Secure vehicle control unit
AssigneeAptiv Technologies AG
InventorsAurelien Hars, Matthias Rieke
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present invention relates to a vehicle control unit that includes a microcontroller unit, a sealing controller unit including a memory for storing a validity state, an electrical connector configured to couple the microcontroller unit to the sealing controller unit, and a housing enclosing the microcontroller unit, the sealing controller unit, and the electrical connector. The microcontroller unit is configured to determine the validity state of the sealing controller unit via the electrical connector, and the sealing controller unit is configured to detect a mechanical change to the housing and to change the validity state when such a mechanical change is detected.
Claims29
A vehicle control unit, comprising:
- a microcontroller unit;
- a sealing controller unit including a memory for storing a validity state of the sealing controller unit;
- an electrical connector coupling the microcontroller unit to the sealing controller unit;
- and
- a housing enclosing the microcontroller unit, the sealing controller unit and the electrical connector that, collectively, operate in concert to enable the vehicle control unit to:
- detect, independent of a current power state of the vehicle control unit and using the sealing controller unit, a mechanical change to the housing;
- change, using the sealing controller unit and independent of the current power state of the vehicle control unit, the validity state to indicate the detected mechanical change to the housing;
- and
- determine, using the microcontroller unit and the electrical connector, that the validity state indicates the detected mechanical change.
A method of protecting a vehicle control unit, the method comprising:
- coupling, with an electrical connector, a microcontroller unit to a sealing controller unit that includes a memory for storing a validity state;
- enclosing, with a housing, the microcontroller unit, the sealing controller unit and the electrical connector;
- detecting, independent of a current power state of the vehicle control unit and with the sealing controller unit, a mechanical change to the housing;
- changing, using the sealing controller unit and independent of the current power state of the vehicle control unit, the validity state to indicate the detected mechanical change;
- and
- determining, using the microcontroller unit and the electrical connector, that the validity state indicates the detected mechanical change.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.