Apparatus and method for transparent, secure element-based mediation of on-board diagnostic operations

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10320745-B2
Application number	US-201615048531-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 19, 2016
Priority date	Aug 5, 2015
Publication date	Jun 11, 2019
Grant date	Jun 11, 2019

Abstract

An apparatus and method of an attachment device for interfacing with an on-board diagnostic system of a vehicle is provided. The device includes an application processor configured to receive input from a terminal, control processing of the input by the on-board diagnostic system, transmit a result of the processing of the input by the on-board diagnostic system to the terminal, and a secure element interposed in the communication path between the application processor and the on-board diagnostic system, the secure element configured to filter the input of an on-board diagnostic operation that is untrusted.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An attachment device for interfacing with an on-board diagnostic system of a vehicle, the attachment device comprising:
an application processor configured to:
receive an input from a terminal,
control processing of the input by the on-board diagnostic system, and
transmit a result of the processing of the input by the on-board diagnostic system to the terminal;

a secure element interposed in a communication path between the application processor and the on-board diagnostic system, the secure element comprising a processor that is separate from a processor of the application processor and is configured to filter out the input of an on-board diagnostic operation that is untrusted; and
a micro control unit interposed between the secure element and the on-board diagnostic system,
wherein the application processor, the secure element, the micro control unit and the on-board diagnostic system are electrically connected, and
wherein the application processor, the secure element and the micro control unit are encased together.

2. The attachment device of claim 1 ,
wherein the micro control unit is configured to:
translate the input, the input including the on-board diagnostic operation received from the secure element into a format understood by a port of the vehicle,
transmit the translated on-board diagnostic operation to the on-board diagnostic system,
receive a result of performing the on-board diagnostic operation from the on-board diagnostic system, and
transmit the result of performing the on-board diagnostic operation to the secure element.

3. The attachment device of claim 2 , wherein, when the application processor is controlling the processing of the input by the on-board diagnostic system, the application processor is further configured to:
transmit the input to the secure element, and
receive a result of performing or not performing the input from the secure element.

4. The attachment device of claim 3 , wherein, when the secure element is filtering out the input of the on-board diagnostic operation that is untrusted, the secure element is further configured to:
receive the input transmitted by the application processor,
compare the input to a table of trusted operations,
transmit an error code to the application processor when the input does not match any operation in the table of trusted operations, and
retransmit the on-board diagnostic operation to the micro control unit when the input matches an operation in the table of trusted operations.

5. The attachment device of claim 4 , wherein the table of trusted operations is cryptographically signed with a private key corresponding to a public key held by the secure element.

6. The attachment device of claim 5 , wherein, when updating the table of trusted operations, the secure element is further configured to verify a signature of a new table of trusted operations prior to storing the new table of trusted operations as the table of trusted operations.

7. An attachment device for interfacing with an on-board diagnostic system of a vehicle, the attachment device comprising:
an application processor configured to:
receive an input from a terminal,
control processing of the input by the on-board diagnostic system, and
transmit a result of the processing of the input by the on-board diagnostic system to the terminal;

a secure element interposed in a communication path between the application processor and the on-board diagnostic system, the secure element comprising a processor that is separate from a processor of the application processor and is configured to determine whether the input of an on-board diagnostic operation is trusted or untrusted;
a translator interposed in the communication path between the application processor and the secure element, the translator configured to process data between the application processor and the secure element; and
a micro control unit interposed in the communication path between the translator and the on-board diagnostic system,
wherein the application processor, the secure element, the translator, the micro control unit and the on-board diagnostic system are electrically connected, and
wherein the application processor, the secure element and the micro control unit are encased together.

8. The attachment device of claim 7 ,
wherein the micro control unit is configured to:
translate the on-board diagnostic operation received from the translator into a format understood by a port of the vehicle,
transmit the translated at least one of the operation to the on-board diagnostic system,
receive a result of performing the on-board diagnostic operation from the on-board diagnostic system, and
transmit the result of performing the on-board diagnostic operation to the translator.

9. The attachment device of claim 8 , wherein, when the application processor is controlling the processing of the input by the on-board diagnostic system, the application processor is further configured to:
transmit the input to the translator, and
receive the result of performing or not performing the input from the translator.

10. The attachment device of claim 9 , wherein, when the translator processes data between the application processor and the secure element, the translator is further configured to:
modify the input for use on a bus connected to the secure element,
transmit the modified input to the secure element,
receive an indication of whether the input is trusted,
transmit an error code as the result to the application processor when the indication indicates the input is not trusted,
transmit the on-board diagnostic operation to the micro control unit when the indication indicates the input is trusted, and
return to the application processor,
wherein the result of performing the on-board diagnostic operation is received from the micro control unit.

11. The attachment device of claim 10 , wherein, when the secure element is determining whether the input is trusted or untrusted, the secure element is further configured to:
receive the input transmitted by the application processor,
compare the input to a table of trusted operations,
transmit an indication that the input is trusted when the input matches an operation in the table of trusted operations, and
transmit an indication that the input is untrusted when the input does not match an operation in the table of trusted operations.

12. The attachment device of claim 11 , wherein the table of trusted operations is cryptographically signed with a private key corresponding to a public key held by the secure element.

13. The attachment device of claim 12 , wherein, when updating the table of trusted operations, the secure element is further configured to verify a signature of a new table of trusted operations prior to storing the new table of trusted operations as the table of trusted operations.

14. A method of securely processing on-board diagnostic operations in an attachment device for interfacing with an on-board diagnostic system of a vehicle, the method comprising:
receiving input from an external terminal;
determining whether the input is trusted or untrusted;
processing the input by the on-board diagnostic system when it has been determined that the input is trusted; and
transmitting one of a result of the processing of the input by the on-board diagnostic system or an error code when the input is untrusted, to the external terminal,
wherein the determining that the input is trusted or untrusted is performed by a secure element interposed in a communication path between an application processor and the on-b

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Ning Peng
• Mclaughlin Stephen E
• Grace Michael C
• Azab Ahmed M
• BHUTKAR Rohan
• Shen Wenbo
• Chen Xun
• Choi Yong
• Chen Ken

Classifications

• G06F21/60

  Protecting data · CPC title

• G06F21/62

  Protecting access to data via a platform, e.g. using keys or access control rules · CPC title

• G06F13/4068

  Electrical coupling · CPC title

• G07C5/08

  Registering or indicating performance data other than driving, working, idle, or waiting time, with or without registering driving, working, idle or waiting time · CPC title

• G07C5/008

  communicating information to a remotely located station (transmission systems for measured values G08C) · CPC title