Bytecode Virtual Machine Verification for Safety Program Execution
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing safety programs in manufacturing environments are vulnerable to random hardware failures, environmental interference, operating system errors, and interfering software errors, which can lead to malfunctions and safety hazards.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a bytecode virtual machine (BVM) that executes and verifies the execution of bytecode instructions to detect and correct errors in safety programs, isolating them from underlying hardware and software issues.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a safety program is implemented using a high-level programming language to handle a wider range of hazards, then the level of safety and sophistication of hazard handling is improved, but the program becomes more complex and more vulnerable to software errors and hardware failures
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a bytecode virtual machine as an intermediary layer between the high-level safety program and the underlying hardware/operating system. This mediator executes bytecode instructions in a controlled environment, isolating the safety program from direct interaction with potentially faulty hardware and OS, thus maintaining high safety levels while managing program complexity through abstraction
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a virtual copy of the execution environment through the bytecode virtual machine. Instead of executing the safety program directly on the physical hardware, it executes a copied representation (bytecode) in a virtual environment, allowing verification of execution correctness without affecting the actual hardware state, thereby improving reliability while keeping the original program structure intact
2Speed
If the safety program executes directly on the controller hardware to ensure fast response times, then the response speed is improved, but the system becomes vulnerable to random hardware failures, environmental interference, and operating system errors
Solution Approach 1:
The bytecode virtual machine serves as a mediator that sits between the safety program and the underlying hardware/OS. It provides isolation so that the safety program does not directly interact with faulty hardware or interfering software, reducing error susceptibility while maintaining acceptable response times through efficient bytecode execution and verification mechanisms
3Ease of manufacture
If standard hardware is used for safety-critical applications to reduce costs, then the manufacturing cost is reduced, but the system lacks dedicated safety hardware features and is more susceptible to hardware failures
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces dedicated safety hardware with a software-based bytecode virtual machine that provides equivalent or superior safety functionality. Instead of relying on specialized hardware features, the system uses a virtualized execution environment with verification capabilities to ensure safety, thereby reducing manufacturing costs while maintaining or improving hardware reliability through software-based protection mechanisms
Data Source
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AI summary
A method for verifying the execution of a bytecode instruction of a security program includes: executing the bytecode instruction in a virtual machine; and verifying by the virtual machine whether the bytecode instruction was executed correctly.