Hydrogen Fuel Pump Authentication via NFC-Mediated Vehicle Pairing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing hydrogen refueling systems face challenges in accurately determining the location of vehicles at hydrogen filling stations, leading to potential data exchange confusion and safety risks due to incorrect assignments between vehicles and fuel pumps, which can result in uncontrolled hydrogen escapes and injuries.
Innovation Solution
Utilizing a mobile phone with an NFC radio interface as an intermediary to ensure a reliable location-dependent assignment and secure data exchange between vehicles and fuel pumps, using a temporary encryption key and wireless network information to establish an encrypted link for authentication.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If wireless networks (Bluetooth, WLAN, ZigBee) are used to determine vehicle location at fuel pumps, then data exchange between vehicle and pump is enabled, but accurate location determination becomes difficult leading to potential assignment confusion
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary authentication system that mediates between the vehicle and fuel pump. Instead of relying solely on wireless network location data, a dedicated authentication interface verifies the vehicle's identity and establishes a secure connection, ensuring accurate pump-vehicle assignment even when wireless location determination is imprecise.
2Device complexity
If location-dependent assignment is implemented without additional authentication measures, then device complexity is reduced, but safety risks increase due to potential incorrect assignments between vehicles and fuel pumps
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary authentication actions before the refueling process begins. The system performs identity verification and establishes secure connections in advance, ensuring that the correct vehicle is assigned to the correct fuel pump before any data exchange or refueling operations occur, thereby preventing safety risks.
Solution Approach 2:
The authentication system incorporates feedback mechanisms that continuously verify the vehicle-pump assignment throughout the refueling process. This feedback ensures that any potential mismatches are detected and corrected, maintaining high reliability without requiring overly complex preliminary authentication measures.
3Reliability
If encryption keys and wireless network information are used for authentication, then data exchange security is improved, but the authentication process becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a universal authentication interface that handles multiple authentication functions through a unified process. The same authentication mechanism manages both the verification of vehicle identity and the establishment of encrypted data channels, reducing overall complexity while maintaining high security standards.
Data Source
AI summary
Method for authenticating a motor vehicle (13) at a hydrogen fuel pump (11), characterized by the following features:the motor vehicle (13) is identified based on an identifier fitted in the interior (14) of the motor vehicle (13).a key is retrieved from the motor vehicle (13) by the mobile phone (12) via a radio link,the key is transferred to the hydrogen fuel pump (11) by means of an NFC transceiver (15) anda link, which is encrypted with the key, is built up to the motor vehicle (13) by the hydrogen fuel pump (11) via a wireless computer network (16).