Secure clock synchronization

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10148411-B2
Application number	US-201615164541-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 25, 2016
Priority date	Jun 9, 2010
Publication date	Dec 4, 2018
Grant date	Dec 4, 2018

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.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of synchronizing clocks connected to a communication network, comprising:
sending, by a first clock, a synchronization message including a time stamp; and
receiving the synchronization message by a second clock;
wherein the sending of the synchronization message comprises:
preparing, prior to a projected send time t send , a synchronization message including a time stamp of the projected send time t send ;
securing the synchronization message;
starting preparation of the secured synchronization message at a time t prep preceding the projected send time t send by Δt, wherein Δt is a preparation delay based on a processing capacity of processing hardware generating the synchronization message; and
sending, at the projected send time t send , the secured synchronization message;

wherein the sending of the synchronization message comprises:
designating, by the first clock, the projected send time t send for sending the synchronization message by determining the preparation delay time Δt from a present time based on current conditions of the communication network, the processing capacity of the processing hardware generating the synchronization message, and a security scheme utilized to secure the synchronization message.

2. The method according to claim 1 , comprising:
storing, in a wait component, the secured synchronization message prior to sending at the projected send time t send .

3. The method according to claim 1 , comprising:
disabling, for a blocking interval Δ block prior to the projected send time t send , sending of non-synchronization messages with a length exceeding a length of the blocking interval Δ block .

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein:
the communication network has a ring topology;
the first clock comprises a first clock device with a first communication port and a second communication port respectively connected to a first neighboring node and a second neighboring node of the communication network; and
the method comprises, by the first clock device:
generating a duplicate synchronization message of the secured synchronization message; and
transmitting, essentially simultaneously via the first port and the second port, respectively, the synchronization message and the duplicate synchronization message to the first neighboring node and the second neighboring node.

5. The method according claim 4 , wherein the second clock is comprised in an Intelligent Electronic Devices (IED) of a Process Control or Substation Automation (SA) system.

6. A first clock device for synchronizing second clocks connected to a communication network, the device being configured to prepare and send synchronization messages including a time stamp, wherein the device comprises:
a synchronization component configured for preparing a synchronization message including a time stamp of a projected send time t send and for securing the synchronization message; and
a wait component configured for temporarily storing the secured synchronization message until the projected send time t send ;
wherein the synchronization component is configured to start preparation of the secured synchronization message at a time t prep preceding the projected send time t send by Δt;
wherein Δt is a preparation delay based on a processing capacity of processing hardware generating the synchronization message; and
wherein the synchronization component is configured to designate the projected send time t send for sending the synchronization message by determining the preparation delay time Δt from a present time based on current conditions of the communication network, the processing capacity of the processing hardware generating the synchronization message, and a security scheme utilized to secure the synchronization message.

7. The first clock device according to claim 6 , comprising:
a transmission port TX with a Low Priority Queue LPQ,
wherein during a blocking interval Δ block prior to the projected send time t send , sending of non-synchronization messages from the LPQ with a length exceeding the length of the blocking interval Δ block is disabled.

8. The method according to claim 2 , wherein:
the communication network has a ring topology;
the first clock comprises a first clock device with a first communication port and a second communication port respectively connected to a first neighboring node and a second neighboring node of the communication network; and
the method comprises, by the first clock device:
generating a duplicate synchronization message of the secured synchronization message; and
transmitting, essentially simultaneously via the first port and the second port, respectively, the synchronization message and the duplicate synchronization message to the first neighboring node and the second neighboring node.

9. The method according claim 8 , wherein the second clock is comprised in an Intelligent Electronic Devices (lED) of a Process Control or Substation Automation (SA) system.

10. The method according to claim 3 , wherein:
the communication network has a ring topology;
the first clock comprises a first clock device with a first communication port and a second communication port respectively connected to a first neighboring node and a second neighboring node of the communication network; and
the method comprises, by the first clock device:
generating a duplicate synchronization message of the secured synchronization message; and
transmitting, essentially simultaneously via the first port and the second port, respectively, the synchronization message and the duplicate synchronization message to the first neighboring node and the second neighboring node.

11. The method according claim 10 , wherein the second clock is comprised in an Intelligent Electronic Devices (IED) of a Process Control or Substation Automation (SA) system.

12. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium having a program recorded thereon that causes a processor of a first clock device to execute operations of synchronizing clocks connected to a communication network, the operations comprising:
sending a synchronization message including a time stamp to be received by a second clock,
wherein the sending of the synchronization message comprises:
preparing, prior to a projected send time t send , a synchronization message including a time stamp of the projected send time t send ,
securing the synchronization message;
starting preparation of the secured synchronization message at a time t prep preceding the projected send time t send by Δt, wherein Δt is a preparation delay based on a processing capacity of processing hardware generating the synchronization message;
designating, by the first clock, the projected send time t send for sending the synchronization message by determining the preparation delay time Δt from a present time based on current conditions of the communication network, the processing capacity of the processing hardware generating the synchronization message, and a security scheme utilized to secure the synchronization message; and
sending, at the projected send time t send , the secured synchronization message.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium according to claim 12 , wherein the program causes the processor to execute operations comprising:
storing, in a wait component, the secured synchronization message prior to sending at the projected send time t send .

14. The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium according to claim 12 , wherein the program causes the processor to execute operations comprising:
disablin

Assignees

• Abb Research Ltd

Inventors

• Kirrmann Hubert
• Tournier Jean-Charles

Classifications

• H04J3/067

  Details of the timestamp structure · CPC title

• H04L9/3242

  involving keyed hash functions, e.g. message authentication codes [MACs], CBC-MAC or HMAC · CPC title

• H04J3/0664

  unidirectional timestamps · CPC title

• G04G7/00 Primary

  Synchronisation (radio-controlled time-pieces G04R) · CPC title

• H04L63/123

  received data contents, e.g. message integrity · CPC title