The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.

The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.

Date of Patent:
Dec. 04, 2018

Filed:

May. 25, 2016
Applicant:

Abb Research Ltd, Zurich, CH;

Inventors:

Hubert Kirrmann, Dättwil, CH;

Jean-Charles Tournier, Bellegarde sur Valserine, FR;

Assignee:

ABB Research Ltd, Zurich, CH;

Attorneys:
Primary Examiner:
Assistant Examiner:
Int. Cl.
CPC ...
H04L 7/00 (2006.01); H04J 3/06 (2006.01); H04L 29/06 (2006.01); G04G 7/00 (2006.01); H04L 9/32 (2006.01);
U.S. Cl.
CPC ...
H04L 7/0008 (2013.01); G04G 7/00 (2013.01); H04J 3/067 (2013.01); H04L 63/123 (2013.01); H04J 3/0664 (2013.01); H04L 9/3242 (2013.01);
Abstract

The present disclosure provides a secure one-step IEEE 1588 clock using either a symmetric or asymmetric protection scheme. Clocks of mission-critical or highly-available devices in industrial automation systems connected to a communication network are synchronized by sending, by a master clock, a synchronization message, e.g., a single message of the one-step-clock type according to IEEE 1588, including a time stamp, and by receiving and evaluating, by a slave clock, the synchronization message. A synchronization component or module of the master clock prepares, or composes, prior to a projected send time, a synchronization message including a time stamp of the projected send time, and secures the synchronization message in advance of the projected send time. Securing the synchronization message occurs by suitable cryptographic means allowing for authentication of the time stamp at a receiving slave clock. At the projected send time, the secured synchronization message is transmitted.


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