Device and method for establishing and / or providing a working environment, especially for use in a machine economy environment

Abstract

The invention claims a control device (OM) for setting up and / or providing a (virtual) working environment, the control device comprising at least one implementation unit (TM) for implementing at least one factory task by means of a machine, having: a resource management unit for requesting resources required for the working environment, a comparison unit configured to compare the requested resources with at least one resource agreed upon in a binding agreement stored in a distributed database and to grant the requested resource in dependence on the comparison result, wherein the control device is configured to set up and / or provide a working environment with at least one compared and granted resource, and at least one implementation unit configured to coordinate a check on whether one or more machines participating in the working environment have correctly and / or completely completed the factory task. In this case, the distributed database is preferably organized as a blockchain.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a device and a method for establishing and / or providing a working environment, in particular for use in a machine economy environment. Background Art

[0002] There is a need to protect products, such as devices (e.g. control devices, Internet of Things (IoT) devices), device components or software components, even machines, machine tools or even robots or robot control components with IT security mechanisms from manipulation and / or reverse engineering. Cryptographic IT security mechanisms are already used, for example, in smart devices, such as in devices of the Internet of Things (IoT), cyber-physical systems, energy technology automation systems or production systems, enterprise management technology or other devices.

[0003] In this context, manipulation protection goes beyond the term “security.” In this context, not only are the mentioned encryption methods or security methods used, but also the data transmission is reliably secured against attacks from outside or unauthorized access.

[0004] Within the scope of this specification, the term "security" or "security" refers primarily to the security or protection, confidentiality and / or integrity of data and their transmission, as well as the security, confidentiality and / or integrity when accessing the corresponding data. Authentication in data transmission or data access also belongs to the term "security", as this term is used within the scope of this specification. In this case, modules of a device or component can appear as hardware units and / or functional units, which can be designed to be suitable for software and / or for firmware. The functions can be implemented, for example, by means of a processor and / or a storage unit for storing program commands.

[0005] Industrial devices (e.g. control devices, field devices, IoT devices or IoT gateways) use a plurality of cryptographic keys, for example, in order to authenticate themselves, in order to protect the integrity of stored data and program code, in order to check and decrypt firmware updates, and in order to protect the integrity and, if necessary, the confidentiality of planning and configuration data. For the transmission of data, in particular control data, the devices mentioned can be equipped with a data interface, which can be designed and configured as a wired interface as well as a wireless interface, such as a WLAN interface, a Bluetooth interface or an NFC interface (NFC: Near Field Communication). With the aid of these data interfaces, the devices can be connected to a network or can communicate with other devices.

[0006] In this case, other wireless or radio-based transmission technologies can be used (for example secure WLAN such as ProfiSafe, WiMax, Cloud Robotic, GSM, UMTS, LTE, 5G, Vehicle-2-X communication, etc.).

[0007] In the "machine economy", which is used in particular in the context of Industry 4.0, services are provided to autonomous units (entities), wherein service-related conditions and agreements can be negotiated and specified by so-called smart contracts (smart contracts, smart consensus or smart consensus treaties). Distributed databases exist. For units using distributed databases, common, binding business logic can be stored distributedly and / or centrally. The business logic may include conditions or their consents that are negotiated and binding between units. A time period may be understood as "binding", during which the condition is valid or agreed to be valid for the time period. In this article, business logic does not mean a purely economic consensus between units, but rather a request by the participating units for one or more agreements in terms of at least one proposed technical requirement or prerequisite or condition (e.g., resource requirements or technical components to be provided or meeting technical standards or using specific protocols) through business logic. The one or more agreements should be designed to be non-manipulable. Based on blockchain technology, a specific type of distributed database or distributed ledger is organized. Such smart contracts can implement conditions or agreements in a decentralized manner among the participating units.

[0008] Blockchain is generally understood to be a generally distributed database whose integrity is guaranteed (preventing subsequent manipulation) by a one-way function value (also called a hash value) stored in a previous data group or block or element, respectively, in a subsequent data group or block or element, i.e., through an encrypted chain. Protection is formed by a plurality of trusted nodes in the blockchain network, which perform so-called block mining or verification. In the node network participating in the blockchain, new blocks are formed at regular intervals (e.g., every 10 minutes), and the hash values ​​of the existing blocks are stored therewith. A so-called "Oracle database" can be used to import adjusted / modified data from another source into a smart contract, which can lead to specific characteristics of the smart contract. One type of blockchain is an out-of-band blockchain or a hybrid form, in which some of the blockchain nodes communicate with each other in-band and some of the blockchain nodes communicate with each other out-of-band. Here, out-of-band communication can be particularly understood as communication via a public network and / or communication via a network different from the network mentioned at the beginning.

[0009] A possible solution has been proposed in DE 10 2017 217 057.3 for securing the data exchange between two units or devices, in particular in the context of an SDN controller, by means of a blockchain.

[0010] Furthermore, EP 18173595.2 has proposed a control device for operating a software-defined network having a plurality of network elements, wherein the network image of the control device can be compared with network images of other control devices via the network image published in a blockchain ledger.

[0011] A controlled resource allocation in a distributed computer environment is known from WO 2017 / 021155 A1, which is concerned only with the allocation of computer resources and not with the task completion of factory machines.

[0012] If a consensus is to be reached between two autonomous units (e.g. two factory machines from two different manufacturers or companies), the communication infrastructure (IT) and the runtime environment (OT) must be built and configured. Other blockchain implementations, such as Hyperledger, are possible. Hyperledger supports a freely programmable runtime environment for implementing smart contracts.

[0013] The mentioned solutions provide a purely structural environment for implementing smart contracts. However, these solutions do not cover the operational part and the implementation itself.

[0014] In most Industry 4.0 scenarios, there is a need to be able to implement or perform flexible resource association / resource allocation during the operation of systems or equipment. In terms of cloud, edge cloud and / or industrial edge cloud, an integrated solution for unified and effective resource allocation / resource allocation is also needed.

[0015] There is a need for reliable communication in the wireless transmission of controller data and additional data for control. It must be assumed that the radio transmission may be temporarily disturbed or interrupted. Summary of the invention

[0016] The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to improve the method and the device or apparatus, especially in the field of machine interaction, compared with the above-mentioned prior art.

[0017] This object is achieved by the features specified in the independent claim. Advantageous developments of the invention are specified in the dependent claims.

[0018] The present invention claims a control device for establishing and / or providing a working environment, the control device comprising at least one execution unit for executing at least one task, which has:

[0019] - a resource management unit, used to request the resources needed for the working environment,

[0020] a comparison unit configured to compare the requested resource with at least one resource agreed upon in a binding agreement stored in a distributed database and to grant the requested resource in dependence on the comparison result, wherein

[0021] The control device is configured for setting up and / or providing a working environment with at least one compared and permitted resource.

[0022] Here, the distributed database is preferably organized as a blockchain. One or more such agreements can be designed or constructed as a smart contract of at least one blockchain.

[0023] The working environment can be a virtual working environment, i.e., a working environment that only "logically" or functionally mimics the physical working environment in its operating principle. It is conceivable that there are multiple blockchain structures for a general agreement between the units mentioned at the beginning. This general agreement is then organized into multiple smart contracts or into supplementary states of a smart contract in order to find or form a consensus.

[0024] The implementation unit may be configured to implement at least one task after the working environment is established and / or provided.

[0025] In conjunction with the present invention, "providing" may, for example, mean that a working environment is established, loaded and / or stored by a data carrier or platform. Typically, establishment, loading and / or storage is achieved by one or more computer program software or firmware.

[0026] In addition, the implementation unit can be configured to coordinate the check of whether one or more units participating in the work environment have completed the task completely. Then, the final status for the complete completion of the task can be specified in the smart contract. Then, the final status can be forwarded to other units.

[0027] The control device may be configured to cause the release of the mentioned resources and / or to perform the release itself.

[0028] Furthermore, the implementation unit may have a monitoring unit which is configured to record the parameters required for the implementation of at least one task and store them in a blockchain or multiple blockchains if necessary. For example, a monitoring unit or a monitoring component designed as part of a support service for the implementation of a (plant) task can be or has been integrated into the execution infrastructure in order to track different parameters and store them in a blockchain. For example, these different parameters can be used for subsequent billing or as input parameters for further smart contract negotiations or agreements, but other smart contracts can also be triggered during the implementation of the task (as a side effect).

[0029] In a further embodiment of the invention, one or more infrastructure providers for the implementation environment can incorporate further units into the negotiation of the smart contract for the implementation of the task. The agreement then includes not only the offer and the use of services (Service or Dienst, such as manufacturing steps), but also the provision of the implementation units or the execution infrastructure correspondingly containing their functions. The participation of the infrastructure provider in the contract negotiation then also includes the allocation of resources for the jointly divided or used infrastructure, which is then part of the consensus mechanism.

[0030] A further aspect of the invention relates to a method for establishing and / or providing a working environment for performing at least one task, the method comprising the following steps:

[0031] -Request resources needed for the work environment,

[0032] - comparing the requested resource with at least one resource agreed upon in a binding agreement stored in a distributed database and granting the resources in dependence on the comparison, wherein:

[0033] - establishing and / or providing a working environment with at least one compared and approved resource,

[0034] After the working environment is established and / or provided, the permitted resources can be charged. This can be performed based on the device structure / system structure and business model. The present invention has the following advantages:

[0035] - Protocols enable human-machine or machine-machine interactions over physical and / or virtual infrastructure.

[0036] - During the operation of the system or device, a (virtual) working environment is constructed and provided, wherein the agreements are automatically followed and organized in a distributed manner, and the (virtual) working environment is defined by one or more agreements.

[0037] - Securely guarantee and protect resource allocation, wherein the allocated resources can optionally be billed.

[0038] Furthermore, a computer program (product) is proposed, which includes a program code that can be executed by at least one processor and causes the at least one processor to implement the method according to the invention and its embodiments. The computer program can be run on a program-controlled device or apparatus of the type mentioned above, or can cause the execution of the method according to the invention, or can be stored as a computer program product on a computer-readable medium.

[0039] Additionally, a variant of a computer program (product) having program instructions for configuring a creation device may be, for example, a 3D printer, a computer system or a manufacturing machine suitable for creating a processor and / or a device.

[0040] The method and the computer program (product) can be designed corresponding to the configurations / embodiments of the above-described device or apparatus and their configurations / embodiments. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0041] The characteristics, features and advantages of the present invention described above and the manner in which they are achieved will become clearer and more significantly easier to understand in conjunction with the following description of the embodiments described in more detail in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0042] Figure 1 The machine economic environment is schematically shown;

[0043] Figure 2 The flowchart for setting the working environment according to the present invention is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0044] According to one aspect of the present invention, an execution infrastructure for smart contracts SC is established dynamically and on demand (as needed), and the execution infrastructure implements trusted and agreed tasks, such as Figure 1 In the example, the execution infrastructure is implemented in a machine economy environment by blockchain technology, which is marked as CT (collaborative task). Independent units (entities) (e.g., from different manufacturers or suppliers), such as factory machines or devices D1 to D4, provide and use autonomous or semi-autonomous services to each other, and negotiate, fulfill and record agreements / contracts through a distributed ledger DL, which is formed by blockchain technology. Figure 1 Such a machine economy environment is shown by way of example in FIG. A blockchain node BC is indicated in the distributed ledger. Here, a machine is, for example, an autonomous transport device TP, which includes a task management module TM and is connected to or designed with a mobile communication device CD1. Another machine is, for example, a mobile robot MR, which also has a task management module TM and a communication device CD2.

[0045] In order to be able to fulfill the collaborative tasks controlled by the order management OM, the communication between the two machines TP and MR via the network NW must be ensured and preferably also protected. To this end, a communication path SC or a virtual communication connection (virtual network, such as VLAN or SDN, and if necessary VPN) is established in accordance with the conditions of the smart contract. Finally, resources must be requested for the machines, which make it possible to set up a working environment and ensure the implementation of the collaborative task, which may include one or more manufacturing tasks or steps. With the help of the conditions previously negotiated in the smart contract and the structure of the (virtual) communication network defined accordingly, the communication path is protected from manipulation or attack. These resources are provided by a support service (Unterstützungs-Dienst), which can, for example, provide a device D1 or also a cloud (not shown). As the working environment mentioned above, in this example the following devices may participate: order management OM that controls the establishment of the working environment, units TP and MR, and devices D1, D2, D3 of the network NW connected via a communication path SC, wherein resources are allocated for the working environment after one or more smart contract conditions stored in the distributed ledger DL are implemented or satisfied, such as SC, TM, CD1, CD2, D1, D2, D3.

[0046] More precisely, once the conditions agreed upon or given from the smart contract are met, the computer-supported method sets up a working environment or working infrastructure. Figure 2 , implement the steps numbered 1 to 10 below:

[0047] 1 represents: reaching an agreement: the participating machines reach an agreement, which can be constructed as a smart contract stored in the blockchain. The agreement includes parameters for the operationally running infrastructure and the required service level agreement (agreement on the scope of service). For example, the agreement can be: for price D, in time window E, using request X (e.g., machine ID), Y (e.g., communication service request), Z (e.g., resource request), machine 1 ( Figure 1 For example, MR) is a machine 2 manufactured by supplier C ( Figure 1 For example, TP) supports or provides task B ( Figure 1 For example, CT), Figure 2 In step 2, Z is requested, for example, from the execution infrastructure or working environment.

[0048] 2: Resource request: The smart contract contains an infrastructure request in order to incorporate an infrastructure manufacturer or infrastructure supplier. Such a request is signed by a smart contract and includes, for example, a machine identification (ID), a machine signature, a communication service request, and a request for a virtual workspace (virtual workspace), such as participating resources in the form of physical or virtual units for storage, processing or communication or communication connections. Communication service requests (such as bandwidth, delay, jitter) or special protocol requests (such as Profinet IRT) can be defined as end-to-end connections or specified by simple (virtual) connections. In the event that the infrastructure supplier cannot confirm and / or meet the request, the smart contract is notified, which leads to the implementation of business logic to find an alternative supplier. Each resource available in the resource pool reports its offer to the service (Dienst) and the components that can be provided for the virtual work environment. This may also include a request for a virtual work environment. In the event that the resource provider cannot meet the request, the smart contract is notified.

[0049] 3 represents: Setting or forming or establishing a working environment: organizing the working environment through software. The working environment may also include hardware infrastructure and may contain communication connections with remote cloud elements. The participating infrastructure providers allocate resources, set up a virtual working environment and construct a virtual network according to the guaranteed resource allocation, which is based on the signature given by the smart contract. The virtual working environment with its virtual network layer allows exclusive communication between the contracting parties according to the specifications and / or conditions in the contract. The setting of the virtual working environment is performed when the system is running, including the virtualized execution environment. If necessary, so-called containers, virtual network functions within the virtual client network (e.g., client-specific access control or traffic matching) and virtual network functions are used at the system level. The setting of the virtual working environment is performed by the system owner, wherein the client or participant in the client network freely uses the allocated resources according to the contract within the working environment without further intervention / configuration by the system owner. If necessary, the setting process uses the infrastructure provided by the distributed ledger. This can be, for example, an unmodifiable data storage in a distributed ledger for subsequent auditing or a cryptographic element, such as a public / private key infrastructure, in order to identify or authenticate a device, or to sign the steps performed.

[0050] Indicated by 4: Factory tasks, e.g. Figure 1 The cooperative task mentioned in , which may include a manufacturing process: all participating machines use the allocated resources and perform their factory tasks or manufacturing tasks.

[0051] Represented by 5: Check whether the factory task is completed correctly and / or completely: After the factory task is completed, check whether all participating machines have completed the task completely and correctly and fulfilled the agreement / contract through the smart contract.

[0052] Represented by 6: Forwarding final state: The smart contract contains a final state to prompt participating infrastructure providers to release resources.

[0053] 7: Resource release: After notifying the successful fulfillment of the task received by the smart contract, the participating infrastructure provider releases the resources, i.e. the virtual infrastructure, and shuts down all units that are part of the virtual working environment. Finally, the resource usage (including its signature) is notified to the smart contract.

[0054] Indicated by 8: Billing: This can be performed according to the system structure and business model. This step is optional.

[0055] Represented by 9: Support services: Support services provide functionality such as monitoring infrastructure usage, measuring resource usage, receiving and processing necessary information from the infrastructure (such as data usage or alarms), maintaining infrastructure configuration and infrastructure usage. Support functions can generate alarms as well as trigger events (for example, in the event of infrastructure failure or breach of agreement by a contracting party) and send this to the distributed ledger.

[0056] Denoted at 10: Distributed ledger: A distributed ledger DL (e.g. implemented as a blockchain) provides functionality for storing data and business logic (e.g. smart contracts) that cannot be modified in a distributed manner for different independent participating units or parties. These independent units can reach a consensus with the help of smart contracts, and trust or security is implied here. Therefore, any data can be stored and agreements related to the implementation of on-demand business relationships between different parties can be reached (e.g. agreed requests for execution infrastructure, implementation of measures and billing information).

[0057] Another embodiment of the present invention is a monitoring unit or monitoring component for factory task implementation (as part of the supporting services) that is integrated into the execution infrastructure to track different parameters and store these different parameters in a distributed ledger. For example, these different parameters can be used for subsequent billing or as input parameters for further smart contract negotiation or agreement, however, other smart contracts can also be triggered during task implementation (as a side effect).

[0058] Although the present invention has been illustrated and described in more detail by means of preferred embodiments, the present invention is not limited to the disclosed examples and other variations may be derived therefrom by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0059] The process or method described above can be implemented according to instructions, which are stored on a computer-readable storage medium or in a volatile computer memory (hereinafter collectively referred to as a computer-readable memory). Computer-readable memory is, for example, a volatile memory (such as a cache, buffer memory or RAM) and a non-volatile memory (such as a mobile storage device, a hard disk, etc.).

[0060] Here, the functions or steps described above may exist in the form of at least one instruction set in / on a computer-readable memory. Here, the functions or steps do not depend on a specific instruction set or a specific form of instruction set or a specific storage medium or a specific processor or a specific implementation, and may be implemented by software, firmware, microcode, hardware, processors, integrated circuits, etc., running alone or in any combination. Here, different processing strategies may be used, for example, serial processing or multi-processing or multi-tasking or parallel processing by a single processor, etc.

[0061] The instructions may be stored in local memory, but it is also possible to store the instructions on a remote system and access them over a network.

[0062] As used herein, the terms "processor", "central signal processing", "control unit" or "data analysis device" include processing devices in the broadest sense, i.e., for example, servers, general-purpose processors, graphics processors, digital signal processors, application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), programmable logic circuits (such as FPGAs), discrete analog or digital circuits, and any combination thereof, including all other processing devices known to those skilled in the art or developed in the future. Here, a processor may be composed of one or more devices or devices or units. If a processor is composed of multiple devices, these devices may be designed or configured for processing or executing instructions in parallel or sequentially.

Claims

1. A control device (OM) for setting up and / or providing a working environment, the control device comprising at least one implementation unit (TM) for implementing at least one plant task by means of a machine, the control device having: - a resource management unit, used to request the resources needed for the working environment, a comparison unit configured to compare the requested resource with at least one resource agreed upon in a binding agreement stored in a distributed database and to grant the requested resource in dependence on a result of the comparison, wherein the control device is configured to establish and / or provide a working environment having at least one compared and permitted resource, and The at least one implementation unit is configured to coordinate a check on whether one or more machines participating in the work environment have correctly and / or completely completed a factory task.

2. Control device (OM) according to the preceding claim, characterized in that The at least one implementation unit is configured to implement at least one task after the working environment is established and / or provided.

3. The control device (OM) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that The agreement is designed as a smart contract, which is stored in one or more blockchains.

4. A control device (OM) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that The control device is configured to cause the release of the mentioned resources and / or to perform the release itself.

5. The control device (OM) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that The at least one implementation unit further comprises a monitoring unit which is configured to record parameters required for implementing the at least one task and to store them in a blockchain as required.

6. A method for creating and / or providing a working environment for carrying out at least one plant task by means of a machine, the method comprising the following steps: - Request (2) the resources needed for the work environment, - comparing the requested resource with at least one resource agreed upon in a binding agreement, the agreement being stored in a distributed database, and granting the resource in dependence on the comparison result, - establishing and / or providing (3) a working environment having at least one compared and approved resource, wherein -Coordinates the inspection of one or more machines participating in the work environment to correctly and / or completely complete the factory tasks.

7. The method according to the preceding claim, characterized in that At least one task is performed after the working environment is established and / or provided.

8. The method according to claim 6 or 7, characterized in that: The agreement is designed as a smart contract, which is stored in one or more blockchains.

9. The method according to claim 6 or 7, characterized in that: Prompting and / or executing the release of the mentioned resource (7).

10. The method according to claim 6 or 7, characterized in that: Parameters required for performing at least one task are recorded and stored in the blockchain as needed.

11. The method according to claim 6 or 7, characterized in that: After the working environment is established and / or provided, billing is performed for the licensed resources (8). 12 . A computer program product which causes the execution of a method according to one of the preceding method claims on a program-controlled device, in particular a control device according to one of the preceding device claims.

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