NIO Inc.
Radio frequency tag relay attack prevention and notification

Abstract:

Remote devices have replaced keys as a means to access a secure feature of a vehicle. Remote door locks, starters, climate control, trunk openers, etc., have allowed vehicles to be more welcoming and easier to use. However, such functions often rely on radio frequency transmissions that can merely relay signals coming from an authorized device that may allow a nefarious user to access the vehicle or contents therein. By encoding sequence numbers and timestamps within an exchange, a vehicle may determine that an authorized user is too far away to be granted access to the secure feature, thereby denying access to the nefarious user implementing a relay attack on the vehicle.