Remote Dataspace Connectors for Secure Field Device Data Access
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Solution Overview
Problem
Field devices, such as smart sensors, located in inaccessible environments, cannot participate in dataspaces due to lack of connectivity and control over their data provisioning, limiting data sharing and governance in future data sharing environments.
Innovation Solution
A method enabling field devices to connect to dataspaces through remote dataspace connectors, allowing negotiation and agreement on data access contracts, with access elements like tokens or decryption keys, ensuring secure and fine-granular data sharing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If field devices are deployed in inaccessible environments, then data collection capability is improved, but data accessibility and control are worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a remote dataspace connector as an intermediary component that bridges the field device and the dataspace. This mediator handles data access, authentication, and control functions remotely, allowing field devices in inaccessible locations to contribute data while maintaining controlled access through the intermediary connector that manages authentication and data exchange protocols
2Device complexity
If field devices lack connectivity means, then device simplicity is improved, but participation in dataspaces is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The remote dataspace connector is designed as a universal interface that can work with multiple types of field devices regardless of their native communication protocols. It provides multi-functional capabilities including protocol translation, authentication management, and dataspace protocol implementation, allowing simple field devices without Internet connectivity to participate in dataspaces through this universal intermediary
3Productivity
If data access is granted to multiple companies, then data sharing value is improved, but security control is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements fine-grained access control where different companies receive different levels of access rights to different data subsets. The remote dataspace connector enforces company-specific access policies, allowing each company to access only the data portions they are authorized for, thereby enabling multi-company data sharing while maintaining security through location-specific (company-specific) access quality control
Data Source
AI summary
A method for connecting a field device to a dataspace in an industrial plant includes negotiating, by a first dataspace connector associated with a first company, with a second dataspace connector associated with a second company about access to data obtained by the field device, wherein the field device is used by the first company, is provided by the second company and is not under control of the second company; based on a result of the negotiating, obtaining, by the first dataspace connector, an access element from the second dataspace connector for accessing the data of the field device; and providing for the first company accessibility to the data obtained by the field device based on the access element.