Industrial HMI Visualization Access With Persistent Authentication
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional human-machine interfaces (HMIs) in industrial automation lack enhanced functionality, ease of use, and efficient data sharing, particularly in mobile and thin client environments, requiring improved solutions for user authentication, visualization access, and event-driven visualization delivery.
Innovation Solution
A visualization manager system that communicates with thin client HMIs to provide initial and subsequent user authentication, allowing access to visualizations based on multiple authentication factors and event triggers, enabling persistent authentication and adaptive visualization delivery based on user roles, locations, and machine conditions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If conventional HMI authentication methods are used, then initial access is granted, but subsequent access requires repeated authentication which reduces efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary authentication by establishing a persistent authentication token during initial login. This token is then reused for subsequent visualization requests, eliminating the need for repeated full authentication cycles while maintaining security. The visualization manager caches authentication state and uses it to grant access to subsequent visualization requests without requiring fresh credentials.
2Reliability
If multiple authentication factors are required, then security is improved, but user interaction complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The authentication process is segmented into two distinct phases: initial multi-factor authentication and subsequent token-based access. The complex multi-factor authentication (including username, password, and additional factors) is performed only once during initial login. After successful authentication, a simplified authentication token is generated and reused for all subsequent visualization requests, separating the security-critical initial authentication from the convenience-oriented subsequent access.
3Adaptability or versatility
If thin client devices are used, then flexibility and mobility are improved, but functionality and data sharing capabilities are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The visualization manager implements a universal authentication and visualization delivery system that works across multiple device types (thin clients, mobile devices, tablets, desktops). The system serves as a central platform that handles authentication, visualization generation, and data sharing universally, allowing thin client devices to access full functionality through the server rather than requiring local processing capabilities. This enables thin clients to maintain flexibility while accessing enterprise-grade visualization and data sharing capabilities.
Data Source
AI summary
A human interface technique is disclosed for industrial automation systems. The technique allows for visualizations to be distributed to interfaces, such as thin client interfaces, from automation components. For access to the content, a user may be initially authenticated in a first manner, such as by multi-factor authentication. Thereafter, or for a certain time or location, the user may be authenticated by a reduced number of factors, such as single-factor authentication. The authentication may be used to deliver the visualizations based on policies of a visualization manager, such as the user identification, the user role, the user location, and so forth. The reduced factor authentication allow for users to freely move and view visualizations on any available device, or at different locations, and so forth, but still based on the policies.