Method for distributing a list of certificate revocations in a vanet

1. In a vehicle-to-vehicle communication system utilizing certificate(s) to verify trustworthiness of received communications, a method for distributing a list of certificate revocations to vehicles in the communication system comprising the steps of:

a main station transmitting at a frequency a list of certificate revocations to at least one vehicle in a vicinity of said main station and within radio communication at said frequency,

said at least one vehicle thereafter transmitting said list of certificate revocations to other vehicles in the communication system when said vehicle is outside said vicinity of said main station and outside radio communication with said main station at said frequency,

each of said other vehicles updating its list of certificate revocations in response to the receipt of the list of certificate revocations from another vehicle in the system, and

said other vehicles thereafter transmitting their updated list of certificate revocations to other vehicles in the system outside said vicinity of said main station and outside radio communication with said main station at said frequency.

2. The method as defined in claim 1 wherein said updating step further comprises the steps of:

each individual vehicle comparing the received list of certificate revocations received from another vehicle with the list of certificate revocations currently maintained by the individual vehicle,

the individual vehicle thereafter updating the list of certificate revocations maintained by the individual vehicle by adding received certificate revocations not currently on the list of certificate revocations to the list of certificate revocations maintained by the individual vehicle.

3. The method as defined in claim 2 and further comprising the steps of:

said at least one main station assigning a sequential number to each certificate revocation in the list transmitted by said at least one main station,

each individual vehicle in the system maintaining a count of the number of certificate revocations in the list of certificate revocations maintained by said each individual vehicle,

said updating step comprising the step of each individual vehicle adding only received certificate revocations to the list of certificate revocations maintained by the vehicle which exceed the count maintained by said individual vehicle.

4. The method as defined in claim 3 wherein said main station transmitting step further comprises the step of transmitting a sequential number associated with each certificate revocation in the transmitted list of certificate revocations.

5. The method as defined in claim 1 and further comprising the step of encrypting said list of certificate revocations prior to transmission by said main station.

6. The method as defined in claim 1 and further comprising the step of encrypting said list of certificate revocations prior to transmission by said vehicles.

7. A method for distributing information to vehicles in a vehicle-to-vehicle communication system comprising the steps of:

a main station transmitting at a frequency information to at least one vehicle in a vicinity of and in radio communication with said main station at said frequency,

said at least one vehicle thereafter periodically transmitting said information to other vehicles in the communication system when said vehicle is outside said vicinity of said main station and outside radio communication with said main station at said frequency,

each of said other vehicles updating its information in response to the receipt of the information from another vehicle in the system, and

said other vehicles thereafter periodically transmitting its updated information to other vehicles in the system outside said vicinity of said main station and outside radio communication with said main station at said frequency.

8. The method as defined in claim 7 wherein said updating step further comprises the steps of:

each individual vehicle comparing the received information with the information currently maintained by the individual vehicle,

the individual vehicle thereafter updating the information maintained by the individual vehicle by adding received information not currently on the information to the information maintained by the individual vehicle.

9. The method as defined in claim 8 and further comprising the steps of:

said at least one main station assigning a sequential number to each item of information transmitted by said at least one main station,

each individual vehicle in the system maintaining a count of the number of items in the information maintained by said each individual vehicle,

said updating step comprising the step of each individual vehicle adding only received items of information to the list of information maintained by the vehicle which exceed the count maintained by said individual vehicle.

10. The method as defined in claim 9 wherein said main station transmitting step further comprises the step of transmitting a sequential number associated with each item of information in the transmitted list of items of information.

11. The method as defined in claim 7 and further comprising the step of encrypting said information prior to transmission by said main station.

12. The method as defined in claim 7 and further comprising the step of encrypting said information prior to transmission by said vehicles.