Patent ID: 7600114

Claim:
A method for a first vehicle communicating securely with a second vehicle, the method comprising: performing the following steps by the first vehicle, wherein the first vehicle has vehicle data stored therein, the vehicle data accessible to the second vehicle only if the second vehicle is an authentic vehicle, including: obtaining from a certification authority a certification that the authentic vehicle is associated with a cryptographic key, wherein the certification includes a digital signature of the certification authority; using the digital signature of the certification authority to verify that the certification authority is authorized to certify the authentic vehicle, wherein the certification authority authorized to certify the authentic vehicle is a vehicle manufacturer of the first vehicle and of the authentic vehicle; utilizing the cryptographic key obtained from the certification authority authorized to certify the authentic vehicle in cryptographic communication with the second vehicle; determining whether the second vehicle is the authentic vehicle from the same vehicle manufacturer as the first vehicle based on whether the cryptographic key is successfully utilized in the cryptographic communication with the second vehicle; and upon determining that the second vehicle is the authentic vehicle, communicating further with the second vehicle, and authorizing the second vehicle to access the vehicle data stored within the first vehicle.