Software authentication before software update

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11146401-B2
Application number	US-201615233708-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 10, 2016
Priority date	Aug 10, 2016
Publication date	Oct 12, 2021
Grant date	Oct 12, 2021

Abstract

A programming session may be initiated to a vehicle ECU by an update device. A software update for the ECU may be authenticated by the update device using an authentication key. When an authentication result indicates successful authentication, the ECU software update is sent by the update device over the in-vehicle network to the ECU. The ECU may then flash a memory with the ECU software update. The authentication key may be obtained from the ECU. The update device may be a vehicle telematics control unit or a service tool coupled to a connector of the vehicle.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
initiating a programming session of a vehicle electronic control unit (ECU) by a service tool in communication with the ECU over a diagnostic port connection to a vehicle bus;
authenticating, by the service tool, a software update for the ECU using an authentication key received to the service tool from the ECU; and
responsive to successful authentication, sending the software update from the service tool over the vehicle bus to the ECU.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
requesting the authentication key over the vehicle bus from the ECU by the update device; and
validating a checksum of the software update by the ECU responsive to receipt of the software update by the ECU.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising generating a notification indicating a result of the authenticating.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the authenticating comprises authenticating a digital signature of the software update using the authentication key, the authentication key being a public key, the digital signature being applied to the software update by an originator of the software update using a private key corresponding to the authentication key.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining an update version of the software update;
determining a current version of the software installed in the ECU;
comparing the update version with the current version to obtain a comparison result; and
based on the comparison result, identifying whether to request the authentication key from the ECU by the update device.

6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising outputting a message based on the comparison result.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising requesting an authentication key from the ECU by the update device in response to an update version of the software update not matching a current version of the software installed in the ECU.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the update device is connected to the vehicle bus of the vehicle using an On-Board Diagnostic 2 (OBD2) connector.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising receiving the software update using a Telematics Control Unit (TCU) over a wireless link.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the update device is the TCU.

11. A vehicle system comprising:
a Telematics Control Unit (TCU) connected to an in-vehicle network, configured to
receive a software update for an Electronic Control Unit (ECU) over a wireless network;
initiate a programming session with the ECU via the in-vehicle network;
authenticate the software update using an authentication key received from the ECU via the in-vehicle network to obtain an authentication result; and
responsive to the authentication result indicating successful authentication, send the software update over the in-vehicle network to the ECU to cause the ECU to flash a memory of the ECU with the software update.

12. The vehicle system of claim 11 , wherein the TCU is further configured to obtain the authentication key from the ECU from a memory of the TCU, wherein the authentication key is stored to the memory from application of a previous software update from the TCU to the ECU.

13. The vehicle system of claim 11 , wherein the TCU is further configured to display a notification indicating the authentication result.

14. The vehicle system of claim 11 , wherein the TCU is further configured to authenticate a digital signature of the software update using the authentication key, the authentication key being a public key, the digital signature being applied to the software update by an originator of the software update using a private key corresponding to the authentication key.

15. The vehicle system of claim 11 , wherein the TCU is further configured to
determine an update version of the software update before receiving it;
determine a current version of software that is currently installed in the ECU;
compare the update version with the current version to obtain a comparison result; and
based on the comparison result, decide whether to receive the software update.

16. The vehicle system of claim 11 , wherein the TCU is further configured to reject the software update in response to an update version of the software being incompatible with a current version of the software installed in the ECU.

17. The vehicle system of claim 11 , wherein the wireless network is at least one of a cellular network, a Wi-Fi network, or a Bluetooth network.

18. An apparatus for flashing software of an Electronic Control Unit (ECU) of a vehicle, comprising:
a connector configured to couple the apparatus to an in-vehicle network of the vehicle;
a memory configured to store an Electronic Control Unit (ECU) software update; and
a processor configured to
initiate a programming session to the ECU via the connector;
authenticate the ECU software update using an authentication key to obtain an authentication result; and
when the authentication result indicates successful authentication, send the ECU software update over the in-vehicle network to the ECU to cause the ECU to flash with the ECU software update.

19. The apparatus of claim 18 , further comprising a communication device configured to download the ECU software update.

20. The apparatus of claim 18 , wherein the processor is further configured to authenticate a digital signature of the software update using the authentication key, the authentication key being a public key, the digital signature being applied to the software update by an originator of the software update using a private key corresponding to the authentication key.

21. The apparatus of claim 18 , wherein the processor is further configured to determine to obtain the authentication key from the ECU responsive to determining that a version of the ECU software update is greater than a current version of the software installed to the ECU.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Miller Jason Michael
• Ye Xin
• Caushi Aldi

Classifications

• G06F8/65

  Updates (security arrangements therefor G06F21/57) · CPC title

• H04W12/069

  using certificates or pre-shared keys · CPC title

• H04L9/30

  Public key, i.e. encryption algorithm being computationally infeasible to invert or user's encryption keys not requiring secrecy · CPC title

• H04W8/245

  from a network towards a terminal · CPC title

• H04L63/061

  for key exchange, e.g. in peer-to-peer networks (cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key agreement H04L9/0838) · CPC title