Authentication Device for Vehicle Bus System Security
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for authenticating control units in motor vehicles are resource-intensive and costly, as they require powerful processors to execute cryptographic measures, which can be stressful on hardware and expensive.
Innovation Solution
A method using asymmetric and symmetric cryptographic techniques to authenticate vehicle-external devices and control units, reducing the need for powerful hardware by using authentication devices to verify signatures and access, thereby lowering costs and resource usage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If cryptographic measures are executed to verify authorization, then security against manipulation is improved, but processor load and hardware requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the cryptographic verification function from the control unit's main processor and implements it in a separate authentication device. This separation removes the computational burden of cryptographic operations from the vehicle's control system while maintaining security, as the authentication device handles all signature verification independently.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an authentication device as an intermediary between the control unit and external devices. This intermediary handles the cryptographic verification of signatures from external devices, allowing the control unit to maintain simple, low-power hardware while still achieving secure authentication through the mediating authentication device.
2Reliability
If powerful control units are used to execute cryptographic measures, then authentication capability is improved, but cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the expensive cryptographic processing capability from the control unit and places it in a separate, dedicated authentication device. This allows the control unit itself to be manufactured with simpler, cheaper hardware while the authentication device handles the computationally intensive cryptographic operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the authentication system into two separate components: a simple control unit and a more capable authentication device. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently, with the control unit being cost-effective for vehicle manufacturing and the authentication device providing the necessary cryptographic security.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for authenticating a vehicle-external device in a bus system of a motor vehicle comprising control units is provided. In order to effectively and inexpensively prevent a sequence control system that is stored in a control unit from being manipulated, an authentication device is provided in the bus system. The authentication device transmits an authentication request to the vehicle-external device. The vehicle-external device signs the authentication request with a secret key of an asymmetric pair of keys, such as a pair of public keys, and transmits the signed authentication request or exclusively the signature to the authentication device. The authentication device determines a signature of the authentication request using the same algorithm as the vehicle-external device, and decodes the signature transmitted by the vehicle-external device using the public key which is complementary to the secret key, and compares the determined signature with the transmitted signature.