Patent · US Active

Process plant network with secured external access

US11073805B2 · kind B2 · utility

5Cited by
2References
38Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateNov 21, 2014
Grant dateJul 27, 2021
Priority date
Expiry dateDec 17, 2036

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH04L63/145
  • WIPO fieldDigital communication
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A process control system having an external data server that provides process control data to external networks via one or more firewalls implements a cost-effective security mechanism that reduces or eliminates the ability of the external data server to be compromised by viruses or other security attacks. The security mechanism includes a DMZ gateway disposed outside of the process control network that connects to an external data server located within the process control network. A configuration engine is located within the process control network and configures the external data server to publish one or more preset or pre-established data views to the DMZ gateway, which then receives the data/events/alarms as defined by the data views from the control system automatically, without performing read and write requests to the external data server. The DMZ gateway then republishes the data within the data views on an external network to make the process control data within the published data views available to one or more client applications connected to the external network. Because this security mechanism does not support client read, write, or configuration access to the external …

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.