Method for protecting devices, specially car radios, against theft

• US 6,992,563 B1
• Filed: 04/08/1996
• Issued: 01/31/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/11/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Tomtom Global Content B.V (TomTom NV)
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Plumeier, Joerg
• Primary Examiner(s): Horabik, Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): Shimizu, Matsuichiro
• Application Number:
  US09/402,907
• Time in Patent Office: 3,585 Days
• Field of Search: 713/184, 713/183, 379/93.02, 340/5.31, 340/427, 340/437, 340/432, 340/5.72, 340/26, 340/5.28, 340/5.54, 340/5.57, 307/10.2, 307/10.3, 701/36, 235/382
• US Class Current: 340/5.54
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 11/02 for radio sets, television sets, telephones, or the like; Arrangement of controls thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 11/0205 for radio sets B60R11/0211 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2011/0098 using electric or electronic means, e.g. alarms, codes
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/00 Fittings or systems for preventing or indicating unauthorised use or theft of vehicles locks for vehicles E05B77/00-E05B85/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00825 remotely by lines or wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00 Individual registration on entry or exit
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00896 specially adapted for particular uses
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/22 Electrical actuation
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 29/00 Checking or monitoring of signalling or alarm systems; Prevention or correction of operating errors, e.g. preventing unauthorised operation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0825 using asymmetric-key encryption or public key infrastructure [PKI], e.g. key signature or public key certificates
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/30 Public key, i.e. encryption algorithm being computationally infeasible to invert or user's encryption keys not requiring secrecy
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3226 using a predetermined code, e.g. password, passphrase or PIN network architectures or network communication protocols for supporting authentication of entities using passwords in a packet data network H04L63/083

Abstract

A method for providing an anti-theft mechanism for devices, in particular for car radios, in that a code which identifies the device must be entered directly into the device in order to activate the device. The code is derived from an item of check information assigned to the device, using an irreversible encryption method.

Claims

1. A method for preventing an unauthorized use of a device, comprising the steps of:

generating a code from a first item of check information using an irreversible encryption method;

assigning the code to the device, the code being entered directly into the device to activate the device;

storing the first item of check information in the device for authorization purposes;

generating a second item of check information from the code using the irreversible encryption method;

comparing the first item of check information with the second item of check information; and

storing a check algorithm for the code and the second items of check information in the device.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the device is a car radio.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the irreversible encryption method includes asymmetrical encryption methods.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the irreversible encryption method is a Revest Shamir Edelmann method.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the code is generated in a secure location using a secret key.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of:

storing a public key for the code in the device.

8. A method for preventing an unauthorized use of a device, comprising the steps of:

causing an irreversible encryption method to apply a generation algorithm to an item of check information to generate a code;

assigning the code to the device, the code being entered directly into the device to activate the device;

storing a check algorithm for the code and the item of check information in the device;

causing the irreversible encryption method to apply the check algorithm and the item of check information to the code; and

causing the check algorithm to check the code to determine whether the code is associated with the item of check information.

7. The method according to claim 8, wherein the check information is one of a serial number of the device and a portion of the serial number of the device.

9. A method for preventing an unauthorized use of a device, comprising the steps of:

generating a code from a first item of check information using an irreversible encryption method;

assigning the code to the device, the code being entered directly into the device to activate the device;

storing the first item of check information in the device for authorization purposes;

generating a second item of check information from the code using the irreversible encryption method; and

comparing the first item of check information with the second item of check information.