Hierarchical Vehicle Authentication for Flexible UAV Grouping
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Solution Overview
Problem
Managing authentication information and authority for a large number of unmanned vehicles or groups of unmanned vehicles is difficult, especially during regrouping, due to the challenges of central management and secure communication.
Innovation Solution
An authentication system with a hierarchical structure, involving a certificate authority, central control system, master and slave vehicles, and external system, where the master vehicle acts as an intermediate certificate authority to manage and distribute authentication information, ensuring secure communication and authentication between vehicles and external systems.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If central management of authentication information is performed for a large number of unmanned vehicles, then authentication security is improved, but management complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the central management function into multiple hierarchical levels: a root certificate authority (CA) that issues certificates to group CAs, and group CAs that issue certificates to individual unmanned vehicles. This segmentation allows the system to manage large numbers of vehicles without requiring a single complex central management system, as each CA manages only a subset of vehicles within its group.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces group certificate authorities as intermediary entities between the root CA and individual vehicle CAs. These group CAs act as mediators that receive certificates from the root CA and distribute them to member vehicles, reducing the management burden on the central system while maintaining security through hierarchical verification.
2Adaptability or versatility
If authentication information is distributed to many unmanned vehicles, then vehicle identification capability is improved, but loss of information increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments authentication information into hierarchical levels: root CA holds master certificates, group CAs hold group-specific certificates, and individual vehicle CAs hold vehicle-specific certificates. This segmentation allows the system to distribute identification capability across multiple vehicles while minimizing information loss by limiting the scope of each CA's certificate management to its specific group or vehicle.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements local quality by assigning different certificate management responsibilities to different CAs based on their hierarchical level and group affiliation. Each CA manages authentication information locally within its scope (group or individual vehicle) rather than centrally, reducing the risk of information loss while maintaining comprehensive vehicle identification capability.
3Adaptability or versatility
If flexible group assignments are implemented, then system adaptability is improved, but authentication control difficulty increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic group assignments through hierarchical certificate validation. When a vehicle joins or leaves a group, the system dynamically updates certificate chains and validation paths. The hierarchical structure allows flexible regrouping without requiring complete system reconfiguration, as each level of CA can independently manage its group members while maintaining security through certificate validation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent incorporates feedback mechanisms where CAs verify certificate validity and group membership before allowing vehicle communication. This feedback loop ensures that flexible group assignments are maintained with proper authentication control, as each CA continuously validates the authentication information of vehicles within its group and can revoke access when necessary.
Data Source
AI summary
An authentication system includes: a certificate authority; a central control system; a group including an unmanned vehicle that is a master vehicle and an unmanned vehicle that is a slave vehicle; a management system; and an external system. The central control system includes a first authentication information transmitting unit that transmits, to the master vehicle, first authentication information received from the certificate authority. The master vehicle includes an authentication unit that executes authentication with the slave vehicle belonging to the same group, and a second authentication information transmitting unit that transmits second authentication information including a first token with an expiration date and the first authentication information to the authenticated slave vehicle. The management system includes an authentication unit that executes authentication with the external system; and a third authentication information transmitting unit that transmits, to the authenticated external system, third authentication information including a second token and the first authentication information received from the certificate authority. The slave vehicle and the external system each include an authentication unit that executes authentication based on the second authentication information and the third authentication information.