US 12,294,617 B2
Security negotiations between different versioned protocol devices to enable backward compatibility
Wallace A. Pratt, Jr., Pflugerville, TX (US); Mark J. Nixon, Thorndale, TX (US); and Aaron C. Jones, Austin, TX (US)
Assigned to FIELDCOMM GROUP, INC., Austin, TX (US)
Filed by FIELDCOMM GROUP, INC., Austin, TX (US)
Filed on Aug. 12, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/887,196.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/233,154, filed on Aug. 13, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2023/0051133 A1, Feb. 16, 2023
Int. Cl. H04L 9/40 (2022.01)
CPC H04L 63/205 (2013.01) 31 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of performing internet protocol (IP) communications between two devices in a process control system using a particular communication protocol, wherein a first one of the devices supports, as a maximum supported communication protocol version, a first version of the particular communication protocol, and wherein a second one of the devices supports, as a maximum supported communication protocol version, a second and different version of the particular communication protocol, wherein the first maximum supported communication protocol version uses a first communication security feature and the second maximum supported communication protocol version uses a second and different communication security feature, the method comprising:
initiating, via one or more computer processors of the first device and the second device in the process control system, an IP communication session between the first device and the second device, including sending an IP communication session request between the first device and the second device using a security feature supported by a version of the particular communication protocol other than the highest version of the communication protocol supported by the first device and the second device, and including transmitting an indication of a maximum supported communication protocol version associated with one of the first or second devices between the first device and the second device;
determining, via the one or more computer processors, a communication security feature to be used for IP communications in the communication session between the first device and the second device based on the indication of the maximum supported communication protocol version sent between the first device and the second device including establishing the highest version of the communication protocol supported by both the first device and the second device, and selecting the communication security feature as the communication security feature associated with the determined highest version of the communication protocol supported by both the first device and the second device; and
implementing, via the one or more computer processors, an IP communication session between the first device and the second device using the determined communication security feature.