Secure Connection Identification for Flexible Safe Communication
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for functionally safe communication in industrial settings, such as PROFIsafe, require permanent configuration of address relationships between communication participants, which is inefficient and inflexible, especially in dynamic environments like reconfigurable machines and driverless transport systems, where frequent changes in communication relationships are necessary.
Innovation Solution
A method for functionally secure connection identification where the data provider sends a response telegram containing the sequence number and address identifiers, allowing one-sided testing for authenticity and integrity, eliminating the need for continuous monitoring and reducing the complexity of configuring fixed communication connections.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If permanent configuration of address relationships is used for functionally safe communication, then authenticity and integrity are ensured, but adaptability and ease of operation deteriorate due to inability to handle frequent communication relationship changes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transforms the static, permanently configured address relationship system into a dynamic one where address identifiers and sequence numbers are temporarily assigned and validated at runtime. The data provider dynamically generates response telegrams with current process data, address identifiers, and sequence numbers, allowing communication relationships to change frequently while maintaining safety through one-sided testing at the data requester.
2Reliability
If permanent configuration of multiple address relationships is implemented, then comprehensive safety coverage is achieved, but device complexity increases due to configuration of up to n•(n-1) connections
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the complex permanent configuration requirement by implementing one-sided testing where only the data requester validates the connection authenticity using address identifiers and sequence numbers included in telegrams. This eliminates the need for the data provider to monitor and manage multiple pre-configured connection codes, significantly reducing configuration complexity while maintaining comprehensive safety coverage.
3Reliability
If monitoring mechanisms are implemented on the data provider side, then connection authenticity is verified, but ease of operation deteriorates due to additional monitoring requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the traditional monitoring approach by placing the testing and validation responsibilities on the data requester side rather than the data provider side. The data requester includes its address identifier and sequence number in request telegrams and validates received response telegrams, while the data provider simply generates responses with current data without any monitoring overhead, thereby maintaining authenticity verification while simplifying the data provider's operation.
Data Source
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AI summary
Method for functionally secure connection identification during data exchange between two communication participants (A, B) in a communication system (10), wherein a first communication participant (A) acts as a data provider with a first address identifier (ID_A) and a second communication participant (B) acts as a data requester with a second address identifier (ID_B), wherein, upon a request (21) of security-related data (F-Data) from the first communication participant (A), the second communication participant (B) sends a sequence number (Req.Nri) of the data request and its second address identifier (ID_B) to the first communication participant (A) in a request telegram (30), and the first communication participant (A) responds with a reply telegram (31) which contains: - the security-related data (F-Data), - the first address identifier (ID_A), - the sequence number (Req.Nri).Nri) and - the second address identifier (ID_B), whereby, upon receipt of the reply telegram (31) in the second communication participant (B), it is checked whether this telegram contains the second address identifier (ID_B) of the requesting second communication participant (B), whether this telegram contains the sequence number (Req.Nri) of the request telegram (30) of the second communication participant (B) and whether this telegram includes the first address identifier (ID_A) of the requested first communication participant (A), in the case that all check steps are positive, the security-related data (F-Data) are accepted and otherwise discarded.