Claims
- 1. A method for a authorization of a service technician for performing a service operation on a vehicle, the method performed by the vehicle and comprising the steps of:
accessing a secure device having limited accessibility but being accessible by the service technician and storing a first cryptographic key associated with the service technician; obtaining from a certification authority a certification that an authentic technician is associated with a second cryptographic key corresponding to the first cryptographic key; utilizing the cryptographic key in cryptographic communication with the secure device; and determining whether the service technician is the authentic technician based on whether the cryptographic key is successfully utilized in the cryptographic communication; accessing a technician database to determine whether the service technician is indicated as authorized to perform the service operation; and allowing the service technician to perform the service operation if the service technician is indicated as authorized to perform the service operation.
- 2. The method of claim 1 wherein the service technician is authorized based on a type of the vehicle.
- 3. The method of claim 1 wherein the service technician is authorized based on a type of a component involved in the service operation.
- 4. The method of claim 1 wherein the service technician is authorized based on a function performed in the service operation.
- 5. The method of claim 1 wherein the service operation comprises at least one of the steps of installing the component in the vehicle, removing the component from the vehicle, replacing the component with another component, replacing another component with the component, repairing the component, modifying the component, upgrading the component and adding the component as an upgrade to another component.
- 6. A system for a vehicle authorizing a service technician for performing a service operation on the vehicle, the system comprising:
a secure device having limited accessibility but being accessible by the service technician and storing a first cryptographic key associated with the service technician; a computing unit obtaining from a certification authority a certification that an authentic technician is associated with a second cryptographic key corresponding to the first cryptographic key; a cryptographic unit utilizing the cryptographic key in cryptographic communication with the secure device; the computing unit determining whether the service technician is the authentic technician based on whether the cryptographic key is successfully utilized in the cryptographic communication, accessing a technician database to determine whether the service technician is indicated as authorized to perform the service operation, and allowing the service technician to perform the service operation if the service technician is indicated as authorized to perform the service operation.
- 7. The system of claim 6 wherein the service technician is authorized based on at least one of a type of the vehicle, a type of a component involved in the service operation, and a function performed in the service operation.
- 8. The system of claim 6 wherein the computing unit allows at least one of the service operations of installing the component in the vehicle, removing the component from the vehicle, replacing the component with another component, replacing another component with the component, repairing the component, modifying the component, upgrading the component and adding the component as an upgrade to another component.
- 9. The system of claim 6 wherein the computing unit is a vehicle computing unit representing the vehicle.
- 10. The system of claim 6 wherein the computing unit is a component computing unit of a component of the vehicle.
- 11. A method for a authorization of a service technician for performing a service operation on a vehicle, the method performed by the vehicle and comprising the steps of:
authenticating the service technician; accessing a technician database to determine whether the service technician is indicated as authorized to perform the service operation; and allowing the service technician to perform the service operation if the service technician is indicated as authorized to perform the service operation.
- 12. The method of claim 11 wherein the service technician is authorized based on a type of the vehicle.
- 13. The method of claim 11 wherein the service technician is authorized based on a type of a component involved in the service operation.
- 14. The method of claim 11 wherein the service technician is authorized based on a function performed in the service operation.
- 15. The method of claim 11 wherein the service operation comprises at least one of the steps of installing the component in the vehicle, removing the component from the vehicle, replacing the component with another component, replacing another component with the component, repairing the component, modifying the component, upgrading the component and adding the component as an upgrade to another component.
- 16. A system for a vehicle authorizing a service technician for performing a service operation on the vehicle, the system comprising:
a computing unit authenticating the service technician; a technician database indicating whether the service technician is indicated as authorized to perform the service operation the computing unit accessing the technician database and allowing the service technician to perform the service operation if the service technician is indicated by the technician database as authorized to perform the service operation.
- 17. The system of claim 16 wherein the service technician is authorized based on at least one of a type of the vehicle, a type of a component involved in the service operation, and a function performed in the service operation.
- 18. The system of claim 16 wherein the computing unit allows at least one of the service operations of installing the component in the vehicle, removing the component from the vehicle, replacing the component with another component, replacing another component with the component, repairing the component, modifying the component, upgrading the component and adding the component as an upgrade to another component.
- 19. The system of claim 16 wherein the computing unit is a vehicle computing unit representing the vehicle.
- 20. The system of claim 16 wherein the computing unit is a component computing unit of a component of the vehicle.
RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] The present invention is related to the following applications which are assigned to the same assignee as the present invention: METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR VEHICLE AUTHENTICATION OF A COMPONENT, Attorney Docket Number IA00013, filed Jun. 28, 2002, having Ser. No. ______;
[0002] METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR COMPONENT OBTAINMENT OF VEHICLE AUTHENTICATION, Attorney Docket Number IA00014, filed Jun. 28, 2002, having Ser. No. ______;
[0003] METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR VEHICLE AUTHENTICATION OF A COMPONENT USING KEY SEPARATION, Attorney Docket Number IA00015, filed Jun. 28,2002, having Ser. No. ______; METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR VEHICLE AUTHENTICATION OF A COMPONENT CLASS, Attorney Docket Number IA00016, filed Jun. 28, 2002, having Ser. No. ______;
[0004] METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR MULTIPLE SCOPE AUTHENTICATION OF VEHICLE COMPONENTS, Attorney Docket Number IA00017, filed Jun. 28, 2002, having Ser. No. ______;
[0005] METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR VEHICLE AUTHENTICATION OF A SUBASSEMBLY, Attorney Docket Number IA00018, filed Jun. 28, 2002, having Ser. No. ______;
[0006] METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR SUBASSEMBLY AUTHENTICATION OF A COMPONENT, Attorney Docket Number IA00019, filed Jun. 28, 2002, having Ser. No. ______;
[0007] METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR COMPONENT AUTHENTICATION OF A VEHICLE, Attorney Docket Number IA00020, filed Jun. 28, 2002, having Ser. No. ______:
[0008] METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR VEHICLE COMPONENT AUTHENTICATION OF ANOTHER COMPONENT, Attorney Docket Number IA00021, filed Jun. 28, 2002, having Ser. No. ______;
[0009] METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR VEHICLE AUTHENTICATION OF A REMOTE ACESS DEVICE, Attorney Docket Number IA00022, filed Jun. 28, 2002, having Ser. No. ______;
[0010] METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR VEHICLE AUTHENTICATION OF ANOTHER VEHICLE, Attorney Docket Number IA00023, filed Jun. 28, 2002, having Ser. No. ______;
[0011] METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR VEHICLE AUTHENTICATION OF A SERVICE TECHNICIAN, Attorney Docket Number IA00024, filed Jun. 28, 2002, having Ser. No. ______:
[0012] METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR TECHNICIAN AUTHENTICATION OF A VEHICLE, Attorney Docket Number IA00025, filed Jun. 28, 2002, having Ser. No. ______;
[0013] METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR AUTHORIZING RECONFIGURATION OF A VEHICLE, Attorney Docket Number IA00027, filed Jun. 28, 2002, having Ser. No. ______;
[0014] METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR MAINTAINING A CONFIGURATION HISTORY OF A VEHICLE, Attorney Docket Number IA00028, filed Jun. 28, 2002, having Ser. No. ______.