Systems and methods for averting unsanctioned access to on-board vehicle networks

Abstract

Novel techniques for averting unsanctioned access to on-board vehicle networks include obtaining indications of detected stimuli and/or conditions that are external to a target computing device, and determining whether or not the detected stimuli/conditions are indicative of the target computing device being utilized, operated, held, and/or carried by a person on-board the vehicle. External stimuli/conditions may include signals transmitted by other devices on-board the vehicle, ad-hoc data received via various interfaces of the target computing device, comparisons of vehicle heuristic data with data generated by components of the target computing device, etc. A confidence score may be generated (e.g., over time) based on detected stimuli/conditions. Access of the target computing device to an on-board vehicle network may be granted or denied based on the detected stimuli/conditions and/or the confidence score. Further, the novel techniques are not required to use any user input.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of averting unsanctioned access to a network on-board a vehicle, the network being an on-board network, and the method comprising:
 detecting, at a portable computing device disposed on-board the vehicle, multiple conditions;   evaluating, by the portable computing device, at least one of a timing or a weighting of the detected multiple conditions to thereby determine a confidence score, the confidence score indicative of a likelihood of the portable computing device being operated, held, or carried by one or more persons on-board the vehicle;   granting access of the portable computing device to the on-board network when the confidence score is above a threshold; and   denying access of the portable computing device to the on-board network when the confidence score is below the threshold.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein detecting the multiple conditions includes detecting at least one condition generated external to the portable computing device. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein detecting the multiple conditions includes detecting at least one condition that is contextual to the vehicle. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein detecting the at least one condition that is contextual to the vehicle comprises detecting at least one signal generated by another device onboard the vehicle. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein detecting the multiple conditions includes detecting at least one condition via a sensor or a user interface of the portable computing device. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein detecting at least one condition via the sensor or the user interface of the portable computing device includes detecting a condition other than a user response to a challenge issued by the portable computing device. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 detecting the multiple conditions comprises detecting one or more respective occurrences of one or more of the multiple conditions over an interval of time; and   evaluating the at least one of the timing or the weighting of the detected multiple conditions to thereby determine the confidence score includes evaluating the timing of the detected one or more respective occurrences of the one or more multiple conditions over the interval of time to thereby determine the confidence score.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein evaluating the at least one of the timing or the weighting of the detected multiple conditions to thereby determine the confidence score comprises aggregating respective weight values of the detected multiple conditions to thereby determine the confidence score. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein aggregating the respective weight values of the detected multiple conditions to thereby determine the confidence score comprises aggregating the respective weight values of the detected multiple conditions over an interval of time to thereby determine the confidence score. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the confidence score is above the threshold and access of the portable computing device to the on-board network is granted, and wherein the method further comprises:
 monitoring for any occurrences of any of the multiple conditions over an interval of time;   maintaining access of the portable computing device to the on-board network when an occurrence of any of the multiple conditions is detected during the interval of time; and   denying access of the portable computing device to the on-board network when no occurrence of any of the multiple conditions is detected during the interval of time.   
     
     
         11 . A system for averting unsanctioned access to a network on-board a vehicle, the network being an on-board network, and the system comprising a portable computing device having:
 one or more wireless interfaces;   one or more processors; and   one or more non-transitory, tangible memory storing computer-executable instructions thereon that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the portable computing device to:
 detect multiple conditions; 
 evaluate at least one of a timing or a weighting of the detected multiple conditions to thereby determine a confidence score, the confidence score indicative of a likelihood of the portable computing device being operated, held, or carried by one or more persons on-board the vehicle; 
 grant wireless access of the portable computing device to the on-board network when the confidence score is above a threshold; and 
 deny wireless access of the portable computing device to the on-board network when the confidence score is below the threshold. 
   
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the multiple conditions include at least one condition generated external to the portable computing device. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the multiple conditions include at least one condition that is contextual to the vehicle. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the at least one condition that is contextual to the vehicle includes at least one signal generated by another device onboard the vehicle. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the multiple conditions include at least one condition detected via a sensor or a user interface of the portable computing device. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the at least one condition detected via the sensor or the user interface of the portable computing device includes a condition other than a user response to a challenge issued by the portable computing device. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein:
 the multiple conditions include one or more respective occurrences of one or more of the multiple conditions over an interval of time; and   the timing of the detected one or more respective occurrences of the one or more multiple conditions is evaluated over the interval of time to thereby determine the confidence score.   
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the evaluation of the at least one of the timing or the weighting of the detected multiple conditions comprises an aggregation of respective weight values of the detected multiple conditions. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 18 , wherein the aggregation of the respective weight values of the detected multiple conditions comprises an aggregation of the respective weight values of the detected multiple conditions over an interval of time. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the confidence score is above the threshold and access of the portable computing device to the on-board network is granted, and wherein the computer-executable instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the portable computing device further to:
 monitor for any occurrences of any of the multiple conditions over an interval of time;   maintain access of the portable computing device to the on-board network when an occurrence of any of the multiple conditions is detected during the interval of time; and   deny access of the portable computing device to the on-board network when no occurrence of any of the multiple conditions is detected during the interval of time.