FA Network Communication Monitoring via Production Data Correlation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Monitoring communication over FA networks is challenging due to the difficulty in detecting security incidents, as communication data is often unrelated to production data, making it hard to specify abnormalities through monitoring alone.

Innovation Solution

Associating communication data with production data to synchronize changes, allowing for simultaneous monitoring of communication and production conditions, using production scores to detect incidents and analyzing communication logs only for relevant frames to reduce data volume.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If communication data is monitored alone on FA networks, then communication security can be monitored, but it is difficult to detect security incidents because communication data is unrelated to production data

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedetection accuracy of security incidentsVSAvoidlack of correlation between communication data and production data
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines communication data and production data into a unified monitoring system. The data association unit links communication logs with production scores, allowing simultaneous monitoring of both data types. This merging enables the system to detect security incidents by analyzing correlations between communication patterns and production abnormalities, resolving the issue of unrelated data sets.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

2Reliability

If all communication logs are retained for analysis, then complete monitoring data is available, but server capacity is overwhelmed and log analysis becomes burdensome

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecompleteness of monitoring dataVSAvoidvolume of log data
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts only the necessary communication logs for analysis by filtering based on associated production data. The data association unit identifies and retains only those communication logs that correspond to production score changes or abnormalities. This extraction approach maintains reliable monitoring by keeping relevant data while discarding unnecessary logs, thus reducing server burden and analysis complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

3Ease of operation

If communication monitoring is performed without associating with production data, then monitoring simplicity is maintained, but security incident detection capability is insufficient

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesimplicity of monitoring systemVSAvoiddifficulty in specifying security incidents
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSDifficulty of detecting and measuring

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces production data as an intermediary element that bridges communication data and security incident detection. The data association unit uses production scores as a mediator to link communication patterns with potential security incidents. This intermediary approach maintains operational simplicity by using existing production data while significantly improving the ability to detect and specify security incidents through correlated analysis.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentEP3958513B1Communication monitoring system and communication monitoring method
Publication Date: 2024.10.09 OMRON CORP
  • EP3958513B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3958513B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3958513B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A communication monitoring system includes: a production data generation module (1012) configured to generate production data representing a condition of production by a production device; a data collection module (253, 1014) and a data management module (282) configured to collect communication data representing a condition of communication on an FA network, and collect the production data; a data analysis and search module (281) configured to associate the communication data with the production data that are collected by the data collection unit, in such a manner that the communication data is synchronized with the production data; and a data display unit (283) configured to perform a process for displaying the communication data and the production data that are associated with each other.