IP Library Granted Patent US 9,172,544
Granted Patent B2
US 9,172,544 · App. 13/646,089 · Granted Oct 27, 2015

Systems and methods for authentication between networked devices

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,172,544
App. No.
13/646,089
Granted
Oct 27, 2015
Kind
B2
Abstract

Systems, methods, and computer-readable media are disclosed for authentication of networked devices in which a server device may authenticate a client device and/or a client device may authenticate a server device. Authentication credentials may be exchanged by the server device and the client device to enable mutual authentication. Upon authentication of the connection between the server device and the client device, authenticated, and potentially encrypted communications, may be exchanged by the server device and the client device.

Claims (55)

1. A method, comprising:

receiving, by a server device from a client device, a request to initiate communication;

communicating, by the server device to the client device, a request for one or more authentication credentials associated with the client device;

receiving, by the server device from the client device, the one or more authentication credentials associated with the client device;

determining, by the server device, that the one or more authentication credentials associated with the client device satisfies one or more authentication criteria;

authenticating, by the server device, the client device based on the determination that the one or more authentication credentials associated with the client device satisfies the one or more authentication criteria, the authenticating allowing the client device to communicate with server device using a secure communication protocol;

receiving, by the server device from the client device, a request for a server authentication certificate;

generating, by the server device, a request for issuance of the server authentication certificate;

transmitting, by the server device, the request for issuance to the certificate authority;

dynamically generating, by the certificate authority, the server authentication certificate based at least in part on information previously received from the client device that a user associated with the server device and on whose behalf the request is being generated is authorized to communicate with the client device;

receiving, by the server device, the server authentication certificate from the certificate authority;

transmitting, by the server device, the server authentication certificate to the client device;

identifying, by the server device, user role information included in the client authentication certificate, wherein authenticating the client device comprises authenticating the client device in accordance with the user role information; and

receiving, by the server device from the client device and using the secure communication protocol, a request to control processes performed by industrial equipment, wherein the user role information is used to restrict commands requested by the client device.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the client authentication certificate comprises:

an identifier associated with the certificate authority; and

a public key associated with the client device.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining that the one or more authentication credentials associated with the client device satisfy one or more authentication criteria comprises:

determining, by the server device, that the client authentication certificate has not been revoked by the certificate authority.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the secure communication protocol is one of: a Transport Layer Security (TLS) protocol or a Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) protocol.

5. A method, comprising:

transmitting, by a client device to a certificate authority, information including a list of users of a server device who are authorized to communicate with the client device;

transmitting, by the client device to the server device, a request to initiate communication;

transmitting, by the client device to the server device, a request for a server authentication certificate associated with the server device;

receiving, by the server device from the client device, a request for the server authentication certificate;

generating, by the server device, a request for issuance of the server authentication certificate;

transmitting, by the server device, the request for issuance to the certificate authority;

dynamically generating, by the certificate authority, the server authentication certificate based at least in part on the information previously received from the client device that the user using the server device and on whose behalf the request is being generated is authorized to communicate with the client device;

receiving, by the server device, the server authentication certificate from the certificate authority;

transmitting, by the server device, the server authentication certificate to the client device;

receiving, by the client device from the server device, the server authentication certificate associated with the server device;

determining, by the client device, that the server authentication certificate associated with the server device satisfies one or more authentication criteria;

authenticating, by the client device, the server device based on the determination that the server authentication certificate associated with the server device satisfies the one or more authentication criteria, the authenticating allowing the client device to communicate with the server device using a secure communication protocol;

identifying, by the server device, user role information included in a client authentication certificate, wherein authenticating the client device comprises authenticating the client device in accordance with user role information; and

sending, by the client device to the server device and using the secure communication protocol, a request to control processes performed by the industrial equipment, wherein the user role information is used to restrict commands requested by the client device.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the server authentication certificate comprises:

an identifier associated with the certificate authority; and

a public key associated with the server device.

7. A system, comprising:

at least one memory storing computer-executable instructions; and

at least one processor configured to access the at least one memory and to execute the computer-executable instructions to:

transmit, by a client device to a certificate authority, information including a list of users of a server device who are authorized to communicate with the client device;

receive, from the client device by the server device, a request to initiate communication;

communicate, from the server device to the client device, a request for a client authentication certificate associated with the client device;

receive, from the client device by the server device, the client authentication certificate;

determine, by the server device, that information included in the client authentication certificate satisfies one or more authentication criteria;

authenticate, by the server device, the client device based on the determination that the information included in the client authentication certificate satisfies the one or more authentication criteria, the authenticating allowing the client device to communicate a request using a secure communication protocol;

receive, by the server device from the client device, a request for a server authentication certificate;

generate, by the server device, a request for issuance of the server authentication certificate;

transmit, by the server device, the request for issuance to the certificate authority;

dynamically generate, by the certificate authority, the server authentication certificate based at least in part on the information previously received from the client device that the user using the server device and on whose behalf the request is being generated is authorized to communicate with the client device;

receive, by the server device, the server authentication certificate from the certificate authority;

transmit, by the server device, the server authentication certificate to the client device;

identify, by the server device, user role information included in the client authentication certificate, wherein authenticating the client device comprises authenticating the client device in accordance with the user role information; and

receive, by the server device from the client device using the secure communication protocol, a request to control processes performed by the industrial equipment, wherein the user role information is used to restrict commands requested by the client device.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 17, 2023
From: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
To: GE DIGITAL HOLDINGS LLC
Reel/Frame 065612/0085 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 5, 2012
From: PETTIGREW, WILLIAM ROBERT; JACKSON, ROY L.; RIAN, TIMOTHY DAVID; CHONG, JUSTIN BRANDON
To: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
Reel/Frame 029085/0159 →