Granted Patent B2

US 12,732,345 · App. 18/574,446 · Granted Sep 8, 2026

Inventors: Anna Palmin (Karlsruhe, DE); Marwin Madsen (Karlsruhe, DE)

Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft

H04L9/0825H04L9/3268

Abstract

Claims (39)

1 . A control system for a process installation, the control system comprising:

an engineering station server including a processor and memory;

an operator station server including a processor and memory;

functionalities for representing, operating and controlling the process installation; and

a computer-implemented registration service;

wherein the computer-implemented registration service is configured to automatically:

receive a certificate request from an installation component of the process installation, said certificate request comprising information regarding an identity of the installation component;

extract, from a first memory, information about which certificates of the installation component have already been assigned, are assignable and are to be assigned;

determine, based on a linking of the information regarding the identity of the installation component and the information, extracted from the first memory, about the certificates which are assignable or are to be assigned, a type of the certificate request and which registration authority or which certification authority of the process installation is responsible for the certificate request; and

transfer the certificate request of the installation component, with information about the type of the certificate request, to the responsible registration authority or the responsible certification authority, the registration service utilizing the information extracted from the first memory to transform the certificate request from a rudimentary format into a more comprehensive format which includes a type of the certificate request;

wherein the computer-implemented registration service routes an issued certificate to the requesting installation component of the process installation subsequent to a check and issuance of the certificate request.

2 . The control system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the registration service is computer-implemented on a component of a public key infrastructure of the technical installation.

3 . The control system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the registration service is computer-implemented on a terminal of the process installation.

4 . The control system as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the registration service is computer-implemented on a terminal of the process installation.

5 . The control system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the registration service includes relationships of trust with the installation component and with at least one of (i) the registration authority and (ii) the certification authority of the process installation; and wherein the relationships of trust are certificate-based.

6 . The control system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the registration service is configured to extract, from the first memory or a second memory, the information about which registration authority or which certification authority of the process installation is responsible for the certificate request.

7 . The control system as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the first memory or the second memory is implemented on a component of a public key infrastructure.

8 . The control system as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the first memory or the second memory is implemented on the engineering station server or on the operator station server of the control system.

9 . The control system as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the first memory or the second memory is implemented on a terminal of the process installation.

10 . The control system as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the process installation comprises a chemical, pharmaceutical, petrochemical installation, or an installation from the food and drinks industry.

11 . An automated method for transferring a certificate request from an installation component of a process installation, which includes a computer-implemented registration service, to a registration authority or a certification authority of the process installation, an engineering station server including a processor and memory and an operator station server including a processor and memory, said method comprising:

receiving, via the registration service, a certificate request from an installation component of the process installation, the certificate request comprising information regarding an identity of the installation component;

extracting, via the registration service, information from a first memory about which certificates of the installation component are assignable and are to be assigned;

determining, via the registration service, based on a linking of the information regarding the identity of the installation component and the information, extracted from the first memory, about the certificates which have already been assigned, are assignable or are to be assigned, the type of the certificate request, the type representing an initial certificate request or a request for certificate renewal, and which registration authority or which certification authority of the process installation is responsible for the certificate request;

transferring, via the registration service, the certificate request of the installation component together with information about the type of the certificate request to the responsible registration authority or the responsible certification authority, the registration service utilizing the information extracted from the first memory to transform the certificate request from a rudimentary format into a more comprehensive format which includes a type of the certificate request; and

routing an issued certificate to the requesting installation component of the process installation subsequent.

12 . The method as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the registration service is computer-implemented on a component of a public key infrastructure of the process installation.

13 . The method as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the registration service is computer-implemented on a terminal of the process installation.

14 . The method as claimed in claim 12 , wherein the registration service is computer-implemented on a terminal of the process installation.

15 . The method as claimed in claim 11 wherein the registration service includes relationships of trust with the installation component and with at least one of (i) the registration authority and (ii) the certification authority of the process installation; and

wherein the relationships of trust are certificate-based.

16 . The method as claimed in claim 12 , wherein the registration service includes relationships of trust with the installation component and with at least one of (i) the registration authority and (ii) the certification authority of the process installation; and

wherein the relationships of trust are certificate-based.

17 . The method as claimed in claim 13 , wherein the registration service includes relationships of trust with the installation component and with at least one of (i) the registration authority and (ii) the certification authority of the process installation; and wherein the relationships of trust are certificate-based.

18 . The method as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the registration service extracts, from the first memory or a second memory, the information about which registration authority or which certification authority of the process installation is responsible for the certificate request.

19 . The method as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the first memory or the second memory is implemented on a component of a public key infrastructure.

20 . The method as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the first memory or the second memory is implemented on the engineering station server or on the operator station server of the control system.

21 . The method as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the first memory or the second memory is implemented on a terminal of the process installation.

22 . The control system of claim 1 , wherein the control system operates the process installation.

Assignments (1)

Priority Claims (1)

Continuity (1)

References Cited (22)