# US 12,120,506 B2 · Devices, methods, and computer program for releasing transportation vehicle components, and vehicle-to-vehicle communication module > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,120,506 B2 - Document ID: US12120506B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/057,206 - Filed: 2022-11-19 - Published: 2023-03-16 - Granted: 2024-10-15 - Earliest claimed: 2017-12-15 - Assignees: Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft - Applicants: Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft - Inventors: Timo Winkelvos; Alexander Tschache - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12120506B2 ## CPC - H04L 63/126: {the source of the received data} - H04W 12/037: of the control plane, e.g. signalling traffic - B60R 25/01: operating on vehicle systems or fittings, e.g. on doors, seats or windscreens - B60R 25/04: operating on the propulsion system, e.g. engine or drive motor - H04L 63/0853: {using an additional device, e.g. smartcard, SIM or a different communication terminal (cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving additional secure or trusted devices H04L9/3234)} - H04L 67/12: specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks - H04W 4/40: for vehicles, e.g. vehicle-to-pedestrians [V2P] - H04W 4/46: for vehicle-to-vehicle communication [V2V] - H04W 12/06: Authentication - H04W 12/106: Packet or message integrity - H04W 12/108: Source integrity - H04W 12/71: Hardware identity - B60R 2325/108: Encryption - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) - B60R: VEHICLES, VEHICLE FITTINGS, OR VEHICLE PARTS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR ## Abstract Devices, methods, and a computer program for releasing transportation vehicle components and a vehicle-to-vehicle communication module. The device for releasing a vehicle component of a transportation vehicle includes at least one interface for communication with further vehicle components of the transportation vehicle and a control module for controlling the at least one interface to receive messages from the further vehicle components of the transportation vehicle and to verify the identity of the further vehicle components based on the received messages and the stored identification data of the further vehicle components. The messages on which the verification of the identity of the further vehicle components is based are messages used in regular operation of the vehicle component. The control module also releases the vehicle component in response to the identity of the further transportation vehicle components being consistent with the stored identification data of the further vehicle components. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for releasing a first_vehicle component of a transportation vehicle, the method comprising: receiving messages from a plurality of further vehicle components of the transportation vehicle; verifying an identity of the plurality of further vehicle components of the transportation vehicle based on the received messages and based on stored identification data for the plurality of further vehicle components, wherein the messages on which the verification of the identity of the plurality of further vehicle components is based are operational messages for a second vehicle component other than for the purposes of verification of the second vehicle component identity; and releasing the vehicle component in response to the identity of the plurality of further vehicle components being consistent with the stored identification data of the plurality of further vehicle components, wherein the release of the first vehicle component is performed following at least one message being received from the second vehicle component by the first vehicle component, wherein the second vehicle component is authenticated by the first vehicle component based on the at least one message received from the second vehicle component, and wherein the release of the first vehicle component is performed based on the at least one received message implying that the second vehicle component has been released and in response to the authentication of the second vehicle component by the first vehicle component being successful. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising verifying the identity of the plurality of further vehicle components based on the messages of the plurality of further vehicle components that pertain to operation of the functionality of the respective vehicle components, wherein the messages are cryptographically protected messages. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein the cryptographically protected messages are cryptographically signed, wherein the cryptographically protected messages are cryptographically encrypted, and/or wherein cryptographically protected descendants comprise a value calculated based on a cryptographic key. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein the identification data of the plurality of further vehicle components include cryptographic information about the plurality of further vehicle components, and wherein the verification of the identity of the plurality of further vehicle components is successful in response to the cryptographically protected messages of the plurality of further vehicle components being consistent with stored cryptographic information. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4, wherein the verification of the identity of the plurality of further vehicle components is successful in response to a proportion of cryptographically protected messages of the plurality of further vehicle components received within a predefined time interval that are consistent with the stored cryptographic information being greater than a confidence threshold. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising verifying the identity of the plurality of further vehicle components by a plausibility check of a content of the received messages received from the plurality of further vehicle components of the transportation vehicle. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the messages on which the verification of the identity of the plurality of further vehicle components is based are messages which are not received via the at least one interface exclusively for the purpose of verifying the identity of the plurality of further vehicle components. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of other vehicle components includes a drive motor of the transportation vehicle and/or a gearbox of the transportation vehicle, and/or wherein the plurality of further vehicle components includes at least three vehicle components of the transportation vehicle. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein at least one vehicle component of the plurality of other product components is part of a secured grouping of vehicle components of the transportation vehicle. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the vehicle component is a vehicle-to-vehicle communication module, and wherein the received messages on which the verification of the identity of the plurality of other product components is based contain at least one element of the group consisting of position data of a navigation satellite system for determining the position of the transportation vehicle, steering angle information of the transportation vehicle and speed information of the transportation vehicle, and wherein a vehicle-to-vehicle communication of the vehicle-to-vehicle communication module is based on the release of the vehicle-to-vehicle communication module. ### Claim 11 A method for releasing a first vehicle component and a second vehicle component of a transportation vehicle, the method comprising: receiving messages from a plurality of further vehicle components of the transportation vehicle by the second vehicle component of the transportation vehicle; verifying an identity of the plurality of further vehicle components of the transportation vehicle based on the received messages and based on stored identification data of the plurality of further vehicle components by the second vehicle component, wherein the messages on which the verification of the identity of the plurality of further vehicle components is based are operational messages the second vehicle component other than for the purposes of verification of the second vehicle component identity; releasing the second vehicle component in response to the identity of the plurality of further vehicle components being consistent with the stored identification data of the plurality of further vehicle components; receiving at least one message from the second vehicle component by the first vehicle component; authenticating the second vehicle component by the first vehicle component based on the at least one message received from the second vehicle component; and releasing the first vehicle component in response to the at least one received message from the second vehicle component implying that the second vehicle component has been released and in response to the authentication of the second vehicle component being successful. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, further comprising verifying the identity of the plurality of further vehicle components based on the messages of the plurality of further vehicle components that pertain to operation of the functionality of the respective vehicle components, wherein the messages are cryptographically protected messages. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein the cryptographically protected messages are cryptographically signed, wherein the cryptographically protected messages are cryptographically encrypted, and/or wherein cryptographically protected descendants comprise a value calculated based on a cryptographic key. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein the identification data of the plurality of further vehicle components include cryptographic information about the plurality of further vehicle components, and wherein the verification of the identity of the plurality of further vehicle components is successful in response to the cryptographically protected messages of the plurality of further vehicle components being consistent with stored cryptographic information. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein the verification of the identity of the plurality of further vehicle components is successful in response to a proportion of cryptographically protected messages of the plurality of further vehicle components received within a predefined time interval that are consistent with the stored cryptographic information being greater than a confidence threshold. ### Claim 16 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, further comprising verifying the identity of the plurality of further vehicle components by a plausibility check of a content of the received messages received from the plurality of further vehicle components of the transportation vehicle. ### Claim 17 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein the messages on which the verification of the identity of the plurality of further vehicle components is based are messages which are not received via the at least one interface exclusively for the purpose of verifying the identity of the plurality of further vehicle components. ### Claim 18 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein the plurality of other vehicle components includes a drive motor of the transportation vehicle and/or a gearbox of the transportation vehicle, and/or wherein the plurality of further vehicle components includes at least three vehicle components of the transportation vehicle. ### Claim 19 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein the second vehicle component is a vehicle-to-vehicle communication module, and wherein the received messages on which the verification of the identity of the plurality of other product components is based contain at least one element of the group consisting of position data of a navigation satellite system for determining the position of the transportation vehicle, steering angle information of the transportation vehicle and speed information of the transportation vehicle, and wherein a vehicle-to-vehicle communication of the vehicle-to-vehicle communication module is based on the release of the vehicle-to-vehicle communication module. ### Claim 20 A non-transitory computer readable medium including a computer program with program code for performing a method for releasing a first vehicle component of a transportation vehicle when the program code is executed on a computer, a processor, a control module or a programmable hardware component, the method comprising: receiving messages from a plurality of further vehicle components of the transportation vehicle; verifying an identity of the plurality of further vehicle components of the transportation vehicle based on the received messages and based on stored identification data for the plurality of further vehicle components, wherein the messages on which the verification of the identity of the plurality of further vehicle components is based are operational messages for a second vehicle component other than for the purposes of verification of the second vehicle component identity; and releasing the vehicle component in response to the identity of the plurality of further vehicle components being consistent with the stored identification data of the plurality of further vehicle components, wherein the release of the first vehicle component is performed following at least one message being received from the second vehicle component by the first vehicle component, wherein the second vehicle component is authenticated by the first vehicle component based on the at least one message received from the second vehicle component, and wherein the release of the first vehicle component is performed based on the at least one received message implying that the second vehicle component has been released and in response to the authentication of the second vehicle component by the first vehicle component being successful.