Vehicle-Backend Hash Message Sync for Interrupted Cloud Links

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing vehicle-to-cloud systems lack flexibility in synchronizing communication between vehicles and backend devices, particularly when vital information is transmitted, and do not ensure message integrity or successful receipt confirmation.

Innovation Solution

A method involving the vehicle sending a hash-message with vital information and a retry timer mechanism to ensure acknowledgment from the backend device, with retry timer values increasing after each unsuccessful attempt, to guarantee message integrity and successful transmission.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the vehicle sends vital information to the backend device, then data integrity must be ensured, but communication interruptions may cause synchronization failures

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedata integrityVSAvoidhandling communication interruptions
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary actions by sending a hash message before the actual vital information transmission. This hash message contains authentication data that enables the backend device to verify the integrity of subsequent data transmissions. The retry timer is also preliminarily configured with initial values to handle potential communication failures before they occur.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements feedback mechanisms through acknowledgment messages sent from the backend device to the vehicle. When communication interruptions occur, the retry timer triggers retransmission attempts, and the system adjusts timer values based on whether acknowledgments are received, creating a closed-loop feedback system that adapts to communication conditions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

2Adaptability or versatility

If the system uses fixed retry timer values for resending hash-messages, then implementation is simple, but it cannot adapt to varying communication conditions

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveadaptive retry timingVSAvoidtimer value management
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The retry timer transitions from a static fixed-value component to a dynamic adaptive component. The system initially uses fixed timer values for simplicity, then dynamically adjusts these values based on communication outcomes. When acknowledgments are not received within the timer period, the system resends hash-messages with modified timer values, allowing adaptation to varying network conditions while maintaining manageable complexity through structured adjustment rules.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

3Reliability

If the vehicle computes hash values for all vital information, then data integrity is verified, but processing power and storage are consumed

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedata integrity verificationVSAvoidcomputational energy consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The system extracts only the essential authentication elements from the vital information by computing and transmitting hash values separately. Instead of processing and transmitting all raw vital information through the energy-constrained vehicle system, the invention extracts cryptographic hash values that serve as compact representations for integrity verification. This extraction reduces the computational burden on the vehicle's limited resources while maintaining verification capability at the backend device.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Data Source

PatentEP3968601A1Synchronization of a communication between a vehicle and a backend device using a hash message
Publication Date: 2022.03.16 VOLKSWAGEN AG
  • EP3968601A1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3968601A1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3968601A1 patent drawing

AI summary

The invention relates to a method for synchronization of a communication (D) between a vehicle (10) and a backend device (20) in a vehicle-to-cloud-system (100), especially by transmitting vital information, comprising the following steps: 1) sending a hash-message (m) from the vehicle (10) to the backend device (20), 2) setting an inhibit value (t0) for a retry timer (t) for receiving an acknowledgment (a) from the backend device (20) at the vehicle (10), 3) resending the hash-message (m) from the vehicle (10) to the backend device (20) after expiration of the retry timer (t), when no acknowledgment (a) from the backend device (20) was received at the vehicle (10), 4) setting at least one new value (ti) for the retry timer (t) for receiving an acknowledgment (a) from the backend device (20) at the vehicle (10), wherein steps 3) and 4) will be repeated after expiration of the retry timer (t), when no acknowledgment (a) from the backend device (20) was received at the vehicle (10).