Portable Vehicle User Settings With Token-Based Secure Transfer
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing systems fail to efficiently port and secure user settings between different vehicles, particularly in scenarios involving multiple users or rental/fleet vehicles, leading to privacy and security concerns.
Innovation Solution
A method and system for securely caching and authenticating user settings using a user token, enabling synthesis across vehicles, with ephemeral access and encryption to protect sensitive information.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If user settings are transferred between vehicles using existing systems, then portability of settings is improved, but data security and privacy are worsened due to lack of authentication and encryption mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
A cloud-based server acts as an intermediary between vehicles and users, securely storing encrypted user settings and authentication tokens. The server mediates the transfer process by verifying authentication tokens before decrypting and transferring settings, ensuring both portability and security without requiring direct vehicle-to-vehicle communication.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the state of user settings from unencrypted to encrypted form during storage and transfer. Authentication tokens are used to dynamically control the decryption process, ensuring that settings remain secure at rest and during transmission, while still being accessible to authorized users.
2Ease of operation
If user settings are made accessible across multiple vehicles, then ease of operation is improved, but access control and authorization become more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables self-service access where users automatically receive authentication tokens on their personal devices (smartphones, key fobs). When a user approaches a vehicle, the token is automatically presented and verified by the vehicle system, providing seamless access without manual intervention from vehicle operators or administrators.
Solution Approach 2:
A single authentication token system serves multiple functions: user identification, authorization verification, and secure access control across different vehicles. The cloud server provides universal access control for entire fleets, while individual vehicles maintain independent security boundaries, reducing overall system complexity.
3Reliability
If encryption is implemented to protect user settings, then data security is improved, but processing speed and access time are worsened due to decryption requirements
Solution Approach 1:
User settings are pre-encoded in encrypted form and stored in the cloud before any transfer occurs. When a user requests settings transfer, the pre-prepared encrypted data is quickly transmitted and decrypted only after authentication verification, minimizing processing time during the actual transfer operation.
Solution Approach 2:
Different levels of encryption are applied to different types of data based on their security requirements. Highly sensitive information receives stronger encryption, while less sensitive settings use lighter encryption schemes, optimizing the balance between security and processing speed for each data element.
Data Source
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AI summary
In an aspect, the present disclosures provides a computer-implemented method for applying user settings to a vehicle, the method comprising receiving (130) user settings for a first vehicle, at a second vehicle, and locking access (170) to the user settings on the second vehicle, the user settings being associated with a user; unlocking access to the user settings on the second vehicle based on: authenticating (140) a user token associated with the user and the user settings, and verifying an identity of the user associated with the user token, and applying the user settings to the second vehicle based on synthesizing (150) the user settings of the first vehicle to the second vehicle.