Method and system for vehicle authentication of a subassembly

• US 20040003234A1
• Filed: 06/28/2002
• Published: 01/01/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Temic Automotive of North America, Incorporated (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: Temic Automotive of North America, Incorporated (Continental AG)
• Inventors: Levenson, Samuel M., Fehr, Walton L., Reinold, Jurgen
• Application Number:
  US10/186,373
• Publication Number:
  US 20040003234A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/155
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/0234 related to maintenance or repairing of vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0823 using certificates cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving certificates H04L9/3263
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/126 the source of the received data
• 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 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]

Abstract

A vehicle obtains a prospective subassembly for use in the vehicle. The vehicle also obtains from a certification authority a certification that an authentic subassembly is associated with a cryptographic key. The certification certifies that the cryptographic key is bound to information identifying the authentic subassembly. The certification may also include a digital signature of the certification authority. The vehicle utilizes the cryptographic key obtained from the certification authority in cryptographic communication with the prospective subassembly, and determines whether the prospective subassembly is the authentic subassembly based on whether the cryptographic key is successfully utilized in the cryptographic communication. Upon determining the prospective subassembly is the authentic subassembly, the vehicle may allow the prospective subassembly to become operative within the vehicle.

Claims

1. A method for authentication of a subassembly for use in a vehicle, the method performed by the vehicle and comprising the steps of:

obtaining a prospective subassembly;

obtaining from a certification authority a certification that an authentic subassembly is associated with a cryptographic key;

utilizing the cryptographic key in cryptographic communication with the prospective subassembly; and

determining whether the prospective subassembly is the authentic subassembly based on whether the cryptographic key is successfully utilized in the cryptographic communication with the prospective subassembly.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the certification comprises a digital certificate.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the certification comprises a digital signature of the certification authority.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the certification authority is authenticated by a second certification authority.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the certification authority is a subassembly supplier of the authentic subassembly.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of determining that the certification authority is authorized to certify the authentic subassembly.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of obtaining the certification comprises obtaining a certification that a subassembly having an identified attribute is associated with the cryptographic key.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of obtaining the certification comprises obtaining a certification that a subassembly having an identified subassembly supplier is associated with the cryptographic key.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the authentic subassembly has a first cryptographic key and the cryptographic key with which the certification associates the authentic subassembly is a second cryptographic key corresponding to the first cryptographic key.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the first cryptographic key is accessible only by the authentic subassembly.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein the first cryptographic key is a private cryptographic key of the authentic subassembly and the second cryptographic key is a public cryptographic key of the authentic subassembly.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of allowing the prospective subassembly to become operative within the vehicle upon determining the prospective subassembly is the authentic subassembly.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the method is performed by a vehicle system of the vehicle.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein the method is performed by a component of the vehicle.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein the method is performed by a configured subassembly.

16. A system for authentication of a subassembly for use in a vehicle, the system comprising:

a configuration element obtaining from a certification authority a certification that an authentic subassembly is associated with a cryptographic key, the vehicle system comprising

a cryptographic unit utilizing the cryptographic key in cryptographic communication with a prospective subassembly; and

a computing unit determining whether the prospective subassembly is the authentic subassembly based on whether the cryptographic key is successfully utilized in the cryptographic communication.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein the certification comprises a digital certificate.

18. The system of claim 16 wherein the certification comprises a digital signature of the certification authority.

19. The system of claim 16 wherein the certification authority is authenticated by a second certification authority.

20. The system of claim 16 wherein the certification authority is a subassembly supplier of the authentic subassembly.

21. The system of claim 16, wherein the vehicle system determines that the certification authority is authorized to certify the authentic subassembly.

22. The system of claim 16 wherein the certification comprises a certification that a subassembly having an identified attribute is associated with the cryptographic key.

23. The system of claim 16 wherein the certification comprises a certification that a subassembly having an identified subassembly supplier is associated with the cryptographic key.

24. The system of claim 16 wherein the authentic subassembly has a first cryptographic key and the cryptographic key with which the certification associates the authentic subassembly is a second cryptographic key corresponding to the first cryptographic key.

25. The system of claim 24 wherein the private cryptographic key is accessible only by the authentic subassembly.

26. The system of claim 24 wherein the first cryptographic key is a private cryptographic key of the authentic subassembly and the second cryptographic key is a public cryptographic key of the authentic subassembly.

27. The system of claim 16 wherein the computing unit allows the prospective subassembly to become operative within the vehicle upon determining the prospective subassembly is the authentic subassembly.

28. The system of claim 16, wherein the configuration element is a vehicle system.

29. The system of claim 16, wherein the configuration element is a component.

30. The system of claim 16, wherein the configuration element is a configured subassembly.