System and method for controlling access to mobile devices
AssigneeGM Global Technology Operations LLC
InventorsAnsaf I. Alrabady, Rami I. Debouk
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system and method for controlling access to, and especially protecting against unauthorized attempts to provide input to, e.g., program, or elicit output from, a vehicular or other mobile device (14), such as an electronic control unit (ECU), wherein a determined location of the device (14) or an inputted user acknowledgment provides a basis or an additional basis for allowing or denying the attempt at access.
Claims12
A method of controlling an attempt to access an electronic control unit (14), the method comprising the steps of:
- (a) detecting at least one attempt to access the unit (14) at a gateway coupled to the device, and temporarily denying the attempt;
- (b) determining a current location of the unit (14), and communicating the current location to the gateway;
- (c) electronically comparing the determined current location to a database of authorized locations (18);
- and
- (d) permanently denying the attempt to access the unit (14) if the determined current location does not match an entry in the database of authorized locations (18).
A method of controlling an attempt to access an electronic control unit (14) in a vehicle (10), the method comprising the steps of:
- (a) autonomously detecting an attempt to access the electronic control unit (14), so as to program, elicit output from, or download content to the unit (14), and temporarily denying the attempt;
- (b) autonomously determining a current location of the electronic control unit (14) at the vehicle (10);
- (c) storing a database of authorized locations (18) at the vehicle (10), and electronically comparing the determined current location to the database of authorized locations (18);
- (d) permanently denying the attempt to access the electronic control unit (14) if the determined current location does not match an authorized location entry in the database of authorized locations (18);
- and
- (e) permanently denying access to the unit (14) by at least one other substantially independent access-control mechanism, if the attempt does not also satisfy the mechanism.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.