Control unit with a housing

Abstract

The invention relates to a control unit 1, in particular for a motor vehicle, with a housing 4, wherein the housing 4 has a marking 14 on an outer surface 10 of the housing 4, the marking being incorporated into a housing surface 12 of the housing 4. To increase the protection of the control unit 1 against possible tampering, it is proposed that the marking 14 be arranged at least partially on a wedge 20 located on the housing surface 12.

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a control unit, in particular for a motor vehicle, with a housing, wherein the housing has a marking on an outer side of the housing that is incorporated into a housing surface of the housing.

[0002] The aforementioned control unit is known, for example, as a tachograph, also called a vehicle data recorder. The tachograph records and stores, among other things, driver data, such as driving and rest times, as well as vehicle-related data required by law. Due to the high level of data protection required, the tachograph has a sealed, tamper-proof housing. Tamper protection of the tachograph is achieved, for example, by means of a seal or tamper-evident seal affixed to the housing.

[0003] For the evidentiary value of driver journey data recorded by the tachograph, it is essential that its recording, processing, and storage are protected against manipulation. Manipulation could occur, for example, by tampering with the tachograph housing and accessing a system board or main circuit board located within the housing.

[0004] From DE 10 2013 217 989 A1, a built-in tachograph with a security module for protection against data manipulation has become known.

[0005] EP 1 622 095 A1 proposes a security label to increase security.

[0006] DE 203 15 854 U1, DE 10 2016 217 809 A1, and DE 10 2014 210 830 A1 each describe a tamper protection device for a distance counter tachograph using a seal.

[0007] DE 10 2023 201 166 A1 proposes to apply individually readable, identical markings to the outer sides of two housing parts of a tachograph, with the markings arranged next to each other.

[0008] The object of the invention is to create a control unit of the type mentioned above which has increased tamper protection.

[0009] The problem is solved according to the invention with a control unit of the type mentioned at the outset and by the fact that the marking is at least partially arranged on a wedge arranged on the housing surface.

[0010] The marking serves as an identification feature for the control unit, and specifically for its housing. Removing the marking, and thus the identification feature, for example to replace it with another marking, results in noticeable damage to the wedge. This is primarily because the marking is embedded in the housing surface. Therefore, removing the marking also removes a portion of the housing.

[0011] The marking applied to the housing surface can be, for example, cut or etched into the surface. It can also be etched. Another possibility is that the marking is a coating of paint that penetrates the housing surface. As a further example, the marking can be laser-etched into the housing surface. For instance, such a laser marking can be applied to the housing surface during the manufacturing process of the control unit.

[0012] Due to the damage to the wedge that automatically occurs when the marking is removed, such manipulation is particularly easy to detect. Such manipulation could, for example, be prompted by the need to replace a damaged housing—opened to access the interior of the control unit, especially electronic components located inside the housing, such as a circuit board—with an undamaged one. Such a housing replacement is a clear indication that the housing has been opened without authorization and thus that manipulation has occurred. To prevent such a housing replacement from being immediately apparent, the new housing must bear the same marking, i.e., the same identifying mark, as the original control unit housing. Therefore, the original marking on the new housing would have to be removed and replaced with the marking corresponding to the original housing.However, due to the easily visible damage to the wedge, such an unauthorized modification is readily detectable. A particular advantage of the invention is therefore that it offers reliable protection against unauthorized replacement of the control unit housing in a simple manner.

[0013] The inventive design of the control unit with the special marking arranged on a wedge on the housing surface also advantageously exhibits particularly high durability and protection against unintentional damage. The control unit according to the invention can, in principle, be any control unit that is to be protected against tampering. Preferably, the control unit is a control unit for a motor vehicle. In particular, the control unit can be a vehicle-integrated device. Such a vehicle-integrated device is designed to be installed in a prepared installation space, e.g., in an instrument panel, a cockpit, or generally in the driver's cabin of a motor vehicle.

[0014] The invention advantageously improves the housing safety of the control unit. The housing surface, which can be homogeneous in particular and regularly, is susceptible to the removal of markings, e.g., laser markings, by means of, for example, milling, grinding, or rubbing. Consequently, such removal can be easily and reliably detected due to the associated damage to the housing surface on the outside of the housing, more precisely to the wedge arranged on the housing surface.

[0015] To prevent the marking from being removed by abrasive processes (grinding, milling, etc.) and the subsequent restoration of the housing's surface structure, a wedge is positioned on the housing and provided with at least a portion of the marking. The marking preferably comprises essential information, such as a QR code or an alphanumeric serial number, enabling identification of the control unit. If this information is to be altered, i.e., manipulated, it must be removed and reapplied. A wedge-shaped structure incorporating the wedge and at least part of the marking can be raised on the housing or recessed into it, for example, the housing base or the front panel.It is particularly advantageous if the wedge has clear, i.e., clearly defined, and especially sharp, edges, as these can be part of the inspection process for possible alterations, i.e., tampering, and thus their detectability is further improved. Furthermore, it is especially advantageous if the wedge is as flat as possible, i.e., has an acute angle. The more acute the angle of the wedge, the better the visibility of any material removed from the housing at the wedge.

[0016] Advantageous embodiments of the invention are specified in the dependent claims.

[0017] According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the housing surface is flat, at least in a region surrounding the wedge. In other words, there is a flat area of ​​the housing surface within which the wedge is located. This makes any change, i.e., damage, to the wedge particularly easy to detect and, for example, to identify using a gauge.

[0018] In principle, the wedge can be of any shape. However, the detectability of damage to the wedge is further improved if, according to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the wedge is designed as a projection in the form of a prism on the outside of the housing or as a recess in the form of a prism in the outside of the housing.

[0019] According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, a side surface of the prism abuts a region of the housing surface surrounding the wedge without a step. This means that the side surface of the prism, which may in particular be a first side surface of the prism, rises (if the wedge is formed as a projection, i.e., raised) or falls (if the wedge is formed as a recess, i.e., recessed) from the region of the housing surface surrounding the wedge without a step. Another term for stepless could be continuous.

[0020] According to another advantageous embodiment of the invention, the wedge has the form of a three-sided rectangular prism, wherein one side face of the prism is arranged perpendicular to a region of the housing surface surrounding the wedge. This side face of the prism can, in particular, be a second side face of the prism. Designing the wedge in the form of a three-sided rectangular prism offers the advantage of simplified manufacturing of the control unit, especially the control unit housing. Furthermore, it is particularly easy to detect damage to the wedge, for example, using a gauge.

[0021] It is generally conceivable to arrange the wedge on any part of the housing. According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, however, the housing comprises a housing base and a front panel, and the wedge is arranged on the housing base. This allows the wedge to be incorporated into the housing in a particularly simple manner during its manufacture. Preferably, the front panel closes the housing base.

[0022] According to another advantageous embodiment of the invention, the housing comprises a housing base and a front panel, and the wedge is arranged on the front panel. For example, the wedge can be arranged in an area of ​​the front panel that is directly visible from the outside when the control unit is installed in a motor vehicle, e.g., in the driver's cabin of the motor vehicle. This makes it particularly easy to detect any damage to the wedge. It is also conceivable that a wedge according to the invention is arranged on both the housing base and the front panel of a housing comprising a housing base and a front panel.

[0023] In principle, it is conceivable, for example, that the housing is made of metal. The manufacture of the control unit can be further simplified if, according to a further development of the invention, at least part of the housing, and in particular the part of the housing containing the wedge, is an injection-molded plastic part. In particular, a housing base body can advantageously be an injection-molded plastic part.

[0024] According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the wedge is arranged on the housing, particularly on the housing base, in the demolding direction. This eliminates the need for a slide to produce the wedge in the tool, particularly the injection mold, used to manufacture the housing, especially the housing base. Furthermore, this method allows for a homogeneous housing surface without a sliding profile in the wedge area. A uniform, homogeneous housing surface prevents the removal and reinsertion of housing material in this area without leaving any traces.

[0025] According to another advantageous embodiment of the invention, the marking comprises a first marking element arranged on the wedge and a second marking element arranged in a region of the housing surface surrounding the wedge. Preferably, in a view, particularly a top view, of the marking, the first marking element and the second marking element form a single, i.e., closed, image. This is especially the case when the first marking element and the second marking element are directly adjacent to each other, except for the height difference caused by the wedge. By providing the first marking element and the second marking element accordingly, the restoration of a damaged marking is made even more difficult.

[0026] One could, for example, imagine the marking as a coating of paint that penetrates the housing surface. However, according to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the marking is a laser marking. The laser marking is preferably applied to the housing surface during the manufacturing of the control unit using a laser process. In this way, it is possible to mark the housing in a particularly simple and reliable manner. Such a marking is also particularly resistant to accidental damage and exhibits very good durability.

[0027] The control unit according to the invention is preferably a control unit for a motor vehicle. For example, the control unit can be a toll device or, for instance, a telematics device. According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the control unit is a tachograph, in particular a digital tachograph. The invention advantageously contributes to ensuring a particularly high level of tamper protection for the tachograph. It is also conceivable that the control unit is a tachograph that additionally has further functions, in particular functions of a telematics device and / or a toll device, and thus represents a combination of a tachograph with one or more further devices, in particular a telematics device and / or a toll device.

[0028] The invention also includes combinations of the features of the described embodiments.

[0029] Exemplary embodiments of the invention are described in more detail below with reference to the sketchy and schematic representations in the drawing.

[0030] They show: Fig. 1. A control unit in a perspective view, Fig. 2 an enlarged section of the control unit to Fig. 1 in a different perspective view, Fig. 3 a marking of a control unit housing according to Fig. 1 in a perspective view, Fig. 4 a mark after Fig. 3 in a modified form in a perspective view, Fig. 5, Fig. 6, Fig. 7 another marker in different views and Fig. 8, Fig. 9, Fig. 10 a different marker in different views.

[0031] Corresponding elements in all figures are provided with the same reference numerals. The individual figures each show and illustrate specific features of exemplary embodiments of the invention and therefore do not necessarily represent the invention in its entirety with all its features.

[0032] Fig. Figure 1 shows a control unit 1 for a motor vehicle. The control unit 1 is designed as a vehicle-integrated device. In the embodiment shown here, the control unit 1 is a tachograph for a motor vehicle. The motor vehicle can be, for example, a truck or a van.

[0033] In addition to control unit 1, there is in Fig. Figure 1 shows a mounting frame 2, which may be present, for example, in the cockpit or dashboard of a motor vehicle (not shown here) for installing the control unit 1. The control unit 1 has a housing 4, which comprises a housing base 6 and a front panel 8 that closes the housing base 6. Fig. Not shown are, for example, a battery compartment arranged in a first recess 3 of a rear wall 7 of the housing base 6 and a plug connector arranged, for example, in a second recess 5 of the rear wall 7.

[0034] On an outer surface 10 of the housing 4, a marking 14 is incorporated into a housing surface 12 of the housing 4. In the embodiment shown here, the marking 14 is incorporated into the housing surface 12 of the housing base body 6.

[0035] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the housing 4 also has a similar marking 15 on its outer surface 10, specifically on the housing surface 12 of the housing 4, and more precisely on the housing surface 12 of the front panel 8 of the housing 4. This marking 15 is located on a wedge, not shown in detail here, which is arranged on the housing surface 12 of the front panel 8. The configuration of this wedge, together with the aforementioned marking 15, can, for example, correspond to one of the wedges described below, each with its associated marking.

[0036] Out of Fig. Figure 2 shows that, in addition to the first marking 14, the housing 4 has a second marking 16 on its outer surface 10, embedded in the housing surface 12 of the housing 4, specifically—like the first marking 14—in the housing surface 12 of the housing base 6 of the housing 4. Furthermore, a third marking 18 is located on the housing 4 between the first marking 14 and the second marking 16. The third marking 18 could, for example, be a barcode printed on the housing surface 12 of the housing 4. However, it is also conceivable that the third marking 18, particularly the barcode, is a laser marking and has been applied to the housing surface 12 of the housing 4 using a laser process.

[0037] The housing base 6 can be a plastic injection-molded part. Both the first marking 14 and the second marking 16 can be laser markings and can be applied to the housing surface 12 of the housing 4, more precisely to the housing base 6 of the housing 4, by means of a laser process.

[0038] From an enlarged view Fig. Figure 3 shows that the first marking 14 is located on a first wedge 20 arranged on the housing surface 12. The second marking 16 is located on a second wedge 22 arranged on the housing surface 12. Both the first wedge 20 with the first marking 14 and the second wedge 22 with the second marking 16 protrude from the housing surface 12. The housing surface 12 is flat in a region 24 surrounding the first wedge 20 and the second wedge 22.

[0039] The wedge 20, bearing the first marking, is formed as a projection in the form of a prism 26 on the outer surface 10 of the housing 4. A first side surface 28 of the first prism 26 is formed without a step adjacent to the area 24 surrounding the first wedge 20. Furthermore, the first wedge 20 has the form of a three-sided rectangular prism 26, with a second side surface 30 of the prism 26 being arranged perpendicular to the area 24 of the housing surface 12 surrounding the wedge 20. Corresponding to the first wedge 20, the second wedge 22 is formed accordingly and has the form of a second three-sided rectangular prism 32.

[0040] Fig. 4 shows a similar view to Fig. 3 also the first marker 14, the second marker 16 and the third marker 18. In contrast to the representation according to Fig. 3 is in Fig. 4 the first marking 14 shown in two parts, with one in the Fig. 4 upper part 34 of the first marking 14 shows the first marking 14 in an undamaged state and a in the Fig. Figure 4, lower part 36 of the first marking 14, shows the first marking 14 in a damaged, partially worn state. It can be seen that the wedge 20 bearing the first marking 14 changes its shape when the marking 14 is removed (undamaged marking 14, see upper part 34), for example, to apply a different marking. In this example, it becomes lower and smaller overall (see lower part 36). Such a change is easily visible, and thus manipulation can be readily detected. The lower part 36 of the first marking 14 could, for example, have been created by abrasion of 0.03 mm from the first marking 14 (in its undamaged state, see upper part 34).

[0041] Another example, in the form of another marker 38, shows Fig. 5 in a top view and Fig. 6, Fig. Figure 7 shows different perspective views. The further marking 38 is partially arranged on a wedge 40 located on a housing surface 12 of a control unit housing. The wedge 40 is designed as a recess in the form of a prism 42 in the outer surface of the control unit housing. In this embodiment, the wedge 40 thus projects into the housing surface 12.

[0042] The further marking 38 has a first marking part 39 arranged on the wedge 40 and a second marking part 41 arranged in a region of the housing surface 12 surrounding the wedge 40. Furthermore, the further marking 38 has a third marking part 43 arranged in the region of the housing surface 12 surrounding the wedge 40.

[0043] In contrast to the embodiment according to Fig. 5, Fig. 6, Fig. Figure 7 shows the embodiment according to Fig. 8, Fig. 9, Fig. 10 another marking 44, which is partially arranged on a wedge 46 located on a housing surface 12 of a control unit housing. The wedge 46 is designed here as a projection in the form of a prism 48 on the outer surface of the control unit housing. Fig. 8 a top view of marker 44, and Fig. 9, Fig. Figure 10 shows different perspective views of marker 44.

[0044] The other marking 44 shown here has a first marking part 45 arranged on the wedge 46 and a second marking part 47 arranged in a region of the housing surface 12 surrounding the wedge 46. Furthermore, the other marking 44 has a third marking part 49 arranged in the region of the housing surface 12 surrounding the wedge 46.

[0045] Overall, the exemplary embodiments show how a control unit 1 with increased protection against possible manipulation can be designed.

[0046] For the production of the wedge in the case of a plastic injection-molded part, no slides are required in the mold, because the wedge can simply be incorporated if it is positioned in the demolding direction. This ensures a homogeneous housing surface without a slide profile. Positioning it in the demolding direction, so that simple demolding is possible during production and no slide is required in the mold for wedge formation, means, for example, in the... Fig.Figures 2 to 4 show the housing's orientation, with a raised wedge pointing to the right and a recessed wedge pointing to the left. A uniform housing surface prevents material from being cut out and reinserted in this area, specifically in the area of ​​the housing surface containing and surrounding the wedge. If housing material is removed, the wedge is significantly altered. For example, in the case of a QR code as a marker, the square shape is lost. In any case, the wedge becomes shorter. This can be easily verified both visually (size, perpendicularity) and using a template. Even removing just a few hundredths of a millimeter of housing material is sufficient. The edges of the wedge are another useful inspection feature.If these are heavily rounded, this is also an indicator of manipulation of the wedge's shape and thus of the information contained in the marking attached to the wedge. The structure and shape of the wedge can be freely chosen, insofar as it is fundamentally possible to manufacture them. For a marking consisting of plain text, the wedge can even be narrower than the text itself. Multiple wedges per inscription are also possible. However, this is only recommended for plain text information, as the readability of codes would otherwise be impaired.

Claims

[1] Control unit (1), in particular for a motor vehicle, comprising a housing (4), wherein the housing (4) has a marking (14) incorporated into a housing surface (12) of the housing (4) on an outer side (10), characterized by , that the marking (14) is at least partially arranged on a wedge (20) located on the housing surface (12). [2] Control unit (1) according to claim 1, characterized by , that the housing surface (12) is flat at least in an area (24) of the housing surface (12) surrounding the wedge (20). [3] Control unit (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by , that the wedge (20; 40; 46) is formed as a projection in the form of a prism (26; 48) on the outer side of the housing (10) or as a recess in the form of a prism (42) in the outer side of the housing (10). [4] Control unit (1) according to claim 3, characterized by, that one, in particular first, side surface (28) of the prism (26) adjoins without a step a region (24) of the housing surface (12) surrounding the wedge (20). [5] Control unit (1) according to claim 3 or 4, characterized by , that the wedge (20) has the shape of a three-sided rectangular prism (26), wherein one, in particular a second, side surface (30) of the prism (26) is arranged perpendicular to a region (24) of the housing surface (12) surrounding the wedge (20). [6] Control unit (1) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized by , that the housing (4) has a housing base body (6) and a front panel (8) and that the wedge (20) is arranged on the housing base body (6). [7] Control unit (1) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized by , that the housing (4) has a housing base body (6) and a front panel (8) and that the wedge is arranged on the front panel (8). [8] Control unit (1) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized by , that at least part of the housing (4) is a plastic injection molded part. [9] Control unit (1) according to claim 8, characterized by , that the wedge (20) is arranged in the demolding direction on the housing (4). [10] Control unit (1) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized by , that the marking (38; 44) has a first marking part (39; 45) arranged on the wedge (40; 46) and a second marking part (41; 47) arranged in an area of ​​the housing surface (12) surrounding the wedge (40; 46). [11] Control unit (1) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized by , that the marking (14) is a laser marking. [12] Control unit (1) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized by , that the control unit (1) is a tachograph.

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