Method and system for vehicle authentication of a component

#The present invention is related to the following applications which are assigned to the slame assignee as the present invention;

#METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR VEHICLE AUTHENTICATION OF A COMPONENT, filed Jun. 28, 2002, having U.S. Ser. No. 10/184,571, U.S. Publication No. 2004/0001593;

#METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR COMPONENT OBTAINMENT OF VEHICLE AUTHENTICATION, filed Jun. 28, 2002, having Ser. No. 10/184,570, U.S. Publication No. 2004/0003237;

#The invention is described in terms of several preferred embodiments set out below and with reference to the following drawings in which like reference numerals are used to refer to like elements throughout.

#FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a vehicle environment in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

#FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a vehicle system in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

#The present invention provides an effective means of controlling configuration of a vehicle with respect to a component not predesignated for use with the vehicle. Throughout the life of a vehicle, it may become necessary or desirable for an owner to modify the vehicle configuration, such as to install a new component or replace an existing one. However, only some such modifications would be considered desirable by the vehicle manufacturer. For example, the installation of an improper component could cause the vehicle to operate unsafely or otherwise degrade the performance of the vehicle.

#After the vehicle is manufactured and sold, the manufacturer can no longer directly control what components are included in the configuration. Even during manufacture of the vehicle, ensuring authenticity of the many components to be configured into each vehicle is a burdensome task. Thus, the present invention provides a means for the vehicle manufacturer to realize ongoing control through autonomous operation of the vehicle and configuration elements.

#More specifically, the present invention provides a method and system for vehicle authentication of a component. A vehicle obtains a prospective component for use in the vehicle. The prospective component may be obtained directly from a component manufacturer or component supplier, or indirectly through one or more other entities. The vehicle also obtains from a certification authority a certification that an authentic component is associated with a cryptographic key. An authentic component is a component whose identifying information and other attributes are true, as is vouched for by a certification authority that can be trusted as a reliable source.