Cloud Assignment of Industrial Field Devices via NFC or QR Linking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for linking industrial field devices to user accounts in cloud environments are inflexible, cumbersome, or unsuitable due to reliance on specific security keys, manual transfers, or lack of wireless communication capabilities in field devices.
Innovation Solution
A method involving a unique user-unspecific field device with a private security key and public identity identifier, where users register, scan the identity code using a mobile device via NFC or QR code, connect the device to the internet, and authenticate it in the cloud environment for flexible assignment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a user-specific security key is equipped during production, then security is improved, but flexibility of reassignment deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The security key functionality is segmented into two separate components: a user-specific private key stored in the cloud and a device-specific public key stored in the field device. This segmentation allows the private key to remain secure in the cloud while enabling flexible device reassignment through public key verification, resolving the contradiction between security and reassignment flexibility.
2Reliability
If manual transfer of security key using USB stick is used, then security is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The mechanical USB stick transfer method is replaced with wireless communication using NFC or QR codes. The mobile device communicates wirelessly with the field device to transfer the public key, eliminating the need for physical USB stick insertion and extraction, thereby significantly improving ease of operation while maintaining security through cryptographic verification.
3Ease of operation
If wireless communication methods like WLAN are used in field device, then ease of operation is improved, but device complexity deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The mobile device acts as an intermediary between the user and the field device. Instead of equipping the field device with complex wireless communication capabilities like WLAN, the mobile device (which the user already possesses) performs the wireless communication via NFC or QR code scanning. This approach improves ease of operation without increasing the complexity of the field device itself.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables flexible reassignment of field devices, secure linking, and eliminates the need for additional technical mechanisms in the field device, ensuring secure and cost-effective user assignment.
Implementation Method 1
When a certain operation of the application is triggered in the terminal, a near-field device is detected within a certain distance of the terminal. This gives an identification of the near-field device.
Implementation Method 2
Scanning of the public identity code by the user using his mobile device
Implementation Method 3
scan the identity code using a mobile device via NFC or QR code
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates substantially to a method for the assignment of industrial field devices to a user account in a cloud environment, comprising the following steps: logging in of a user in the cloud environment; scanning of the public identifier by the user by means of the mobile terminal of the user; checking, by means of the mobile terminal of the user by establishment of contact with the cloud environment, of whether the field device is already linked to a user account; connecting of the field device to the Internet by the user, provided such a connection does not yet exist, in such a way that the cloud environment can be contacted by the field device; triggering a linking of the field device by the user by means of the mobile terminal of the user and the previously scanned public identifier of the field device; authenticating of the field device in the cloud environment by means of the private security key of the field device and assigning of the field device to the public identifier by means of the cloud environment. The invention further relates to an associated field device andto a corresponding application program for a mobile terminal. The invention advantageously enables, inter alia, flexible reassignment of a field device FG to other users B and the possibility of regenerating the public identifier ID and assigning same to the private security key PK.