Device and method for exchanging a public key in the course of a firmware update for level sensors

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12578949-B2
Application number	US-202318174381-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 24, 2023
Priority date	Feb 25, 2022
Publication date	Mar 17, 2026
Grant date	Mar 17, 2026

Abstract

A device for exchanging a public key in the course of a firmware update in a level sensor, the device including signing circuitry that generates a manifest comprising a public key and to sign the public key stored in the manifest, and updating circuitry that replaces a pre-installed public key of a previous manifest in the level-measuring device with the signed public key.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . A device for exchanging a public key in a course of a firmware update in a level sensor, said device comprising:
signing circuitry configured to generate a new manifest including a public key and to sign the public key stored in the new manifest with an existing private key; and updating circuitry configured to replace a preloaded public key of a previous manifest in the level sensor with the signed public key of the new manifest, wherein the preloaded public key and the existing private key form a key pair, wherein the device is configured, before replacing the preloaded public key of the previous manifest in the level sensor with the signed public key of the new manifest, to check a signature of the signed public key using the preloaded public key according to the key pair to perform the check and replace the preloaded public key after successful checking.

2 . The device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the signing circuitry is further configured to use, as a signing algorithm, an elliptic curve cryptography signing algorithm.

3 . The device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the signing circuitry is further configured to generate a manifest including a first firmware part with security-oriented functions and a second firmware part with non-security-oriented functions.

4 . The device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the updating circuitry is further configured to distribute the new manifest to different microprocessors of the level sensor.

5 . The device according to claim 1 , wherein the signing circuitry is further configured to generate the new manifest comprising the public key as a binary description, wherein the public key is embedded as an ASN.1 structure in DER format.

6 . The device according to claim 1 , wherein the device is configured for field devices.

7 . A field device comprising:
the device for exchanging the public key in the course of the firmware update in the level sensor according to claim 1 .

8 . A computer network segment comprising:
a plurality of devices according to claim 1 .

9 . A method for exchanging a public key in a course of a firmware update in a level sensor, the method comprising:
generating a new manifest having a public key and signing the public key stored in the new manifest with an existing private key; and replacing an already preloaded public key of a previous manifest in the level sensor with the signed public key of the new manifest, wherein the preloaded public key and the existing private key form a key pair, wherein before the replacing, a signature of the signed public key of the new manifest is further verified using the preloaded public key according to the key pair to perform verification and, after successful verification, the replacement of the already preloaded public key takes place.

10 . A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon a program including instructions, which, when the program is executed by a computer, causes the computer to implement the method according to claim 9 .

11 . The device according to claim 2 , wherein the signing circuitry is further configured to use, as the signing algorithm, secp256k1, secp256r1, sepc384, or sect571.

12 . The device according to claim 3 , wherein the first firmware part includes a measurement application.

13 . The device according to claim 2 ,
wherein the signing circuitry is further configured to generate a manifest including a first firmware part with security-oriented functions and a second firmware part with non-security-oriented functions.

14 . The device according to claim 2 ,
wherein the updating circuitry is further configured to distribute the new manifest to different microprocessors of the level sensor.

15 . The device according to claim 3 ,
wherein the updating circuitry is further configured to distribute the new manifest to different microprocessors of the level sensor.

16 . The device according to claim 1 , wherein the signing circuitry is further configured to generate the new manifest comprising the public key as a binary description, wherein the public key is embedded.

Assignees

• Grieshaber Vega Kg

Inventors

• Marx Christian
• Wendling André
• Gaiser Martin

Classifications

• H04L9/3247

  involving digital signatures · CPC title

• H04L9/3066

  involving algebraic varieties, e.g. elliptic or hyper-elliptic curves · CPC title

• H04L63/06

  for supporting key management in a packet data network (cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key management H04L9/08) · CPC title

• G06F21/572 Primary

  Secure firmware programming, e.g. of basic input output system [BIOS] · CPC title

• H04L9/3268

  using certificate validation, registration, distribution or revocation, e.g. certificate revocation list [CRL] · CPC title