Secure Element Key Generation for Power Tool Data Integrity

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Drilling systems in the construction industry lack effective data security measures for reliable and trustworthy communication between components, which is crucial for secure transmission and verification of operating commands, sensor information, and other data.

Innovation Solution

A data security system is implemented within the drilling system, where a secure element generates a private key and corresponding public key upon initialization, allowing secure communication by signing data packages with the private key and verifying them with the public key, ensuring authenticity and trustworthiness of data exchanged between components.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If data security measures are implemented in drilling systems, then reliability and trustworthiness of data communication are improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedata communication reliabilityVSAvoidsystem complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

A secure element acts as an intermediary component within the drilling system, specifically housing cryptographic keys (private key 128 and public key 130) and handling authentication operations. This dedicated security module isolates complex cryptographic functions from the main system architecture, providing reliable data communication security while containing complexity within a specialized component rather than distributing it throughout the entire system.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If key pair generation is implemented in power tools, then data security is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedata securityVSAvoidinitialization complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The secure element within the power tool automatically performs key pair generation (generating private key 128 and public key 130) and cryptographic operations without requiring user intervention. The system self-manages the complex security initialization process, including generating authentication signatures for data packages, thereby maintaining high data security while preserving ease of operation by eliminating the need for users to manually configure cryptographic parameters.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Data Source

PatentEP4035037B1Systems and methods for data security within power tools
Publication Date: 2024.11.20 HILTI AG
  • EP4035037B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4035037B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4035037B1 patent drawingFigure 3~5

AI summary

Systems and methods for data security with power tools are provided. The systems and methods include transmitting an initialization command, by a processor of a computing device, to a power tool configured with a secure element. The secure element is a digital key storage unit configured to generate a private key and a corresponding public key upon receiving the initialization command. The power tool transmits the generated public key to the computing device. The computing device tags the public key with a unique identification number associated with the power tool, and stores the corresponding public key within a data storage unit.