Techniques for providing wireless access to a programmable logic controller in an industrial system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11412573-B2
Application number	US-202016939944-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 27, 2020
Priority date	Jul 27, 2020
Publication date	Aug 9, 2022
Grant date	Aug 9, 2022

Abstract

A non-transitory, computer-readable medium, comprising instructions that when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations that include receiving a request to connect to the wireless access point from a computing device. The request includes a private key. The operations may also include comparing the private key to an index of public keys associated with respective users authorized to connect to the wireless access point, determining that the computing device is authorized to connect to the wireless access point based on the comparison, authorizing the computing device to connect to the wireless access point, encrypting maintenance data associated with one or more industrial automation devices, and transmitting the encrypted maintenance data to the computing device via the wireless access point.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system, comprising:
a programmable logic controller (PLC); and
a portable memory device distinct from the PLC, the portable memory device configured to couple to the PLC, wherein the portable memory devices comprises:
an antenna configured to transmit and receive one or more signals;
a processor; and
a memory, accessible by the processor, the memory storing instructions, that when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations, comprising:
after coupling to the PLC:
receiving, by the antenna of the portable memory device, a request to connect to a wireless access point to the PLC, from a computing device external to the PLC and the portable memory device;
determining that the computing device is authorized to connect to the wireless access point based on the request; and
granting the computing device access to connect to the wireless access point in response to determining that the computing device is authorized to connect to the wireless access point.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the operations comprise transmitting maintenance data from the PLC to the computing device via the wireless access point, wherein the maintenance data comprises one or more maintenance statuses associated with one or more industrial automation devices that corresponds with the PLC.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the maintenance data transmitted from the PLC to the computing device via the wireless access point is encrypted.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the request to connect to the wireless access point comprises a private key, and wherein determining that the computing device is authorized to connect to the wireless access point comprises authenticating the computing device using a public key/private key authentication method based on the private key.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the operations comprise logging the request by the computing device to connect to the wireless access point in the memory.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the operations comprise logging authorization of the computing device to connect to the wireless access point in the memory.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the antenna is configured to provide the wireless access point via Wi-Fi, Bluetooth®, 3G, 4G, 5G, or Lora, or a combination thereof.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein a range of the wireless access point is less than forty feet.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the portable memory device is a secure digital (SD) card.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the request to connect to the wireless access point from the computing device is received from an SD card coupled to the computing device.

11. A method, comprising:
sending, from a portable memory device coupled to a programmable logic controller (PLC) distinct from the portable memory device, a firmware upgrade to the PLC to cause the PLC to interface with the portable memory device, wherein the portable memory device comprises an antenna;
receiving, by the antenna of the portable memory device, a request to connect to a wireless access point to the PLC, from a computing device external to the portable memory device and the PLC;
determining, via the portable memory device, that the computing device is authorized to connect to the wireless access point based on the request; and
granting, via the portable memory device, access to the computing device to connect to the wireless access point in response to determining that the computing device is authorized to connect to the wireless access point.

12. The method of claim 11 , comprising transmitting, by the portable memory device, maintenance data from the PLC to the computing device via the wireless access point, wherein the maintenance data comprises one or more active maintenance statuses associated with one or more industrial automation devices that corresponds with the PLC.

13. The method of claim 12 , comprising encrypting, by the portable memory device, the maintenance data before transmitting the maintenance data to the computing device via the wireless access point.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein the request to connect to the wireless access point is received from the computing device via a temporary connection to the wireless access point, wherein access by the computing device to the wireless access point is limited via the temporary connection.

15. The method of claim 11 , comprising sending, via the portable memory device, a license to the PLC, wherein the license defines an authorized operation of an industrial automation device associated with the PLC.

16. The method of claim 15 , comprising transmitting, via the portable memory device, a command to the PLC, wherein the command is configured to adjust an operation performed by the industrial automation device in accordance with the authorized operation defined in the license.

Assignees

• Rockwell Automation Tech Inc

Inventors

• Dotson Gary D
• Tenorio Terence S

Classifications

• H04W12/06

  Authentication · CPC title

• G05B19/056 Primary

  Programming the PLC · CPC title

• H04W84/12 Primary

  WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks] · CPC title

• H04L9/14

  using a plurality of keys or algorithms · CPC title

• H04W4/80

  Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication · CPC title