Production Data Licensing for Secure Component Manufacturing

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Solution Overview

Problem

Modern manufacturing processes face challenges in protecting manufacturing instructions from unauthorized duplication and enabling secure data management and monitoring across the production process, particularly in ensuring component originality and quality, while also allowing for efficient data transfer and machine improvement.

Innovation Solution

A method involving the storage of production data, reproduction data, and character data in encrypted file containers, with a centralized system managing licensing and access, using a distributed register or blockchain for secure data management and monitoring, allowing for active control and management of the production process.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If production data is stored in encrypted file containers with centralized licensing management, then security against unauthorized duplication is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
ImprovesecurityVSAvoiddevice complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

A centralized licensing server acts as an intermediary between production machines and production data. The server manages encryption keys, verifies licenses, and controls access to decrypted production data. This mediator handles the complexity of security management centrally, allowing individual machines to maintain simpler local storage systems while still achieving high security through the coordinated licensing infrastructure.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The system segments production data into encrypted file containers that are distributed across multiple production machines. Each machine receives only the specific encrypted containers it needs, with access controlled by individual licenses. This segmentation allows security to be implemented at the data container level while distributing the actual production workload across multiple simpler machine instances.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Measurement precision

If comprehensive production data is collected and stored for monitoring and management, then measurement precision and monitoring capability are improved, but loss of information and data management difficulty increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemonitoring precisionVSAvoiddata management difficulty
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The system implements feedback loops where production data is continuously collected from machines, stored in structured file containers, and made available for monitoring and analysis. The centralized licensing server and data management system provide feedback mechanisms that allow stakeholders to query production status, verify licenses, and monitor compliance in real-time, turning raw data into actionable information without losing critical details.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The encrypted file container format serves multiple functions simultaneously: it stores production data, embeds licensing information, provides security encryption, and enables data compression. This multi-functional data structure reduces overall system complexity by consolidating what would otherwise require separate systems for each function, making comprehensive data collection more manageable.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Adaptability or versatility

If production machines are designed for generic use with specialized capabilities, then adaptability is improved, but manufacturing precision for specific components deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
ImproveadaptabilityVSAvoidcomponent quality
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

While production machines maintain generic hardware capabilities for versatility, the system applies local quality through machine-specific license files that contain precise production parameters, tolerances, and quality requirements for specific components. Each license tailors the generic machine's capabilities to the specific production task, ensuring manufacturing precision is maintained through software-controlled parameter customization rather than hardware specialization.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentEP3797338B1Method for managing a production process, and computer program for carrying out the method and electronically readable data carrier
Publication Date: 2022.11.23 SIEMENS AG
  • EP3797338B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2

AI summary

The aim of the invention is to provide a particularly good management of a production process for producing a component. For this purpose, a method is provided which has multiple steps: - storing production data (DSG) in a first file container (CON1) (STP1); - storing reproduction data (LIC) pertaining to the component in the first file container (CON1), wherein the reproduction data (LIC) characterizes at least one authorization relating to the production of the component (STP2); - storing production data (PRO) in a second file container (CON2) (STP3); - storing character data (OBJ) in a third file container (CON3) (STP4); - receiving at least one request (REQ) (STP5); and - providing at least one part of the stored production data (DSG) and/or reproduction data (LIC) and/or production data (PRO) and/or character data (OBJ) according to the request (REQ) (STP6). The invention additionally relates to a computer program and to an electronically readable data carrier.