Vehicle-to-Infrastructure Challenge-Response Access Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing Digital Car Key technology is limited to controlling motor vehicle functions from a mobile device, whereas the need arises for a motor vehicle to control external infrastructure resources such as barriers or garage doors.
Innovation Solution
Implementing an asymmetric cryptographic method that allows a motor vehicle to control infrastructure using a challenge-response mechanism, where the infrastructure challenges the vehicle, which signs the challenge with its private key and the infrastructure verifies the response using its public key to authorize the function.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If asymmetric cryptographic method with challenge-response mechanism is implemented, then security and reliability of infrastructure control is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a challenge-response mechanism as an intermediary authentication process between the motor vehicle and infrastructure. The infrastructure sends a challenge to the vehicle, which signs it with its private key, and the infrastructure verifies the signature using the vehicle's public key. This intermediary step ensures secure authentication without requiring direct trust establishment, resolving the security-complexity contradiction by providing a standardized cryptographic protocol.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a universal cryptographic authentication system that can be applied to multiple infrastructure types (barriers, garage doors, charging stations). The challenge-response mechanism using asymmetric cryptography serves as a multi-functional security layer that works across different infrastructure applications, reducing the need for separate authentication systems for each application and thereby managing complexity through standardization.
2Ease of operation
If motor vehicle controls infrastructure functions autonomously, then ease of operation is improved, but reliability may worsen due to automated errors
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables the motor vehicle to autonomously control infrastructure functions without requiring manual intervention from the driver or operator. The vehicle's onboard system automatically initiates the challenge-response authentication and executes control commands for infrastructure functions such as opening barriers or activating charging stations. This self-service capability improves ease of operation by making the system hands-free and automated, while the cryptographic verification layer ensures reliability by preventing unauthorized or erroneous commands.
3Adaptability or versatility
If infrastructure supports multiple motor vehicles with different authorizations and priorities, then adaptability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements local quality by assigning different authorization levels and priorities to different motor vehicles based on their specific needs and roles. Each vehicle receives tailored access rights (e.g., full access, limited access, priority access) rather than a uniform authorization scheme. The infrastructure evaluates the vehicle's authorization level and priority locally when processing control requests, enabling flexible adaptability while managing complexity through decentralized, context-specific authorization decisions rather than a centralized complex permission system.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for controlling an infrastructure by a motor vehicle includes the steps of: transmitting a request to perform a predetermined function from the motor vehicle to the infrastructure; transmitting a challenge from the infrastructure to the motor vehicle; generating a response by signing the transmitted challenge with a private key of the motor vehicle; transmitting the response from the motor vehicle to the infrastructure; determining, based on a public key of the motor vehicle and the signature of the response, that the response originates from the motor vehicle; and controlling the requested function by the infrastructure if the check was successful.