Method and apparatus for authenticating vehicles with hydrogen dispensers

Abstract

A method for authenticating a vehicle (13) in a hydrogen dispenser (11) comprises the following components: the vehicle (13) is identified using an identification symbol attached to the interior space (14) of the vehicle (13), a key is retrieved from the vehicle (13) via a wireless connection by a mobile phone (12), the key is transmitted to the hydrogen dispenser (11) by an NFC transceiver (15), and a connection with the vehicle (13) encrypted by the key is established by the hydrogen dispenser (11) via a wireless computer network (16).

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for authenticating a motor vehicle at a hydrogen dispenser, and also to a corresponding device, a corresponding computer program, and a corresponding machine-readable storage medium. [Background technology]

[0002] Hydrogen stations are equipped with dispensers, nozzles, and pumps that can be used to fill the energy stores of fuel cell vehicles and other mobile hydrogen consumers. Conventional technologies provide, for example, liquid hydrogen (LH2) at temperatures up to -253°C and pressures up to 16.5 bar, and gaseous hydrogen (GH2) at temperatures of 20°C and pressures of 250 or 350 bar, or at temperatures of -40°C and pressures of 700 bar.

[0003] Patent document 1 relates to a method for tank filling of a vehicle having a hydrogen tank containing gaseous hydrogen. When carrying out this method, the following method steps are performed: the vehicle drives to a tank filling area; a tank filling step is carried out on the vehicle; a first tank temperature check of the tank contents of at least one hydrogen tank is then carried out; if the temperature of the tank contents of at least one hydrogen tank is above a temperature limit, the vehicle moves to a cooling area; there, after the cooling phase, a second tank temperature check is carried out; if the tank temperature is below the temperature limit, a tank pressure check is carried out; if the tank pressure of at least one hydrogen tank is below the tank pressure limit, the vehicle moves to the tank filling area to carry out the next tank filling; and if the tank pressure is within the tank pressure limit, the tank filling is terminated. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] German Patent Application Publication No. 102019219826A1 Summary of the Invention

[0005] The invention provides a method for authenticating a motor vehicle at a hydrogen dispenser, a corresponding device, a corresponding computer program, and a corresponding machine-readable storage medium, as set forth in the respective independent claims.

[0006] The insight underlying the approach of the present invention is that filling a vehicle's tank at a hydrogen tank station is a controlled process. Data must therefore be exchanged between the vehicle and the dispenser during the tank filling process. The tank filling process is monitored and controlled by the dispenser throughout its duration. The vehicle provides the necessary tank data, such as its temperature.

[0007] If such data exchange takes place over wireless links, the assignment between vehicle and dispenser is crucial. For safety reasons, any mix-up must be ruled out from this point of view. This becomes a challenge in tank stations with multiple dispensers. Bluetooth, WLAN, ZigBee (registered trademark) This is because accurate location determination of a vehicle using known standards for wireless networks such as GPS is only difficult to achieve.

[0008] If a mix-up occurs, the incorrect allocation of data between the vehicle and the dispenser threatens the integrity of the vehicle tank, and the resulting damage could lead to uncontrolled hydrogen release and injury to tank station customers and operators.

[0009] The advantage of the solution according to the invention is that in this context a reliable location-dependent allocation of vehicles to dispensers and a secure data exchange between both parties is ensured, for which an intermediary in the form of a mobile phone with an NFC radio interface is used.

[0010] The measures set out in the dependent claims and explained below allow for advantageous developments and improvements of the basic idea set out in the independent claims, for example the mobile phone may contain, in addition to the key serving for authentication, a key which can be used to initiate contact with the vehicle. The name of a wireless computer network (extended service set identifier, ESSID) can be called from the car. This wireless network can thus be kept "invisible," so to speak, and only clients that know the ESSID are allowed to check in. This hardens the system against so-called snarfing attacks.

[0011] An embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the drawings and explained in more detail in the following description. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] He is involved in filling the hydrogen tank. [Figure 2] 1 is a flowchart of a method according to a first embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] FIG. 1 illustrates the main participants within the framework of the method according to the invention.

[0014] The hydrogen dispenser 11 is equipped with an NFC transceiver 15 and a wireless computer network 16. The latter concept is used in the broadest sense in this case and includes wireless local area networks (WLANs) based on the IEEE-802.11 protocol family, as well as ZigBee (registered trademark)This also includes wireless personal area networks (WPANs) based on the IEEE 802.11b standard or the EnOcean standard, as well as Bluetooth® piconets.

[0015] The mobile phone 12 is also equipped with an NFC transceiver 15 and a mobile app.

[0016] Finally, the car 13 , like the hydrogen station 11 , is equipped with an NFC transceiver 15 and access to a wireless computer network 16 .

[0017] Next, the actual authentication procedure will be explained with reference to FIG.

[0018] In a first step (process 21), the vehicle operator places the mobile phone 12 in an NFC field located in the interior space (14 - Figure 1) of the automobile 13. To prevent identity theft, the location of this field should be selected so that the described interaction is only possible when the mobile phone 12 and the operator himself are present in the interior space 14.

[0019] In a second step (process 22), the mobile phone 12, through its NFC transceiver 15, initiates a connection with the central control of the vehicle 13 using the app and retrieves a time-limited valid encryption key and the name of the wireless network used by the vehicle 13, which are stored in the app and displayed to the vehicle driver along with an expiry date.

[0020] In a third step (process 23), after the vehicle driver leaves the vehicle 13, he places the mobile phone 12 in the corresponding NFC field of the hydrogen dispenser 11 and uses the app to instruct it to transmit the encryption key and the name of the vehicle wireless network.

[0021] If this transmission (23) is successfully completed, this is confirmed by a message in the app, and in a fourth step (process 24), the hydrogen dispenser 11 establishes an encrypted connection to the central control of the vehicle 13 via the wireless computer network 16. As soon as this connection is established, the hydrogen dispenser 11 starts the tank filling, which is controlled by the connection. After transmission (23) to the hydrogen dispenser 11, but at the latest upon key expiration, the key is automatically erased in the mobile phone 12.

[0022] After the tank is filled, the hydrogen dispenser 11 again disconnects from the wireless computer network 16. The encryption key expires and is erased from the central control of the vehicle 13.

[0023] Identification (21) of the car 13 can also be done once by the NFC transceiver 15, which serves to establish a permanent encrypted wireless connection between the mobile phone 12 and the car 13 - comparable to pairing a Bluetooth device with an NFC tag - through the wireless computer network 16. The vehicle driver explicitly requests a new encryption key in this case in the app.

[0024] A further variant of the temporary encryption key retrieval (22) contemplates that the NFC field is replaced by a DataMatrix code on the inside of the side pocket. The identification (21) of the vehicle 13 is in this embodiment performed by scanning in the code with the mobile phone 12, after which an app establishes an encrypted wireless communication between the mobile phone 12 and the central control of the vehicle 13 via the wireless computer network 16 to retrieve the temporary encryption key. After the retrieval (22), this wireless connection is again released.

[0025] The data recorded during tank filling can optionally be stored in the cloud by the central control unit of the vehicle 13 via an LTE connection and used by service providers for billing and diagnostic purposes, for example to predict the service life of the hydrogen tank.

[0026] The method (20) may be implemented, for example, in the mobile telephone 12, as software or hardware, or as a hybrid of software and hardware. [Explanation of symbols]

[0027] 11 Hydrogen Dispenser 12 Mobile Phones 13. Automobiles 14 Interior Space 15 NFC Transmitter / Receiver 16 Wireless Computer Networks 20 ways 21 Identification 22 Call 23 Transmission 24 Established 25 Cut

Claims

1. A method (20) for establishing a wireless communication connection between a hydrogen dispenser (11) and a motor vehicle (13) using a mobile phone (12), comprising: It has the following constituent elements: The vehicle (13) is identified (21) using an identification symbol attached to the interior space (14) of the vehicle (13); The key is retrieved (22) from the car (13) via a wireless connection by the mobile phone (12), The key is transmitted (23) to the hydrogen dispenser (11) by an NFC transceiver (15) provided in the mobile phone (12), A connection is established (24) by the hydrogen dispenser (11) with the vehicle (13) over a wireless computer network (16), encrypted with the key; The NFC transceiver (15) continuously identifies (21) the vehicle (13) and retrieves (22) the key, as needed. A method characterized by:

2. It has the following constituent elements: The connection controls the hydrogen dispenser (11) to fill the tank of the vehicle (13), 2. The method (20) of claim 1, characterized in that the connection is cut (25) by the hydrogen dispenser (11) after the tank is filled.

3. A method (20) for establishing a wireless communication connection between a hydrogen dispenser (11) and a motor vehicle (13) using a mobile telephone (12), comprising: It has the following constituent elements: The vehicle (13) is identified (21) using an identification symbol attached to the interior space (14) of the vehicle (13); The key is retrieved (22) from the car (13) via a wireless connection by the mobile phone (12), The key is transmitted (23) to the hydrogen dispenser (11) by an NFC transceiver (15) provided in the mobile phone (12), A connection is established (24) by the hydrogen dispenser (11) with the vehicle (13) over a wireless computer network (16), encrypted with the key; said identification (21) of said vehicle (13) is performed only once by said NFC transceiver (15); wireless communication between the mobile phone (12) and the vehicle (13) is constantly maintained over the wireless computer network (16) and encrypted with the identification code; A method (20) characterized in that

4. Having the following constituent features: The connection controls the hydrogen dispenser (11) to fill the tank of the vehicle (13), 4. The method (20) of claim 3, characterized in that the connection is cut (25) by the hydrogen dispenser (11) after the tank is filled.

5. It has the following constituent elements: The identification code is a DataMatrix code, said identification (21) of said vehicle (13) is performed by scanning in a code using said mobile phone (12); 4. The method (20) according to claim 1 or 3, characterized in that wireless communication between the mobile telephone (12) and the motor vehicle (13) is temporarily established through the wireless computer network (16) and secured by the identification symbol.

6. It has the following constituent elements: The wireless computer network (16) is an IEEE 802.11 based local network; the wireless computer network (16) is a Bluetooth® Piconet; the wireless computer network (16) is a ZigBee network, or The method (20) of claim 1 or 3, characterized in that the wireless computer network (16) is an EnOcean network.

7. It has the following constituent elements: The key has a predetermined expiration date; 4. The method (20) of claim 1 or 3, characterized in that said key is automatically erased from said mobile telephone (12) at the latest at said expiration date.

8. A computer program set up to perform the method (20) according to claim 1 or 3.

9. A machine-readable storage medium having stored thereon the computer program according to claim 8.

10. An apparatus set up to perform the method (20) according to claim 1 or 3.

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