Audio Authentication for Secure Access to Industrial Edge Devices

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Solution Overview

Problem

Industrial edge devices in IoT-enabled industrial plants are vulnerable to malicious attacks due to inadequate authentication methods, necessitating improved security measures.

Innovation Solution

Implementing a sound-based multi-factor authentication system that includes audio authentication tasks, such as active and passive sound recognition, along with credentials-based and graphic-based tasks, to verify user devices accessing industrial edge devices.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If traditional authentication methods are used for industrial edge devices, then device access is simple and quick, but security against malicious attacks is insufficient

Engineering Contradiction:
ImprovesecurityVSAvoidauthentication complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The authentication system is divided into multiple independent authentication factors (audio authentication, credentials-based authentication, graphic-based authentication). Each factor operates as a separate module that can be individually processed and verified, allowing the system to maintain high security through multi-factor verification while keeping each individual authentication step relatively simple and manageable.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The authentication processor is designed to handle multiple types of authentication methods universally. It can process audio authentication tasks (including active and passive sound recognition), credentials-based authentication, and graphic-based authentication through a single unified interface, reducing overall system complexity while maintaining comprehensive security.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Reliability

If audio authentication tasks are implemented, then unauthorized access is prevented, but processing time and computational resources increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveaccess control securityVSAvoidauthentication time
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary actions by pre-processing and pre-verifying audio authentication data before final access decisions are made. Audio authentication tasks are executed and verified in advance during the authentication phase, so that when actual access is required, the verification is already complete, reducing the time loss during critical access operations.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces traditional mechanical or manual authentication methods with audio-based authentication using sound recognition technology. This substitution enables automated verification processes that can quickly analyze audio patterns, speaker characteristics, and sound properties, reducing authentication time compared to manual verification while maintaining high security standards.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Data Source

PatentEP4650993A1Sound-based user authentication for edge devices
Publication Date: 2025.11.19 SCHNEIDER ELECTRIC SYSTEMS USA INC
  • EP4650993A1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4650993A1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4650993A1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

An authentication system for an industrial plant is configured for authenticating a user device to either permit or deny the user device access to an industrial edge device. The authentication system broadly comprises the industrial edge device, the user device, and the authentication processor. The industrial edge device is configured for at least one of monitoring and controlling an operation within the industrial plant. The user device is configured to communicate with the industrial edge device to request access to the industrial edge device. The authentication processor is associated with the industrial edge device, and the authentication processor is configured to communicate an audio authentication task to the user device in response to the request for access. The authentication processor is further configured to verify a response to the audio authentication task from the user device for determining whether to grant the user device access to the industrial edge device.