ABB Files Patent for Confidential Fleet Management to Enhance Industrial Automation Data Security
Time:2026-04-30 Browse: 2
According to information from the China National Intellectual Property Administration, ABB (Swiss-based company) has filed a patent titled “Confidentiality-Assured Fleet Management” (Publication No. CN121792090A), with a filing date of September 2025.
The patent describes a method for managing fleets of automated industrial equipment in factory environments with enhanced confidentiality protection.
Technical Overview
The proposed system provides a fleet management platform for industrial automation assets. The platform includes a fleet management module operating within a Trusted Execution Environment (TEE) and is associated with a first entity (e.g., platform provider).
The method involves:
Receiving first data within the Trusted Execution Environment
The data relates to a fleet of automated equipment associated with a second entity (e.g., a customer or partner company)
Processing the received data using a computing module inside the secure environment
Outputting only the processed results from the Trusted Execution Environment
Core Security Technology
The system is built around a Trusted Execution Environment (TEE), which ensures that sensitive industrial data is processed in an isolated and protected execution zone.
This architecture prevents unauthorized access from the operating system or external applications, significantly reducing the risk of data leakage or tampering during computation.
Industry Significance
The patented approach enables secure cross-company collaboration in industrial automation without exposing raw operational data. This is particularly relevant for:
Smart factories
Industrial fleet systems (e.g., robots, AGVs, mobile industrial assets)
Multi-vendor equipment management platforms
Outsourced industrial maintenance services
Key Benefits
1. Enhanced Data Confidentiality
Sensitive fleet data remains protected within a secure hardware enclave throughout processing.
2. Secure Multi-Party Collaboration
Different organizations can share computation capabilities without sharing underlying proprietary data.
3. Improved Industrial Security Architecture
Strengthens cybersecurity in connected industrial environments and automation systems.
4. Enables “Data-Use Without Data-Exposure” Model
Supports advanced analytics and optimization while preserving strict data privacy boundaries.
Strategic Outlook
This patent reflects ABB’s continued focus on secure digital transformation in industrial automation, enabling more intelligent and connected fleet management systems while maintaining strict confidentiality requirements across enterprise boundaries.
