# US 12,604,165 B2 · Communication control method and communication device > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,604,165 B2 - Document ID: US12604165B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/329,180 - Filed: 2023-06-05 - Published: 2023-10-05 - Granted: 2026-04-14 - Earliest claimed: 2020-12-08 - Assignees: Denso Corporation - Applicants: Denso Corporation - Inventors: Keisuke Ikushima - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12604165B2 ## CPC - H04L 12/40032: {Details regarding a bus interface enhancer} - H04W 4/48: for in-vehicle communication - G06F 21/44: Program or device authentication - G06F 21/606: {by securing the transmission between two devices or processes} - H04L 63/10: {for controlling access to devices or network resources} - H04W 4/44: for communication between vehicles and infrastructures, e.g. vehicle-to-cloud [V2C] or vehicle-to-home [V2H] - H04W 12/06: Authentication - H04W 12/069: using certificates or pre-shared keys - H04L 67/53: using third party service providers - H04L 2012/40273: {the transportation system being a vehicle} - 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) - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) ## Abstract By a communication control method or a communication device for controlling a vehicle exterior communication performed between an in-vehicle electronic control unit and an outside of a vehicle, connection information necessary for the vehicle exterior communication between the in-vehicle electronic control unit and a specific connection destination is prepared, and the in-vehicle electronic control unit is permitted to perform the vehicle exterior communication limited to the specific connection destination using the connection information. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A communication control method that is used for controlling a vehicle exterior communication performed between a first in-vehicle electronic control unit and an outside of a vehicle and is executed by at least one processor, the method comprising: preparing connection information necessary for the vehicle exterior communication between the first in-vehicle electronic control unit and a specific connection destination on behalf of the first in-vehicle electronic control unit; and permitting the first in-vehicle electronic control unit to perform the vehicle exterior communication limited to the specific connection destination using the connection information, wherein when preparing the connection information, performing setting of the first in-vehicle electronic control unit to acquire by the first in-vehicle electronic control unit, the connection information acquired by the vehicle exterior communication from an alternative server unit configured to provide the connection information to the first in-vehicle electronic control unit through a vehicle interior communication, the setting of the first in-vehicle electronic control unit includes setting the vehicle exterior communication of the first in-vehicle electronic control unit to only the specific connection destination, after the vehicle exterior communication of the first in-vehicle electronic control unit is set to only the specific connection destination, the first in-vehicle electronic control unit performs mutual communication with the specific connection destination to construct an encrypted communication path, and, in the vehicle, a second in-vehicle electronic control unit does not grasp a communication content of encryption communication via the constructed encrypted communication path, and the specific connection destination is a server that provides a service to a user of the vehicle, the service is provided by execution of an application communication between the first in-vehicle electronic control unit and the specific connection destination, and the communication content of the encryption communication is related to the service. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The communication control method according to claim 1, further comprising when preparing the connection information, acquiring the connection information managed by a preset connection management unit through the vehicle exterior communication with the communication management unit. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The communication control method according to claim 2, further comprising: acquiring, from the connection management unit, designation information for designating the specific connection destination linked to the first in-vehicle electronic control unit; and when permitting the vehicle exterior communication, permitting the first in-vehicle electronic control unit to perform the vehicle exterior communication with the specific connection destination indicated by the designation information. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The communication control method according to claim 1, further comprising: authenticating the specific connection destination using key information managed by a key management unit; and providing authentication information based on an authentication result of the specific connection destination to the first in-vehicle electronic control unit. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The communication control method according to claim 1, further comprising when permitting the vehicle exterior communication, setting, to the specific connection destination, a proxy unit configured to relay the vehicle exterior communication. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The communication control method according to claim 1, further comprising on behalf of the specific connection destination, causing an authentication process unit to authenticate the first in-vehicle electronic control unit that accesses the specific connection destination. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The communication control method according to claim 1, wherein the connection information is an IP address that is linked to the first in-vehicle electronic control unit and specifies the specific connection destination outside the vehicle. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The communication control method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one processor of the vehicle serves as a vehicle exterior firewall unit configured to determine whether different vehicle exterior communication between the at least one processor and the outside of the vehicle is illegal, and the different vehicle exterior communication is performed via the vehicle exterior firewall unit. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The communication control method according to claim 1, wherein the second in-vehicle electronic control unit is a non-gateway electronic control unit that is unable to establish communication outside of the vehicle. ### Claim 10 A communication control device for controlling a vehicle exterior communication performed between a first in-vehicle electronic control unit and an outside of a vehicle, the device comprising at least one of (i) a circuit and (ii) a processor with a memory storing computer program code executable by the processor, the at least one of the circuit and the processor configured to cause the device to serve as: an information preparation unit configured to prepare connection information necessary for the vehicle exterior communication between the first in-vehicle electronic control unit and a specific connection destination on behalf of the first in-vehicle electronic control unit; and a permission setting unit configured to permit the first in-vehicle electronic control unit to perform the vehicle exterior communication limited to the specific connection destination using the connection information, wherein when preparing the connection information, performing setting of the first in-vehicle electronic control unit to acquire by the first in-vehicle electronic control unit, the connection information acquired by the vehicle exterior communication from an alternative server unit configured to provide the connection information to the first in-vehicle electronic control unit through a vehicle interior communication, the setting of the first in-vehicle electronic control unit includes setting the vehicle exterior communication of the first in-vehicle electronic control unit to only the specific connection destination, after the vehicle exterior communication of the first in-vehicle electronic control unit is set to only the specific connection destination, the first in-vehicle electronic control unit performs mutual communication with the specific connection destination to construct an encrypted communication path, and, in the vehicle, a second in-vehicle electronic control unit does not grasp a communication content of encryption communication via the constructed encrypted communication path, and the specific connection destination is a server that provides a service to a user of the vehicle, the service is provided by execution of an application communication between the first in-vehicle electronic control unit and the specific connection destination, and the communication content of the encryption communication is related to the service. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The communication control device according to claim 10, wherein the processor serves as the information preparation unit and the permission setting unit. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The communication control device according to claim 10, wherein the connection information is an IP address that is linked to the first in-vehicle electronic control unit and specifies the specific connection destination outside the vehicle. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The communication control device according to claim 10, wherein the second in-vehicle electronic control unit is a non-gateway electronic control unit that is unable to establish communication outside of the vehicle.