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.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jun. 11, 2024
Filed:
Dec. 14, 2020
Schneider Electric Systems Usa, Inc., Foxborough, MA (US);
Ajay Mishra, Lake Forest, CA (US);
Diana Ivanov, Rancho Santa Margarita, CA (US);
Erna Banchik, Rancho Santa Margarita, CA (US);
Schneider Electric Systems USA, Inc., Foxborough, MA (US);
Abstract
Network of safety PLCs employs multi-PLC verification of a programming application before allowing the application to reprogram any PLC on the safety network. Each PLC on the safety network is equipped with authentication capability that detects attempts to reprogram the PLC and issues an authentication challenge requiring the programming application to process a proof-of-work. The authentication challenge is also sent to other PLCs on the safety network along with the response from the programming application for verification purposes. The other PLCs process the authentication challenge and check the response from the programming application for acceptability. If a majority of the PLCs on the safety network determines the response from the programming application is correct, then the programming application is verified and may proceed with the reprogramming. Such group authentication requires a malicious application to hijack multiple PLCs concurrently on the safety network, a highly unlikely outcome, before reprogramming any PLC.