ASIC End-to-End Communication Protection for Trusted CAN Deployment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional end-to-end communication systems in vehicles rely on microprocessors, which are vulnerable to man-in-the-middle attacks, and implementing new standards is impractical, especially in complex signal deployment chains, leading to a lack of assurance that data has not been tampered with during transmission.
Innovation Solution
The integration of built-in end-to-end communication protection in ASIC hardware provides a secure communication path using an arm control path, deploy control path, and communication module, enabling independent and parallel signal generation, ensuring data integrity across a CAN bus without relying on microprocessors.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If end-to-end communication is implemented through a microprocessor, then data exchange between devices is enabled, but the microprocessor may alter the data content creating security vulnerabilities
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the communication path into two independent control paths: an arm control path that generates arm signals and a deploy control path that generates deploy signals. This segmentation ensures that no single microprocessor can tamper with both signal paths, thereby maintaining data integrity while enabling data exchange.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary mechanism in the form of a bypass signal that allows the arm control path to independently generate arm signals without passing through the deploy control path. This intermediary path prevents potential data tampering by providing an alternative route that maintains trustworthiness.
2Reliability
If an entirely new communication standard is implemented to ensure data has not been tampered with, then data integrity is improved, but compatibility with existing signal deployment chains is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a universal solution that works within existing signal deployment chains by using the same CAN bus infrastructure. The arm control path and deploy control path both operate within the existing vehicle network architecture, maintaining compatibility while ensuring data integrity through independent verification paths.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of requiring all communication to pass through a single trusted microprocessor, the patent inverts the approach by having multiple independent control paths that can verify each other. The bypass signal mechanism allows the arm control path to operate independently when needed, reversing the conventional dependency model.
3Reliability
If independent control paths are used to generate arm and deploy signals, then security against tampering is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the arm control path and deploy control path into a single integrated system that shares common infrastructure such as the CAN bus and basic signal processing components. This merging reduces overall system complexity while maintaining the security benefits of independent control paths through strategic combination of trusted components.
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus comprising an arm control path, a deploy control path and a communication module. The arm control path may be configured to trigger an arm signal. The deploy control path may be configured to trigger a deploy signal. The communication module may be configured to communicate a remote signal to/from an end device, generate a bypass signal in response to the remote signal and generate the remote signal in response to detecting the arm signal. An activation signal for an actuator may be generated in response to the arm signal and the deploy signal. The arm signal and the deploy signal may be generated independently. The communication module may enable the remote signal to activate the end device. The bypass signal may be compatible with the arm control path and ensure an independent and parallel path for the arm control path to generate the arm signal.