Vehicle UWB STS Verification for Fake Leading Edge Detection

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing UWB communication systems are vulnerable to attacks that manipulate time of arrival measurements, allowing unauthorized access to vehicles by injecting fake leading edges, compromising security and distance measurement accuracy.

Innovation Solution

Implementing a vehicle control device with a digital signal processor (DSP) that divides received STS fields into sub-fields, performs cross-correlation calculations, and verifies the consistency of time of arrival measurements to detect and invalidate abnormal signals, ensuring only legitimate signals unlock vehicle functions.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If cross-correlation-based STS verification is used, then distance measurement function is achieved, but security vulnerability occurs allowing fake leading edge generation

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedistance measurementVSAvoidsecurity verification

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent divides the 4096-bit STS field into multiple sub-fields (e.g., 8 sub-fields of 512 bits each) and performs separate cross-correlation calculations on each sub-field. This segmentation allows the system to verify consistency across multiple independent measurements, preventing attackers from successfully polluting the entire CIR output with a single injected signal.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements a feedback mechanism where the system checks whether the leading edges identified from different sub-fields are consistent with each other. If the leading edges from multiple sub-fields do not align within an expected tolerance range, the system rejects the measurement and requests re-transmission, thereby preventing fake leading edge acceptance.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

2Reliability

If detailed STS verification is performed, then security is enhanced, but distance measurement performance deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesecurity verificationVSAvoiddistance measurement

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent performs cross-correlation on multiple sub-fields (excessive action) but only accepts the measurement if the leading edges from these sub-fields are consistent. This partial acceptance approach ensures security through thorough verification while maintaining measurement precision by rejecting inconsistent results that would indicate attacks or errors.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #16Partial or excessive action

3Object-affected harmful factors

If attacker injects strong signal into STS field, then distance shortening attack succeeds, but signal intensity adjustment is required for each field

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveattack resistanceVSAvoidsignal processing

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

By segmenting the STS field into multiple sub-fields and requiring consistent leading edge identification across all segments, the system prevents distance shortening attacks without requiring complex per-field signal intensity adjustment. The segmentation itself creates the complexity barrier for attackers while maintaining relatively simple receiver processing.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

Enhances vehicle security by preventing unauthorized access and maintaining accurate distance measurements through simple software modifications, thereby reinforcing the STS verification scheme.

Implementation Method 1

perform cross-correlation calculation of the divided sub-fields and sub-templates previously stored in the storage, extract times of arrival of the vehicle control signal from the results of performing the cross-correlation calculation

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectCross-correlation:

Data Source

PatentUS12605984B2Vehicle, method, and computer readable medium for providing security function

Publication Date: 2026.04.21 HYUNDAI MOTOR CO LTD

AI summary

A vehicle is configured to provide a security function using an electronic key. A method includes receiving a vehicle control signal through an antenna device of the vehicle, extracting a scrambled timestamp sequence (STS) field in the vehicle control signal, dividing the extracted STS field into sub-fields, each of which has a predefined certain length, performing cross-correlation calculation of the divided sub-fields and sub-templates previously stored in storage of the vehicle, extracting times of arrival of the vehicle control signal from the results of performing the cross-correlation calculation, and determining the vehicle control signal as a normal signal when consistency of distribution locations of the times of arrival in the results of performing the cross-correlation calculation is greater than or equal to a predefined reference value and determining the vehicle control signal as an abnormal signal when the consistency is less than the predefined reference value.