SECURE MACHINE-TO-MACHINE COMMUNICATION PROTOCOL
First Claim
1. A system for securely communicating requests and responses between a workstation and a machine using a task list server, the system comprising:
- the machine communicatively coupled to the task list server that receives, from the task list server, an instruction corresponding to a request from the workstation, the instruction being a task instruction or a status instruction corresponding to the request and develops a response to the instruction without human operator intervention; and
the task list server having executable instructions that when executed by a processor of the task list server cause the task list server to;
establish a first communication session between the task list server and the workstation, the first communication session mutually authenticated and encrypted, wherein the first communication session communicates the request from the workstation to the task list server and the request includes at least one of a task request or a status request, wherein the task list server receives priority information for the request stored at the task list server; and
asynchronously to the first communication session, establish a second communication session between the task list server and the machine, the second communication session mutually authenticated and encrypted, wherein the second communication session communicates the response to the instruction to the task list server.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A task list server supports secure asynchronous communications between both a workstation and one or more machines. The task list server stores requests and responses initiated by either side and establishes secure communication channels used to forward the data between parties. The communication between workstation and machine may be delayed by hours or even days, depending on the work schedule and network access of both the workstation operator and machine. The machine may process requests in order from highest priority to lowest priority and from oldest to newest. Public key encryption may be used to establish secure channels between the task list server and the workstation or the one or more machines using a combination of certificate authorities including both manufacturers and owner/operators.
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Citations
21 Claims
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1. A system for securely communicating requests and responses between a workstation and a machine using a task list server, the system comprising:
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the machine communicatively coupled to the task list server that receives, from the task list server, an instruction corresponding to a request from the workstation, the instruction being a task instruction or a status instruction corresponding to the request and develops a response to the instruction without human operator intervention; and the task list server having executable instructions that when executed by a processor of the task list server cause the task list server to; establish a first communication session between the task list server and the workstation, the first communication session mutually authenticated and encrypted, wherein the first communication session communicates the request from the workstation to the task list server and the request includes at least one of a task request or a status request, wherein the task list server receives priority information for the request stored at the task list server; and asynchronously to the first communication session, establish a second communication session between the task list server and the machine, the second communication session mutually authenticated and encrypted, wherein the second communication session communicates the response to the instruction to the task list server. - View Dependent Claims (3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 21)
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2. (canceled)
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10. A system for securely communicating requests and responses between a workstation and a machine, the system comprising:
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a task list server including; a server processor; a communication port coupled to the server processor, the communication port supporting secure and authenticated session-based communications between the task list server and the workstation and between the task list server and the machine, the communication port configured to receive a priority level for the communications; a memory configured to store operational data, keys, and executable commands for execution on the server processor that cause the task list server to store data and communicate data traffic over the communication port; and the machine including; a machine processor; a machine communication port coupled to the machine processor and communicatively coupled to the communication port of the task list server; a memory configured to store executable commands for execution on the machine processor that implement; a communication routine that receives an instruction from the task list server; a queue storing the instruction received from the task list server and a response to the instruction for sending sent to the task list server; and a dispatch routine that causes the instruction to be executed and determines the response to the instruction. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A method of asynchronous communication between a plurality of workstations and a plurality of machines using a task list server, the method comprising:
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establishing a first communication session between the task list server and a workstation; receiving, at the task list server, a request from the workstation, the request including at least one of a status request for a status at one or more of the plurality of machines or a job request to be executed at one or more of the plurality of machines; receiving, at the task list server, a priority level for the request; storing the request in a machine-specific queue at the task list server; establishing a second communication session between the task list server and a one machine of the plurality of machines; determining that the machine-specific queue has a stored request for the one machine; dispatching, to the one machine, an instruction corresponding to the stored request in the queue according to the priority level; marking the stored request in the queue as pending; disconnecting the second communication session; establishing a third communication session between the task list server and the one machine; receiving from the one machine a response to the instruction; storing the response in a workstations specific queue at the task list server; and sending, from the task list server to an authenticated workstation, a status message corresponding to the response stored in the queue. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification