Distributed vehicle authorized operations

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10988112-B2
Application number	US-201916573083-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 17, 2019
Priority date	Sep 17, 2019
Publication date	Apr 27, 2021
Grant date	Apr 27, 2021

Abstract

A system includes a computer including a processor and a memory. The memory stores instructions executable by the processor to store an electronic ledger that specifies an authorized operation for an entity to perform for a vehicle, receive a request, including an entity identifier for an entity making the request, to perform a requested operation, query the electronic ledger to determine that the requested operation is the authorized operation, and actuate the vehicle based on the authorized operation. The electronic ledger is a distributed electronic ledger shared between at least the vehicle and the entity.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system, comprising a computer including a processor and a memory, the memory storing instructions executable by the processor to:
store an electronic ledger that specifies an authorized operation for an entity to perform for a vehicle;
receive a request, including an entity identifier for an entity making the request, to perform a requested operation;
query the electronic ledger to determine that the requested operation is the authorized operation; and
actuate the vehicle based on the authorized operation;
wherein the computer is in the vehicle;
wherein the electronic ledger is a distributed electronic ledger shared between at least the computer and an entity computer remote from the vehicle and associated with the entity.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein actuating the vehicle includes operating the vehicle to a location of the entity.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions further include instructions to output a message to a user based on the entity identifier.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions further include instructions to initiate the request based on one of a location of the vehicle, data received from a device on a vehicle communications bus, or a timeframe.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions further include instructions to record in the electronic ledger a record that a response to the request by the entity included the authorization and actuation of the vehicle to perform the authorized operation.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions further include instructions to determine that the requested operation is not authorized based on one or more prior operations recorded in the electronic ledger for the entity.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions further include instructions to determine that the authorized operation is not authorized based on the requested operation not meeting one or more parameters stored in the electronic ledger.

8. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a master device, wherein determining that the requested operation is the authorized operation comprises querying the master device storing the electronic ledger in addition to a vehicle computer and an entity computer.

9. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a master device, wherein the instructions further include instructions to receive the authorized operation for the entity from the master device and store the authorized operation for the entity to the electronic ledger.

10. A method comprising:
storing an electronic ledger that specifies an authorized operation for an entity to perform for a vehicle;
receiving a request, including an entity identifier for an entity making the request, to perform a requested operation;
querying the electronic ledger to determine that the requested operation is the authorized operation; and
actuating the vehicle based on the authorized operation;
wherein the computer is in the vehicle;
wherein the electronic ledger is a distributed electronic ledger shared between at least the computer and an entity computer remote from the vehicle and associated with the entity.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein actuating the vehicle includes operating the vehicle to a location of the entity.

12. The method of claim 10 , further comprising outputting a message to a user based on the entity identifier.

13. The method of claim 10 , further comprising initiating the request based on one of a location of the vehicle, data received from a device on a vehicle communications bus, or a timeframe.

14. The method of claim 10 , further comprising recording in the electronic ledger a record that a response to the request by the entity included the authorization and actuation of the vehicle to perform the authorized operation.

15. The method of claim 10 , further comprising determining that the requested operation is not authorized based on one or more prior operations recorded in the electronic ledger for the entity.

16. The method of claim 10 , further comprising determining that the authorized operation is not authorized based on the requested operation not meeting one or more parameters stored in the electronic ledger.

17. The system of claim 1 , wherein the request specifies a number of tokens, and wherein the instructions further include instructions to determine the request is authorized based on the number of tokens being below a token threshold, the electronic ledger stores the token threshold.

18. The system of claim 17 , wherein the instructions further include instructions to transfer the number of tokens after actuating the vehicle to perform the authorized operation.

19. The system of claim 8 , wherein the master device is associated with an owner of the vehicle.

20. The system of claim 9 , wherein the master device is associated with an owner of the vehicle.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Bedard Robert D
• Bailey Clifford Anthony
• Ham Willie
• Hassani Ali
• Kruntovski Michael
• Peng Lauren

Classifications

• H04L9/50

  using hash chains, e.g. blockchains or hash trees · CPC title

• H04L63/0807

  using tickets, e.g. Kerberos (cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using tickets or tokens H04L9/3213) · CPC title

• H04L67/12 Primary

  specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks · CPC title

• H04L67/1097

  for distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS] · CPC title

• G06F21/64

  Protecting data integrity, e.g. using checksums, certificates or signatures · CPC title