Flash Memory Hash Verification for Faster Vehicle Boot Signatures
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
The verification of digital signatures in flash memory-based vehicle computing units is time-consuming, as it requires calculating hash values for each data check, slowing down boot processes and software updates.
Innovation Solution
A method where the flash memory's memory controller calculates and stores hashes alongside data, allowing the system to verify signatures by calculating a check hash from these stored hashes rather than recalculating from the data, thereby accelerating the verification process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If hash values are recalculated from data for each verification check, then data integrity and cyber security are ensured, but the verification process becomes time-consuming and slows down boot processes and software updates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-calculating and storing hash values of data blocks in the flash memory during the manufacturing or initial setup phase. When verification is needed, the system reads the pre-stored hash values and compares them with newly calculated hash values from the current data, rather than recalculating from scratch each time. This preliminary preparation significantly reduces verification time while maintaining security
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a copy of the hash values and stores them separately in the flash memory alongside the original data. This copy serves as a reference for future verification operations. The system reads both the original data and the stored hash copy, calculates a new hash from the data, and compares it with the stored copy, enabling fast verification without reprocessing the entire data set
2Measurement precision
If complete data is read from flash memory for hash calculation, then accurate signature verification is achieved, but the boot process and software updates are slowed down
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the flash memory data into multiple blocks, each with its own pre-stored hash value. Instead of reading and processing the entire data set for verification, the system divides the verification process into smaller block-level operations. Each block's hash is independently verified by comparing pre-stored hash values with newly calculated ones, significantly reducing the total verification time while maintaining complete data integrity checking
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary hashing of data blocks during manufacturing or initial setup and stores these hash values in the flash memory. This preliminary action allows the system to skip the time-consuming hash calculation step during boot and update operations, reading only the pre-computed hash values for comparison, thereby accelerating the boot process and software updates without compromising verification accuracy
Data Source
AI summary
Digital signatures are verified by applying a hash function to data stored in a flash memory to generate a signature. For each written-to block of the flash memory, a hash is calculated from the data written to the respective block by a memory controller of the flash memory and stored together with the data in the block. The memory controller calculates a verification hash by applying a hash function to a hash stored in a block. A system superordinate to the flash memory reads a hash stored in a block and the verification hash for the blocks for which the signature is to be verified, calculates a check hash by applying a hash function to at least the one read-out hash, compares the calculated check hash with the read-out verification hash, and confirms the signature if the check hash matches the verification hash.