Patents by Inventor Nicholas Nichols

Nicholas Nichols has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Identification of deviant engineering modifications to programmable logic controllers
    Patent number: 11140186
    Abstract: Embodiments include methods, network security computer systems, and computer program products for identifying deviant engineering modifications to programmable logic controllers. Aspects include: collecting, by a network traffic collection device of the network security computer, network traffic data from one or more engineering stations, and storing, by a network traffic data storage device, the network traffic data collected. Each of the engineering stations may include one or more programmable logic controllers. The method also may include: comparing, by a network traffic comparison module, the network traffic data collected, detecting, by an abnormality detection module, any deviant engineering modifications to the programmable logic controllers in the engineering stations; and generating, by an alarming and correction module, one or more reports for the deviant engineering modifications to programmable logic controllers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 5, 2021
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: John W. Crawford, Kaan Bardak, Martin Kunz, Lesley Morgan, Nicholas Nichols
  • IDENTIFICATION OF DEVIANT ENGINEERING MODIFICATIONS TO PROGRAMMABLE LOGIC CONTROLLERS
    Publication number: 20200036737
    Abstract: Embodiments include methods, network security computer systems, and computer program products for identifying deviant engineering modifications to programmable logic controllers. Aspects include: collecting, by a network traffic collection device of the network security computer, network traffic data from one or more engineering stations, and storing, by a network traffic data storage device, the network traffic data collected. Each of the engineering stations may include one or more programmable logic controllers. The method also may include: comparing, by a network traffic comparison module, the network traffic data collected, detecting, by an abnormality detection module, any deviant engineering modifications to the programmable logic controllers in the engineering stations; and generating, by an alarming and correction module, one or more reports for the deviant engineering modifications to programmable logic controllers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 30, 2016
    Publication date: January 30, 2020
    Inventors: John W. Crawford, Kaan Bardak, Martin Kunz, Lesley Morgan, Nicholas Nichols