Method for programming and configuring a device in a traceable manner

• US 10,599,112 B2
• Filed: 12/03/2015
• Issued: 03/24/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Schneider Electric Automation GmbH (Schneider Electric SE)
• Original Assignee: Schneider Electric Automation GmbH (Schneider Electric SE)
• Inventors: Juergensen, Leif, Beudert, Rainer
• Primary Examiner(s): Jeon, Jae U
• Application Number:
  US15/532,838
• Publication Number:
  US 20180150044A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,573 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/042 using digital processors G05B19/05 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/25092 Customized control features, configuration
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/41 Compilation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/61 Installation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/71 Version control security arrangements therefor G06F21/57; Configuration management

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for the traceable programming and/or configuration of a device, in particular of an embedded device, in which

• a) data are transmitted to the device from a programming system, with the transmitted data including code executable by the device and being generated from source code;
• b) a first unique identifier is produced on the basis of at least some of the transmitted data and of at least some of the source code and of an identification of the device;
• c) the first unique identifier is stored in the device; and
• d) at least the transmitted data used for the first unique identifier, the source code used for the first unique identifier, and the first unique identifier are stored in a memory device independent of the device.

Claims

1. A method for the traceable programming and/or configuring of at least one embedded device, the method comprising:

(a) transmitting, from a programming system, data to a plurality of embedded devices, with the transmitted data including code executable by each of the devices and being generated from a source code;

(b) producing, by the programming system, a first unique identifier by use of a hash function on the basis of at least some of the transmitted data and of at least some of the source code and of an identification of each of the plurality of devices, such that a different first unique identifier is generated for each of the plurality of embedded devices;

(c) transmitting, by the programming system, the first unique identifier to each of the plurality of embedded devices and storing, by each of the embedded devices, the respective first unique identifier at a respective embedded device; and

(d) storing at least the transmitted data used for the first unique identifier, the source code used for the first unique identifier, and the first unique identifier are stored in a memory device independent of the device which is a server arranged remote from the programming system.

2. The method in accordance with claim 1,

wherein each respective first unique identifier is generated on the basis of firmware transmitted to each of the embedded devices.

3. The method in accordance with claim 1,

wherein each respective first unique identifier is generated on the basis of a configuration transmitted to each of the embedded devices.

4. The method in accordance with claim 1,

wherein each respective first unique identifier is also based on an executable application file transmitted to each of the embedded devices.

5. The method in accordance with claim 1,

wherein each respective first unique identifier is also based on parameters transmitted to each of the embedded devices.

6. The method in accordance with claim 1,

wherein each respective first unique identifier is also based on a second unique identifier that is based on a source code generated on the programming system and on at least one executable code generated from the source code.

7. The method in accordance with claim 6,

wherein each respective first unique identifier is generated such that the second unique identifier can be determined from the first unique identifier.

8. The method in accordance with claim 1,

wherein the identification of at least one of the embedded devices and of the programming system is at least one of a MAC address, a serial number of a storage medium, a serial number of a CPU, and another unique identification of one of the device and the programming system.

9. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the transmitted data and each respective first unique identifier are transferred to the memory device by means of an internet protocol.

10. A method for the traceable changing of the programming of at least one embedded device, the method comprising:

(a) establishing a data connection of a programming system to a plurality of embedded devices;

(b) transmitting a first unique identifier to the programming system by the device by each of the plurality of embedded devices or generating the first unique identifier for each of the plurality of embedded devices by the programming system such that a different first unique identifier is transmitted or generated for each of the plurality of embedded devices;

(c) transmitting, by the programming system, the first unique identifier for each of the plurality of embedded devices to an independent memory device;

(d) transmitting, by the independent memory device at least the data stored in the memory device with respect to the first unique identifier for each of the plurality of embedded devices to the programming system, with the data at least comprising a source code;

(e) changing, by the programming system, the data received by the memory device;

(f) transmitting data to each of the plurality of embedded devices from the programming system, with the transmitted data including code executable by the device and being generated from the changed source code;

(g) generating a new first unique identifier for each of the plurality of embedded devices that is based on at least some of the transmitted data and on at least some of the changed source code as well as on an identification of the respective embedded device;

(h) storing the new first unique identifier in the respective embedded device for each of the plurality of embedded devices; and

(i) storing the transmitted data and the new first unique identifiers in a memory device independent of each of the plurality of embedded devices and of the programming system, the memory device being a server arranged remote from the programming system.