Method and apparatus for selective data control

• US 8,332,910 B2
• Filed: 10/13/2003
• Issued: 12/11/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/13/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Gleeson, Eamon Patrick, Grant, Milton Lewiston, Williams, George Edward, Mattison, Scott Campbell
• Primary Examiner(s): LANIER, BENJAMIN E
• Application Number:
  US10/684,238
• Publication Number:
  US 20050091393A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,347 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 726/2
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2270/30 Control parameters, e.g. input parameters
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2270/504 electronic means, e.g. electronic tubes, transistors or IC's within an electronic circuit
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/606 by securing the transmission between two devices or processes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/10 Flow control; Congestion control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/20 Traffic policing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A method of selectively controlling communication between a supervisory processor and a subscriber is provided. The method includes receiving a stream of data at the supervisory processor, controlling transmission of the stream of data from the supervisory processor to the subscriber based on an associated supervisory processor configuration, receiving an enabling configuration at the supervisory processor which alters the supervisory processor configuration, and transmitting at least a portion of the controlled stream of data from the supervisory processor to the subscriber based on the supervisory processor configuration.

Claims

1. A method of selectively controlling communication between a data source and a subscriber, said method comprising:

receiving, from the data source, a stream of obfuscated data at a supervisory processor wherein the data source is a computer coupled to a gas turbine system;

deobfuscating the obfuscated data in the stream;

enabling the subscriber to have access to the stream of data;

controlling transmission of the stream of data from the supervisory processor to the subscriber based on a configuration of the supervisory processor, wherein controlling transmission of the stream of data comprises selectively deobfuscating the obfuscated data in the stream;

determining that the subscriber has failed to satisfy at least one predefined obligation in a data sharing agreement between an owner of the stream of data and the subscriber; and

receiving a disabling configuration instruction at the supervisory processor which alters the configuration of the supervisory processor, wherein the altered configuration of the supervisory processor renders the stream of data that is accessible by the subscriber unusable by the subscriber by not deobfuscating the obfuscated data in the stream.

2. A method in accordance with claim 1 further comprising transmitting a plurality of process system data from a process control system.

3. A method in accordance with claim 1 wherein controlling transmission of the stream of data from the supervisory processor to the subscriber comprises transmitting data to a subscriber access port on the supervisory processor without deobfuscating the data.

4. A method in accordance with claim 1 wherein an enabling configuration of the supervisory processor expires after a predetermined time period, such that the supervisory processor configuration is altered upon expiration of the enabling configuration.

5. A method in accordance with claim 1 wherein the supervisory processor is at least one of a gas turbine engine data acquisition system and a gas turbine engine on-site monitor said method further comprising receiving a stream of operational data via an operator interface at the supervisory processor.

6. A method in accordance with claim 5 wherein receiving a stream of gas turbine operational data comprises receiving a stream of gas turbine operational data that includes at least one of combustor dynamics data and gas turbine data.

7. A data network comprising:

a first proprietary network segment configured to receive proprietary data communication that is obfuscated from a proprietary data source, wherein the proprietary data source comprises a computer coupled to a gas turbine system;

a supervisory processor communicatively coupled to said first proprietary network segment, said processor configured to execute software instructions based on a processor configuration, said processor configured to selectively transmit subscriber data by selectively deobfuscating the subscriber data; and

a subscriber network segment coupled to said supervisory processor, said subscriber network segment configured to enable a subscriber to access a transmission of subscriber data that is deobfuscated and render a transmission of the subscriber data that is accessible by the subscriber from said supervisory processor unusable by not deobfuscating the subscriber data if it is determined that the subscriber has failed to satisfy at least one predefined obligation in a data sharing agreement between an owner of the subscriber data and the subscriber.

8. A data network in accordance with claim 7 further comprising a second proprietary data network segment communicatively coupled to said supervisory processor, said second proprietary data network segment configured to transmit proprietary data from said supervisory processor to a proprietary wide area network (WAN).

9. A data network in accordance with claim 8 wherein said second proprietary data network segment transmits data that is unobfuscated.

10. A data network in accordance with claim 8 wherein said processor is further configured to:

receive proprietary data from said first proprietary network segment;

transmit proprietary data to said second proprietary data network segment;

alter the processor configuration based on commands received from said second proprietary data network segment; and

transmit subscriber data to said subscriber network segment based on the processor configuration.

11. A data network in accordance with claim 7 wherein said supervisory processor comprises a subscriber data port, said subscriber data port is configurable to deobfuscate data in a first state, and to prevent deobfuscation of data in a second state, wherein the second state is different than the first state.

12. A data network in accordance with claim 11 wherein said supervisory processor is further configured to alter a state of said subscriber data port based on the processor configuration.

13. A data network in accordance with claim 11 wherein said supervisory processor is further configured to alter the state of said subscriber data port based on a remotely-received processor command.

14. A data network in accordance with claim 11 wherein said supervisory processor is configured to alter the state of said subscriber data port based on a locally received processor command.

15. A gas turbine control monitoring system for selectively transmitting gas turbine engine operational data from a supervisory processor to a subscriber, said system comprising:

a gas turbine control system communicatively coupled to at least one engine sensor;

a first proprietary data network communicatively coupled to the gas turbine control system;

said supervisory processor communicatively coupled to said first proprietary network for receiving gas turbine engine operational data that is obfuscated;

a second proprietary data network communicatively coupled to said supervisory processor; and

a subscriber data network communicatively coupled to said supervisory processor, wherein said supervisory processor is configured to transmit gas turbine engine operational data that is deobfuscated to the subscriber through said subscriber data network, and wherein the gas turbine engine operational data transmitted from said supervisory processor to said subscriber is altered and rendered unusable by not deobfuscating the gas turbine engine operational data if it is determined that the subscriber has failed to satisfy at least one predefined obligation in a data sharing agreement between an owner of the gas turbine engine operational data and the subscriber.

16. A gas turbine control monitoring system in accordance with claim 15 wherein said supervisory processor receives the gas turbine engine operational data including combustor dynamics data.

17. A gas turbine control monitoring system in accordance with claim 15 wherein said gas turbine control system obfuscates at least a portion of the gas turbine control system data.

18. A gas turbine control monitoring system in accordance with claim 15 wherein said supervisory processor further receives obfuscated data from said gas turbine control system through said first proprietary network.

19. A gas turbine control monitoring system in accordance with claim 15 wherein said supervisory processor is further configured to selectively transmit data to said second proprietary data network.

20. A gas turbine control monitoring system in accordance with claim 15 wherein said supervisory processor is further configured to selectively transmit data to said second proprietary data network based on a supervisory processor configuration.

21. A gas turbine control monitoring system in accordance with claim 15 wherein said supervisory processor comprises a subscriber port having a first transmitting state, and a second non-transmitting state, said supervisory processor is further configured to selectively alter the state of said port based on a supervisory processor configuration.

22. A gas turbine control monitoring system in accordance with claim 15 wherein said supervisory processor is further configured to receive a proprietary command from said second proprietary data network wherein the command instructs said supervisory processor to alter the processor configuration.

23. A gas turbine control monitoring system in accordance with claim 15 wherein said supervisory processor is further configured to receive a proprietary command from a local input device wherein the command instructs said supervisory processor to alter the processor configuration.