Detecting attacks in SS-TWR communication

1 . A communication device configured to perform a single-sided two-way-ranging (SS-TWR) communication with a further communication device, the communication device comprising a control device configured to:

transmit a first SS-TWR signal to the further communication device;

receive a second SS-TWR signal, associated with the first SS-TWR signal, from the further communication device;

compare a carrier frequency offset and a baseband frequency offset of the received second SS-TWR signal to evaluate the received second SS-TWR signal; and

determine, based on the evaluation, if an attack is performed to the SS-TWR communication.

2 . The communication device of claim 1 , wherein:

the communication device is configured as an ultra-wideband (UWB) device; and

the SS-TWR signal is configured as an UWB signal.

3 . The communication device of claim 1 , wherein, to evaluate the carrier frequency, the control device is configured to:

determine the carrier frequency offset of the received second SS-TWR signal; and

determine the baseband frequency offset of the received second SS-TWR signal based on changes in peak-to-side sample amplitude ratios.

4 . The communication device of claim 3 , wherein the control device is further configured to determine if a baseband clock, related to the baseband frequency, and a carrier frequency clock, related to the carrier frequency, are inline or have a fixed offset with respect to each other.

5 . The communication device of claim 3 , wherein the carrier frequency offset determination is based on one or more of an energy change or a phase change over time.

6 . The communication device of claim 1 , wherein the baseband frequency offset determination is based on an amplitude change over time.

7 . The communication device of claim 1 , wherein the control device is further configured to analyze a channel impulse response (CIR) with respect to the received second SS-TWR signal.

8 . The communication device of claim 7 , wherein, to analyze the CIR, the control device is configured to compare a phase behavior of a preamble CIR and a scrambled timestamp sequence (STS) CIR.

9 . The communication device of one of claim 1 , further comprising a phase tracking unit configured to track a phase with respect to the received second SS-TWR signal.

10 . The communication device of one of claim 1 , further comprising a time tracking unit configured to track a time with respect to the received second SS-TWR signal.

11 . The communication device of claim 1 , further comprising communication circuitry configured to provide communication functionality including one or more of transmitting the first SS-TWR signal or receiving the second SS-TWR signal.

12 . The communication device of claim 11 , wherein the communication circuitry comprises an antenna.

13 . The communication device of claim 1 , wherein the attack aims towards clock frequency offset correction of the SS-TWR communication.

14 . A method of detecting an attack in a communication system including a first communication device and a second communication device, the method comprising:

transmitting a first SS-TWR signal from the first communication device to the second communication device;

receiving a second SS-TWR signal associated with the first SS-TWR signal at the first communication device from the second communication device;

comparing, by the first communication device, a carrier frequency offset and a baseband frequency offset of the received second SS-TWR signal to evaluate the second SS-TWR signal; and

detecting, by the first communication device, an attack on the communication system based on the evaluation.

15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the first communication device comprises one of a vehicle control system, a key, or a smartphone.

16 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the first SS-TWR signal and the second SS-TWR signal are ultra-wideband (UWB) signals.

17 . The method of claim 14 , further comprising:

determining, by the first communication device, the carrier frequency offset of the received second SS-TWR signal; and

determining, by the first communication device, the baseband frequency offset of the received second SS-TWR signal based on changes in peak-to-side sample amplitude ratios.

18 . A method of detecting an attack to a SS-TWR communication, the method comprising:

determining a first SS-TWR signal sent by a first communication device to a second communication device;

determining, by the first communication device, a second SS-TWR signal received from the second communication device;

determining, by the first communication device, a carrier frequency offset of the received second SS-TWR signal;

determining, by the first communication device, a baseband frequency offset of the received second SS-TWR signal;

comparing, by the first communication device, the carrier frequency offset and the baseband frequency offset; and

determining, by the first communication device, an attack on the SS-TWR communication based on the comparison.

19 . The method of claim 18 wherein determining the carrier frequency offset comprises determining one or more of an energy change or a phase change over time for the received second SS-TWR signal.

20 . The method of claim 18 , wherein determining the baseband frequency offset comprises determining an amplitude change over time for the second SS-TWR signal.