Memory card with embedded identifier

• US 8,200,931 B2
• Filed: 06/01/2011
• Issued: 06/12/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/21/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Xenogenic Development Limited Liability Company (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies Incorporated (Rockwell Automation, Inc.)
• Inventors: Mann, Joseph Francis, Schroeder, William N.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bragdon, Reginald
• Assistant Examiner(s): Faal, Baboucarr
• Application Number:
  US13/150,793
• Publication Number:
  US 20110231939A1
• Time in Patent Office: 377 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 711/163
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/123 by using dedicated hardware, e.g. dongles, smart cards, cryptographic processors, global positioning systems [GPS] devices

Abstract

A software installation system comprises an interface component that receives a request to access data resident upon a flash memory card. An installation component compares a unique identifier associated with the data with a unique identifier embedded within the flash memory card, and the installation component determines whether to allow access to the data based at least in part upon the comparison. The installation component prohibits access to the data if the unique identifier associated with the data does not match the unique identifier embedded within the flash memory card.

Claims

1. A method for secure data transfer in an industrial automation environment, comprising:

receiving, from a portable electronic device, software and a corresponding identifier relating to a unique identifier of the portable electronic device;

installing the software on a industrial automation device;

storing the corresponding identifier in the industrial automation device; and

employing, subsequent to the storing, the corresponding identifier to prohibit a transfer of the software from the industrial automation device without utilizing the portable electronic device, wherein the employing includes comparing the corresponding identifier to an identifier of the industrial automation device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising, comparing the corresponding identifier with the unique identifier prior to the installing.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising, receiving a request to install the software onto the industrial automation device that is communicatively coupled to the portable electronic device.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising, requesting a first security key to be input at the industrial automation device, prior to the installing.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising, comparing the first security key with a second security key stored in the portable electronic device to facilitate authentication of the industrial automation device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the installing includes installing the software by utilizing a Universal Serial Bus (USB) protocol.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the installing includes installing the software based in part on a rule that is stored on the portable electronic device and is associated with access of the software.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the installing includes installing the software based in part on an instruction that allows installation the software for a specified time period.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the installing includes installing the software based in part on an instruction that allows installation the software by one or more specified entities.

10. An industrial automation device, comprising:

at least one processor configured to execute computer executable components stored on at least one non-transitory computer readable storage medium, the computer executable components, comprising;

an interface component that receives a request for an installation of software residing on a portable electronic device coupled to the industrial automation device; and

an installation component that receives the software and a corresponding identifier linked to the software from the portable electronic device, wherein the corresponding identifier is related to a unique identifier of the portable electronic device,

wherein, after the software and the corresponding identifier are stored on the industrial automation device, a disparate installation of the software without utilizing the portable electronic device is prohibited, based on a comparison of the corresponding identifier with a unique identifier of the industrial automation device.

11. The industrial automation device of claim 10, further comprising, an analysis component that authorizes the installation on the industrial automation device, based on a comparison of a user-specified security key with a security key programmed within the portable electronic device.

12. The industrial automation device of claim 11, wherein the analysis component authorizes the installation on the industrial automation device based on a comparison of the corresponding identifier and the unique identifier.

13. The industrial automation device of claim 10, further comprising, a transaction component that updates an installation count, in response to the software being installed on the industrial automation device, and associates the installation count with the corresponding identifier.

14. The industrial automation device of claim 10, wherein the installation component permits the installation of the software only upon a linking of the corresponding identifier and the unique identifier.

15. The industrial automation device of claim 10, further comprising a Universal Serial Bus (USB) port that couples the portable electronic device to the industrial automation device.

16. The industrial automation device of claim 10, wherein the installation component permits the installation of the software based in part on a rule that is stored on the portable electronic device and is associated with access of data associated with the software.

17. The industrial automation device of claim 16, wherein the rule includes an instruction to deny access to the data from the portable device, after a specified time period.

18. The industrial automation device of claim 16, wherein the rule includes an instruction to prohibit one or more specified entities access to the data from the portable device.

19. The industrial automation device of claim 16, wherein the portable device includes a memory card.