining whether the operator has tampered with the engine control system clock to obtain additional time for the particular operating capability. The system, storage medium, and method monitor the system clock and utilize one or more criteria to determine whether tampering has occurred. If the system clock has been tampered with, one or more additional steps are taken, including logging the tampering event, suspending any steps which would provide the particular operating capability to the operator for any additional time until the next interval, or until the engine has been returned to personnel authorized to reprogram the engine control.

Claims

1. In a method for controlling an engine which provides the operator with a particular operating capability for a time period which is reestablished at a predefined reset interval, a method of determining whether the operator has tampered with the engine control system clock to obtain additional time for the particular operating capability, the method including:

determining whether the system clock has been changed more than a preselected maximum number of times within a preselected time period and, if the number of clock changes exceeds the preselected maximum number of changes within that preselected time period, suspending any steps which would provide the particular operating capability to the operator for any additional time.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein, if it is determined the system clock has been changed to a time which would prompt reinitialization of the time period during which the operator may utilize the particular capability, the suspending step includes suspending any steps which would provide the capability to the operator for any additional time until the completion of the next full reset interval.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein, if it is determined the system clock has been changed to a time which would prompt reinitialization of the time period during which the operator may utilize the particular capability, the suspending step includes suspending any steps which would provide the capability to the operator for any additional time until the engine has been returned to personnel authorized to re-program the engine control.

4. In a method for controlling an engine which provides the operator with a particular operating capability for a time period which is reestablished at a predefined reset interval, a method of determining whether the operator has tampered with the engine control system clock to obtain additional time for the particular operating capability, the method including calculating the aggregate time difference associated with each of the time changes to the control system clock made during a preselected time period and, if such aggregate time change exceeds a preselected maximum aggregate time change threshold, suspending any steps which would provide the particular operating capability to the operator for any additional time.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein, if it is determined the system clock has been changed to a time which would prompt reinitialization of the time period during which the operator may utilize the particular capability, the suspending step includes suspending any steps which would provide the capability to the operator for any additional time until the completion of the next full reset interval.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein, if it is determined the system clock has been changed to a time which would prompt reinitialization of the time period during which the operator may utilize the particular capability, the suspending step includes suspending any steps which would provide the capability to the operator for any additional time until the engine has been returned to personnel authorized to re-program the engine control.

7. In a computer readable storage medium having stored data representing instructions executable by a computer for controlling an engine which provides the operator with a particular operating capability for a time period which is reestablished at a predefined reset interval, instructions for determining whether the operator has tampered with the engine control system clock to obtain an additional time period for the particular capability, the instructions including:

determining whether the system clock has been changed to a time which would prompt reinitialization of the time period during which the operator may utilize the particular capability and, if such a change has occurred, suspending any steps which would provide the capability to the operator for any additional time.

8. The computer readable storage medium of claim 7 wherein, if it is determined the system clock has been changed to a time which would prompt reinitialization of the time period during which the operator may utilize the particular capability, the instructions for suspending any steps which would provide the capability to the operator for any additional time includes suspending any steps until the completion of the next full reset interval.

9. The computer readable storage medium of claim 7 wherein, if it is determined the system clock has been changed to a time which would prompt reinitialization of the time period during which the operator may utilize the particular capability, the instructions for suspending any steps which would provide the capability to the operator for any additional time includes suspending any steps until the engine has been returned to personnel authorized to re-program the engine control.

10. In a computer readable storage medium having stored data representing instructions executable by a computer for controlling an engine to allow an operator to override then normal vehicle speed limit for a cumulative passing period which is reestablished at a predefined reset interval, the computer readable storage medium including instructions for determining whether the operator has tampered with the engine control system clock to obtain an additional time period for exceeding the normal vehicle speed limit, the instructions including:

instructions for determining whether the system clock has been changed to a time which would prompt reinitialization of the passing period during which the operator may override the vehicle speed limit and, if such a change has occurred, suspending any steps which would provide the capability to the operator for any additional time.

11. The computer readable storage medium of claim 10 wherein, if it is determined the system clock has been changed to a time which would prompt reinitialization of the passing period during which the operator may override the vehicle speed limit, the instructions for suspending any steps which would provide the capability to the operator for any additional time includes suspending any steps until the completion of the next full reset interval.

12. The computer readable storage medium of claim 10 wherein, if it is determined the system clock has been changed to a time which would prompt reinitialization of the passing period during which the operator may override the vehicle speed limit, the instructions for suspending any steps which would provide the capability to the operator for any additional time includes suspending any steps until the engine has been returned to personnel authorized to re-program the engine control.

13. A computer readable storage medium having stored data representing instructions executable by a computer for controlling an engine in a vehicle including an internal combustion engine in communication with an electronic control module having a system clock to allow the operator to attain a passing speed greater than the preset vehicle speed limit, the method comprising:

instructions for establishing a normal vehicle speed limit;

instructions for establishing a passing speed increment;

instructions for establishing a passing duration;

instructions for establishing a passing override reset interval;

instructions for controlling the engine in response to vehicle operator input to provide a vehicle speed exceeding the normal vehicle speed limit by an amount not greater than the passing speed increment for a cumulative period not greater than the passing duration at any time during the passing override reset interval; and

instructions for resetting the passing duration and the passing override reset interval to their established values upon the expiration of the passing override reset interval, to allow for operator requested passing speed exceeding the vehicle speed limit for the next override reset interval unless the system clock has been changed to a time which would prompt resetting the passing override reset interval and resetting the passing duration to its established value, and if such a change has occurred, maintaining the current value of the duration interval rather than resetting it to its established value until completion of the next reset interval to prevent an operator from obtaining additional speed limit override time by changing the clock.

14. The computer readable storage medium of claim 13 wherein the vehicle speed limit, passing speed increment, passing duration, and passing override reset interval values are established during calibration of the engine control module.

15. The computer readable storage medium of claim 13 wherein the instruction for establishing a passing speed increment comprises an instruction for establishing a passing speed increment variable in the memory associated with the electronic control module with a preselected value.

16. The computer readable storage medium of claim 13 wherein the instruction for establishing a passing duration comprises an instruction establishing a passing duration variable in the memory associated with the electronic control module with a preselected value.

17. The computer readable storage medium of claim 13 wherein the instruction for establishing a passing override reset interval comprises an instruction for establishing a passing override reset interval variable in the memory associated with the electronic control module with a preselected value.

18. The computer readable storage medium of claim 13 wherein the passing override reset interval is reset at a selected real time, and wherein the operator is allowed to exceed the normal vehicle speed limit by an amount not greater than the passing speed increment for a cumulative period equal to the established value of the passing duration period whenever the real time is equal to the selected real time.

19. The computer readable storage medium of claim 13 further including an instruction for resetting the passing duration to its established value upon the expiration of the passing override reset interval.

20. In a method for controlling an engine which provides the operator with a particular operating capability for a time period which is reestablished at a predefined reset interval, a method of determining whether the operator has tampered with the engine control system clock to obtain additional time for the particular operating capability, the method including:

determining whether the system clock has been changed more than a preselected maximum number of times within a preselected time period and, if the number of clock changes exceeds the preselected maximum number of changes within that preselected time period, logging the fact and time of the tampering in an events log.

21. The method of claim 20 further including the step of periodically downloading the logged tampering events from the electronic control module.

22. The method of claim 20 further including the step of periodically transmitting the logged tampering events from the control module to a remote receiver.