Secured repair data package

• US 9,558,342 B2
• Filed: 03/29/2011
• Issued: 01/31/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Volvo Lastvagnar AB (Volvo AB)
• Original Assignee: Volvo Lastvagnar AB (Volvo AB)
• Inventors: Pauli, Joakim
• Primary Examiner(s): Soofi, Yazan
• Application Number:
  US14/008,543
• Publication Number:
  US 20140222282A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,135 Days
• Field of Search: 701/32.6
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 5/00 Servicing, maintaining, repairing, or refitting of vehicles vehicles adapted to carry a workshop for servicing or maintenance B60P3/14; servicing rail locomotives B61K
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/31 User authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/44 Program or device authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/572 Secure firmware programming, e.g. of basic input output system [BIOS]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2143 Clearing memory, e.g. to prevent the data from being stolen
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/083 using passwords cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• 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

Abstract

An arrangement for storing a data set in an ECU in a vehicle control system, wherein the arrangement includes a computer connected to the vehicle, where the computer is adapted to execute an access application, where the access application includes vehicle specific information and service action specific information, and where the information is encrypted, where the arrangement is adapted to decrypt the vehicle specific information and the service action specific information, to unlock the vehicle ECU by sending a password from the computer to the ECU, to perform a service action by storing service action specific information in the ECU, to lock the ECU by sending a lock command to the ECU from the computer, and to corrupt the access application software such that it cannot be used again.

Claims

1. An arrangement for storing a data set in an ECU in a vehicle control system when updating data of a vehicle in a workshop, wherein the arrangement comprises

a computer constituting an update instrument of the workshop, the computer being adapted to be connected to and disconnected from the vehicle, where the computer is located in a first location and is configured to receive an access application sent from a second location, the access application comprising vehicle specific information and service action specific information, and the vehicle specific information and service action specific information being encrypted, the service action specific information comprising a password for unlocking the vehicle ECU,

where the computer is configured to execute the access application including

decrypting the vehicle specific information and the service action specific information,

unlocking the vehicle ECU by sending the password from the computer to the ECU with the service action specific information of the access application,

performing a service action by storing service action specific information in the ECU, and

locking the ECU by sending a lock command to the ECU from the computer,

wherein the arrangement is adapted to corrupt the access application software after the service action specific information is stored in the ECU and when a lock acknowledge message is received by the computer from the ECU such that the access application cannot be used again.

2. Arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the access application is adapted to be used for a predefined number of vehicles, and that the corruption of the access application software is performed after the access application has been used the predefined number of times.

3. Arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the arrangement is adapted to update one or more data parameters corresponding to a vehicle component.

4. Arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the arrangement is adapted to add a software module to an existing software in the ECU.

5. Arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the access application is compiled by the manufacturer of the specific vehicle.

6. Arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the access application comprises information that will unlock more than one ECU in the vehicle.

7. Arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the access application for a specific vehicle is compiled by the manufacturer of the vehicle when a workshop demands it.

8. Arrangement according to claim 1, wherein an access application that comprises data corresponding to a specific hardware part is compiled when the hardware part is produced.

9. Arrangement according to claim 8, wherein the access application is linked to the hardware part by a unique number and that the access application can be retrieved by sending the unique number to the manufacturer of the hardware part and/or to the manufacturer of the vehicle.

10. A method for storing a data set in an ECU in a vehicle control system of a vehicle, where the method is performed in a work shop, comprising:

compiling an access application in a first location, where the access application comprises vehicle specific information and service action specific information, the vehicle specific information and service action specific information being encrypted, the service action specific information comprising a password for unlocking the vehicle ECU,

sending the access application to a computer in a workshop in a second location, the computer being connectable and disconnectable from the vehicle,

connecting the computer to the vehicle,

executing the access application in the computer including

decrypting the vehicle specific information and the service action specific information by the access application,

unlocking the vehicle ECU by sending the password from the access application to the ECU with the service action specific information of the access application,

performing a service action by storing service action specific information in the ECU,

locking the ECU by sending a lock command to the ECU from the access application, and

corrupting the access application such that the access application cannot be used again.

11. Method according to claim 10, further comprising:

sending an unlock confirmation message from the ECU to the access application when the password has been received and the ECU is unlocked,

sending a completed message from the ECU to the access application when the service action specific information has been successfully stored in the ECU,

sending a lock confirmation message from the ECU to the access application when the ECU is locked.

12. Method according to claim 10, wherein the service action comprises an update of data parameters corresponding to a vehicle component.

13. Method according to claim 10, wherein the service action comprises adding a software module to an existing software in the ECU.

14. Method according to claim 10, wherein the access application is compiled by the manufacturer of the specific vehicle.

15. A computer comprising program code for performing a method for storing a data set in an ECU in a vehicle control system of a vehicle, where the method is performed in a work shop, the method comprising:

compiling an access application in a first location where the access application comprises vehicle specific information and service action specific information, the vehicle specific information and service action specific information being encrypted, the service action specific information comprising a password for unlocking the vehicle ECU,

sending the access application to a computer in a workshop in a second location, the computer being connectable and disconnectable from the vehicle,

connecting the computer to the vehicle,

executing the access application in the computer including

decrypting the vehicle specific information and the service action specific information by the access application,

unlocking the vehicle ECU by sending the password from the access application to the ECU with the service action specific information of the access application,

performing a service action by storing service action specific information in the ECU,

locking the ECU by sending a lock command to the ECU from the access application, and

corrupting the access application such that the access application cannot be used again.

16. A computer program product comprising program code stored on a non-transitory computer readable medium for performing a method for storing a data set in an ECU in a vehicle control system of a vehicle, where the method is performed in a work shop, the method comprising:

compiling an access application in a first location, where the access application comprises vehicle specific information and service action specific information, the vehicle specific information and service action specific information being encrypted, the service action specific information comprising a password for unlocking the vehicle ECU,

sending the access application to a computer in a workshop in a second location, the computer being connectable and disconnectable from the vehicle,

connecting the computer to the vehicle,

executing the access application in the computer including

decrypting the vehicle specific information and the service action specific information by the access application,

unlocking the vehicle ECU by sending the password from the access application to the ECU with the service action specific information of the access application,

performing a service action by storing service action specific information in the ECU,

locking the ECU by sending a lock command to the ECU from the access application, and

corrupting the access application such that the access application cannot be used again.