Geo-fenced Routing for Terminal Access Control
Solution Overview
Problem
The increasing use of Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) devices in terminals poses significant cyber-security risks and safety challenges due to the frequent movement of personnel and vehicles, making it difficult to maintain the integrity of assets and information within these facilities.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a geo-fenced routing system that uses mobile devices to provide role-based routing maps, allowing access to specific areas within a terminal, and tracking users to ensure they follow designated paths, with alarms generated if deviations occur, thereby controlling access and reducing security threats.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If IIoT devices are deployed to collect data from devices operating in terminals, then measurement precision and data collection capability are improved, but cyber-security risks and safety challenges increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the terminal into multiple geo-fenced zones with different access permissions. Each zone is independently controlled and monitored, allowing data collection in specific areas while restricting access to sensitive regions. This segmentation enables selective deployment of IIoT devices in non-restricted areas, maintaining measurement capabilities while reducing exposure to cyber-security risks in critical zones.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary access control system that mediates between IIoT devices and the terminal's critical infrastructure. This intermediary layer validates credentials, enforces geo-fenced routing, and monitors device behavior, thereby enabling data collection functions while providing a security buffer against potential cyber threats from compromised IIoT devices or unauthorized personnel.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If access control restrictions are implemented to improve security, then cyber-security risks are reduced, but operational efficiency and ease of operation deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The access control system dynamically adjusts permissions and routing based on user roles, time of day, and specific operational contexts. Instead of static restrictions, the system provides dynamic geo-fenced routing that adapts to different users' needs while maintaining security boundaries. This dynamic approach automates access decisions, reducing manual intervention and maintaining operational efficiency despite enhanced security controls.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements self-service capabilities where users automatically receive role-based geo-fenced routing instructions and access permissions without manual authorization. The access control system autonomously validates credentials, determines appropriate routes, and grants access to authorized areas, eliminating bureaucratic delays while maintaining security. This self-service mechanism ensures that security protocols do not become bottlenecks to operational efficiency.
3Measurement precision
If role-based routing maps are provided to control user movement, then access control precision is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a universal access control platform that handles multiple functions: geo-fenced routing, role-based permissions, real-time monitoring, and alert generation. This multi-functional system consolidates what could be separate complex subsystems into a single integrated platform, managing access control precision across the entire terminal through one cohesive system rather than multiple disparate systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The system manages complexity by parameterizing access control policies, allowing administrators to define roles, zones, and permissions through configurable parameters rather than hard-coded logic. Role-based routing maps are generated dynamically based on these parameters, enabling precise access control while maintaining system flexibility and reducing the apparent complexity through parameter-driven configuration rather than complex programming.
Data Source
AI summary
A method includes, responsive to identifying a user entering a terminal, identifying a role for the user. The method also includes providing a routing map to a mobile device associated with the user. The routing map identifies an allowable route for the user within the terminal, and the routing map is based on the role. The method further includes granting the user access to one or more restricted areas in the terminal, where the one or more restricted areas are located along the allowable route in the routing map. The method may also include monitoring a location of the user to identify a deviation of the user from the allowable route and, responsive to identifying the deviation, generating an alarm.