Patent Application: Secure Vehicle ECU Data Communication Using Cryptography

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SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR UTILIZING ONBOARD VEHICLE HARDWARE FOR SECURE ECU DATA COMMUNICATION

Application US20260086787A1 Kind: A1 Mar 26, 2026

Inventors

Charles Dasher

Abstract

Aspects of the present application utilizes onboard vehicle hardware for secure ECU data communication. In some embodiments, a main ECU receives a private key from a certificate authority and stores it within a hardware security module (HSM). The main ECU may then generate a symmetric vehicle-specific key based on at least one vehicle parameter of the vehicle (e.g., the odometer) and store it in the HSM. An additional ECU may be detected by the main ECU on a vehicle communication network (e.g., ethernet). The additional ECU may be an FPGA that includes an unprovisioned vehicle control operation. The main ECU may generate an FPGA image for the additional ECU where the FPGA image has the symmetric vehicle-specific key. The main ECU may then cryptographically sign the FPGA image using the private key stored in the HSM and transmit the signed FPGA image to the additional ECU for installation.

CPC Classifications

G06F 8/63 H04L 9/3247

Filing Date

2024-09-26

Application No.

18898398

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