Secure Client Application for Aircraft Symbology Display
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing client-server display systems for aircraft cockpits lack comprehensive security measures to ensure the integrity of critical information processing, particularly in detecting errors and maintaining data integrity across the information processing chain.
Innovation Solution
A secure client application is developed that includes an acquisition and processing module, a correspondence table, and a command generation module, with dedicated security features such as redundancy, digital signatures, and feedback mechanisms to secure data processing and command generation, ensuring the integrity of the symbology display system.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If comprehensive security measures (redundancy, digital signatures, feedback mechanisms) are implemented in the client application, then data integrity and error detection capability are improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The client application is divided into distinct functional modules: an acquisition and processing module for measuring quantities, a correspondence table for variable mapping, and a command generation module for server communication. Each module has dedicated security means, allowing independent verification and reducing overall system complexity while maintaining comprehensive security coverage.
Solution Approach 2:
Security measures are implemented in advance within the client application structure. Digital signatures are pre-calculated for the correspondence table, and redundancy mechanisms are built into the acquisition and processing module before data processing begins, ensuring integrity verification is already in place rather than added as a post-processing step.
2Reliability
If redundancy mechanisms are added to generate and compare instantaneous values, then error detection capability is improved, but processing time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The acquisition and processing module creates a redundant copy of the instantaneous values calculation process. This duplicate computation allows for immediate comparison to detect errors without requiring complex external verification systems, maintaining fast processing speeds while ensuring reliability through parallel validation.
3Reliability
If digital signatures are calculated and verified for the correspondence table, then data integrity is improved, but computational overhead increases
Solution Approach 1:
The digital signature of the correspondence table is calculated in advance during system initialization or configuration phases. This preliminary computation allows the signature to be stored and reused for multiple verification operations, avoiding repeated expensive cryptographic calculations and reducing overall energy consumption while maintaining strong integrity verification.
4Reliability
If feedback mechanisms are implemented to generate and verify instantaneous values, then operational integrity is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The command generation module implements feedback mechanisms where instantaneous values are generated from measured quantities, processed through the correspondence table, and then verified against expected ranges and relationships. This closed-loop approach ensures operational integrity by continuously checking that data transformations maintain validity, while the modular structure keeps complexity manageable.
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
AI summary
This device (42) secures a client application (40) comprising: - a module for acquiring and processing measured quantities (GM) (44) to generate quantities of interest (GI); - a lookup table (50) associating each dynamic variable (VD) of each graphical object to be maintained with a quantity of interest (GI); and - a command generation module (46) capable of issuing a command (C) to a server application. The device includes: - a dedicated means (52, 54) for securing the operation of said acquisition and processing module (44); - a dedicated means (72) for securing said lookup table (50); and - a dedicated means (62, 64) for securing said command generation module (46).