Elevator Digital Certificate Renewal via Mobile Validity Checks
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for updating digital certificates in elevator systems are manual, error-prone, and costly, leading to potential security vulnerabilities and system malfunctions due to expired certificates.
Innovation Solution
A method and system using a mobile terminal to automatically check the validity of digital certificates, generate signals for expiration, and update or renew them via a public key infrastructure (PKI), ensuring secure and efficient certificate management.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If manual pairing is used to update digital certificates, then authentication security is maintained, but the process becomes troublesome and error-prone
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables automatic self-service certificate updates through mobile terminals. The mobile terminal automatically connects to the elevator system, checks certificate validity, and initiates renewal without requiring manual pairing operations. This eliminates the troublesome manual pairing process while maintaining security through automated authentication protocols.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback mechanisms where the mobile terminal receives status information about digital certificate validity from the elevator system. Based on this feedback, the system automatically determines when certificate renewal is needed and initiates the update process, eliminating manual checking and pairing operations.
2Reliability
If individual components provide interfaces for manual pairing, then authentication can be performed, but the system becomes costly and expensive
Solution Approach 1:
The mobile terminal serves as a universal interface for multiple functions: checking certificate validity, monitoring expiration dates, initiating renewal processes, and communicating with the elevator system. This multi-functional approach eliminates the need for individual components to provide separate pairing interfaces, reducing system complexity and cost.
Solution Approach 2:
The mobile terminal acts as an intermediary device between users and the elevator system. Instead of requiring individual elevator components to provide manual pairing interfaces, the mobile terminal mediates all authentication and certificate management operations, simplifying the overall system architecture and reducing costs.
3Reliability
If gateway is used to pair all components, then authentication can be centralized, but the gateway becomes overloaded and cannot support broadband communication
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the authentication and certificate management tasks from the gateway by using mobile terminals as distributed clients. Each mobile terminal independently checks and manages certificates for its connected components, distributing the workload away from the gateway. This segmentation allows the gateway to maintain centralized authentication capability while avoiding overload from broadband communication.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for automatically updating at least one digital certificate of an elevator system uses a mobile terminal, wherein the digital certificate is used for authenticating a communication established within or with the elevator system. The method includes the steps: connecting the mobile terminal to the elevator system to allow the mobile terminal to check the time validity of the digital certificate of the elevator system; and generating a human-perceptible signal to indicate a check result if the time validity of the digital certificate is expired or will expire by a predefined time-limit.