Malicious connectivity interruption detection

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12106609-B2
Application number	US-202217666117-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 7, 2022
Priority date	Feb 7, 2022
Publication date	Oct 1, 2024
Grant date	Oct 1, 2024

Abstract

A system receives vehicle state data reported over a connection established with a vehicle and determines a loss of connection with the vehicle. Responsive to the loss of connection, the system performs an analysis of a plurality of predefined causes of incidental connection loss, based on vehicle state data previously reported compared to predefined values indicative of causing a lost connection. Responsive to the analysis indicating no predefined cause of incidental connection loss being present, the system triggers a vehicle alarm state protocol.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system comprising:
one or more processors configured to:
receive vehicle state data reported over a connection established with a vehicle;
determine a loss of connection with the vehicle;
attempt one or more new connections with the vehicle, responsive to the loss of connection, the new connections utilizing a different connection medium than that used for the connection that was lost and for other of the attempted one or more new connections;
responsive to the new connection being successful, delay an analysis, of a plurality of predefined causes of incidental connection loss, based on vehicle state data previously reported compared to predefined values indicative of causing a lost connection, until the new connection is lost;
responsive to the loss of connection, perform the analysis, including accommodation of the delay, when the new connection was successful, by delaying the analysis until the new connection is lost;
responsive to the analysis indicating no predefined cause of incidental connection loss being present, trigger a vehicle alarm state protocol; and
responsive to the analysis indicating at least one predefined cause of incidental connection loss, report an incidental connection loss, including reporting any vehicle state data indicative of the cause of incidental connection loss.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the loss of connection includes at least one of disruption of an ongoing connection or failure upon an attempt to connect to the vehicle.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the predefined causes include vehicle battery state compared to a predefined battery state indicative of insufficient power to maintain or establish a connection from a vehicle side.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the predefined causes include a vehicle motion state comparted to predefined parameters indicating that the vehicle is unlikely to have stopped.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the motion state includes vehicle speed and a last-reported time when the motion state was reported and wherein the predefined parameters include respective speeds and durations for comparison, the speeds and durations collectively indicating that the vehicle is unlikely to have stopped.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the predefined causes include a vehicle location compared to predefined parameters indicating locations where signal loss is known to occur based on observed historical data.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the predefined causes include system on chip bootstrap status compared to predefined parameters indicating likely software or hardware failure.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the predefined parameters include at least one vehicle temperature state compared to predefined parameters indicating shutdown temperatures for a vehicle system necessary for the connection.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the vehicle temperature state includes at least one of temperature of a vehicle interior or exterior temperature at the vehicle.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to: report the incidental connection loss to at least one of a designated vehicle owner, a security monitoring service or a public safety access point.

11. A method comprising:
receiving vehicle state data reported over a connection established with a vehicle;
determining a loss of connection with the vehicle;
attempting one or more new connections with the vehicle, responsive to the loss of connection, the new connections utilizing a different connection medium than that used for the connection that was lost and for other of the attempted one or more new connections;
responsive to the new connection being successful, delay an analysis, of a plurality of predefined causes of incidental connection loss, based on vehicle state data previously reported compared to predefined values indicative of causing a lost connection, until the new connection is lost;
responsive to the loss of connection, perform the analysis, including accommodating of the delay, when the new connection was successful, by delaying the analysis until the new connection is lost;
responsive to the analysis indicating no predefined cause of incidental connection loss being present, trigger a vehicle alarm state protocol; and
responsive to the analysis indicating at least one predefined cause of incidental connection loss, report an incidental connection loss, including reporting any vehicle state data indicative of the cause of incidental connection loss.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the predefined causes include vehicle battery state compared to a predefined battery state indicative of insufficient power to maintain or establish a connection from a vehicle side.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the predefined causes include a vehicle motion state comparted to predefined parameters indicating that the vehicle is unlikely to have stopped.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein the predefined causes include a vehicle location compared to predefined parameters indicating locations where signal loss is known to occur based on observed historical data.

15. The method of claim 11 , wherein the predefined causes include system on chip bootstrap status compared to predefined parameters indicating likely software or hardware failure.

16. The method of claim 11 , wherein the predefined parameters include at least one vehicle temperature state compared to predefined parameters indicating shutdown temperatures for a vehicle system necessary for the connection.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Safir Tarik
• Harris Sam
• Murray James Nicholas
• Akoglu Hasan
• Mitchell Gabriel
• Abentheuer Aaron

Classifications

• H04W72/29

  between an access point and the access point controlling device · CPC title

• H04W76/18

  Management of setup rejection or failure · CPC title

• H04W4/40

  for vehicles, e.g. vehicle-to-pedestrians [V2P] · CPC title

• H04W76/19 Primary

  Connection re-establishment · CPC title

• G07C5/008 Primary

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