Cloud Assignment of Industrial Field Devices Using Public ID Authentication
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for assigning industrial field devices to user accounts in cloud environments are inflexible, cumbersome, or insecure, particularly due to the lack of displays, WLAN, or other wireless communication methods in industrial field devices.
Innovation Solution
A method involving a user registering in a cloud environment, scanning a field device's public identifier using a mobile terminal, connecting the device to the internet, and authenticating it with a private security key for flexible and secure assignment, utilizing NFC, QR codes, or Bluetooth for communication.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a user-non-specific security key is used in the field device to enable flexible assignment, then adaptability is improved, but security deteriorates because the key can be shared by multiple users
Solution Approach 1:
The security key system is segmented into two distinct parts: a user-non-specific security key stored in the field device for authentication purposes, and a user-specific public identifier stored in the cloud environment. This segmentation allows the field device to be authenticated securely while enabling flexible assignment to different users through the cloud-based identifier system, resolving the contradiction between security and adaptability
2Reliability
If manual transmission of security key using USB stick is used to enable user-specific assignment, then security is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates due to cumbersome process
Solution Approach 1:
The mechanical USB stick transmission method is replaced with a wireless communication system using mobile terminals and cloud environment. The assignment process is automated through wireless data exchange between the mobile terminal and cloud, eliminating the need for manual USB stick insertion and data transfer, thus improving ease of operation while maintaining security through the cloud-based authentication mechanism
3Ease of operation
If field device is equipped with display and WLAN for wireless key sharing, then ease of operation is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The display and WLAN communication functions are extracted from the field device and relocated to the mobile terminal. The field device retains only the essential minimal components for authentication, while the mobile terminal handles the complex wireless communication and display functions, thereby improving ease of operation without increasing field device complexity
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is a method for the assignment of industrial field devices to a user account in a cloud environment, including logging in of a user; scanning of the public identifier; checking, 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.