Vehicle Terminal Random Number Generation Using Dynamic Sensor Data
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for generating random numbers for vehicle-mounted terminals, such as arithmetic and physical random number generation, are either predictable or require additional costly sensors, making them insecure and expensive to implement.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle-mounted terminal with a data acquisition unit, extraction unit, random number generation unit, and enciphering unit that uses vehicle information like engine speed and yaw rate to generate a random number seed, making it difficult for outsiders to estimate the cipher key without additional sensors.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If arithmetic random number generation is used, then cost is reduced, but security is worsened because the random number can be predicted
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines arithmetic random number generation with vehicle operation data (engine speed, acceleration, steering angle) to create a hybrid random number generation system. This merging approach maintains the low cost of arithmetic generation while adding unpredictability through physical vehicle data, thereby resolving the security weakness without requiring expensive physical sensors.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses vehicle operation data as an intermediary element between the arithmetic random number generator and the final cipher key. This intermediary adds a layer of unpredictability derived from physical vehicle behavior, making the final random number difficult to predict while still using primarily computational methods rather than expensive physical sensors.
2Reliability
If physical random number generation is used, then security is improved, but cost is worsened due to additional sensors
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes existing vehicle sensors (engine speed sensor, acceleration sensor, steering angle sensor) serve dual purposes: their primary function for vehicle control and diagnosis, and a secondary function for random number generation. This eliminates the need for additional dedicated sensors while providing physical-based unpredictability for security.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent enables the vehicle's existing sensor system to serve itself by providing data for both vehicle operation and security functions. The vehicle's normal operation data is reused to generate random numbers, eliminating the need for separate dedicated random number generation hardware or sensors.
3Reliability
If freerun counter is used to change initial value, then security is improved, but device complexity is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the parameters used to initialize the random number generator from simple counter values to multi-dimensional vehicle operation parameters (engine speed, acceleration, steering angle, time). This parameter enrichment increases security through higher entropy while maintaining procedural simplicity because the parameters are naturally available from vehicle operation.
Data Source
AI summary
A terminal to be connected to a network has: a data acquisition unit for acquiring first data from the network; an extraction unit for extracting second data regarding a physical quantity in accordance with the first data; a random number generation unit for generating a random number in accordance with the second data; and an enciphering unit for enciphering the first data in accordance with the random number. The terminal has further a counter unit for counting the number of the first data, wherein the random number generation unit generates a random number in accordance with the second data or a value counted by the counter unit.