Distributed vehicle network access authorization

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11438332-B2
Application number	US-201916560448-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 4, 2019
Priority date	Sep 4, 2019
Publication date	Sep 6, 2022
Grant date	Sep 6, 2022

Abstract

A system includes a first plurality of blockchain nodes including first network nodes external to a vehicle and second network nodes internal to the vehicle, the first plurality of blockchain nodes maintaining a first distributed blockchain ledger; and a first computing device. The first computing device is programmed to transmit a first request to the first plurality of blockchain nodes requesting access to a vehicle network via a communications access port in the vehicle; demonstrate a first proof of work by responding to a second request from the first plurality of blockchain nodes; and receive, based on a first majority of the first network nodes and the second network nodes in the first plurality of blockchain nodes accepting the first request, first authorization specifying access to the vehicle access via the communications access port.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system comprising:
a first plurality of blockchain nodes including first network nodes external to a vehicle and second network nodes connected to each other on a vehicle network internal to the vehicle, the first plurality of blockchain nodes maintaining a first distributed blockchain ledger;
a second plurality of blockchain nodes including the second network nodes internal to the vehicle and not including the first network nodes external to the vehicle, the second plurality of blockchain nodes maintaining a second distributed blockchain ledger;
a first computing device, the first computing device including a processor and a memory, the memory including instructions such that the processor is programmed to:
transmit a first request to the first plurality of blockchain nodes requesting access to the vehicle network via a diagnostic access port in the vehicle for the first computing device or another computing device;
demonstrate a first proof of work by responding to a second request from the first plurality of blockchain nodes; and
receive, based on a first majority of the first network nodes and the second network nodes in the first plurality of blockchain nodes accepting the first request, first authorization specifying access to the vehicle network via the diagnostic access port; and

a second computing device recognized as trusted by at least one node in the second plurality of blockchain nodes, the second computing device including a second processor and a second memory, the second memory including instructions such that the processor is programmed to:
transmit a third request to the second plurality of blockchain nodes requesting access to the vehicle network via the diagnostic access port;
demonstrate a second proof of work by responding to a fourth request from the second plurality of blockchain nodes;
receive a cryptographic token from one of the second network nodes based on the one of the second network nodes providing a third proof of work by responding to the third request from the first plurality of blockchain nodes; and
receive, based on (1) a second majority of the second network nodes in the second plurality of blockchain nodes accepting the third request, and (2) the received cryptographic token, second authorization authorizing access to the vehicle network via the diagnostic access port.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein access to the vehicle network via the diagnostic access port includes at least one of (1) access to at least some data on the vehicle network and (2) access to communicate with at least one vehicle system on the vehicle network.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein each of the first plurality of blockchain nodes are programmed to add a data block to the first distributed blockchain ledger recording the first authorization based on the first majority of the first network nodes and the second network nodes accepting the first proof of work.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the second request from the first plurality of blockchain nodes is a hash puzzle.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein accepting the first request includes accepting the first proof of work.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the second plurality of blockchain nodes, based on (1) the second majority of the second network nodes in the second plurality of blockchain nodes accepting the third request, and (2) the received cryptographic token, is programmed to add a data block to the second distributed blockchain ledger recording the second authorization.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein transmitting the third request to the second plurality of blockchain nodes is based on the first majority of the first network nodes and the second network nodes in the first plurality of blockchain nodes not accepting the first proof of work.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein, to establish that the second computing device is recognized as trusted by the at least one node on the second plurality of blockchain nodes, the second processor is programmed to transmit at least one of (1) an identifier of the second computing device recognized by the at least one node on the second plurality of blockchain nodes or (2) a first digital key matching to or pairing with a second digital key stored on the at least one node on the second plurality of blockchain nodes.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the second authorization is limited in duration, and the first plurality of blockchain nodes is further programmed to:
monitor activity of the second computing device during the duration of the second authorization; and
adjust or extend the specified access to the vehicle network via the diagnostic access port based on determining that the activity of the second computing device remained within a predetermined range of activities during the duration of the second authorization.

10. A method comprising:
transmitting, by a first computing device, a first request to a first plurality of blockchain nodes requesting access to a vehicle network via a diagnostic access port in a vehicle for the first computing device or another computing device, wherein the first plurality of blockchain nodes includes first network nodes external to the vehicle and second network nodes connected to each other on a vehicle network included in the vehicle, and the first plurality of nodes maintains a first distributed blockchain ledger;
demonstrating a first proof of work by responding to a second request from the first plurality of blockchain nodes;
receiving, based on a first majority of the first network nodes and the second network nodes in the first plurality of blockchain nodes accepting the first request, first authorization specifying access to the vehicle network via the diagnostic access port;
transmitting, by a second device recognized as trusted by at least one node in a second plurality of blockchain nodes, a third request to the second plurality of blockchain nodes requesting access to the vehicle network via the diagnostic access port, wherein the second plurality of blockchain nodes includes the second network nodes included in the vehicle and does not include the first network nodes external to the vehicle and the second plurality of blockchain nodes maintains a second distributed blockchain ledger;
demonstrating a second proof of work by responding to a fourth request from the second plurality of blockchain nodes;
receiving a cryptographic token from one of the second network nodes based on the one of the second network nodes providing a third proof of work by responding to the third request from the first plurality of blockchain nodes; and
receiving, based on (1) a second majority of the second network nodes in the second plurality of blockchain nodes accepting the third request, and (2) the received cryptographic token, second authorization authorizing access to the vehicle network via the diagnostic access port.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein access to the vehicle network via the diagnostic access port includes at least one of (1) access to at least some data on the vehicle network and (2) access to communicate with at least one vehicle system on the vehicle network.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein each of the first plurality of blockchain nodes are programmed to add a data block to the first distributed blockchain ledger recording the first authorization based on the first majority of the first network nodes and the second network nodes accepting the first proof of work.

13. The method of claim 10 , wherein the second request from the first plurality of blockchain nodes is a hash puzzle.

14. The method of claim 10 , wherein

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

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

Classifications

• H04L9/3297

  involving time stamps, e.g. generation of time stamps · 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

• H04W12/08 Primary

  Access security · CPC title

• H04L9/50

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

• H04L63/10 Primary

  for controlling access to devices or network resources · CPC title