Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) Passive Vehicle Access Control System for Defending the System Against Relay Attacks and Method Thereof

• US 20180186332A1
• Filed: 05/10/2017
• Published: 07/05/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Granted Patent: US 10,532,719 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2325/101 Bluetooth
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2325/108 Encryption
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/24 using electronic identifiers containing a code not memorised by the user
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/00555 comprising means to detect or avoid relay attacks
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2009/0096 Electronic keys comprising a non-biometric sensor
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00309 operated with bidirectional data transmission between data carrier and locks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/1441 Countermeasures against malicious traffic countermeasures against attacks on cryptographic mechanisms H04L9/002
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/1466 Active attacks involving interception, injection, modification, spoofing of data unit addresses, e.g. hijacking, packet injection or TCP sequence number attacks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/12 Detection or prevention of fraud
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/122 Counter-measures against attacks; Protection against rogue devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/63 Location-dependent; Proximity-dependent
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/65 Environment-dependent, e.g. using captured environmental data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/027 using movement velocity, acceleration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/40 for vehicles, e.g. vehicle-to-pedestrians [V2P]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

A Bluetooth Low-Energy (BLE) passive vehicle access control system integrated into a vehicle and an external device to defend the system against relay attacks is provided. The system includes at least one of a motion detector, a microprocessor, or a barometric pressure sensor. The motion detector is configured to detect and distinguish various types of motion and vibration. The motion detector is further configured to distinguish between a true motion event and a false motion event. The microprocessor comprises a set of computer executable instructions including a TX power profiling is capable of modulating the transmitted (TX) power level to create at a receiving end of a communication having link in the vehicle a RX power level (RSS) profile that serves as an authentication. The barometric pressure sensor is configured to measure barometric pressure which ultimately translates the measured barometric pressure into altitude value and distinguish the altitude value of the vehicle and of the external device is either matched or different.

Claims

1. A BLE passive vehicle access control system comprising:

a vehicle;

an external device communicatively coupled to the vehicle; and

a processor communicatively coupled the vehicle to the external device;

wherein the external device is configured to;

modulate a transmitted (TX) power level of successive transmissions; and

generate a corresponding RX power level (RSS) profile identical to the modulated TX power level of successive transmissions.

2. The BLE passive vehicle access control system of claim 1 wherein the processor is configured to compare the RSS profile with a pre-determined secure patterns stored in a non-transitory computer-readable storage media.

3. The BLE passive vehicle access control system of claim 2 wherein the processor is further configured to disable a communication between the external device and the vehicle if the RSS profile is constant.

4. The BLE passive vehicle access control system of claim 2 further comprising a sensor for detecting a perimeter, and the processor coupled to the sensor receives the detected perimeter and disables a communication between the external device and the vehicle.

5. The BLE passive vehicle access control system of claim 4 wherein the sensor is a motion detector or a barometric pressure sensor.

6. The BLE passive vehicle access control system of claim 5 wherein the motion detector detects the perimeter comprising an acceleration data, the processor further compares the acceleration data with a set of pre-determined criteria stored in non-transitory computer-readable storage media and distinguishes the acceleration data is either a true event or a false event.

7. The BLE passive vehicle access control system of claim 6 wherein the processor disables the communication between the external device and the vehicle when the acceleration data does not match with the pre-determined criteria, is defined as the false event.

8. The BLE passive vehicle access control system of claim 5 wherein the barometric pressure sensor measures barometer pressure of at least one of the external device and the vehicle, the processor disables the communication between the external device and the vehicle if the barometer pressure of the external device does not match with the barometer pressure of the vehicle.

9. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored therefore on a computer program for defending a system against relay attacks, the computer program comprising a set of instructions for causing a processor to perform:

measure a RX power level (RSS) profile;

compare the measured RSS profile with a pre-determined secure patterns; and

disable a communication between the receiving device and a transmitting device if the measured RSS profile is constant.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 9 further comprising:

modulating a transmitted (TX) power level of successive transmissions; and

creating RX power level (RSS) profile identical to the modulated TX power level.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 9 further comprising:

detecting a perimeter generated by at least one of the receiving device and the transmitting device;

wherein the perimeter is at least one of an acceleration data and a barometric pressure value.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11 further comprising:

comparing the acceleration data with a set of pre-determined criteria; and

distinguishing the acceleration data is either a true event or a false event.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 12 further disabling the communication between the receiving device and transmitting device if the acceleration data does not match with the pre-determined criteria, defining the false event.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11 disabling the communication between the receiving device and the transmitting device if the barometer pressure value of the receiving device does not match with the barometer pressure value of the receiving device.

15. An access control system for a vehicle comprising:

a sensor for detecting data including at least one of a motion value, a vibration value, and a barometric pressure value of an external device; and

a processor in communication with the sensor is configured to disable a connection between the external device and the vehicle.

16. The access control system of claim 15 wherein the processor receives detected data from the sensor and compares the detected data with a pre-determined criteria;

wherein the pre-determined criteria is at least one of minimum motion value, maximum motion value, and no motion value.

17. The access control system of claim 16 wherein the processor is further configured to:

measure a RX power level (RSS) profile;

compare the measured RSS profile with a pre-determined secure patterns; and

disable the connection between the external device and the vehicle if the measured RSS profile is constant.

18. The access control system of claim 15 wherein the processor receives the detected data from the sensor and is further configured to:

translate the detected data into an altitude value;

compare the altitude value of the external device with an altitude value of the vehicle; and

disable the connection between the external device and the vehicle if the altitude value of the external device and the altitude value of the vehicle is not matched.