On-Board Vehicle Network Access Control via Sensor-Based Human Verification

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing methods for preventing unsanctioned access to on-board vehicle networks, such as CAPTCHA challenges, are not intuitive for users and can disrupt the user experience, especially when users launch applications that do not require web browsers, and it is impractical for service providers to embed challenge-response tests in every possible application.

Innovation Solution

The system automatically determines whether a computing device is being operated by a person by detecting externally generated stimuli and conditions, such as signal strength and vehicle travel data, to grant or deny network access without requiring user intervention or embedding challenges in every application, thus ensuring secure and seamless access.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If CAPTCHA challenges are used to prevent unsanctioned access, then network security is improved, but user experience deteriorates due to non-intuitive interactions and disruptions

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvenetwork securityVSAvoiduser experience
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs self-verification by automatically detecting human presence through device sensors (accelerometer, gyroscope, microphone) without requiring user interaction with challenge-response tests. The device itself provides the verification data needed to prove human operation, eliminating the need for external CAPTCHA challenges and maintaining both security and user experience.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces the mechanical interaction of CAPTCHA challenges (visual puzzles requiring manual input) with an automated sensor-based detection system. Instead of requiring users to solve visual challenges, the system uses device sensors to automatically detect human presence and operation, substituting a user-friendly automated process for the cumbersome manual verification process.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Reliability

If challenge-response tests are embedded in every application, then access control reliability is improved, but device complexity and implementation burden increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveaccess controlVSAvoidimplementation burden
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent creates a universal access control mechanism that operates across all applications without requiring individual implementation in each one. The sensor-based human presence detection system serves as a common foundation that any application can leverage, eliminating the need to embed separate challenge-response tests in every application while maintaining consistent access control reliability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent extracts the access control verification function from individual applications and consolidates it into a separate, dedicated system. Instead of requiring each application to implement its own challenge-response tests, the verification functionality is extracted and implemented as an independent sensor-based detection system that operates at the device level, reducing complexity for application developers.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

3Ease of operation

If automated password decoders are used for automatic connection, then ease of operation is improved, but network security deteriorates due to potential unsanctioned access

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveautomatic connectionVSAvoidnetwork security
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary verification of human presence and operation before allowing automatic connection to occur. By detecting human presence through sensors prior to the connection process, the system ensures that only devices being operated by humans can automatically connect, preventing unauthorized automated access while maintaining the convenience of automatic connection for legitimate users.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system continuously monitors sensor data to provide feedback on whether the device is being operated by a human. This feedback mechanism allows the system to dynamically control automatic connection permissions, enabling automatic connection when human operation is detected and preventing it when no human presence is detected, thus balancing ease of operation with network security.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentEP3742701B1Systems and methods for averting unsanctioned access to on-board vehicle networks
Publication Date: 2023.05.31 GOGO BUSINESS AVIATION LLC
  • EP3742701B1 patent drawingFigure 1A~1B
  • EP3742701B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3742701B1 patent drawingFigure 3A~3B

AI summary

Novel techniques for averting unsanctioned access to on-board vehicle networks include obtaining indications of detected stimuli and/or conditions that are external to a target computing device, and determining whether or not the detected stimuli/conditions are indicative of the target computing device being utilized, operated, held, and/or carried by a person on-board the vehicle. External stimuli/conditions may include signals transmitted by other devices on-board the vehicle, ad-hoc data received via various interfaces of the target computing device, comparisons of vehicle heuristic data with data generated by components of the target computing device, etc. A confidence score may be generated (e.g., over time) based on detected stimuli/conditions. Access of the target computing device to an on-board vehicle network may be granted or denied based on the detected stimuli/conditions and/or the confidence score. Further, the novel techniques are not required to use any user input.