Data management apparatus and corresponding method of use

Abstract

Apparatus (10) for managing data of an industrial plant (100), comprising one or more devices (11) for interfacing with one or more components (101) of said industrial plant (100), and method for using a data management apparatus (10).

Description

[0001] “DATA MANAGEMENT APPARATUS AND CORRESPONDING METHOD OF USE”

[0002] FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention concerns a data management apparatus and a corresponding method of use. The apparatus according to the invention can find application, preferably but not exclusively, in industrial plants or commercial activities in general, of any type whatsoever, to save data, guaranteeing its integrity, non-modifiability, security and temporal order (understood at least as the date and time of transmission of a specific data packet), and it can be interfaced with sensors, devices, process lines and machines.

[0003] BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0004] The growing need to track and certify information, or data, in order to guarantee its integrity, non-modifiability, security and temporal order is well known. In particular, this need exists in the industrial sector, where there is a growing interest in the tracking of data detected by process machines, such as numerically controlled work centers or PLC plants for example, by on-machine sensors and / or suchlike.

[0005] For this purpose, data can be saved on a blockchain register, understood as a data registry consisting of lists of records, or data structures, called “blocks”, connected to each other securely using cryptography. Each block contains at least one cryptographic hash of the previous block and a timestamp. Since each block contains information about the previous block, they effectively form a chain. As a result, blockchain transactions are irreversible since, once recorded, the data in a given block cannot be changed retroactively without altering all subsequent blocks.

[0006] For this purpose, there are known blockchain platforms, for example Algorand, Ethereum, Corda, Hyperledger, Ripple, or similar platforms, in the cloud, that is, based on a set of processing elements, such as servers, personal computers and suchlike, which cooperate on a computer network, for example the Internet, to record the data in encrypted blocks.

[0007] This means that the data has to be entered on the network in order to be saved to a blockchain register. There is therefore a risk that, in the communication route between a device that provides the data and the first element of the blockchain, manipulation of the data itself can take place, for example because of a cyberattack, a malfunction on the communication route, sabotage or suchlike.

[0008] The data can therefore be altered, lost or subject to unwanted external dissemination. There are solutions in the state of the art which, however, have not proven to be completely satisfactory.

[0009] Document WO2021034274A1 (WO’274) deals with the use of blockchains for operational data security in industrial control systems. This document describes a system that provides to use blockchain to create historical data for anti- counterfeiting purposes, enable transaction integrity and reliability, and improve data security. In WO’274 the system’s nodes are not designed to control machines or to interact with physical systems in real time, and the signing process does not take place within a hardware in real time at the generation of the datum, but on a cloud timestamp system, not guaranteeing the inalterability of the datum during the transmission of the latter from the generation to the system. In addition, WO’274 specifically refers to blockchain platforms that support smart contracts. WO’274 does not provide to normalize the machine data; moreover, for the encryption step there is no cryptographic device having a cryptographic key source that generates the hash code in real time. WO’274 also provides to store the data on nodes such as sender nodes, storage nodes, and replica nodes.

[0010] Document CN114826617A describes the design of industrial terminal systems for the Internet of Things. In particular, it describes a data verification method and a hardware acceleration device with the aim of improving security in data processing in the industrial process of the Internet of Things, and timeliness in the data verification process. Document CN114826617A does not provide to copy the information to ensure its traceability, but provides to create a backup of the internal database and the possibility of consulting the data even in the absence of access to the apparatus, as long as access to the cloud is provided.

[0011] There is therefore the need to perfect a data management apparatus that can overcome at least one of the disadvantages of the state of the art.

[0012] To do this, it is necessary to solve the technical problem of identifying a method and a technology by means of which to protect data for its sending and acquisition by a blockchain platform in the cloud. In particular, one purpose of the present invention is to provide a data management apparatus, and to perfect a corresponding method of use, to protect data and its sending to a blockchain platform.

[0013] Another purpose of the present invention is to provide a data management apparatus that can be interfaced with most industrial machines and with the sensors that can be used on industrial machines and / or in an industrial plant in general.

[0014] The Applicant has devised, tested and embodied the present invention to overcome the shortcomings of the state of the art and to obtain these and other purposes and advantages. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0015] The present invention is set forth and characterized in the independent claims. The dependent claims describe other characteristics of the present invention or variants to the main inventive idea.

[0016] In accordance with the above purposes and to resolve the technical problem described above in a new and original way, also achieving considerable advantages compared to the state of the prior art, an apparatus according to the present invention for managing data of an industrial plant comprises one or more devices which interface with one or more components of the industrial plant.

[0017] In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, the apparatus comprises a cryptographic device having a cryptographic key source. The cryptographic device is configured to acquire, in real time, data supplied by the one or more components of the industrial plant through the one or more interfacing devices, sign the data by means of the cryptographic key, generating a corresponding hash, and send the hash to a backend platform in the cloud, which inserts the signed message into a hash tree, or Merkle tree, for the writing on the blockchain. It is known that a hash tree, or Merkle tree, is a tree in which each leaf node is labeled with the cryptographic hash of a data block, and each non-leaf node is labeled with the cryptographic hash of the labels of its child nodes.

[0018] Doing so achieves at least the advantage that the data can be made traceable and certified by a data management apparatus inside the industrial plant through encryption, which then transmits the encrypted data, in the form of a hash and according to the correct chronology, on a network outside the industrial plant to management and storage systems and / or to a blockchain in the cloud. The data can therefore be made traceable and certified directly on board the machine, without any external intermediation. The cryptographic keys can be stored in a register connected to the machine, so as to allow verifications and evaluations. Advantageously, the data management apparatus, through the one or more interfacing devices, can be directly interfaced with most industrial machines and the sensors that can be used on industrial machines and / or in an industrial plant in general.

[0019] In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, the cryptographic key source can be a hardware source.

[0020] In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, the hardware cryptographic key source can be a storage unit in which the cryptographic key is stored, or a processing unit comprising a random number generator designated to the generation of the cryptographic key. In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, the apparatus can comprise a conversion device configured to normalize data coming from different components of the industrial plant into a same data format.

[0021] In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, the apparatus can comprise an internal database. The apparatus can be configured to save the data of the one or more components in the internal database, simultaneously with the sending of the data to the cryptographic device.

[0022] In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, the cryptographic device is configured to save a copy of the hash generated by the signature of the data in the internal database in real time, guaranteeing a very high level of anti- counterfeiting and authenticity of the datum.

[0023] In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, the apparatus can be configured to synchronize the internal database with a remote database, through a connection to the external network, for example through an Internet connection.

[0024] In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, an industrial plant provided with one or more plant components, chosen from sensors, devices, process machines and lines, comprises a data management apparatus as described above.

[0025] In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, a method for using an apparatus for managing data of an industrial plant, comprising one or more devices for interfacing with one or more components of the industrial plant, comprises:

[0026] - the acquisition, by a cryptographic device of the apparatus, of a datum or set of data supplied by the one or more components through the one or more interfacing devices;

[0027] - the saving of the acquired datum or set of data in an internal database of the apparatus;

[0028] - the signing of the datum or set of data by means of a cryptographic key supplied by the cryptographic device, generating a corresponding hash;

[0029] - the sending, on the external network, of the generated hash to a blockchain platform in the cloud;

[0030] - the integration of the hash into an encrypted block of a corresponding blockchain register, either pre-existing or generated for the purposes of the blockchain platform .

[0031] In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, the method of use can provide that the cryptographic device immediately sends each hash to the blockchain platform in the cloud or, in case of temporary absence of connection to the external network, it can provide that the sending occurs as soon as the connection to the external network is restored.

[0032] DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0033] These and other aspects, characteristics and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of some embodiments, given as a non-restrictive example with reference to the attached drawings wherein: - fig. 1 is a schematic representation of a data management apparatus in use in an industrial plant, according to the present invention.

[0034] - fig. 2 is a schematic diagram representing the architecture of the data management apparatus in use in an industrial plant, according to the present invention.

[0035] We must clarify that the phraseology and terminology used in the present description, as well as the figure in the attached drawing also in relation as to how described, have the sole function of better illustrating and explaining the present invention, their purpose being to provide a non-limiting example of the invention itself, since the scope of protection is defined by the claims. It is understood that elements and characteristics of one embodiment can be conveniently combined or incorporated into other embodiments without further clarifications.

[0036] DESCRIPTION OF SOME EMBODIMENTS OF THE PRESENT INVENTION With reference to fig. 1 , an apparatus 10 for managing data of an industrial plant 100 according to the present invention comprises one or more interfacing devices 11 and a cryptographic device 15.

[0037] In the present document, the term “device” means an operating unit configured to perform one or more specific operations. Preferably, each device of the apparatus 10 is implemented as an independent software and the software all reside in a same electronic board of the apparatus 10.

[0038] According to possible alternative embodiments, one or more devices of the apparatus 10 can be implemented with distinct physical components of the apparatus 10, for example with hardware dedicated to the software necessary to carry out the one or more specific operations corresponding to the one or more devices.

[0039] The one or more interfacing devices 11 are or comprise drivers, intended as programs that allow communication between two or more devices of different types. These drivers are configured to support standard protocols, such as Modbus, OPC-UA, S7Protocol, EthemetIP, CANopen, EtherCAT, and suchlike.

[0040] The one or more interfacing devices 11 are configured for the interfacing between one or more components 101 of the industrial plant 100 and the cryptographic device 15. The components 101 of the industrial plant 100 can be chosen from sensors 102, devices, process lines, process machines 103, such as numerically controlled work centers, PLC plants and suchlike.

[0041] Preferably, the drivers can be software residing in the electronic board of the apparatus 10, essentially coinciding with the one or more interfacing devices 11.

[0042] In alternative embodiments, the drivers can be installed on separate interfacing devices 11 located in proximity to the components 101, for example on a data collection control unit or a server contained in a rack cabinet or suchlike.

[0043] The one or more interfacing devices 11 can be configured to send the data to a conversion device, or normalizer, in real time, that is, immediately after acquiring the data at output from the components 101. The conversion device 20 is configured to normalize, or make “homogeneous”, through algorithms and filters, the data coming from different components 101 of the industrial plant 100, and to transmit the normalized data to the cryptographic device 15.

[0044] By the term “homogeneous” we mean that the data is all converted into the same data format and / or segmented, for example according to specific customer requests, for example CSV, XML, or similar format, regardless of the component 101 and the interfacing device 11 from which it originates. Each data subset is then certified, ensuring transparency, quality, and uniformity in data control. For example, these certificates can be delivered to end-customers as an extension of the quality control contract.

[0045] In this case, the conversion device 20 can be configured to send the data to the cryptographic device 15 in real time, that is, immediately after acquiring the data at output from the one or more interfacing devices 11.

[0046] The cryptographic device 15 comprises or is connectable to at least one cryptographic key source 16.

[0047] The cryptographic device 15 is configured to acquire normalized data from the one or more components 101, sign them by means of a cryptographic key, thus generating a corresponding hash, and send this hash to a blockchain platform 200 in the cloud generating / integrating a corresponding blockchain register. In particular, the aforementioned data are acquired by the one or more interfacing devices 11 and sent by the latter, directly or indirectly, to the cryptographic device 15.

[0048] For example, the industrial plant 100 can comprise a network switch 104, that is, a router or similar access point provision device, for the connection of a local area network, internal to the industrial plant 100, to an external network, for example the Internet.

[0049] The network switch 104 can be configured to allow at least the sending of the hashes corresponding to the data to the blockchain platform 200 in the cloud by means of the cryptographic device 15. In some embodiments, the network switch 104 also provides an interface between the components 101 and the apparatus 10.

[0050] Advantageously, thanks to the apparatus 10, the protection of the original datum or set of data, implemented as a signature by means of cryptographic key, can take place within milliseconds of the acquisition, thus minimizing the risk of changes to the original data.

[0051] The cryptographic device 15 can be configured to send each hash to the blockchain platform 200 immediately. In the event of a temporary absence of connection to the external network, for example in the absence of an internet connection, the cryptographic device 15 can be configured to send each hash to the blockchain platform 200 as soon as the connection to the external network is restored.

[0052] The cryptographic key source 16 can be a hardware source. For example, the cryptographic key source 16 can be a storage unit, such as random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), floppy disk, hard disk (HARD DISK), mass memory, or any other form of digital storage whatsoever, in which a cryptographic key is stored. For example, the cryptographic key source 16 can be a removable storage medium, such as a security dongle or a key dongle. For example, the cryptographic key source 16 hardware can be a processing unit, such as a processor or microprocessor, comprising a random number generator designated to generating the cryptographic key.

[0053] The apparatus 10 can comprise an internal database 21 and can be configured to store the aforementioned data in the database 21 at the same time as they are sent to the cryptographic device 15. For example, the interfacing devices 11 or the possible conversion device 20 can be configured to send the data to the internal database 21 and to the cryptographic device 15 in parallel.

[0054] The cryptographic device 15 can also be configured to save in real time, in the internal database 21, a copy of the hashes corresponding to the signed data. In the event of a temporary absence of connection to the external network, the apparatus

[0055] 10 can be configured to save a copy of the hashes in the blockchain platform 200 as soon as the connection to the external network is restored.

[0056] Advantageously, thanks to the internal database 21 , the data can also be saved in the event of a temporary absence of connection to the external network, for example an Internet connection.

[0057] The apparatus 10 can also be configured to synchronize the internal database 21 with a remote database 201, for example a remote database 201 in the cloud.

[0058] Advantageously, only the hashes corresponding to the data can be sent to the blockchain platform 200, and not the original unencrypted data. As a result, the blockchain platform 200 securely and publicly safeguards what is necessary to authenticate the data saved in the internal database 21 , and possibly in the remote database 201, without publicly disclosing the data itself. Saving a copy of the internal database 21 in the remote database 201 has at least two advantages: the creation of a backup of the internal database 21 and the possibility of consulting the data even without access to the apparatus 10, as long as access to the cloud is available.

[0059] Some embodiments described here also concern an industrial plant 100 comprising one or more plant components 101, chosen from sensors 102, devices, process machines 103, process lines and suchlike.

[0060] The industrial plant 100 comprises at least one data management apparatus 10 according to the present invention and can comprise a platform 105 for interfacing with the blockchain platform 200, and possibly the remote database 201, for access to the data by an operator 300.

[0061] The interfacing platform 105 can for example comprise one or more of either PCs, industrial computers, servers or suchlike.

[0062] In some embodiments, not shown in the attached drawing, the access to the data stored in the remote database 201 and / or to the blockchain platform 200 by an operator 300 can also take place by means of an interfacing platform 105 external to the industrial plant 100, as long as the interfacing platform 105 can access the cloud.

[0063] The operation of the data management apparatus 10 described heretofore, which corresponds to the method according to the present invention, comprises the following steps.

[0064] - the acquisition, by the cryptographic device 15, of a datum or set of data normalized by the conversion device 20 of the one or more components 101 through the one or more interfacing devices 11 ;

[0065] - the saving of the datum or set of data in the internal database 21; - the signing of the aforementioned datum or set of data by means of a cryptographic key supplied by the cryptographic key source 16, generating a corresponding hash;

[0066] - the sending, on the external network, of the generated hash to the blockchain platform 200 in the cloud;

[0067] - the integration of the hash into an encrypted block of a corresponding preexisting or purpose-generated blockchain register.

[0068] The method can provide that a blockchain register is generated, in the event that the hash sent is the first one, or that the hash is inserted in a pre-existing blockchain register containing previous encrypted blocks relating to the industrial plant 100.

[0069] The method can also comprise the synchronization of the internal database 21 with a remote database 201.

[0070] With reference to fig. 2, an apparatus 10 for managing data of an industrial plant 100 according to the present invention can implement a method 400 that can be realized through the generation of the datum or set of data to be signed 401 by the one or more components 101, indicated in fig. 2 with the generic term “poller”. This datum or set of data 401 is transferred onto the apparatus 10, in this specific case through a message with MQTT protocol (Message Queuing Telemetry Transport) through a local broker, which apparatus 10 receives the new datum or set of data to be signed 410 which is then subjected to the normalization 411 through the conversion device 20. Subsequently, the datum or set of data is signed 412 by means of the cryptographic device 15, for example a USB key, which comprises or is connectable to at least one cryptographic key source 16. These steps are carried out in the apparatus 10 indicated in fig. 2 with the term “sender”.

[0071] Subsequently, the datum or set of data is transferred onto a cloud server 30, indicated in fig. 2 with the term “receiver”, where the signed datum or set of data is received 420 and saved 421 in an internal database.

[0072] Then the saving 422 on the blockchain platform in the cloud takes place, which generates information of the transaction, therefore the saving 423 of the information of the transaction in the internal database takes place. The feedback of successful saving 424 is then transferred, through a remote broker, onto the cloud server 30, and then the feedback of successful execution of the archiving process and the signing 413 on the apparatus 10 takes place. If necessary, it is possible to carry out the elimination of any caches 414. These last steps 413, 414 are performed at the level of the components referred to as “pollers”.

[0073] Modifications and / or additions of parts and / or steps may be made to the data management apparatus 10, to the industrial plant 100 and to the method as described heretofore, without thereby departing from the field and scope of the present invention, as defined by the claims.

[0074] In addition, although the present invention has been described with reference to some specific examples, a person of skill in the art will be able to achieve other equivalent forms of a data management apparatus and corresponding method, having the characteristics as set forth in the claims and hence all coming within the field of protection defined thereby.

[0075] In the following claims, the sole purpose of the references in brackets is to facilitate their reading and they must not be considered as restrictive factors with regard to the field of protection defined by the claims.

Claims

CLAIMS1. Apparatus (10) for managing data of an industrial plant (100), comprising one or more devices (11) which interface with one or more components (101), characterized in that it comprises a cryptographic device (15) having a cryptographic key source (16) and configured to, in real time, acquire data of said one or more components (101) through said one or more interfacing devices (11), sign said data by means of said cryptographic key, generating a corresponding hash, and send said hash to a blockchain platform (200) in the cloud in order to generate or integrate a corresponding blockchain register, and in that it also comprises a conversion device (20) configured to receive data at input from one or more of the one or more interface devices (11), in order to normalize them into a same data format and / or segmented, and to transmit the normalized data to the cryptographic device (15) in real time.

2. Apparatus (10) as in claim 1, characterized in that said cryptographic key source ( 16) is a hardware source.

3. Apparatus (10) as in claim 2, characterized in that said cryptographic key source (16) hardware is a storage unit in which said cryptographic key is stored, or a processing unit comprising a random number generator designated to the generation of said cryptographic key.

4. Apparatus (10) as in any claim from 1 to 3, characterized in that it comprises an internal database (21) and in that said apparatus (10) is configured to save said data of said one or more components (101) in said internal database (21), simultaneously with the sending of said data to said cryptographic device (15).

5. Apparatus (10) as in claim 4, characterized in that said cryptographic device (15) is configured to save a copy of the hash generated by the signature of said data in said internal database (21) in real time.

6. Apparatus (10) as in claim 4 or 5, characterized in that it is configured to synchronize said internal database (21) with a remote database (201).

7. Industrial plant (100) comprising one or more plant components (101) chosen from sensors (102), devices, process machines (103) and lines, characterized in that it comprises a data management apparatus (10) as in claims from 1 to 6.

8. Method for using an apparatus (10) for managing data of an industrial plant (100), comprising one or more devices (11) for interfacing with one or morecomponents (101), characterized in that it comprises:- the acquisition, by a cryptographic device (15) of said apparatus (10), of a datum or set of data normalized by a conversion device (20) of said one or more components (101) through said one or more interfacing devices (11); - the saving of said datum or set of data in an internal database (21) of said apparatus (10);- the signing of said data by means of a cryptographic key supplied by said cryptographic device (15), generating a corresponding hash, immediately after said acquisition, thus minimizing the risk of modifications to the original data; - the sending, on said external network, of said hash to a blockchain platform (200) in the cloud;- the integration of said hash into an encrypted block of a corresponding blockchain register, either pre-existing or generated for the purposes of said blockchain platform (200).

9. Method of use as in claim 8, characterized in that it provides that said cryptographic device (15) immediately sends each hash to said blockchain platform (200) or, in case of temporary absence of connection to the external network, that the sending occurs as soon as the connection to the external network is restored.

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