Vehicle ECU Access via Server-Based Two-Factor Authentication
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle diagnostic tools face limitations in accessing vehicle ECUs due to lack of two-factor authentication and the need for vehicle-specific authentication data, restricting the use of aftermarket tools and hindering access to advanced diagnostics.
Innovation Solution
A method and system for secure access to vehicle ECUs using two-factor authentication, where a diagnostic tool retrieves encrypted data from the vehicle, which is decrypted and validated by a backend server using OEM-provided APIs to calculate and encrypt a security key for access, enabling secure access over-the-air without requiring vehicle-specific data on the tool.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If vehicle-specific authentication data and algorithms are pre-installed in the diagnostic tool, then secure access to ECU is achieved, but device complexity increases and versatility decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a server as an intermediary between the diagnostic tool and the ECU. The server stores vehicle-specific authentication data and performs the authentication calculations, allowing the diagnostic tool to access multiple vehicle protocols without having pre-installed data for each. The server mediates the authentication process by receiving requests from the tool, retrieving appropriate authentication data, and returning the calculated authentication values.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent moves the authentication data storage and processing from the diagnostic tool (one-dimensional solution) to a server environment (adding another dimension). This cloud-based approach allows the system to access authentication data for multiple vehicle protocols without increasing the complexity of the local diagnostic tool, effectively solving the versatility problem.
2Reliability
If manufacturer-specific diagnostic tools are required for each vehicle type, then secure access is maintained, but ease of operation deteriorates due to multiple tool requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the diagnostic tool universal by enabling it to access multiple vehicle protocols through the server infrastructure. Instead of requiring separate tools for different manufacturers, a single diagnostic tool can authenticate with various ECU types by having the server retrieve the appropriate authentication data from its database, significantly reducing the maintenance burden on service technicians.
Solution Approach 2:
The server acts as a universal intermediary that handles the complexity of multiple authentication protocols. The diagnostic tool interacts with the server using a standardized interface, while the server manages the diversity of vehicle-specific authentication requirements, allowing the tool to maintain simplicity while supporting multiple protocols.
3Speed
If authentication data is stored locally in the diagnostic tool, then access speed is improved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by pre-computing and storing authentication data on the server side. When a diagnostic tool needs to authenticate, the server has already prepared the authentication data in its database, allowing for rapid retrieval and processing without requiring the tool to store extensive authentication data locally.
Solution Approach 2:
The server intermediary provides fast authentication by maintaining a database of pre-prepared authentication data. The server can quickly retrieve and process authentication requests without requiring the diagnostic tool to have large amounts of storage capacity or complex local authentication algorithms.
Data Source
AI summary
A method of supporting secure access to an electronic control unit (ECU) of a vehicle may comprise receiving, from a diagnostic tool connected to the vehicle, encrypted data including an ECU address corresponding to the ECU, vehicle identification information of the vehicle, and a security seed, decrypting the encrypted data, retrieving, from a database, an initialization vector based on the ECU address and the vehicle identification information, calculating a security key based on the initialization vector and the security seed using an application programming interface (API) associated with an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) of the ECU, encrypting the security key, and sending the encrypted security key to the diagnostic tool to be decrypted and used by the diagnostic tool to gain secure access to the ECU.