Authentication Server Bridge for Protocol-Less PLCs
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing pharmaceutical manufacturing equipment, such as Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs), often lack standard authentication protocols, making it difficult to implement user authentication and increasing management costs when local authentication is used.
Innovation Solution
An authentication server that monitors and reads authentication input information from the memory of control devices, checks it against a user database, and writes the authentication result back into the device memory, enabling network authentication without requiring the device to support authentication protocols.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If local authentication is implemented in PLCs, then authentication functionality is achieved, but management cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an authentication server as an intermediary component that handles authentication processing externally. The server monitors PLC memory for authentication input information, performs the authentication check against a user database, and writes the authentication result back to the PLC memory. This mediator approach allows PLCs without authentication protocols to achieve authentication functionality while centralizing management responsibilities, thereby reducing individual device complexity and overall management costs.
2Adaptability or versatility
If standard authentication protocols are implemented in PLCs, then network authentication is enabled, but device cost and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The authentication server acts as an intermediary that bridges PLCs lacking standard authentication protocols with network authentication requirements. By monitoring PLC memory directly and performing authentication processing externally, the server enables network authentication capabilities for PLCs without requiring them to implement complex authentication protocols, thus maintaining adaptability while reducing device complexity and cost.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent moves authentication processing from the device dimension (within the PLC) to the network dimension (external authentication server). Instead of embedding authentication protocols within the PLC, the system accesses authentication input information directly from PLC memory through memory monitoring, performs authentication at the network level, and writes results back. This dimensional shift enables network authentication without modifying or complicating the PLC device itself.
3Device complexity
If PLCs without authentication protocols are used, then device cost is reduced, but authentication functionality is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The authentication server serves as an intermediary that compensates for the lack of authentication functionality in cost-effective PLCs. By monitoring PLC memory for authentication input information and performing authentication processing externally, the server provides the necessary authentication functionality without requiring expensive protocol implementations in the PLC, thus maintaining reliability while keeping device costs low.
Data Source
AI summary
An authentication server capable of accessing data in a memory of a control device is configured to: detect authentication input information being written into the memory by monitoring access to the memory and read, from the memory, the authentication input information written into the memory; check the authentication input information against account information registered in a user database to generate an authentication result for the authentication input information; and write the authentication result for the authentication input information into the memory of the control device, thereby to notify the control device of availability of control processing based on the authentication result.