Sensor Integrity Monitoring via Digital Fingerprinting

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional periodic inspections of physical objects, such as sensors, are inadequate for continuous monitoring and detecting manipulations in real-time, as they rely on visual inspections and cannot ensure the integrity of sensor gateways, allowing potential manipulation between inspections.

Innovation Solution

A method involving a physical object that communicates with a server via a network, using a unique identifier and digital fingerprint formed by predetermined physical properties, with an electronic system that combines the fingerprint with a digital secret and character string to form a response for analysis, and includes secure storage and encryption of cryptographic keys to detect manipulations.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Device complexity

If periodic visual inspections are used to check sensor integrity, then inspection cost and complexity are reduced, but the ability to detect manipulations in real-time is lost and inspection reliability deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveinspection complexityVSAvoidintegrity monitoring reliability

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The sensor performs self-identification by automatically generating and transmitting a digital fingerprint based on its unique physical properties to the server, eliminating the need for manual visual inspection and enabling continuous automated integrity monitoring

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The manual visual inspection process is replaced by an electronic system that uses the sensor's physical properties to generate a digital fingerprint, which is then transmitted and verified by the server, substituting mechanical inspection with electronic verification

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Reliability

If continuous monitoring with digital fingerprint verification is implemented, then manipulation detection capability is improved, but system complexity and computational requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemanipulation detection capabilityVSAvoidsystem complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system uses changes in physical parameters (temperature, pressure, humidity, etc.) to generate a unique digital fingerprint for each sensor, allowing the sensor to be identified and verified based on these parameter variations rather than complex cryptographic operations

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of using complex cryptographic keys, the system creates a digital copy or representation (fingerprint) of the sensor's unique physical properties, which can be transmitted and verified without requiring the actual sensor to be physically accessed

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

Data Source

PatentUS11809606B2Method for monitoring the integrity of a physical object

Publication Date: 2023.11.07 IDGARD GMBH

AI summary

A method is provided for monitoring the integrity of a physical object, wherein the object receives a request of a server via a communication network. The request includes a digital character string, and in response to the received request, an electronic system of the object ascertains the digital fingerprint of the object and combines the ascertained digital fingerprint with a digital secret, which is known to the server and is stored in a memory device, and with the received character string (C) in order to form a response. The object transmits the response to the server via the communication network for analysis.