Autonomous Vehicle Beacon Token Network Detection

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Solution Overview

Problem

Autonomous vehicles lack the capability to detect operation on untrusted networks without relying on the vehicle itself to identify the network, which is undesirable as it requires data transmission over the untrusted network to a trusted entity.

Innovation Solution

An autonomous vehicle generates a data packet based on a beacon token, which includes its identifier and a server computing device's identifier, and transmits it over multiple networks. The server computing device receives this packet only when the vehicle is on an untrusted network, allowing it to determine the network's identity and generate an alert.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the autonomous vehicle transmits data packets over untrusted networks to indicate its network status, then the server can detect untrusted network operation, but the vehicle itself must detect and identify the network status which compromises security

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvenetwork securityVSAvoiddetection mechanism complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of having the autonomous vehicle detect and report its own network status, the system inverts the detection logic: the vehicle continuously transmits beacon tokens with its identifier, and the server detects untrusted network operation by receiving these tokens on networks it should not be accessing. This inversion eliminates the need for the vehicle to identify or report its own network status while maintaining security.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

Solution Approach 2:

The autonomous vehicle serves itself by continuously transmitting beacon tokens that inadvertently reveal its network location. The vehicle's normal operation of transmitting its identifier becomes the detection mechanism, eliminating the need for separate detection hardware or software while maintaining security integrity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

2Measurement precision

If the autonomous vehicle is configured with detection functionality for untrusted networks, then it can identify when operating on untrusted networks, but this requires the vehicle to transmit identification data over the untrusted network which defeats the purpose of detection

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvenetwork status detection accuracyVSAvoiddata exposure on untrusted networks

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The system introduces the server as an intermediary that performs the actual detection work. The server receives beacon tokens and determines whether they arrive on trusted or untrusted networks, eliminating the need for the autonomous vehicle to directly identify or report network status. This intermediary approach enables precise detection without exposing the vehicle to security risks.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Reliability

If the server receives data packets from the autonomous vehicle, then it can determine the vehicle is on an untrusted network, but traditional networking rules on trusted networks prevent such reception

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveuntrusted network detection capabilityVSAvoidnetwork traffic filtering

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The system applies different networking rules to different data types: normal operational data continues to be filtered by trusted network rules, while beacon tokens containing the vehicle's identifier are permitted through to the server. This selective permeability allows the server to detect untrusted network operation through beacon tokens while maintaining security filtering for other data types.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentUS20220278971A1Detecting operation of an autonomous vehicle on an untrusted network

Publication Date: 2022.09.01 GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC

AI summary

Various technologies described herein pertain to detecting operation of an autonomous vehicle on an untrusted network. The autonomous vehicle retrieves a beacon token from a data store of the autonomous vehicle. The beacon token comprises an identifier for the autonomous vehicle and an identifier for a server computing device. The autonomous vehicle generates a data packet based upon the beacon token, wherein the data packet includes the identifier for the autonomous vehicle. The autonomous vehicle transmits the data packet to the server computing device. When the data packet is transmitted via a trusted network, networking rules of the trusted network prevent the data packet from being received by the server computing device. When the data packet is transmitted via the untrusted network, the server computing device receives the data packet. Responsive to receiving the data packet, the server computing device generates and transmits an alert to a computing device.