Patent · US Expired

Method for protecting a microcomputer of a control unit against the manipulation of a program and a device for carrying out the method

US6604024B2 · kind B2 · utility

6Cited by
6References
10Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJan 19, 2001
Grant dateAug 5, 2003
Priority date
Expiry dateJan 19, 2021

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG06F2221/2149
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A method for protecting a microcomputer of a control unit for a motor vehicle against the manipulation of a control program that is stored at least partially in a rewriteable memory, by executing a validation program stored in the microcomputer for detecting an unauthorized manipulation of the control program. In order to make possible a simple deactivation of the validation program without impairing the security of the validation program, an electronic hardware identifier of the control unit is provided for identifying the control unit as a serial module or as application module, the validation program being able to be switched from an activated state to a deactivated state in the application module using standard commands and in a serial module only using special measures. The standard commands are freely available, whereas the special measures are available on a limited basis.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.