Onboard Vehicle Certificate Distribution for Process Authentication
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle computing systems lack robust cryptographic mechanisms to securely authenticate and authorize processes within autonomous vehicles, leading to potential security vulnerabilities and inefficiencies in communication between devices.
Innovation Solution
Implement a master device with a certificate authority that generates a root certificate and private key, issuing operational certificates to processes and devices for limited durations, using cryptographic signing techniques to ensure secure and authenticated communication.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If cryptographic signing techniques are implemented for process authentication, then security is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a master host security service as an intermediary component that centralizes certificate authority functions. This service generates root certificates, issues operational certificates to processes, and validates signatures, thereby implementing cryptographic authentication without requiring complex cryptographic operations in every process. The intermediary absorbs the complexity while providing simplified authentication interfaces to client processes.
Solution Approach 2:
The authentication system is segmented into distinct functional components: a master host security service that manages certificate authority operations, client processes that request authentication, and a structured certificate hierarchy (root certificates, operational certificates, process manifests). This segmentation allows each component to have specialized, simpler functionality while collectively providing robust cryptographic security.
2Reliability
If operational certificates are issued for limited durations, then security is improved, but productivity decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary authentication actions by issuing operational certificates with predetermined time limits before processes begin their operations. The master host security service pre-validates process identities and grants time-bound authorization, allowing processes to execute efficiently within their authorized window without requiring repeated authentication overhead during execution.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements dynamic certificate validity periods where operational certificates are issued with specific expiration times based on process requirements. This dynamic approach allows short-lived processes to receive brief certificates for rapid execution, while longer-running processes receive appropriately extended validity periods, optimizing both security and productivity for different operational scenarios.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods for onboard vehicle certificate distribution are provided. A system can include a plurality of devices including a master device for authenticating processes and one or more requesting devices. The master device can include a master host security service configured to authenticate the one or more processes of the system. The master host security service can run a certificate authority to generate a root certificate and a private root key corresponding to the root certificate. A respective host security service can receive a request for a process manifest for a requesting process of a respective device from a respective orchestration service. The respective host security service can generate the process manifest for the requesting process and provide the process manifest to the requesting process. The requesting process can use the process manifest to communicate with the certificate authority to obtain an operational certificate based on the root certificate.