Motor vehicle control device data transfer system and process

• US 8,035,494 B2
• Filed: 05/09/2008
• Issued: 10/11/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/11/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AGCO GmbH (AGCO Corporation)
• Original Assignee: AGCO Corporation
• Inventors: Waldmann, Alfred, Spiess, Hans-Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee; Benjamin C
• Assistant Examiner(s): MEHRAVARI, PETER CYRUS
• Application Number:
  US12/118,366
• Publication Number:
  US 20080278282A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,250 Days
• Field of Search: 340/426.11, 340/539.11, 340/539.16, 340/5.6, 340/5.61, 340/5.65, 340/5.85, 380/277, 307/10
• US Class Current: 340/426.11
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/445 by mutual authentication, e.g. between devices or programs
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2129 Authenticate client device independently of the user
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/126 the source of the received data

Abstract

The present invention relates to a motor vehicle control device data transfer system and process. In particular, it relates to such a system and process for the transfer of data, subject to the risk of tampering, from a central data-processing device (12) at the motor vehicle manufacturer'"'"'s to a motor vehicle data-processing device (5), such as an electronic drive engine control device, in which tamper-free data transfer is guaranteed. In this connection, an authentication enquiry value is generated by the vehicle data-processing device (5) and transferred to the central data-processing device (12) by means of a mobile data-processing device (9). This generates an authentication response value, which is transferred back by the same route with release data.

Claims

1. Data transfer system for programming motor vehicle control devices comprising:

a immobilizer control device (5), located on a vehicle to control the immobilization of the vehicle, which is adapted to store data which is to be protected against unauthorized access;

a motor vehicle service tool (9); and

, a vehicle manufacturer server (12), which is adapted to receive data which is to be protected against unauthorized access and is to be transferred to the immobilizer control device (5);

wherein the immobilizer control device (5) and the motor vehicle service tool (9) are adapted to be connected to one another via a first data transfer device and for data stored in the immobilizer control device (5) to be transferred as first transfer data to the motor vehicle service tool (9), wherein the motor vehicle service tool (9) and the vehicle manufacturer server (12) are adapted to bring the motor vehicle service tool (9) from an area at the immobilizer control device (5) into a spatial area in which the motor vehicle service tool (9) can be connected to the vehicle manufacturer server (12) indirectly or directly via a second data transfer device (11), to connect the motor vehicle service tool (9) and the vehicle manufacturer server (12) indirectly or directly via the second data transfer device (11) and transfer at least a part of the first transfer data from the motor vehicle service tool (9) to the vehicle manufacturer server (12) as second transfer data;

wherein the vehicle manufacturer server (12) is adapted to generate an authentication response value from the first transfer data or a part thereof by means of a generating function;

wherein the motor vehicle service tool (9) and the vehicle manufacturer server (12) are adapted to transfer the authentication response value and data stored in the vehicle manufacturer server (12) as third transfer data to the motor vehicle service tool (9);

wherein the immobilizer control device (5) and the motor vehicle service tool (9) are adapted to transfer the authentication response value and the other third transfer data or part thereof to the immobilizer control device (5) as fourth transfer data;

wherein the immobilizer control device (5) is adapted to check the correctness of the authentication value by means of the first transfer data or parts thereof and to process the fourth transfer data further; and

when the immobilizer control device determines the authentication value is correct, the motor vehicle service tool is then capable of gaining protected access to the immobilizer control device.

2. Data transfer system according to claim 1, wherein the immobilizer control device, the motor vehicle service tool and the vehicle manufacturer server are adapted such that, before the transfer, a one-way hash function is applied to the first, second, third and/or fourth transfer data, and the hash value generated by this is appended to the first, second, third, and/or fourth transfer data.

3. Data transfer system according to claim 1, wherein the immobilizer control device, the motor vehicle service tool and the vehicle manufacturer server are adapted such that the first, second, third, and/or fourth transfer data are encoded.

4. Data transfer system according to claim 1, wherein the immobilizer control device and the motor vehicle service tool are adapted such that an authentication of the immobilizer control device or the motor vehicle service tool is carried out by means of a challenge-response process.

5. Data transfer system according to claim 1, wherein the generating function is a symmetrical encoding process or an encoding process without reverse function, and the immobilizer control device (5) is adapted to apply the generation function with the same input values to the first transfer data or a part thereof and to compare the result of this with the authentication response value.

6. Data transfer system according to claim 1, wherein the generating function is a symmetrical or asymmetrical encoding process and the immobilizer control device (5) is adapted to apply the reverse function of the generating function to the authentication response value and to compare the result of this with the first transfer data or parts thereof.

7. Data transfer system according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle manufacturer server (12) is adapted to store the second transfer data or parts thereof in the long term.

8. Data transfer system according to claim 1, wherein the first transfer data contains an authentication enquiry value and at least one of a chassis number, a drive engine control device serial number or immobilizer control device serial number, a representation of a ceiling curve, an equipment list and a chassis number.

9. Data transfer system according to claim 1, wherein the second transfer data additionally contains at least one value from an identification value of the motor vehicle service tool and an identification value of the user of the motor vehicle service tool (9).

10. Data transfer system according to claim 1, wherein the third transfer data contains a main key for creating a learning readiness mode of a drive engine control device (3) and the immobilizer control device is connected to the drive engine control device and the drive engine control device is adapted to create a learning readiness state for acquisition of the immobilizer control device.

11. Data transfer system according to claim 1, wherein the third transfer data contains a representation of a ceiling curve and the immobilizer control device (5) is adapted to process the ceiling curve.

12. Data transfer system according to claim 1, wherein the third transfer data contains the second transfer data or parts thereof and the motor vehicle service tool (9) is adapted to check whether the second transfer data or parts thereof correspond to the second transfer data which was transferred with the third transfer data.

13. Data transfer system according to claim 1, wherein the immobilizer control device (5) and the motor vehicle service tool (9) are adapted:

to request an authentication enquiry value by the motor vehicle service tool (9) at the immobilizer control device (5);

to generate and store a pseudo-random number as an authentication enquiry value by the immobilizer control device (5); and

, to transfer the first transfer data to the motor vehicle service tool (9).

14. Data transfer system according to claim 1, wherein the motor vehicle service tool (9) is adapted:

to aggregate the second transfer data to an encoded file; and

, to transfer the encoded file as second transfer data to the vehicle manufacturer server (12).

15. Data transfer system according to claim 1, wherein the motor vehicle service tool (9) and the vehicle manufacturer server (12) are adapted to transfer the second transfer data or third transfer data respectively by means of SMTP, HTTP, or FTP.

16. Data transfer system according to claim 1, wherein immobilizer control device (5) is part of an agricultural utility vehicle, in particular an agricultural tractor.

17. Motor vehicle control device data transfer process comprising:

(a) transfer of data stored in a immobilizer control device , the immobilizer control device being located on a vehicle to control the immobilization of the vehicle, as the first transfer data from the immobilizer control device (5) to a motor vehicle service tool (9);

(b) bringing motor vehicle service tool into a spatial area in which the motor vehicle service tool can be connected to a vehicle manufacturer server (12) indirectly or directly via a data transfer device (11);

(c) transfer of at least a part of the first transfer data from the motor vehicle service tool (9) to the vehicle manufacturer server (12) as second transfer data;

(d) generation of an authentication response value from the first transfer data or a part thereof by the vehicle manufacturer server (12) by means of a generation function;

(e) transfer of the authentication response value and data stored in the vehicle manufacturer server (12) as third transfer data from the vehicle manufacturer server (12) to the motor vehicle service tool (9);

(f) transfer of the authentication response value and the remaining third transfer data or a part thereof as fourth transfer data from the motor vehicle service tool (9) to the immobilizer control device (5);

(g) checking the correctness of the authentication response value by means of the first transfer data or parts thereof by the immobilizer control device (5); and

(h) granting protected access to the immobilizer control device by the motor vehicle service too when the immobilizer control device determines the authentication value is correct.

18. Process according to claim 17, wherein, in steps (a), (c), (e) and/or (f), before the transfer, a one-way hash function is applied to the first, second, third, and/or fourth transfer data, and the hash value generated in this way is appended to the first, second, third, and/or fourth transfer data.

19. Process according to claim 17, wherein, in steps (a), (c), (e) and/or (f), the first, second, third, and/or fourth transfer data are encoded.

20. Process according to claim 17, wherein, in steps (a) and/or (f), an authentication is carried out by the immobilizer control device or the motor vehicle service tool (5;

9) respectively by means of a challenge-response process.

21. Process according to claim 17, wherein the generating function is a symmetrical encoding process or an encoding process without reverse function, and step (g) comprises applying the generating function with same input values to the first transfer data or part thereof, and comparing the result from this with the authentication response value.

22. Process according to claim 17, wherein the generating function is a symmetrical or asymmetrical encoding process, and step (g) comprises applying the reversing function of the generating function to the authentication response value and comparing the result from this with the first transfer data or parts thereof.

23. Process according to claim 17, wherein after step (c) or (d) the following step is carried out:

long-term storage of the second transfer data or parts thereof.

24. Process according to claim 17, wherein the first transfer data contains an authentication enquiry value and at least one value from a chassis number, a drive engine control device serial number or immobilizer control device serial number, a representation of a ceiling curve, an equipment list, and a chassis number.

25. Process according to claim 17, wherein the second transfer data additionally contains at least one value from an identification value of the motor vehicle service tool (9) and an identification value of the user of the motor vehicle service tool (9).

26. Process according to claim 17, wherein the third transfer data contains a main key for creating a learning readiness mode of a drive engine control device connected to the immobilizer control device, and after step (h), creating the learning readiness mode of the drive engine control device wherein the drive engine control device will be configured to communicate with the immobilizer control device.

27. Process according to claim 17, wherein the third transfer data contains a representation of a ceiling curve, and after step (h), processing the ceiling curve in the immobilizer control device or a drive engine control device connected to the immobilizer control device.

28. Process according to claim 17, wherein the third transfer data contains the second transfer data or parts thereof, and after step (e), checking by the motor vehicle service tool (9) as to whether the second transfer data or parts thereof correspond to the second transfer data which was transferred with the third transfer data.

29. Process according to claim 17, wherein step (a) comprises the following substeps:

requesting an authentication enquiry value by motor vehicle service tool (9) at the immobilizer control device (5);

generating a pseudo-random number as an authentication enquiry value and storage of this by the immobilizer control device (5); and

, transferring the first transfer data from the immobilizer control device (5) to the motor vehicle service tool (9).

30. Process according to claim 17, wherein step (c) comprises of the following substeps:

aggregating the second transfer data to one encoded file; and

, transferring the encoded file as second transfer data to the vehicle manufacturer server (12).

31. Process according to claim 17, wherein, in steps (c) and (d) the second transfer data or third transfer data respectively is transferred by means of SMTP, HTTP, or FTP.

32. Process according to claim 17, wherein the immobilizer control device (5) is part of an agricultural utility vehicle, in particular an agricultural tractor.