System and method of intelligent agent identification for vehicle diagnostics

• US 7,845,012 B2
• Filed: 11/18/2005
• Issued: 11/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Toyota Motor Corporation
• Original Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America Incorporated (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Chigusa, Shunsuke
• Primary Examiner(s): Zand; Kambiz
• Assistant Examiner(s): Powers; William S
• Application Number:
  US11/282,925
• Publication Number:
  US 20070118256A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,838 Days
• Field of Search: 726/26, 701/29, 701/36
• US Class Current: 726/26
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/53 by executing in a restricted environment, e.g. sandbox or secure virtual machine
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6218 to a system of files or objects, e.g. local or distributed file system or database

Abstract

A system and method of intelligent agent identification for a vehicle is provided. The method including the steps of a host computer system selecting an intelligent agent and determining a slave system to receive the intelligent agent. The host system encrypts a work activity to be performed by the agent, and predetermined host identification information, and programs the encrypted work activity and predetermined host information into the selected agent. The methodology randomly generates an identification code for the selected agent and programs the code into the selected agent. The selected agent is transmitted to the selected slave system via a communication network. The slave computer system decodes the host information and agent identification code carried by the agent, and determines if the decoded host information matches corresponding host identification information stored in memory of the slave computer system. The agent is denying access to the slave computer system if the decoded host information does not correspond. The methodology continues to check the agent identity by determining if the decoded agent identification code matches a predetermined identification code stored in the memory of the slave computer system. The agent is denied access to the slave computer system if there is no match, and is allow access to the slave computer system if the decoded agent identification information matches the predetermined identification code stored in the memory of the slave computer system.

Claims

1. A method of intelligent agent identification for a vehicle, said method including the steps of:

selecting an intelligent agent by a host computer system, wherein the host computer system includes a processor, a memory associated with the processor and an input/output means, the memory having a plurality of identification numbers and a plurality of predetermined identification codes generated using at least one of the identification numbers;

selecting a slave system to receive the intelligent agent, by the host computer system;

encrypting a work activity to be performed by the intelligent agent, and encrypting predetermined host computer system identification information and programming the encrypted work activity and predetermined host computer system identification information into the selected intelligent agent by the host computer system;

selecting an identification code for the selected intelligent agent by the host computer system and programming the identification code into the selected intelligent agent;

transmitting the intelligent agent to the selected slave system, wherein the selected slave system includes a slave computer system having a processor, a memory associated with the processor and an input/output means, the memory having the plurality of identification numbers and the plurality of predetermined identification codes generated using the identification numbers, and the host computer system and slave computer system are operatively in communication with each other via a communication network;

decoding the host computer system identification information carried by the selected intelligent agent by the slave computer system;

determining if the decoded host computer system identification information matches corresponding host computer system identification information stored in the memory of the slave computer system;

denying access to the slave computer system if the decoded host computer system identification information carried by the intelligent agent does not correspond with host computer system identification information stored in the memory of the slave computer system;

continuing to check the identity of the intelligent agent if the decoded host computer system identification information carried by the intelligent agent does correspond with host computer system identification information stored in the memory of the slave computer system, by deciphering the identification code into the identification numbers and determining if the identification code and the identification numbers match the predetermined identification code and the identification numbers stored in the memory of the slave computer system;

denying access to the slave computer system if either of the identification code or the identification numbers carried by the intelligent agent do not match the predetermined identification code or the identification numbers stored in the memory of the slave computer system; and

allowing the intelligent agent access to the slave computer system if the identification code and the identification numbers carried by the intelligent agent matches the predetermined identification code and identification numbers stored in the memory of the slave computer system.

2. A method as set forth in claim 1 further including the steps of:

decoding the work activity carried by the intelligent agent if the intelligent agent is identified;

executing the work activity by the slave computer system and using the intelligent agent to obtain work activity information;

encrypting the work activity information obtained using the intelligent agent by the above computer system and programming the encrypted work activity information into the intelligent agent;

regenerating the identification code from the identification numbers for the intelligent agent by the slave computer system and programming the identification code into the intelligent agent;

transmitting the intelligent agent to the host computer system and receiving the intelligent agent by the host computer system;

deciphering the identification code into the identification numbers, and decoding the work activity information carried on the intelligent agent, by the host computer system;

determining if the identification code and the identification numbers correlates with a predetermined identification code and the identification numbers for the intelligent agent stored in the host computer system;

denying the intelligent agent access to the host computer system, if the identification code and the identification numbers do not match the predetermined identification code and the identification numbers for the intelligent agent;

continuing to check the agent identity if the identification code and the identification numbers carried by the intelligent agent do correspond with the predetermined identification code and the predetermined identification numbers stored in the memory of the host computer system, by determining if the decoded work activity information matches a predetermined work information condition;

denying access to the host computer system if the decoded work activity information carried by the intelligent agent does not match the predetermined work information condition; and

using the work activity information carried on the intelligent agent in vehicle diagnostics, if the decoded information carried on the intelligent agent matches the predetermined work information condition.

3. A method as set forth in claim 2 wherein said host computer system includes a host agent management software program for managing the intelligent agent.

4. A method as set forth in claim 3 wherein the host computer system includes a host agent identification software program for identifying the intelligent agent.

5. A method as set forth in claim 4 wherein said host computer system includes an agent send/receive manager that manages ingress and egress of intelligent agents to the host computer system.

6. A method as set forth in claim 2 wherein said slave computer system includes an agent identification software program for identifying the intelligent agent.

7. A method as set forth in claim 6 wherein said slave computer system includes a slave application software program for executing the work activity by the intelligent agent.

8. A method as set forth in claim 1 wherein said predetermined identification codes are generated using a predetermined number of identification numbers, and wherein each of the predetermined number of identification numbers are individually compared to the identification numbers stored in the memory of the slave computer system.

9. A method of intelligent agent identification for a vehicle, said method including the steps of:

selecting an intelligent agent by an agent management software program maintained on a host computer system, wherein the host computer system includes a processor, a memory associated with the processor and an input/output means, the memory having a plurality of identification numbers and a plurality of predetermined identification codes generated using at least one of the identification numbers;

selecting a slave system to receive the intelligent agent using a host send/receive software program maintained by the host computer system;

encrypting a work activity to be performed by the intelligent agent, and encrypting predetermined host computer system identification information and programming the encrypted work activity and predetermined host computer system identification information into the selected intelligent agent;

generating a plurality of identification numbers for the selected agent by the host computer system;

selecting an identification code for the selected intelligent agent using the host agent management software program and programming the identification code into the selected intelligent agent;

transmitting the intelligent agent to the selected slave system, wherein the selected slave system includes a slave computer system having a processor, a memory associated with the processor and an input/output means, the memory having the plurality of identification numbers and the plurality of predetermined identification codes generated using the identification numbers, and the host computer system and slave computer system are operatively in communication with each other via a communication network;

decoding the host computer system identification information carried by the selected intelligent agent by a slave identification software program maintained by the slave computer system;

determining if the decoded host computer system identification information matches corresponding host computer system identification information stored in the memory of the slave computer system;

denying access to the slave computer system if the decoded host computer system identification information carried by the intelligent agent does not correspond with host computer system identification information stored in the memory of the slave computer system;

continuing to check the identity of the intelligent agent if the decoded host computer system identification information carried by the intelligent agent does correspond with host computer system identification information stored in the memory of the slave computer system, by deciphering the identification code into the identification numbers and determining if the identification code and the identification numbers matches the predetermined identification code and the identification numbers stored in the memory of the slave computer system;

denying access to the slave computer system if either of the identification code or the identification numbers carried on the intelligent agent does not match the predetermined identification code or the identification numbers stored in the memory of the slave computer system;

decoding the work activity carried by the intelligent agent if the identification code and the identification numbers carried on the intelligent agent matches the predetermined identification code and predetermined identification numbers stored in the memory of the slave computer system;

executing the work activity by the slave computer system and using the intelligent agent to obtain work activity information;

encrypting the work activity information obtained by the intelligent agent using the slave application program on the slave computer system and programming the encrypted work activity information into the intelligent agent;

regenerating the identification code from the identification numbers for the intelligent agent by the slave identification software program and programming the identification code into the intelligent agent;

transmitting the intelligent agent to the host computer system and receiving the intelligent agent by the host agent send/receive software program;

decoding the work activity information and separating the identification code from the identification numbers carried on the intelligent agent, by the host identification software program;

determining if the identification code and the identification numbers correlates with a predetermined identification code and the identification numbers for the intelligent agent stored in the host computer system by the host identification software program;

denying the intelligent agent access to the host computer system, if the identification code and the identification numbers do not match the predetermined identification code and the identification numbers for the intelligent agent;

continuing to check the agent identity if the identification code and the identification numbers carried by the intelligent agent do correspond with the predetermined identification code and the predetermined identification numbers stored in the memory of the host computer system, by determining if the decoded work activity information matches a predetermined work information condition;

denying access to the host computer system if the decoded work activity information carried by the intelligent agent does not match the predetermined work information condition; and

using the work activity information carried by the intelligent agent in vehicle diagnostics, if the decoded information carried on the intelligent agent matches the predetermined work information condition.

10. A method as set forth in claim 9 wherein said step of predetermined identification codes are generated using a predetermined number of identification numbers, and wherein each of the predetermined number of identification numbers are individually compared to the identification numbers stored in the memory of the slave computer system.

11. A system of intelligent agent identification and management for a vehicle having an intelligent agent, comprising:

a host computer system having a processor, a memory associated with the processor and an input/output means, a host agent send/receive software program maintained by the host computer system that admits the intelligent agent into the host computer system and sends the intelligent agent out of the host computer system, the memory having a plurality of identification numbers and a plurality of identification codes generated using at least one of the identification numbers;

a host identification software program maintained by the host computer system that manages the identity of the intelligent agent and the activity of the intelligent agent;

an agent management software program operatively maintained by the host computer system, wherein the agent management software program selects an intelligent agent and a slave system to receive the intelligent agent, encrypts an action to be performed by the intelligent agent, selects an identification code for the selected intelligent agent, encrypts the host computer system identification information and programs the generated identification code and host computer system identification information onto the selected intelligent agent;

a slave computer system on the vehicle that is operatively in communication with the host computer system via a communication network, wherein the slave computer system has a processor, a memory associated with the processor and an input/output means, the memory having the plurality of identification numbers and the plurality of predetermined identification codes generated using at least one of the identification numbers;

a slave identification software program maintained by the slave computer system, wherein the slave identification program identifies the intelligent agent received by the slave computer system by decoding the host computer system identification information carried by the selected intelligent agent, determines if the decoded host computer system identification information matches corresponding host computer system identification information stored in memory of the slave computer system, and denies access to the slave computer system if the decoded host computer system identification information carried by the intelligent agent does not correspond and continues to check the identity of the agent by deciphering the identification code into the identification numbers and determines if the identification code and the identification numbers match a predetermined identification code and the identification numbers stored in the memory of the slave computer system and denies the intelligent agent access to the slave computer system if the identification code and the identification numbers do not match the predetermined identification code and the identification numbers stored in the memory of the slave computer system and decodes the information carried by the intelligent agent if the decoded information carried by the intelligent agent matches the predetermined condition; and

a slave application software program that is part of the slave computer system that executes the work activity instructions carried by the identified agent to obtain information about the vehicle that is used in vehicle diagnostics.

12. A system as set forth in claim 11, wherein said agent identification software program encrypts the work activity information obtained by the identified intelligent agent, regenerates and programs the identification code using the identification numbers, into the intelligent agent, and transmits the intelligent agent to the host computer system.

13. The system as set forth in claim 12 wherein the host identification software program decodes the information carried by the intelligent agent, determines if the identification code and the identification numbers correlate with a predetermined identification code and the identification numbers for the intelligent agent, and denies the intelligent agent access to the host computer system if the identification code and the identification numbers do not match the predetermined identification code and the identification numbers and continues to check the identity of the intelligent agent if the identification code and the identification numbers correspond with the predetermined identification code and the identification numbers and determines if the received work activity information matches a predetermined work activity condition and denies access to the host computer system if the work activity information does not match the predetermined condition and uses the work activity information carried by the intelligent agent in vehicle diagnostics.

14. A system as set forth in claim 12 wherein the predetermined identification code are generated using a predetermined number of identification numbers, and wherein each of the predetermined number of identification numbers are individually compared to the identification numbers stored in the memory of the slave computer system.