Digital Vehicle Key Sharing via Server-Based Delegation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current digital vehicle key sharing systems are limited to sharing keys only from the paired owner device and do not allow further sharing or delegation of sharing rights, restricting key sharing flexibility and accessibility.

Innovation Solution

A server-based approach is introduced where the owner device triggers the sharing process at a digital vehicle key sharing server, enabling direct sharing to user devices and indirect sharing via another server, allowing multiple devices to issue sharing requests and delegate rights, even when the owner device is offline.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If key sharing is performed using the owner device's private key, then security is maintained, but key sharing flexibility and accessibility are restricted

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvekey sharing flexibilityVSAvoidsystem structure

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

A key sharing server is introduced as an intermediary between the owner device and sharee device. The server stores the owner's public key and facilitates key sharing by verifying requests and distributing keys, eliminating the need for direct owner device involvement in each sharing operation and enabling flexible key distribution.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The key sharing functionality is extracted from the owner device and transferred to a dedicated key sharing server. This separation allows the owner device to trigger sharing operations while the server handles the actual key distribution, improving accessibility and flexibility.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

2Ease of operation

If the owner device must be online to share keys, then security control is maintained, but system accessibility and user convenience are reduced

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveuser convenienceVSAvoidsecurity control

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The owner's public key is pre-stored on the key sharing server during an initial setup phase. This preliminary action enables the server to independently process key sharing requests without requiring the owner device to be online, improving user convenience while maintaining security through pre-established authentication.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Adaptability or versatility

If only the paired owner device can share keys, then security is ensured, but key sharing versatility and delegation capabilities are limited

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesharing capabilityVSAvoidsecurity risk

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The key sharing server acts as a trusted intermediary that verifies sharing requests against the stored owner public key. This enables multiple authorized devices to share keys and supports delegation scenarios while maintaining security through centralized verification, eliminating the limitation of single-device sharing.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentEP4311732A1A concept for server-based sharing of digital keys

Publication Date: 2024.01.31 BAYERISCHE MOTOREN WERKE AG

Figure 1a~1b
Figure 1c~1d
Figure 2a~2b

AI summary

Examples relate to a concept for server-based sharing of digital keys, and more specifically, but not exclusively, to apparatuses, methods, and computer programs for a digital vehicle key sharing server, for a second server and for a first device. The apparatus (10) for the digital vehicle key sharing server (100) is configured to obtain, via interface circuitry, a request for sharing a digital vehicle key for one or more vehicles to a second device (200; 250) from a first device (300), determine, whether the second device specified by the request is a user device (250) or a server (200), and process the request for sharing the digital vehicle key based on whether the second device specified by the request is a user device or a server.