Remote Equipment Support Gateway With Automated Access Approval
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Solution Overview
Problem
Manufacturing facilities face security risks when allowing remote collaboration with equipment suppliers due to the need for electronic access, which can compromise sensitive information, and existing security measures are complex and manual, differing by collaboration type.
Innovation Solution
A method that automates the process of granting and terminating electronic access for remote support activities by routing requests to predefined approvers and creating a secure connection using a gateway and permission engine, ensuring secure remote collaboration while maintaining confidentiality.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If manual security controls are implemented for different types of collaboration, then security protection is improved, but device complexity and ease of operation deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple types of collaboration controls (audioconference, videoconference, data transfer for troubleshooting, data transfer for optimization) into a single unified automated security system. The gateway consolidates these different collaboration types and applies consistent security policies through automated connection creation and termination, eliminating the need for separate manual controls for each collaboration type.
Solution Approach 2:
The security system performs self-service by automatically creating and terminating connections based on collaboration requests. The gateway autonomously manages security controls without requiring manual intervention for each collaboration type, automatically approving or denying connections based on predefined security policies and device authentication.
2Ease of operation
If electronic access is granted for remote collaboration, then ease of operation is improved, but security risks worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The gateway acts as an intermediary between external collaboration requests and the manufacturing facility's electronic devices. It mediates all access requests by authenticating devices, creating secure connections only for authorized requests, and automatically terminating connections when collaboration ends, thus enabling remote collaboration while maintaining security through controlled intermediary access.
Solution Approach 2:
The security system dynamically creates and terminates connections based on real-time collaboration needs. Connections are not statically open but are dynamically established when collaboration is requested and automatically terminated when collaboration ends, adapting the security posture to the current operational state while maintaining accessibility.
3Productivity
If automated connection creation is implemented, then productivity is improved, but device complexity worsens
Solution Approach 1:
The gateway performs preliminary actions by pre-establishing security policies, authentication mechanisms, and connection templates before collaboration requests arrive. This preliminary configuration enables rapid automated connection creation without requiring complex real-time decision-making, improving productivity while managing complexity through advance preparation.
Data Source
AI summary
A permission-engine computer system receives a request for electronic access by an equipment supplier to a manufacturing facility of a manufacturer to perform a remote support activity for equipment in the manufacturing facility. The permission-engine computer system routes the request to a plurality of predefined approvers and receives approval of the request from the plurality of predefined approvers. In response to receiving approval of the request from the plurality of predefined approvers, the permission-engine computer system signals a gateway computer system of the manufacturer that the request is approved. The gateway computer system automatically creates a connection between an electronic device in the manufacturing facility and a computer system of the equipment supplier in response to approval of the request. The connection is used for the remote support activity.