IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,212,558
Granted Patent B2
US 12,212,558 · App. 18/055,887 · Granted Jan 28, 2025

Secure service operation authorization

Inventors: Aaron Bonnell-Kangas (Detroit, MI); Farhan Ehsan (Lasalle, CA); Eugene Karpinsky (Farmington Hills, MI); Margherita Trupiano (Northville Township, MI)
Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
H04L63/083
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,212,558
App. No.
18/055,887
Granted
Jan 28, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

A system and method for performing a secure operation on a vehicle, such as to re-key a vehicle, include transmitting, from a computing device such as a service tool, a service tool request to an access management server over a wide area network, receiving over the wide area network, at the service tool, a secure service response from the access management server upon a verification of the service tool request, the secure service response containing a secure payload, and transmitting the secure payload to secure controller of a specific vehicle being serviced over a vehicle communication interface regardless of whether the service tool is connected to the wide area network.

Claims (62)

1. A system, comprising:

a computing device including a processor and a memory, wherein the memory stores instructions executable by the processor such that the computing device is programmed to:

transmit a service tool request for a secure service operation on a specific vehicle being serviced to a remote server over a wide area network, wherein the service tool request includes the secure service operation, credentials of a service user, and credentials of the computing device;

receive a secure service response over the wide area network from the remote server upon a verification of the service tool request, the secure service response containing a secure payload; and

transmit the secure payload to a secure controller of the specific vehicle over a vehicle communication interface regardless of whether the computing device is connected to the wide area network.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the secure service operation includes an identification of the specific vehicle and a specific vehicle key to be added, deleted, or restored to the specific vehicle.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the specific vehicle key is selected from a retail user key, a factory key, and a fleet key.

4. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a service management server connected to the wide area network,

wherein the remote server is an access management server,

wherein the instructions programmed to transmit the service tool request to the access management server transmit the service tool request to the service management server,

wherein the instructions programmed to receive the secure service response from the access management server receives the secure service response from the service management server, and

the service management server includes a server processor and a server memory, wherein the server memory stores instructions executable by the server processor such that the service management server is programmed to:

confirm that the secure service operation is valid and that the service user and computing device are authorized based upon their respective credentials;

create a secure service request based upon the service tool request;

transmit the secure service request to the access management server;

receive the secure service response from the access management server; and

forward the secure service response to the computing device.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the instructions executable by the processor further include instructions such that the computing device is programmed to:

receive an access event message from the secure controller indicating the secure payload is received; and

relay the access event message to the service management server, and

wherein the instructions executable by the server processor further include instructions such that the server computing device is programmed to:

receive an access event message from the computing device indicating the secure payload is received; and

relay the access event message to the access management server.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions executable by the processor further include instructions to perform a pre-check prior to transmitting the service tool request such that the computing device is programmed to:

receive input of the secure service operation;

transmit a precondition check for the secure service operation to the secure controller of the specific vehicle over the vehicle communication interface; and

receive an authorization from the secure controller.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the secure service operation includes an identification of the specific vehicle and a specific vehicle key to be added, deleted, or restored to the specific vehicle.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the specific key is selected from a retail user key, a factory key, and a fleet key.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions executable by the processor further include instructions such that the computing device is programmed to:

receive an access event message from the secure controller indicating the secure payload is received; and

relay the access event message to the remote server.

10. A method, comprising:

transmitting, from a computing device, a service tool request for a secure service operation on a specific vehicle being serviced to a remote server over a wide area network, wherein the service tool request includes the secure service operation, credentials of a service user, and credentials of the computing device;

receiving, at the computing device, a secure service response over the wide area network from the remote server upon a verification of the service tool request, the secure service response containing a secure payload; and

transmitting the secure payload to a secure controller of the specific vehicle over a vehicle communication interface regardless of whether the computing device is connected to the wide area network.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the secure service operation includes an identification of the specific vehicle and a specific vehicle key to be added, deleted, or restored to the specific vehicle.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the specific vehicle key is selected from a retail user key, a factory key, and a fleet key.

13. The method of claim 10 ,

wherein the remote server is an access management server,

wherein transmitting of the service tool request to the access management server includes transmitting the service tool request to a service management server,

wherein receiving of the secure service response from the access management server includes receiving the secure service response from the service management server, and

the method further includes:

confirming, at the service management server, that the secure service operation is valid and that the service user and computing device are authorized based upon their respective credentials;

creating, at the service management server, a secure service request based upon the service tool request;

transmitting, from the service management server, the secure service request to the access management server;

receiving, at the service management server, the secure service response from the access management server; and

forwarding, by the service management server, the secure service response to the computing device.

14. The method of claim 13 , further including:

receiving, at the computing device, an access event message from the secure controller indicating the secure payload is received; and

relaying, from the computing device, the access event message to the service management server,

receiving, at the service management server, the access event message from the computing device indicating the secure payload is received; and

relaying, from the service management server, the access event message to the access management server.

15. The method of claim 10 , further comprising performing a pre-check prior to transmitting the service tool request by:

receiving, at the computing device, input of the secure service operation;

transmitting, from the computing device, a precondition check for the secure service operation to the secure controller of the specific vehicle over the vehicle communication interface; and

receiving, at the computing device, an authorization from the secure controller.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the secure service operation includes an identification of the specific vehicle and a specific vehicle key to be added, deleted, or restored to the specific vehicle.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the specific key is selected from a retail user key, a factory key, and a fleet key.

18. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:

receiving, at the computing device, an access event message from the secure controller indicating the secure payload is received; and

relaying, from the computing device, the access event message to the remote server.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 16, 2022
From: BONNELL-KANGAS, AARON; EHSAN, FARHAN; KARPINSKY, EUGENE; TRUPIANO, MARGHERITA
To: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
Reel/Frame 061789/0202 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20240163277A1 · May 16, 2024
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