Connection key distribution

• US 9,276,736 B2
• Filed: 03/14/2013
• Issued: 03/01/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Motors LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: General Motors LLC (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Peirce, Kenneth L.
• Primary Examiner(s): REVAK, CHRISTOPHER A
• Application Number:
  US13/804,431
• Publication Number:
  US 20140270158A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,083 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/84 Vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0457 wherein the sending and receiving network entities apply dynamic encryption, e.g. stream encryption cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for stream encryption H04L9/065
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/061 for key exchange, e.g. in peer-to-peer networks cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key agreement H04L9/0838
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/062 for key distribution, e.g. centrally by trusted party cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key distribution involving a central third party H04L9/0819
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0823 using certificates cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving certificates H04L9/3263
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/166 at the transport layer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/006 involving public key infrastructure [PKI] trust models network architecture or network communication protocol for supporting authentication of entities using certificates in a packet data network H04L63/0823
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0819 Key transport or distribution, i.e. key establishment techniques where one party creates or otherwise obtains a secret value, and securely transfers it to the other(s) network architectures or network communication protocols for key distribution in a packet data network H04L63/062
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/04 Key management, e.g. using generic bootstrapping architecture [GBA]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/77 Graphical identity

Abstract

A system and a method implementing the method pertaining to securely providing a mobile device with a cryptographic key in a vehicle. The method includes generating a cryptographic key pair. The key pair may include at least a first cryptographic key and a second cryptographic key. The method may further include creating a label using a scannable image readable by a mobile device; the scannable image may be based on the second cryptographic key. And the method may include providing the label to the vehicle for displaying the scannable image.

Claims

1. A method of secure communication between a vehicle and a mobile device, comprising the steps of:

generating a cryptographic key pair comprising at least a first cryptographic key and a second cryptographic key;

providing the first cryptographic key to a vehicle telematics unit (VTU);

providing within the vehicle a scannable image associated with the second cryptographic key, wherein the scannable image is readable by the mobile device using a software application installed on the mobile device;

receiving a message from the mobile device that is signed using the second cryptographic key after the mobile device has scanned the scannable image and extracted the second key; and

deciphering the message using the first cryptographic key.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the scannable image includes one of a linear barcode or a two-dimensional barcode.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the scannable image is located on a label.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the label includes one of a physical article upon which the scannable image is reproduced, a physical component upon which the scannable image is engraved or embossed, or a digital article upon which the scannable image may be displayed electronically.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the message includes a command to perform at least one vehicle function.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising initiating at the telematics unit the performance of the at least one vehicle function based on the command.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein the at least one vehicle function includes locking or unlocking a vehicle door or starting a vehicle engine.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the software application is a computer program product, comprising a non-transitory computer readable medium for the mobile device having a camera, comprising one or more software programs stored on the computer readable medium that include program instructions to scan an image using the camera, wherein the instructions determine the second cryptographic key based on the scanned image.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the second cryptographic key is a private key.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the first cryptographic key and the second cryptographic keys are shared keys according to a private key infrastructure.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the second cryptographic key is randomly generated.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the second cryptographic key contains at least 4000 characters.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the second cryptographic key contains at least 7000 characters.