Distributed Engine Control Loop Encryption for Speed and Security

Solution Overview

Problem

Aerospace control systems face challenges with existing encryption methods that increase system weight and certification costs due to uniform encryption across inner and outer control loops, and require more robust encryption in the outer loop for security, which can slow down communication.

Innovation Solution

Implementing a distributed engine control network with separate encryption levels in the inner and outer control loops, where the inner loop uses unencrypted or weaker encryption for faster communication and the outer loop employs encrypted data for security, optimizing encryption functionality and reducing system weight and certification costs.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If uniform encryption is applied across inner and outer control loops, then security is improved, but system weight and certification costs increase

Engineering Contradiction:

ImprovesecurityVSAvoidsystem weight

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSWeight of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the control system into inner and outer control loops with different encryption requirements. The outer loop (non-safety-critical) uses encryption while the inner loop (safety-critical) uses unencrypted communication, dividing the system to apply appropriate security measures only where needed, thereby reducing overall system weight and certification burden while maintaining necessary security.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies different encryption qualities to different parts of the control system. The outer control loop receives encrypted data from sensors, while the inner control loop uses unencrypted data for real-time control. This local differentiation of security quality ensures security where needed without unnecessarily increasing system weight and certification costs in time-critical paths.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

2Reliability

If uniform encryption is applied across inner and outer control loops, then security is improved, but certification costs increase

Engineering Contradiction:

ImprovesecurityVSAvoidcertification cost

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the control system into inner and outer control loops with different encryption requirements. The outer loop (non-safety-critical) uses encryption while the inner loop (safety-critical) uses unencrypted communication, dividing the system to apply appropriate security measures only where needed, thereby reducing overall system weight and certification burden while maintaining necessary security.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies different encryption qualities to different parts of the control system. The outer control loop receives encrypted data from sensors, while the inner control loop uses unencrypted data for real-time control. This local differentiation of security quality ensures security where needed without unnecessarily increasing system weight and certification costs in time-critical paths.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

3Reliability

If robust encryption is applied in the outer loop, then security is improved, but communication speed decreases

Engineering Contradiction:

ImprovesecurityVSAvoidcommunication speed

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSSpeed

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the control system into inner and outer control loops with different encryption requirements. The outer loop (non-safety-critical) uses encryption while the inner loop (safety-critical) uses unencrypted communication, dividing the system to apply appropriate security measures only where needed, thereby reducing overall system weight and certification burden while maintaining necessary security.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies different encryption qualities to different parts of the control system. The outer control loop receives encrypted data from sensors, while the inner control loop uses unencrypted data for real-time control. This local differentiation of security quality ensures security where needed without unnecessarily increasing system weight and certification costs in time-critical paths.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentEP3641267B1Encryption and security in a distributed control network

Publication Date: 2021.05.05 ROLLS ROYCE CORP

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AI summary

Methods and systems are provided for controlling a component of an aircraft engine (112) by communicating data over an inner control loop portion (118) of a distributed engine control network (102) for an aircraft (202); and controlling an operation of the aircraft engine (112) by communicating encrypted data over an outer control loop portion (120) of the distributed engine control network (102), wherein the data communicated over the inner control loop portion (118) is unencrypted or encrypted with weaker encryption than the data communicated over the outer control loop portion (120).