Interlocking Data Formal Verification for Full State Space Security

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional development, testing, and verification methods for interlocking data in computer interlocking systems face issues such as ambiguous requirement descriptions leading to design errors, incomplete coverage of state spaces during testing, and inefficiencies in verifying security requirements, particularly for complex station types.

Innovation Solution

A formal verification method using Boolean logical characteristics and rigorous mathematical proof theory to build a general model, perform security conversion, and automate the verification process through a formal verification tool, covering all state spaces and identifying potential hazards.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If conventional natural language requirement description is used, then the development process is simple and fast, but the requirements become ambiguous and design errors occur

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedevelopment speedVSAvoidrequirement accuracy
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent transforms natural language requirements into formal mathematical models with precise parameters and variables. By changing the description language from ambiguous natural language to rigorous mathematical notation, the system maintains both development efficiency and requirement accuracy, eliminating the trade-off between speed and reliability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces manual natural language analysis and interpretation with automated mathematical model verification. The mechanical process of human reading and understanding requirements is substituted with computational verification of mathematical models, ensuring precise requirement interpretation without sacrificing development speed.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Productivity

If conventional testing methods are used, then the testing process is simple and fast, but the state space coverage is incomplete and potential hazards are missed

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetesting efficiencyVSAvoidstate space coverage
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent performs preliminary mathematical model verification before actual system deployment. By establishing and verifying mathematical models that represent all possible system states and transitions in advance, the system ensures complete state space coverage without requiring exhaustive runtime testing, thus maintaining high testing efficiency while achieving comprehensive verification.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent creates mathematical model copies of the interlocking system that can be verified independently. These mathematical representations serve as virtual prototypes that capture all system behaviors and state transitions, allowing complete state space exploration in the mathematical domain without affecting the actual system performance or requiring extensive physical testing.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

3Measurement precision

If manual verification of security requirements is performed, then detailed analysis can be conducted, but the process is time-consuming and requires significant human resources

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveverification thoroughnessVSAvoidverification time
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces manual verification processes with automated mathematical model checking. The thorough analysis previously requiring human experts to manually trace requirements through design and implementation is substituted with computational verification algorithms that automatically check mathematical model consistency, achieving the same verification thoroughness instantaneously without human resource constraints.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The mathematical models are designed to be self-verifying through inherent mathematical properties and logical consistency checks. The verification process does not require external human intervention but rather leverages the self-contained logical structure of the mathematical models to automatically detect inconsistencies and verify security requirements, eliminating time-consuming manual analysis while maintaining precision.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

4Ease of manufacture

If general interlocking rules are applied to simple station types, then the design process is simple and fast, but they cannot meet functional requirements of complex station types

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedesign simplicityVSAvoidstation type adaptability
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the interlocking system design into modular mathematical model components that can be independently configured and combined. This segmentation allows simple station types to use basic model compositions while complex station types can integrate additional specialized modules, maintaining design simplicity for basic cases while achieving the adaptability needed for complex configurations through systematic model composition.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent employs dynamic mathematical models that can adapt their complexity based on station type requirements. The verification system dynamically adjusts the mathematical model depth and detail according to the specific station configuration, using simplified models for simple stations and more comprehensive models for complex stations, thus achieving both design simplicity and adaptability across different station types.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentUS20250384166A1Formal verification method and system for interlocking data security
Publication Date: 2025.12.18 CASCO SIGNAL LTD
  • US20250384166A1 patent drawing
  • US20250384166A1 patent drawing
  • US20250384166A1 patent drawing

AI summary

A formal verification method and system for interlocking data security are provided. The method includes: building an interlocking data formal verification general model by using a formal modeling language; establishing a mapping relation between a set security logical attribute in the interlocking data formal verification general model and an interlocking device, an interlocking logical parameter, and a station interlocking function in interlocking data; performing security conversion on interlocking data to be verified according to the mapping relation to obtain general verification data required by the interlocking data formal verification data general model; and selecting a verification object from the general verification data, and selecting a verification algorithm to automatically verify the verification object by using a formal verification tool to complete formal verification for interlocking data security. The satisfiability and security of special interlocking data for implementing requirements of an interlocking system can be effectively verified.