Vehicle Electronic Circuit Software Update Integrity
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electronic circuits in vehicles face challenges in ensuring the data integrity of software updates transmitted from external servers, which is crucial for reliable operation and security.
Innovation Solution
The electronic circuit employs a blockchain-based data structure and a distributed verification process, where data blocks are verified by multiple external computing nodes using consensus algorithms like proof-of-work, ensuring data integrity before updating the software.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If software updates are transmitted from external servers to vehicle electronic circuits, then software functionality can be updated and improved, but data integrity cannot be ensured during transmission
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-storing a blockchain data structure with cryptographic hash values in the vehicle's electronic circuit before software updates are received. This pre-established verification mechanism allows the circuit to independently verify the integrity of incoming software data blocks by comparing their hash values against the stored blockchain records, ensuring data integrity before the update is applied
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses a blockchain data structure as an intermediary between the external server and the vehicle's electronic circuit. This intermediary contains pre-stored cryptographic hash values that serve as a trusted reference, allowing verification of software update integrity without requiring direct trust in the transmission channel or the external server
2Reliability
If cryptographic verification methods are used to ensure data integrity, then security is improved, but verification complexity and processing time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the complex cryptographic verification operations from the vehicle's main electronic circuit and performs them externally at remote computing nodes. The electronic circuit only needs to receive verification results and compare hash values, significantly reducing the verification complexity and processing burden on the vehicle's onboard systems while maintaining high security standards
3Productivity
If software updates are applied without verification, then update speed is maintained, but security risks increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs integrity verification in advance by pre-storing blockchain data structures with cryptographic hash values before software updates are applied. This preliminary verification ensures that only authenticated and un tampered software updates are installed, eliminating security risks while maintaining update speed through efficient hash-based verification
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements preliminary anti-action by establishing a trusted verification mechanism using blockchain technology before software updates are applied. The pre-stored cryptographic hash values in the blockchain data structure create a preventive barrier against malicious or corrupted updates, blocking security threats before they can affect the vehicle's electronic systems
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3
AI summary
An electronic circuit (3) stores a data structure and comprises a processing circuit (5) configured to execute a first software program. The electronic circuit (3) comprises a control circuit (8, 13) configured to receive a data block via a communication network, to transmit a respective verification request to a plurality of external computing nodes, to receive verification responses from at least a fraction of the computing nodes, to update the data structure depending on the verification responses by attaching the data block, and to store a second software program to the at least one memory device (10, 14) depending on the updated data structure, if the data block corresponds to a final data block, to transmit a switch request to the processing circuit (5) after storing the second software program and the processing circuit (5) is configured to execute the second software program in response to the switch request.