ECU Secure-Element Timestamping for High-Volume ITS Messages
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current electronic control units (ECUs) in intelligent transport systems (ITS) face challenges in processing high volumes of C2X messages due to computational bottlenecks and high energy consumption, necessitating higher-performance circuits that are larger, more expensive, and less efficient.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a secure element with a hardware-secure non-volatile memory and a continually active clock counter to assign timestamps to authenticated messages, allowing for longer message lifetimes and reducing the need for repetitive authentication, thereby enhancing processing efficiency and security.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If cryptographic verification of ECDSA 256 signature is executed for each incoming message to ensure security, then authentication reliability is improved, but processing time increases and reception bandwidth decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-computing and storing cryptographic authentication data (message authentication codes) in a database before messages arrive. When a message is received, the system retrieves the pre-computed authentication data and compares it with the received message, avoiding the need for time-consuming ECDSA 256 signature verification for each message. This resolves the contradiction by maintaining authentication reliability through pre-computed secure verification while dramatically improving reception bandwidth by eliminating repetitive cryptographic operations.
2Productivity
If processing capacity of electronic control units is increased to handle high message volumes, then reception bandwidth is improved, but energy consumption increases and integrated circuit size and price increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-computing authentication data and storing it in a database before messages are received. This allows the system to use simple retrieval and comparison operations instead of requiring high-processing-capacity hardware for cryptographic verification. Consequently, the system achieves high reception bandwidth using low-power, small-footprint circuitry, resolving the contradiction between processing capacity and energy consumption.
3Productivity
If message lifetime is extended to reduce repeat message processing, then processing efficiency is improved, but security risk increases without hardware-secure memory
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-computing message authentication codes and storing them in a database with associated lifetime information. The system can extend message lifetime because the pre-computed authentication data remains valid and can be reused for repeated messages within the extended lifetime window. This resolves the contradiction by maintaining security through pre-computed authentication verification while improving processing efficiency by reducing the frequency of re-authentication for repeated messages.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed herein is an electronic control unit including a communication circuit designed to receive intelligent transport system (ITS) messages, an authentication circuit for authenticating the received messages, and a secure element containing a hardware-secure non-volatile memory and a continually active clock counter. The secure element is configured to assign a timestamp data item from the clock counter to each of the authenticated received messages and to store the authenticated messages along with their respective timestamp data in the hardware-secure non-volatile memory.