Battery Pack Parameter Access via Connector Voltage Authorization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing battery pack systems lack secure mechanisms to control access to critical parameters and routines, making them vulnerable to unauthorized modifications that can compromise safety and functionality.
Innovation Solution
A computer system that uses predefined voltage patterns at connector pins and sockets to authorize diagnostics tools, ensuring only authorized tools can modify battery pack parameters by matching a predefined voltage pattern, which can be static or dynamic, and logs modifications for monitoring and detection of unauthorized access.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If battery pack parameters are open for writing via UDS protocol, then ease of operation is improved, but security against unauthorized modification deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary authorization by detecting a specific voltage pattern on connector pins before allowing any parameter modification. This preliminary check ensures that only authorized diagnostic tools can access and modify battery pack parameters, while still maintaining ease of operation for legitimate users through the existing UDS protocol interface.
2Reliability
If voltage pattern authorization is implemented, then security is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The physical connector pins serve as an intermediary between the diagnostic tool and the battery pack's parameter modification functionality. By using the existing connector infrastructure to transmit authorization signals, the system adds security without requiring complex additional hardware or fundamentally changing the device architecture.
Solution Approach 2:
The system replaces traditional mechanical or software-based authorization mechanisms with an electrical voltage pattern detection method. This substitution leverages the existing electrical connector infrastructure to provide security, avoiding the need for separate physical keys, cards, or complex software authentication protocols.
3Device complexity
If existing connector pins are used for authorization, then device complexity is minimized, but functionality of existing pins may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The connector pins are designed to serve multiple functions: their original communication purposes and the additional authorization function. By detecting specific voltage patterns on these multi-functional pins, the system enables security authorization without requiring dedicated separate pins or compromising the original connector functionality, as the voltage pattern detection operates within the existing electrical interface capabilities.
Data Source
AI summary
A computer system is provided, including processing circuitry configured to obtain indications of voltages at a plurality of connector pins and/or sockets of a physical port for connecting a diagnostics tool to a battery pack or battery management unit for the battery pack; determine, based on the indications, that the voltages applied match a predefined voltage pattern; and, in response to the determining, authorize the diagnostics tool to modify one or more parameter values of the battery pack.