DE102018200807A1 - Method and server device for providing a digital vehicle companion book for a motor vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for providing a respective digital vehicle companion book (10, 11) for at least one motor vehicle (F1, F2), wherein the respective vehicle accompanying book (10, 11) is provided by a server device (12) for the at least one motor vehicle (F1, F2) ) is formed chronologically successively from a plurality of entry blocks (17, 17 ') in which event data (19, 19') of at least one predetermined event to be logged in the vehicle accompanying book (10, 11) which the respective motor vehicle (F1, F2) concerns, are registered. The invention provides that for generating the respectively current entry block (17, 17 ') as block data (18, 18') the respective event data (19, 19 ') currently to be logged and a respective predetermined checksum (P0, P1, P2) at least one previous entry block (16, 17) are entered into the current entry block (17, 17 ') and a checksum (P1, P2, P3) for the current entry block (17, 17') to the block data (18, 18 ') is determined.

Description

The invention relates to a method for providing a digital vehicle companion book for at least one motor vehicle. For each motor vehicle while a separate vehicle companion book is managed. The invention also includes a server device with at least one server computer. The server device can carry out the method according to the invention.

In a vehicle companion book, also called service booklet or checkbook, the maintenance and use history of a motor vehicle can be logged. For this purpose, events relating to the motor vehicle are entered in the vehicle companion book. Such an event may be maintenance and / or repair, for example. It is of interest that a vehicle companion book is tamper-proof, so that, for example, in a used vehicle, the tachograph position is not manipulated and / or an accidental damage is obscured and / or a tax fraud is possible by changing the vehicle companion book. Furthermore, one is interested in a complete logging of the vehicle history, for example, a change of ownership or a lease return. New requirements arise for a complete vehicle history for the declaration of liability in the field of autonomous and semi-autonomous driving.

From the EP 1 743 304 B1 For example, a method of documenting service actions on a motor vehicle using electronic memory is known. In addition, a hash value is calculated for each entry and encrypted cryptographically by means of a public-key method. If the entry is changed, the result is another hash value, which can be recognized by comparing it with the encrypted hash value. The disadvantage of this method is that each entry is protected individually. If you want to manipulate a particular entry, such as the tachograph, you just have to focus on this single entry to manipulate the encrypted hash along with the entry itself using a computer-based manipulation method.

From the WO 97/13208 A1 It is known to realize a vehicle companion book digitally by a non-volatile memory that can be removed from the motor vehicle. However, if you have access to this memory, its entries can also be manipulated.

From the WO 2013 058663 A2 is known to display driver data encrypted, for example by means of a QR code. Here, too, the data is encrypted individually, so that in a specific manipulation request of a particular entry, the manipulation measure must focus only on this one entry regardless of all other entries.

The invention has for its object to provide a tamper-proof vehicle companion book for at least one motor vehicle.

The object is solved by the subject matters of the independent claims. Advantageous embodiments of the invention will become apparent from the dependent claims, the following description and the figure.

The invention provides a method for providing a vehicle companion book for a motor vehicle or, if several motor vehicles are involved, a respective digital vehicle companion book for each one of the motor vehicles. For the at least one motor vehicle, the respective vehicle companion book is formed chronologically successively from a plurality of entry blocks, in each of which event data of at least one event to be logged in the vehicle companion book, which relates to the respective motor vehicle, are entered. An entry block is a record or a data packet. Each vehicle companion book consists of such entry blocks. In chronological order, whenever there is a new, current entry block, this can be supplemented or appended in the respective vehicle companion book. Each entry block thus corresponds to an entry in the vehicle companion book.

In order to make the respective vehicle companion book tamper-proof, its block data is generated for generating the respective current entry block by writing as block data the event data currently to be logged (which describe the event to be logged) and a respective predetermined checksum of at least one previous entry block into the current entry block entered. So there is at least one temporally preceding entry block whose checksum his block data. This particular checksum, together with the event data to be logged, is combined into block data that is entered in the current entry block. In the current entry block, however, a checksum is additionally determined for the current entry block for the block data. This checksum can then be entered in the current entry block. The current entry block then contains the block data and the associated checksum of the block data. The entry blocks are thus concatenated logically to form a block chain starting from a first, initial entry block by the checksums. If you enter the initial entry block, it makes it public, for example is known or sets it to a default value, and only protects the last computed, current checksum, so it is not possible to manipulate the entry data of at least one logged event in any of the intermediate entry blocks without this remaining unnoticed in the vehicle companion book. Namely, if the block data of any entry block is manipulated, then this checksum results in a different checksum of this manipulated block data, which would then create a contradiction to the subsequent entry blocks, in which the original checksum is still stored in each case. Manipulating an entry block would thus require manipulating that entry block and all subsequent entry blocks. Finally, then the last, current checksum would also be manipulated, but then can be protected in the manner described. Thus, it is not possible to limit a manipulation attempt to a single entry block in order to make an unnoticed or undetectable manipulation.

The invention thus provides the advantage that a comprehensive protection against manipulation is provided for the entire vehicle companion book.

The invention also includes embodiments that provide additional benefits.

If, after all, it were attempted to manipulate the block data of an entry block, the checksum of this block data in the entry block would consequently also have to be recalculated and updated in the entry block in order to conceal the manipulation. Then, each subsequent entry block would have to be adapted accordingly in the manner described. To complicate even the manipulation of a single entry block, an embodiment provides that in each entry block the respective block data contain additional set data other than event data and the set data of each entry block is set to a value which sets the checksum of the entry block to a value setting that satisfies a predetermined checksum condition. After the manipulation of the event data, it is thus necessary to also determine suitable control data, by which a total checksum of the block data (event data plus control data plus the at least one checksum of at least one previous entry block) again results in a checksum, which also satisfies the checksum condition. Otherwise, on the basis of the violated checksum conditions, it can be individually recognized directly at each entry block that it has been manipulated.

Which control data results in a checksum which (for given event data and given checksum of at least one preceding entry block) then fulfills the checksum condition can not always be analytically determined for given checksum calculation methods. In particular, it is provided for this purpose that the respective checksum is calculated as a hash value by means of a predetermined hash algorithm. As a hashing algorithm, for example, one of the algorithms SHA256, SHA512, Whirlpool can be used. According to one embodiment, therefore, the control data are determined by means of a trial-and-error method. In other words, the set data is tentatively set to a value, e.g. a random value or counter value or table value, and then checks to see if the resulting checksum of the block data satisfies the checksum condition. If this is not the case, the control data is set to a different value. This is repeated until control data is found, the value of which results in a check sum of the entry block which satisfies the checksum condition. This has the advantage that after a manipulation of the block data for the manipulating person is not sure when the matching control data can be found. Thus, an attack on a vehicle companion book or a manipulation on a vehicle companion book is subject to a time uncertainty. For the duration of the manipulation process depends on how quickly matching control data for the manipulated entry block and all subsequent entry blocks can be found.

A possible checksum condition is specified according to an embodiment in that the checksum must be within a predetermined value interval. In other words, the checksum must be a value that lies within the value interval. The value interval may also be indicated, for example, by a one-sided interval limit, that is to say a threshold value. The checksum must then be less than the threshold or greater than the threshold. The checksum condition has the advantage that a simple arithmetic comparison is sufficient to detect a manipulated entry block.

As already stated, the method can be used to manage a single vehicle companion book or several vehicle accompanying books. One embodiment provides for the second variant, that is, vehicle accompanying books are provided for a plurality of motor vehicles, namely one vehicle accompanying book per motor vehicle. It is envisaged that these vehicle companion books are formed from common entry blocks. That is, event data of different motor vehicles can be contained in each block block data in an entry block. This is the Content blocks are interwoven or interlaced by containing event data from different motor vehicles. This results in the advantage that the manipulation of a vehicle companion book can also be recognized in the other vehicle companion books, since the checksums in the entry blocks for all vehicle accompanying books change.

An embodiment provides that the entry blocks are formed by means of a blockchain technology. This has the advantage that an infrastructure for a blockchain system for managing the vehicle companion books can be used.

One embodiment provides that the entry blocks are stored outside the vehicle in a central or distributed server device. As a result, the vehicle accompanying books are stored separately from the motor vehicles in an advantageous manner. A central server device may provide for storing only a single set of entry blocks. On the other hand, in a distributed server device, multiple copies of the entry blocks are stored on multiple server computers by each server computer holding one set of entry blocks. A distributed server device has the advantage that manipulation of an entry block must be successfully performed on all server computers or at least on more than half of the server computers, so that a manipulation remains undetected.

One embodiment provides that the event data of a motor vehicle are respectively generated on the basis of a vehicle-specific cryptographic key of the respective motor vehicle. This has the advantage that in the vehicle companion book the event data can only be made or created or supplemented by such a unit which also has the cryptographic key. The cryptographic key can be part of a public-key method, for example. Thus, event data can only be manipulated if the cryptographic key is present or accessible. This results in additional protection against manipulation. There is also a protection against a supplement or insertion of new, manipulated event data describing an event that has not taken place in the associated motor vehicle. A cryptographic key can be stored, for example, in a control device of the motor vehicle and / or in a vehicle key of the motor vehicle.

In order to carry out the method according to the invention, the invention also provides a server device for providing a respective digital vehicle companion book for at least one motor vehicle. The server device has one or more server computers. The server device is configured to perform an embodiment of the method according to the invention. For this purpose, a program code may be stored in the server device, which executes the embodiment of the method when executed by the at least one server computer. The program code can each be stored in a data memory of the server device. For example, each server computer of the server device may be coupled to the Internet to receive event data from at least one unit and to register it in a vehicle companion book of an associated motor vehicle. Such a unit can be, for example, in each case a control unit of the motor vehicle and / or a personal computer (PC) of a user of the motor vehicle and / or a personal computer of a workshop in which the motor vehicle is maintained or repaired, and / or a computer of a producer of the motor vehicle.

The invention also includes the combinations of the described embodiments.

• 1 eine schematische Darstellung einer Ausführungsform der erfindungsgemäßen Servervorrichtung; und
• 2 ein Flussschaudiagramm zu einer Ausführungsform des erfindungsgemäßen Verfahrens.

In the following an embodiment of the invention is described. This shows:

• 1 a schematic representation of an embodiment of the server device according to the invention; and
• 2 a Flußschaudiagramm to an embodiment of the method according to the invention.

The exemplary embodiments explained below are preferred embodiments of the invention. In the exemplary embodiments, the described components of the embodiments each represent individual features of the invention, which are to be considered independently of one another, which each further develop the invention independently of one another and thus also individually or in a different combination than the one shown as part of the invention. Furthermore, the described embodiments can also be supplemented by further features of the invention already described.

In the figures, functionally identical elements are each provided with the same reference numerals.

1 shows a motor vehicle F1 and a motor vehicle F2 to which a respective digital vehicle companion book 10 . 11 should be provided. This is a server device 12 provided external to the vehicle and one or more server computers 13 include or may comprise. Every server computer 13 can work independently from the other server computers 13 the respective vehicle companion book 10 . 11 eg in one Database 14 for example in the form of a block chain 15 (Blockchain) manage. The block chain 15 can be an initial entry block 16 and several entry blocks 17 include. Each entry block 17 may be to one or more of the vehicle companion books 10 or 11 in block data 18 respective event data 19 contain. event data 19 may be a respective event concerning the associated motor vehicle F1 . F2 describe, for example, a repair and / or maintenance and / or replacement of a component and / or a tachograph and / or a journey description. By combining the event data 19 a particular motor vehicle F1 . F2 from all entry blocks 17 results in the content of the respective vehicle companion book 10 . 11 , In the 1 is illustrated by hatching which event data 19 to which motor vehicle F1 . F2 and thus to which vehicle companion book 10 . 11 belong. By matching hatches is in 1 illustrates which elements to each one of the motor vehicles F1 . F2 and thus the associated vehicle companion book 10 . 11 belong.

The event data 19 of a respective entry block 17 affect events of a respective time interval T1 . T2 , A time interval T1 . T2 may, for example, include a period of five minutes or ten minutes, or a day or a week or a month.

Each entry block 16 . 17 can be a checksum P0 . P1 . P2 the respective block data 18 of the entry block 17 include. The initial entry block 16 can as initial block data 21 contain a default or fixed value. The block data 18 of the entry blocks 17 can in addition to the entry data 19 the vehicle companion books 10 . 11 additionally the respective checksum P0 . P1 of the respective time-preceding entry block of the preceding time interval, wherein the first entry block 17 the checksum P0 of the initial entry block 16 may include. Thus, the checksum P1 . P2 each entry block 17 through the block data 18 both from the event data 19 of the respective time interval T1 . T2 as well as the checksum P0 . P1 of the immediately preceding entry block 17 , or at the first entry block 17 from the checksum P0 of the initial entry block 16 , dependent. Furthermore, the block data 18 each entry block 17 setting data 22 contain. By changing the control data 22 results from the respective entry block 17 another checksum P1 . P2 ,

This is exploited to be independent of the event data 19 by setting the control data 22 for a given checksum P0 . P1 of the previous entry block 16 . 17 the respective checksum P1 . P2 of the current entry block 17 to set to a value having a predetermined checksum condition 23 Fulfills.

To explain this in more detail, is in 1 represented as for a current time interval T3 a new, current entry block 17 ' can be formed.

This will be done by one or more of the motor vehicles F1 . F2 current event data 19 ' collected. For this purpose, for example, by a receiving device 24 over radio links 25 from the motor vehicle F1 and or F2 the respective current event data 19 ' be received. The event data 19 ' may alternatively be from a personal computer of a user of the motor vehicle F1 . F2 , a smartphone or a computer of a workshop. The event data 19 ' provide preliminary block data 18 ' in which still the checksum of the previous entry block 17 as well as the control data are missing. The current event data 19 ' can be through calculation computer or mining computer 25 In addition, the required checksum of the temporally immediately preceding entry block 17 (in 1 this is the checksum in the example P2 ). The mining computer 25 can now provisional control data 22` adjust and check if it is from the current event data 19 ' , the checksum P2 of the temporally preceding entry block 17 as well as the provisional control data 22 ' a checksum P3 which gives the checksum criterion 23 Fulfills. If this is not the case, other provisional control data 22 ' be set or generated. In particular, the control data 22 ' be determined as random numbers or counter values. Are suitable provisional control data 22 ' determined by the checksum criterion 23 is fulfilled, these are used as final control data 22 " the server device 12 provided, then from the current event data 19 ' , the control data 22 " and the checksum P2 of the preceding entry block 17 the block data 18 ' of the current entry block 17 ' for the time interval T3 forms. It can be to this block data 18 ' a current checksum P3 be calculated.

Overall, generating the block chain 15 based on a blockchain technology known in the context of cryptographic currencies.

2 illustrates once again the generation of the block chain 15 , In one step S10 can the initial entry block 16 to be provided. In one step S11 can be based on the checksum P0 of the initial entry block 16 to generate the current entry block for the time interval T1 as block data, the event data currently to be logged and a respective one predetermined checksum of the previous initial entry block 16 are entered in the current entry block and for the current entry block to the block data the checksum P1 determined and entered in the current entry block.

In one step S2 can for the time interval T2 in the same way only on the basis of the checksum P1 of the immediately preceding entry block of the next entry block for the time interval T2 be generated. In one step S13 can in the manner described the entry block 17 ' for the time interval T3 be generated. This can be continued for subsequent further time intervals.

Thus, therefore, a digital vehicle companion book 10 . 11 realized or provided on the basis of blockchain technology.

Blockchain technology enables tamper-proof and access-controlled storage of data. A digital vehicle companion book 10 . 11 Based on the blockchain technology, the complete vehicle history, that is to say the list of events to be logged, can be stored in a tamper-proof manner and the memory contents can be transmitted unambiguously to the new owner when changing ownership of the motor vehicle. The security against third party access and manipulation enables a reliable documentation of the vehicle history and reliable legal proof as well as owner interests. Even contract negotiations such as sale, purchase and / or payment of a motor vehicle F1 . F2 can be safely reproduced via the digital vehicle companion book.

Events to be documented, that is the event data 19 . 19 ' , are entered by the producer (producer, motor vehicle, workshop, owner) into the block chain by means of an appropriate technical unit as described 15 (Blockchain) written. The digital vehicle companion book 10 . 11 references all to the respective associated motor vehicle F1 . F2 associated block chain entries (associated event data 19 ) and thus gives an overview of the respective motor vehicle concerned F1 . F2 logged events.

The storage of the block chain 15 is preferably multiple redundant, distributed and decentralized, that is, by means of multiple server computers 13 ,

Overall, the examples show how the invention can provide a blockade-based digital vehicle companion book.

QUOTES INCLUDE IN THE DESCRIPTION

This list of the documents listed by the applicant has been generated automatically and is included solely for the better information of the reader. The list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA assumes no liability for any errors or omissions.

Cited patent literature

• EP 1743304 B1 [0003]
• WO 9713208 A1 [0004]
• WO 2013058663 A2 [0005]

Claims (10)

Method for providing a respective digital vehicle companion book (10, 11) for at least one motor vehicle (F1, F2), wherein for the at least one motor vehicle (F1, F2) the respective vehicle companion book (10, 11) consists of several entry blocks (17, 17 ') is formed, in each of which event data (19, 19') at least one predetermined, in the vehicle accompanying book (10, 11) to be logged event, which relates to the respective motor vehicle (F1, F2), registered, characterized in that the Generating the respectively current entry block (17, 17 ') as block data (18, 18') the event data (19, 19 ') currently to be logged and a respective predetermined checksum (P0, P1, P2) of at least one previous entry block (16, 18') 17) are entered into the current entry block (17, 17 ') and from the block data (18, 18') a checksum (P1, P2, P3) for the current entry block (17, 17 ') is determined. Method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein in the entry blocks (17, 17 ') the respective block data (18, 18') contain additional manipulation data (22, 22 ") different from event data (19, 19 ') and the manipulation data (22 , 22 ") of each entry block (17, 17 ') are set to a value which sets the checksum (P1, P2, P3) of the entry block (17, 17') to a value satisfying a predetermined checksum condition (23). Method according to Claim 2 , wherein the control data (22, 22 ") are determined by means of a trial-and-error method. Method according to Claim 2 or 3 wherein the checksum condition (23) dictates that the checksum (P1, P2, P3) must be within a predetermined value interval. Method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the respective checksum (P1, P2, P3) is calculated as a hash value by means of a predetermined hash algorithm. Method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein vehicle accompanying books (10, 11) for a plurality of motor vehicles (F1, F2) are provided and the vehicle accompanying books (10, 11) are formed from common entry blocks (17, 17 '). Method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the entry blocks (17, 17 ') are formed by means of a blockchain technology. Method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the entry blocks (17, 17 ') are stored outside the vehicle in a central or distributed server device (12). Method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the event data (19, 19 ') are respectively generated on the basis of a vehicle-specific cryptographic key of the respective motor vehicle (F1, F2). Server device (12) for providing a respective digital vehicle companion book (10, 11) for at least one motor vehicle (F1, F2), wherein the server device (12) comprises one or more server computers (13), characterized in that the server device (13) thereto is set up to carry out a method according to any one of the preceding claims.

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