A System and Method for Establishing an Intervehicle Communication for at Least a First and Second Commercial Vehicle

Abstract

A system for establishing an intervehicle communication for at least first and second commercial vehicles includes at least one wireless, wired, and/or physical communication line, wherein the communication line is bidirectional. At one point of the communication line, a first authentication code generation module is provided, which is dedicated to the first vehicle. At another point of the communication line, a second code processing module is provided, which is dedicated to the second vehicle. The first authentication code generation module is configured to send identification information, authentication information, and/or encryption keys. The second code processing module is configured to process and send back identification information, authentication information, and/or encryption keys, especially processed and/or modified identification information, authentication information, encryption keys.

Claims

1.-15. (canceled)

16. A system for establishing an intervehicle communication for at least a first and a second commercial vehicle, comprising: at least one wireless, wired and/or physical communication line, wherein the communication line is bidirectional; a first authentication code generation module provided at one point of the communication line, which first authentication code generation module is dedicated to the first vehicle; a second code processing module provided at another point of the communication line, which second code processing module is dedicated to the second vehicle, wherein the first authentication code generation module is configured to send identification information, authentication information, and/or encryption keys, and wherein the second code processing module is configured to process and send back processed and/or modified identification information, authentication information, and/or encryption keys.

17. The system according to claim 16, wherein the first vehicle is a truck, and the second vehicle is a trailer.

18. The system according to claim 16, wherein the first vehicle is a trailer, and the second vehicle is another trailer.

19. The system according to claim 16, wherein the communication line is a pneumatic line.

20. The system according to claim 19, wherein the first authentication code generation module and/or the second code processing module are configured and arranged such that the identification information, authentication information, and/or encryption keys are transmitted by at least one pressure signal and/or a series of pressure signals, which signal and/or series of signals correspond to or represent the identification information, authentication information, and/or encryption keys.

21. The system according to claim 16, wherein the communication line is a wireless line.

22. The system according to claim 21, wherein the communication over the wireless line is in conformity with at least one of the following standards: WiFi, Bluetooth, WAVE, ETSI ITS-G5, IEEE 802.15.4, or C-V2X.

23. The system according to claim 16, wherein the communication line is a wired line.

24. The system according to claim 23, wherein the wired line is an ISO 11992 CAN line.

25. The system according to claim 23, wherein the wired line is a SAE J2497 power line.

26. The system according to claim 16, wherein the communication line is established optically.

27. A method for establishing an intervehicle communication for a first and a second commercial vehicle, comprising: providing at least one wireless and/or wired communication line, wherein the communication line is bidirectional; generating a first authentication code generation at the first vehicle; sending identification information, authentication information, and/or encryption keys to the second vehicle; processing and sending back identification information, authentication information, and/or encryption keys to the first vehicle.

28. The method according to claim 27, wherein the method is performed by using a system comprising: the at least one wireless, wired and/or physical communication line; a first authentication code generation module provided at one point of the communication line, which first authentication code generation module is dedicated to the first vehicle; a second code processing module provided at another point of the communication line, which second code processing module is dedicated to the second vehicle, wherein the first authentication code generation module is configured to send the identification information, authentication information, and/or encryption keys, and wherein the second code processing module is configured to process and send back the identification information, authentication information, and/or encryption keys.

29. An authentication code generation module for a system for establishing an intervehicle communication according to claim 16, wherein the authentication code generation module is configured to send identification information, authentication information, and/or encryption keys.

30. A code processing module for a system for establishing an intervehicle communication according to claim 16, wherein the code processing module is configured to process and send back processed and/or modified identification information, authentication information, and/or encryption keys.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0035] FIG. 1 is a schematic overview of how sensitive data via the pneumatic line are shared according to a first embodiment of the system and method according to the present invention;

[0036] FIG. 2 is a further schematic overview of sharing symmetric encryption keys via a wired interface according to a further embodiment of the system and method according to the present invention; and

[0037] FIG. 3 is a further schematic overview of exchanging encryption keys using a wireless connection with a third embodiment of the system and method according to the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0038] FIG. 1 shows, in a schematic overview, how sensitive data are shared via the pneumatic line according to a first embodiment of the system 10 and method.

[0039] The system 10 for establishing an intervehicle communication is a system for at least first and second commercial vehicles, here a truck 12 as a towing vehicle and a trailer 14 being towed by the truck 12.

[0040] Between the commercial vehicles, i.e. the truck 12 and the trailer 14, there is a pneumatic line 16 controlled by the truck 12, carrying the braking information from the truck 12 to the trailer 14.

[0041] The braking information is sent in the usual way by means of pneumatic signals, such as “pressure”, “no pressure”, “pressure ramp”, “pressure below threshold”, “pressure above threshold,” etc.

[0042] The system 10 comprises at least one wireless and/or wired communication line, here in this embodiment one pneumatic line 16.

[0043] The communication line, i.e. the pneumatic line 16 is bidirectional.

[0044] There is a further communication line, which is a wireless communication line 17. It can be established on the basis of the WiFi standard.

[0045] Also other standards like Bluetooth, WAVE, ETSI ITS-G5, IEEE 802.15.4, C-V2X or the like can be used for establishing a wireless communication line.

[0046] At one end of the communication line 16 a first authentication code generation module 18 is provided, which is dedicated to the first vehicle, i.e. the truck 12.

[0047] At the other end of the communication line 16 a second code processing module 20 is provided, which is dedicated to the second vehicle, i.e. the trailer 14.

[0048] The first authentication code generation module 18 is configured to send identification information and/or authentication information and/or encryption keys.

[0049] The second code processing module 20 is configured to process and send back identification information and/or authentication information and/or encryption keys, especially processed and/or modified identification information and/or authentication information and/or encryption keys.

[0050] The functionality is as follows.

[0051] The sensitive data is carried in the form of a pneumatic pressure value(s) over the communication line 16.

[0052] After connection, while the vehicles, i.e. the truck 12 and the trailer 14 stand still, from the truck 12 the first authentication code generation module 18 sends a series of pressure values via the pneumatic line 16 representing its generated encryption key used for a communication (e.g. a wired or wireless) to the other end of the pneumatic line 16 and thus to the second code processing module 20.

[0053] By reading this series of pressure value the second code processing module 20 on the trailer 14 and thus all trailer systems can obtain the encryption key and can use it for the communication. Once the “trailer 14” obtained the encryption key it sends back its descriptor in an encrypted in a wired or wireless manner according to the available communication link(s), here the wireless communication link 17.

[0054] From the fact that the message is encrypted with the right keys, the truck is assured that the source of the transmission is the correct trailer 14 that the truck 12 is connected to, since no other parties have access to the pneumatic line 16.

[0055] FIG. 2 shows a further schematic overview of symmetric encryption keys via a wired interface according to a further embodiment of the system 110 and method according to the present invention.

[0056] In this embodiment, all structural and functional features of the system 10 as described in connection with FIG. 1 are realized and present.

[0057] Similar, identical or corresponding features are named with a reference number, where the value of 100 has been added, i.e. there is a truck 112, a trailer 114, a first communication line 116, a second communication line 117, a first authentication code generation module 118 and a second code processing module 120.

[0058] In this embodiment the truck 112 and trailer 114 have two communication lines 116, 117, here the first communication line 116 and the second communication line 117. The first communication line 116 is a wireless communication line (e.g. Wi-Fi) and the second communication line 117 is a wired communication line (e.g. CAN). In this embodiment after ignition the symmetric key used for the wireless encryption is shared via the wired interface first. Once the encryption key is shared, the wireless communication link can be set up.

[0059] The communication over the first communication line 116 could be also according to one of the standards such as Bluetooth, WAVE, ETSI ITS-G5, IEEE 802.15.4, C-V2X or the like.

[0060] The second communication line 117 can be an ISO 11992 CAN line or a SAE J2497 power line. The second communication line 117 could be also established optically.

[0061] Due to the fact that the wireless message is encrypted with the right keys, the truck 112 and the first authentication code generation module 118 are assured that the source of the wireless transmission is the trailer 114 that the truck 112 is connected to, since no other parties have access to the wired communication line 116.

[0062] FIG. 3 shows a further schematic overview of exchanging encryption keys using a wireless connection with a third embodiment of the system 210 and method according to the present invention.

[0063] In this embodiment, all structural and functional features of the system 10 as described in connection with FIG. 1 are realized and present.

[0064] Similar, identical or corresponding features are named with a reference number, where the value of 200 has been added, i.e. there is a truck 212, a trailer 214, a first communication line 216, a second communication line 217, a first authentication code generation module 218 and a second code processing module 220.

[0065] In one embodiment the encryption keys are shared wirelessly at the very beginning of the communication, via the first communication line 216 and the second communication line 217. The method uses e.g. Diffie-Hellman or RSA key exchange algorithm. Once the encryption key has been shared, the parties encrypt their transmitted data with that key.

REFERENCES

[0066] 10 System

[0067] 12 Truck

[0068] 14 Trailer

[0069] 16 Communication line; pneumatic line

[0070] 17 Communication line; wireless communication line

[0071] 18 Authentication code generation module

[0072] 20 Code processing module

[0073] 110 System

[0074] 112 Truck

[0075] 114 Trailer

[0076] 116 Communication line; wireless communication line

[0077] 117 Communication line; wired communication line

[0078] 118 Authentication code generation module

[0079] 120 Code processing module

[0080] 210 System

[0081] 212 Truck

[0082] 214 Trailer

[0083] 216 Communication line; wireless communication line

[0084] 217 Communication line; wireless communication line

[0085] 218 Authentication code generation module

[0086] 220 Code processing module