Method for operating a sensor apparatus and sensor apparatus

• US 8,601,281 B2
• Filed: 11/23/2009
• Issued: 12/03/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH (Continental AG)
• Inventors: Plankenhorn, Horst, Schmidt, Gunnar
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham, Luu
• Assistant Examiner(s): HOLMES, ANGELA R
• Application Number:
  US13/139,495
• Publication Number:
  US 20110320064A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,471 Days
• Field of Search: 701/1, 701/70, 701/93, 713/189, 340/3.31, 340/903, 340/905, 340/5.3, 380/270, 380/46, 380/28
• US Class Current: 713/189
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 3/0365 the undesired influence being measured using a separate sensor, which produces an influence related signal
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 3/08 with provision for safeguarding the apparatus, e.g. against abnormal operation, against breakdown

Abstract

A sensor apparatus includes a housing with a security device, a secure first computation device, a second computation device and a sensor element. The sensor apparatus detects a temperature in the housing, to activate the first computation device only when the detected temperature is in a predefined temperature range, to determine a session key by the first computation device and to store the session key in a second memory of the second computation device, to deactivate the first computation device after the session key has been stored, to determine data on the basis of a sensor signal detected using the sensor element and to encrypt and/or sign the data by the second computation device on the basis of the session key.

Claims

1. A method for operating a sensor apparatus that comprises:

a housing having a security device configured to detect unauthorized access to the housing;

a secure first computation device having a secure non-volatile first memory arranged in the housing;

a second computation device having a second memory or is assigned the second memory arranged in the housing with the second memory; and

at least one sensor element electrically coupled to the second computation device configured to supply a sensor signal to the second computation device,

the method comprising;

detecting a temperature in the housing;

activating the first computation device only when the detected temperature is in a predefined temperature range;

determining a session key by the first computation device;

storing the session key in the second memory;

reading at least one program from the first memory by the first computation device;

storing the at least one program in the second memory by the first computation device;

deactivating the first computation device after the session key is stored in the second memory;

determining data based at least in part on the sensor signal; and

at least one of encrypting and signing the data by the second computation device based on the session key,

wherein the second computation device is operated using the at least one program.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first computation device is one or more of activated and deactivated under the control of the second computation device.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

checking the security device of the housing; and

activating the first computation device only when an integrity of the housing is determined from the checking of the security device.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein, the first computation device:

reads from the first memory and stores in the second memory at least one of;

at least one identification data item,

at least one parameter; and

the second computation device is operated using at least one of the at least one identification data item, and the at least one parameter.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

monitoring one or more of the security device of the housing, at least one operating variable, and an ambient variable; and

deleting at least the session key from the second memory upon determining at least one of a violation of the integrity of the housing, an impermissible value, an impermissible change in the value of the at least one operating variable, and an ambient variable.

6. The method as claimed in claim 5, further comprising deleting from the second memory one or more of the at least one identification data item and the at least one parameter.

7. The method as claimed in claim 5, wherein at least one of:

the ambient variable is the temperature in the housing and

the operating variable is an operating voltage of the sensor apparatus.

8. The method as claimed in claim 6, wherein deleting is effected by overwriting.

9. A sensor apparatus comprising:

a housing;

a security device including circuitry arranged in the housing configured to detect unauthorized intrusion into the housing;

a secure first computation device arranged in the housing having a secure non-volatile first memory;

a second computation device one of having a second memory and being assigned the second memory is arranged in the housing with the second memory; and

at least one sensor element that is electrically coupled to the second computation device and configured to supply a sensor signal to the second computation device,

wherein the sensor apparatus is configured to;

detect a temperature in the housing;

activate the first computation device only when the detected temperature is in a predefined temperature range;

determine a session key by the first computation device;

store the session key in the second memory;

read at least one program from the first memory by the first computation device;

store the at least one program in the second memory by the first computation device;

deactivate the first computation device after the session key has been stored in the second memory;

determine data based on the sensor signal; and

at least one of encrypt and sign the data by the second computation device based on the session key,

wherein the second computation device is operated using the at least one program.

10. The sensor apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein the housing is formed from at least one printed circuit board on which at least one of the first and the second computation device is directly arranged.

11. The sensor apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein the at least one sensor senses a speed of a vehicle.

12. The sensor apparatus as claimed in claim 10, wherein at least one of the first and the second computation device is integrated in the at least one printed circuit board.

13. The sensor apparatus as claimed in claim 10, wherein the security device comprises at least two layers of conductor are formed on the at least one printed circuit board at least in a region of the housing to be protected.

14. The sensor apparatus as claimed in claim 12, wherein the security device comprises at least two layers of conductor are formed on the at least one printed circuit board at least in a region of the housing to be protected.

15. The sensor apparatus as claimed in claim 14, wherein the at least one sensor element is arranged in the housing.

16. The sensor apparatus as claimed in claim 15, wherein the at least one sensor element is configured as one of a Hall sensor element, an inductive sensor element, and a Giant Magnetoresistance (GMR) sensor element.

17. The sensor apparatus as claimed in claim 16, wherein the sensor apparatus is configured as a speed sensor for a vehicle.