Communication processing apparatus and communication method

Abstract

Communication between communication devices belonging to networks of mutually different address systems is realized. A communication processing device according to the present embodiment is provided with: a first communication unit that receives a message of a first communication protocol from a first communication device in a first network of a first address system; and a communication protocol processing unit that, when the destination address of the message matches the first address of the first communication unit, includes address information indicating the address of the second communication device and the message of the first communication protocol in a payload. Generating a message of a second communication protocol requesting transmission of the message of the first communication protocol to a second communication device in a second network of a second address system; and a second communication unit that transmits a message of the second communication protocol to a gateway device capable of communicating with the second communication device.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Embodiments of the present invention relate to a communication processing device and a communication method. Background Art

[0002] Industrial controllers are used to automatically control industrial processes, machinery, manufacturing equipment, etc. in factories. Terminals equipped with software for controlling industrial controllers are configured in the same local area network as the industrial controllers. The control of industrial controllers is to set and instruct actions on the industrial controllers. Therefore, in order to control industrial controllers, operators need to move to the installation locations of the terminals one by one, which is inconvenient.

[0003] Nowadays, there is a demand to improve convenience by configuring the software on a server on the cloud and setting it up to remotely control industrial controllers from any location via the server. However, when the software is configured on a server on the cloud, the cloud is a different network from the industrial controller, and the two cannot communicate directly with each other due to different address systems and communication protocols. In order to enable communication between the two, new functions must be added to both the server software and the industrial controller.

[0004] Prior art literature

[0005] Patent Literature

[0006] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 11-112577 Summary of the invention

[0007] Technical problem to be solved by the invention

[0008] Embodiments of the present invention provide a communication processing device and a communication method for realizing communication between communication devices belonging to networks having different address systems.

[0009] Means for solving problems

[0010] A communication processing device according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises: a first communication unit, which receives a message of a first communication protocol from a first communication device in a first network of a first address system; an address determination unit, which determines the address of the second communication device corresponding to the first address based on corresponding data that establishes a correspondence between the first address and the address of the second communication device in a second network of a second address system, when a destination address of the message of the first communication protocol is consistent with a first address in the first address system assigned to the first communication unit; a communication protocol processing unit, which includes address information representing the address of the second communication device and the message of the first communication protocol in a payload, and generates a message of the second communication protocol requesting transmission of the message of the first communication protocol to the second communication device; and a second communication unit, which sends the message of the second communication protocol to a gateway device in the second network that can communicate with the second communication device. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0011] Figure 1 This is a block diagram of an example of the communication system according to the first embodiment.

[0012] Figure 2 This is a diagram showing an example of a conversion table.

[0013] Figure 3 This is a diagram showing an example of a sequence according to the first embodiment.

[0014] Figure 4 It is a diagram showing another example of the sequence of the first embodiment.

[0015] Figure 5 It is a block diagram of a communication system according to the second embodiment.

[0016] Figure 6 This is a diagram showing an example of a sequence according to the second embodiment.

[0017] Figure 7 It is a diagram showing another example of the sequence of the second embodiment.

[0018] Figure 8 This is a block diagram of a communication system according to variant example 1.

[0019] Fig. 9 This is a diagram showing an example of a system configuration file.

[0020] Fig.10 This is a block diagram of an example of a communication system according to variant example 3.

[0021] Fig.11 This is a block diagram of another example of the communication system of Modification Example 3.

[0022] Fig.12This is a block diagram of an example of a communication system according to variant example 4.

[0023] Fig.13 This is a block diagram of an example of a communication system according to variant example 5.

[0024] Fig.14 This is a block diagram of an example of a communication system according to variant example 6.

[0025] Fig.15 This is a block diagram of an example of a communication system according to variant example 7. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0027] (First Embodiment)

[0028] Figure 1 FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a communication system 1 according to a first embodiment. Figure 1 The overview of the communication system 1 will be described.

[0029] exist Figure 1 In the communication system 1, a cloud network N1 as a first network on the cloud side and a local network N2 as a second network arranged in a facility such as a factory are connected via a wide area network N3 such as the Internet. The cloud network N1 is a network constituting the cloud.

[0030] The cloud network N1 is connected to a communication source device 101, which is a server equipped with software for controlling an industrial controller (communication destination device) such as action setting or action instruction. The communication source device 101 is a first communication device configured in the cloud network N1. In the local area network N2, communication destination devices 201 and 202, which are industrial controllers, are connected to automatically control industrial processes, machinery, manufacturing equipment, etc. in a factory. The communication destination devices 201 and 202 are second communication devices configured in the local area network N2.

[0031] The communication source device 101 transmits a message of the first communication protocol (hereinafter referred to as the control message of the first communication protocol) containing control data for the communication destination device 201 or 202 in order to control the communication destination device 201 or 202. As a control example, there are action settings or action instructions for the communication destination devices 201 and 202. In addition, as an example, the first communication protocol is FTP, SOAP, XML, a vendor protocol, or a proprietary protocol. As an example, the first communication protocol is a protocol of a higher layer than the communication protocol of the transport layer (such as UDP / IP or TCP / IP). In order to control the communication destination device 201 or 202 by transmitting the control message of the first communication protocol, it is necessary to send the control message of the first communication protocol to the communication destination device 201 or 202.

[0032] In the cloud network N1, IP addresses of the first address system are used, and in the local area network N2, IP addresses of the second address system independent of the first address system are used. Both the cloud network N1 and the local area network N2 use local IP addresses. Generally, as described above, devices in local area networks belonging to different address systems cannot communicate directly via the wide area network N3.

[0033] In this embodiment, a mechanism for transmitting a control message of the first communication protocol is introduced through the communication processing device 100 provided on the cloud network N1 side and the gateway device 200 provided on the local area network N2 side. If the communication source device 101 sends a control message of the first communication protocol to a predetermined address as a destination according to the communication destination device 201 or 202 that is the control object, the communication processing device 100 and the gateway device 20 transmit the control message to the communication destination device 201 or 202 through the above mechanism. Thus, the transmission of the control message of the first communication protocol from the communication source device 101 to the communication destination devices 201 and 202 can be realized. Thus, the control message of the first communication protocol can be transmitted without adding new functions to the communication source device 101 and the communication destination devices 201 and 202.

[0034] The above is an overview of the present embodiment. Figure 1 The communication system 1 is described in detail.

[0035] [Overall structure of Cloud Network N1]

[0036] exist Figure 1In the embodiment, the communication processing device 100 is connected to the communication source device 101 in the cloud network N1. In addition, the communication processing device 100 is connected to the gateway device 200 in the wide area network N3. The cloud network N1 is a wired or wireless network. The wired or wireless network may be Ethernet (registered trademark) or WiFi (registered trademark). The cloud network N1 may be a network located in a facility such as a data center.

[0037] [Communication source device 101]

[0038] The communication source device 101 is a communication device such as a server connected to the cloud network N1. The communication source device 101 can also be remotely operated from the user terminal 301 via the wide area network N3. The communication source device 101 is equipped with software for controlling the communication destination devices 201 and 202 (for example, action settings, action instructions). The communication source device 101 is a device that controls the communication destination devices 201, 202 or both. An IP address based on the address system (first address system) in the cloud network N1 is allocated to the communication source device 101.

[0039] The communication source device 101 generates a message (control message) of the first communication protocol including control data for the communication destination device 201 or 202, and generates a data packet with an IP header (header) and the like attached to the control message. The trigger for generating the control message may be arbitrary, such as a timing indicated by a user, a timing when a predetermined event occurs (e.g., a timing at a specific time, etc.). The communication source device 101 sets the destination IP address of the generated data packet to the IP address of a conversion function unit among the plurality of conversion function units (110 or 120) in the communication processing device that performs processing corresponding to the communication destination device (201 or 202) to be controlled. The communication source device 101 outputs the generated data packet to the cloud network N1.

[0040] [Communication processing device 100]

[0041] The communication processing device 100 includes a conversion function unit 110 and a conversion function unit 120. The communication processing device 100 is configured as a computer device including a circuit such as a processor or a CPU, a storage device such as a memory or a hard disk, and a communication circuit. The device may be configured as a single computer device or as a system composed of a plurality of computer devices connected to each other. The functions of the communication processing device 100 may also be realized by causing the CPU to execute a program.

[0042] The conversion function unit 110 includes an IP address determination unit 111 (address determination unit), a communication protocol processing unit 112, an internal communication unit 113 (first communication unit), and an external communication unit 114 (second communication unit). The internal communication unit 113 performs communication on the cloud network N1 side, and the external communication unit 114 performs communication on the wide area network N3 side. The conversion function unit 110 or the internal communication unit 113 is assigned 192.168.1.111 as a local IP address for the cloud network N1. The conversion function unit 110 or the external communication unit 114 is assigned 10.0.0.10 as a global IP address for the wide area network N3.

[0043] The conversion function unit 120 includes an IP address determination unit 121 (address determination unit), a communication protocol processing unit 122, an internal communication unit 123 (first communication unit), and an external communication unit 124 (second communication unit). The internal communication unit 123 communicates on the cloud network N1 side, and the external communication unit 124 communicates on the wide area network N3 side. The conversion function unit 120 or the internal communication unit 123 is assigned 192.168.1.112 as a local IP address for the cloud network N1. The conversion function unit 120 or the external communication unit 124 is assigned the same 10.0.0.10 as the global IP address for the wide area network N3 as the conversion function unit 110. In fact, the same global IP address can also be assigned to the common communication interface in the conversion function unit 110 and the conversion function unit 120. Alternatively, the global IP addresses of the conversion function unit 110 and the conversion function unit 120 can also be different.

[0044] The communication protocol processing unit 112 of the conversion function unit 110 and the communication protocol processing unit 122 of the function conversion unit 120 have the function of processing the second communication protocol. As an example, the second communication protocol is HTTPS, HTTP, etc. The second communication protocol is a communication protocol different from the first communication protocol, and in the hierarchical structure of the communication protocol, it can be any case of a higher layer or a lower layer than the first communication protocol. In the present embodiment, the second communication protocol is mainly assumed to be HTTPS. HTTPS is set as an upper layer protocol of the first communication protocol. As the second communication protocol, the conversion function units 110 and 120 may also have the function of an HTTPS server.

[0045] When the internal communication unit 113 of the conversion function unit 110 receives a control message of the first communication protocol with the local IP address of the conversion function unit 110 as the destination from the communication source device 101, the internal communication unit 113 stores the source IP address of the control message in the internal memory of the conversion function unit 110. More specifically, when a data packet containing the control message of the first communication protocol is received, the IP address contained in the source address field of the data packet is stored in the internal memory of the conversion function unit 110. In addition, the conversion function unit 110 performs message conversion processing (or simply referred to as conversion processing) using the IP address determination unit 111 and the communication protocol processing unit 112 described below. The conversion processing refers to encapsulating data containing the control message of the first communication protocol and the like in the second communication protocol, thereby generating a message of the second communication protocol (transmission request message) requesting the transmission of the control message of the first communication protocol.

[0046] The IP address determination unit 111 has association data (conversion table) in which the local IP address of the conversion function unit 110 and the local IP address of the communication destination device 201 are associated with each other.

[0047] Figure 2 (A) shows an example of a conversion table held by the IP address determination unit 111. When the destination IP address of a data packet received from the communication source device 101 matches the local IP address of the conversion function unit 110, the IP address determination unit 111 determines the local IP address of the corresponding communication destination device 201 from the conversion table.

[0048] The communication protocol processing unit 112 generates a payload including address information indicating the local IP address (192.168.0.10) of the communication destination device 201 determined by the IP address determination unit 111 and the control message of the first communication protocol contained in the received data packet. The communication protocol processing unit 112 adds a header of the second communication protocol to the beginning of the generated payload, thereby generating a transmission request message of the second communication protocol. Thereafter, the communication protocol processing unit 112 further adds an IP header and the like to the transmission request message of the second communication protocol to form a data packet.

[0049] The source IP address of the IP header attached to the transmission request message of the second communication protocol is the global IP address (10.0.0.10) of the translation function unit 110. The destination IP address is the global IP address of the gateway device 200, more specifically, the global IP address (133.113.107.110) of the translation function unit 210 in the gateway device 200.

[0050] The external communication unit 114 of the conversion function unit 110 outputs the generated data packet to the wide area network N3. Thus, the external communication unit 114 transmits the transmission request message of the second communication protocol to the gateway device 200 via the wide area network N3.

[0051] The conversion function unit 120 has the same function as the conversion function unit 110 except that the communication destination device to be converted is the communication destination device 202. The conversion function unit 120 performs message conversion processing when receiving a packet with the local IP address of the conversion function unit 120 as the destination from the communication source device 101, that is, when receiving a packet including a control message of the first communication protocol including control data for the communication destination device 202 from the internal communication unit 123. The conversion function unit 120 stores the transmission source IP address of the packet received from the communication source device 101 in the internal memory.

[0052] The IP address determination unit 121 of the conversion function unit 120 has association data (conversion table) in which the local IP address of the conversion function unit 120 itself and the local IP address of the communication destination device 202 are associated with each other.

[0053] Figure 2 (B) shows an example of the conversion table of the IP address determination unit 121.

[0054] When the destination IP address of the data packet received from the communication source device 101 matches the local IP address of the conversion function unit 120 , the IP address identification unit 121 identifies the corresponding local IP address of the communication destination device 202 from the conversion table.

[0055] The communication protocol processing unit 122 generates a payload including address information indicating the local IP address (192.168.0.11) of the communication destination device 202 determined by the IP address determination unit 121 and the control message of the first communication protocol contained in the received data packet. The communication protocol processing unit 122 adds a header of the second communication protocol to the beginning of the generated payload, thereby generating a transmission request message of the second communication protocol. After that, the communication protocol processing unit 112 further adds an IP header and the like to the transmission request message of the second communication protocol to set it as a data packet.

[0056] The source IP address of the IP header is the global IP address (10.0.0.10) of the translation function unit 120 , and the destination IP address is the global IP address (133.113.107.110) of the translation function unit 220 in the gateway device 200 .

[0057] The external communication unit 124 of the conversion function unit 120 outputs the generated data packet to the wide area network N3. Thus, the external communication unit 124 transmits the transmission request message of the second communication protocol to the gateway device 200 via the wide area network N3.

[0058] [Gateway device 200]

[0059] The gateway device 200 is connected to the communication processing device 100 in the wide area network N3. The gateway device 200 is connected to the communication destination devices 201 and 202 in the local area network N2. The gateway device 200 receives a transmission request message of the second communication protocol sent from the communication processing device 100, and more specifically, receives a data packet containing the transmission request message of the second communication protocol. The gateway device 200 determines the communication destination device that becomes the transmission destination of the control message of the first communication protocol based on the address information contained in the payload of the transmission request message of the second communication protocol. The gateway device 200 transmits (sends) the control message of the first communication protocol to the determined communication destination device. The gateway device 200 is described in further detail below.

[0060] The gateway device 200 has a conversion function unit 210. The conversion function unit 210 has a communication protocol processing unit 212, an internal communication unit 213, and an external communication unit 214. The internal communication unit 213 communicates on the local area network N2 side, and the external communication unit 214 communicates on the wide area network N3 side. The conversion function unit 210 or the external communication unit 214 is assigned a global IP address (133.113.107.110) on the wide area network N3 side. The conversion function unit 210 or the internal communication unit 213 is assigned a local IP address (192.168.0.100) on the local area network N2 side. The conversion function unit 210 has a function of processing a second communication protocol. As a second communication protocol, the conversion function unit 210 may also have the function of an HTTPS client.

[0061] The communication protocol processing unit 212 has the function of processing the second communication protocol. It receives a transmission request message of the second communication protocol with the global IP address of the gateway device 200 as the destination, and more specifically, receives a data packet containing the transmission request message of the second communication protocol. If the communication protocol processing unit 212 receives a data packet, it processes the header of the transmission request message of the second communication protocol contained in the data packet and obtains the payload. In addition, it reads the address information and the control message of the first communication protocol from the obtained payload.

[0062] The communication protocol processing unit 212 generates an IP header etc. with the IP address (communication destination device 201 or the IP address of the communication destination device 201) indicated by the address information as the destination, and attaches the generated IP header etc. to the control message of the first communication protocol, thereby generating a data packet. The sending source address of the IP header is the local IP address (192.168.0.100) of the gateway device 200. The internal communication unit 213 of the conversion function unit 210 outputs the generated data packet to the local area network N2. Thus, the control message of the first communication protocol is sent to the communication destination device (201 or 202) assigned the IP address indicated by the address information. The output data packet is received by the communication destination device (201 or 202).

[0063] The gateway device 200 is configured as a computer device having a circuit such as a processor or a CPU, a storage device such as a memory or a hard disk, and a communication circuit. The device can be configured as a single computer device or a system composed of multiple computer devices connected to each other. The functions of the gateway device 200 can also be realized by having the CPU execute a program.

[0064] [Communication destination devices 201, 202]

[0065] The communication destination devices 201 and 202 are connected to the local area network N2 and are communication devices such as industrial controllers that are controlled by the communication source device 101. The communication destination devices 201 and 202 are assigned IP addresses based on the address system (second address system) in the local area network N2. The communication destination device 201 is assigned a local IP address of 192.168.0.10. The communication destination device 202 is assigned a local IP address of 192.168.0.11. The local area network N2 is a wired or wireless local area network. The wired or wireless local area network may also be Ethernet (registered trademark) or WiFi (registered trademark), etc.

[0066] The communication destination device 201 receives a control message of the first communication protocol sent to the present device, more specifically, a data packet sent to the present device including the control message of the first communication protocol, from the gateway device 200. The communication destination device 201 obtains the control message of the first communication protocol contained in the received data packet, and acts according to the control data contained in the obtained control message. Similarly, the communication destination device 202 receives a control message of the first communication protocol sent to the present device, more specifically, a data packet sent to the present device including the control message of the first communication protocol. The communication destination device 202 obtains the control message of the first communication protocol contained in the received data packet, and acts according to the control data contained in the obtained control message.

[0067] Figure 3 This is a diagram showing the sequence between the devices when a control message of the first communication protocol is sent from the communication source device 101 to the communication destination device 202, together with the structure of the data packet sent in each sequence. In addition, the structure of the data packet is schematically shown to the extent required for the description of this embodiment, and in fact, it may also include headers of other communication protocols that are not shown (for example, TCP or UDP header, MAC header, PHY header, etc.).

[0068] The communication source device 101 generates a message (control message) of the first communication protocol including control data of the communication destination device 202, and generates a data packet P1 in which an IP header and the like are attached to the control message. The destination IP address ( Figure 3 The "DST" of the packet P1 is the local IP address of the conversion function unit 120 that performs processing corresponding to the communication destination device 202 that is the control target. Figure 3 The “SRC” of FIG. 1 is the local IP address of the communication source device 101. The communication source device 101 outputs the generated data packet P1 to the cloud network N1 (S101).

[0069] The conversion function unit 120 of the communication processing device 100 receives the data packet P1 from the communication source device 101. Since the destination IP address of the data packet P1 matches the IP address of the conversion function unit 120, the IP address determination unit 121 of the conversion function unit 120 determines the destination IP address of the data packet P1 based on the conversion table (see Figure 2 (B)) to obtain the local IP address of the communication destination device 202 corresponding to the destination IP address of the received data packet P1. The communication protocol processing unit 122 generates a payload including address information indicating the local IP address of the communication destination device 202 obtained and the control message of the first communication protocol contained in the received data packet. The communication protocol processing unit 122 adds an IP header and the like to the payload. The source IP address of the IP header ( Figure 3 The SRC) is the global IP address of the conversion function unit 120, and the destination IP address ( Figure 3 The DST of the gateway device 200 is the global IP address of the conversion function unit 210. In addition, the communication protocol processing unit 122 generates a header (HTTPS header) of the second communication protocol. By attaching a header to the payload, a transmission request message (HTTPS message) of the second communication protocol and a data packet P2 are generated. The conversion function unit 120 outputs the generated data packet P2 to the wide area network N3 (S102). The conversion function unit 120 stores the sending source IP address of the data packet P1 received from the communication source device 101 in an internal memory.

[0070] The gateway device 200 receives the data packet P2 sent from the conversion function unit 120 of the communication processing device 100. The communication protocol processing unit 212 in the conversion function unit 210 of the gateway device 200 obtains the address information and the control message of the first communication protocol from the payload of the transmission request message of the second communication protocol contained in the received data packet P2. The communication protocol processing unit 212 generates an IP header etc. with the IP address represented by the address information (the IP address of the communication destination device 202) as the destination, and attaches the generated IP header etc. to the control message of the first communication protocol to generate a data packet P3. The sending source of the IP header is the local IP address of the gateway device 200. The conversion function unit 210 outputs the generated data packet to the local area network N2 (S103). The output data packet is received by the communication destination device 202.

[0071] The communication destination device 202 receives a data packet P3 whose destination IP address is the IP address of the communication destination device 202 from the gateway device 200. The communication destination device 202 obtains the control message of the first communication protocol included in the received data packet P3, and operates according to the control data included in the obtained control message.

[0072] In the above description, a case where a control message of the first communication protocol is sent from the communication source device 101 to the communication destination device 202 is shown. Hereinafter, an operation of sending a message of the first communication protocol (response message) including response data as a response to the control result of the communication source device 101 from the communication destination device 202 that has received the control message will be described.

[0073] Figure 4 This diagram shows a sequence between the devices when a response message of the first communication protocol is transmitted from the communication destination device 202 to the communication source device 101, together with a schematic structure of a data packet transmitted in the sequence.

[0074] The communication destination device 202 generates a data packet P4 by adding an IP header with the gateway device 200 as the destination to the response message of the first communication protocol, and outputs the generated data packet P4 to the local area network N2 (S111). The sending source IP address of the data packet P4 is the local IP address of the communication destination device 202, and the destination address is the local IP address of the gateway device 200 (conversion function unit 210).

[0075] The communication protocol processing unit 212 in the conversion function unit 210 of the gateway device 200 obtains the source IP address from the IP header of the received data packet P4, and obtains the response message of the first communication protocol from the data packet P4. The communication protocol processing unit 212 generates a payload containing address information indicating the obtained source IP address (local IP address of the communication destination device 202) and the response message of the first communication protocol. The communication protocol processing unit 212 generates an IP header, etc., which uses the global IP address of the gateway device 200 as the source IP address and the global IP address of the communication processing device 100 as the destination IP address. The conversion function unit 210 attaches the generated IP header, etc. to the payload. In addition, the communication protocol processing unit 212 attaches the header of the second communication protocol to the payload. Thus, a transmission request message of the second communication protocol and a data packet P5 are generated. The transmission request message is a message requesting the transmission of a response message to the communication source device that is the source of the control message. The conversion function unit 210 outputs the generated data packet P5 to the wide area network N3 (S112). As a result, a transmission request message of the second communication protocol is sent to communications processing device 100 via wide area network N3.

[0076] The communication protocol processing unit 122 of the conversion function unit 120 of the communication processing device 100 processes the header of the transmission request message of the second communication protocol contained in the received data packet P5, and obtains the address information and the response message of the first communication protocol from the payload. Since the address information indicates the IP address of the communication destination device 202 corresponding to the conversion function unit 120, the IP address of the communication source device 101 stored in the internal memory is read out. The conversion function unit 120 generates an IP header, etc., which uses the read IP address as the destination IP address and its own local IP address as the transmission source IP address. The conversion function unit 120 adds the IP header, etc. to the response message of the first communication protocol to generate a data packet P6, and outputs the data packet P6 to the cloud network N1 (S113). The output data packet P6 is received by the communication source device 101. The translator 110 also receives the packet P5 from the gateway device 200 , but because the address information does not indicate the IP address of the communication destination device 201 corresponding to the translator 110 , the translator 110 discards the packet P5 .

[0077] The communication source device 101 that has received the data packet P6 reads out the response message of the first communication protocol contained in the data packet P6. The communication source device 101 can determine which of the communication destination devices 201 and 202 the response message is from based on the source IP address of the data packet P6. If the source IP address is the IP address of the conversion function unit 120, it can be determined that the response message comes from the communication destination device 202. If the source IP address is the IP address of the conversion function unit 110, it can be determined that the response message comes from the communication destination device 201. The communication source device 101 acts based on the response data contained in the response message. For example, when the response data indicates that the control has been correctly executed, the communication source device 101 performs a process of sending the control data to be executed next. Alternatively, when the response data indicates that an error is detected in the control, the communication source device 101 can also perform a process of reporting the error to the user.

[0078] exist Figure 4 In the description of FIG. 1 , an example is shown in which a control message of the first communication protocol is sent from the communication source device 101 to the communication destination device 202, and a response message of the first communication protocol is sent from the communication destination device 202 to the communication source device 101. The same operation as above is performed when a control message of the first communication protocol is sent from the communication source device 101 to the communication destination device 201, and a response message of the first communication protocol is sent from the communication destination device 201 to the communication source device 101. However, in this case, the conversion function unit 110 is used instead of the conversion function unit 120 as the conversion function unit.

[0079] In this embodiment, there are two communication destination devices in the local area network N2, but the communication destination devices may be one or three or more. Since the conversion function unit is provided for each communication destination device, the number of conversion function units may be appropriately changed according to the number of communication destination devices.

[0080] As described above, according to the present embodiment, if the communication source device 101 sends a control message of the first communication protocol to the conversion function unit (110 or 120), the control message of the first communication protocol is transmitted to the communication destination device (201 or 202) corresponding to the conversion function unit (110 or 120). In addition, if the communication destination device (201 or 202) sends a response message of the first communication protocol to the conversion function unit 210 of the gateway device 200, the response message is transmitted to the communication source device 101. Therefore, it is possible to perform communication based on the first communication protocol between the communication source device and the communication destination device without adding new functions to the existing communication source device and the existing communication destination device.

[0081] In addition, according to the present embodiment, since the IP address information for transmission in the local area network N2 attached to the control message of the first communication protocol can be a local IP address in the local area network N2, it is not necessary to determine the local IP address in the cloud network N1 in the gateway device 200. Therefore, the gateway device 200 does not need to master the conversion table. Therefore, the configuration of the gateway device 200 can be simplified.

[0082] (Second Embodiment)

[0083] In the first embodiment described above, there is one communication source device, but in the second embodiment, there are two communication source devices, and the case where the types of the first communication protocols used by each communication source device are different is handled. The communication destination devices are the same as in the first embodiment, that is, two devices, and both communication destination devices can handle two first communication protocols. In other words, in each communication destination device, two applications corresponding to the two first communication protocols operate, and each application can process control messages of the corresponding type of the first communication protocol. Each communication destination device can process control messages of any type of the first protocol in the two communication source devices through the corresponding application. The present embodiment is described in detail below. The same description as in the first embodiment is appropriately omitted.

[0084] Figure 5 is a block diagram of a communication system 2 according to a second embodiment. Figure 1 The same reference numerals are used to designate the same or corresponding elements, and detailed description thereof will be appropriately omitted.

[0085] The cloud network N1 is connected to a communication source device 101 and a communication source device 102. The IP addresses of the communication source device 101 and the communication source device 102 may be the same or different.

[0086] The first communication protocol of the communication source device 101 is "Protocol A", and the first communication protocol of the communication source device 102 is "Protocol B". The communication destination devices 201 and 202 both correspond to both Protocol A and Protocol B. In the communication destination devices 201 and 202, the application corresponding to Protocol A (referred to as Application A) and the application corresponding to Protocol B (referred to as Application B) both operate. UDP is used as the transport layer protocol between the communication source devices 101, 102 and the communication processing device 100. UDP is also used as the transport layer protocol between the gateway device 200 and the communication destination devices 201 and 202. TCP is used as the transport layer protocol between the communication processing device 100 and the gateway device 200. However, TCP and UDP are just examples.

[0087] As in the first embodiment, a conversion function unit is provided for each communication destination device. The conversion function unit 110 corresponds to the communication destination device 201, and the conversion function unit 120 corresponds to the communication destination device 202. The communication source device 101 uses the conversion function unit 110 when sending a control message to the communication destination device 201, and uses the conversion function unit 120 when sending a control message to the communication destination device 202. The communication source device 102 uses the conversion function unit 110 when sending a control message to the communication destination device 201, and uses the conversion function unit 120 when sending a control message to the communication destination device 202.

[0088] The communication source device 101 generates a control message of protocol A including control data of the communication destination device 201 or 202, and generates a data packet in which a UDP header and an IP header are attached to the control message. The communication source device 101 sets the destination IP address of the data packet to the IP address of the conversion function unit (110 or 120) that performs processing corresponding to the communication destination device of the control target in the communication destination device 201 or 202. The communication source device 101 sets the destination port number of UDP in the data packet to the waiting port number of protocol A (in this example, 1000). The communication source device 101 sets the sending source port number of UDP to a predetermined port number (in this example, 2000). The communication source device 101 outputs the generated data packet to the cloud network N1.

[0089] The communication source device 102 generates a control message of protocol B including control data of the communication destination device 201 or 202, and generates a data packet in which a UDP header and an IP header are attached to the control message. The communication source device 102 sets the destination IP address of the data packet to the IP address of the conversion function unit (110 or 120) that performs processing corresponding to the communication destination device of the control target of the communication destination device 201 or 202. The communication source device 102 sets the destination port number of UDP in the data packet to the waiting port number of protocol B (in this example, 1001). The communication source device 102 sets the sending source port number of UDP to a predetermined port number (in this example, 2001). The sending source port numbers used by the communication source device 102 and the communication source device 101 are set to be different from each other. The communication source device 102 outputs the generated data packet to the cloud network N1.

[0090] The conversion function units 110 and 120 can perform message conversion processing (conversion processing) for both protocol A and protocol B. The conversion function units 110 and 120 wait for data packets from the communication source device 101 or 102 using the port number for protocol A (1000 in this example) and the port number for protocol B (1001 in this example), respectively.

[0091] When the internal communication unit 113 of the conversion function unit 110 receives a data packet with the IP address as the destination and the destination port number 1000, the communication protocol processing unit 112 performs conversion processing for protocol A and generates a transmission request message of the second communication protocol. That is, the communication protocol processing unit 112 generates a payload including a control message of protocol A, address information indicating the local IP address of the communication destination device 201, and port number information indicating the port number 1000. Moreover, by attaching a header of the second communication protocol to the payload, a transmission request message of the second communication protocol is generated. The method of determining the local IP address of the communication destination device 201 is the same as the first embodiment, which is performed by the IP address determination unit 111 using the conversion table. The transmission request message is a message requesting the transmission of the control message of protocol A to the application A of the communication destination device 201. The conversion function unit 110 stores the combination of the source IP address and the source port number of the data packet received from the communication source device 101 or 102 in the internal memory for protocol A in the conversion function unit 110.

[0092] When the internal communication unit 113 of the conversion function unit 110 receives a data packet with the IP address as the destination and the destination port number 1001, the communication protocol processing unit 112 performs conversion processing for protocol B and generates a transmission request message of the second communication protocol. That is, the communication protocol processing unit 112 generates a payload including a control message of protocol B, address information indicating the local IP address of the communication destination device 201, and port number information indicating the port number 1001. Moreover, by attaching a header of the second communication protocol to the payload, a transmission request message of the second communication protocol is generated. The method of determining the local IP address of the communication destination device 201 is the same as the first embodiment, which is performed by the IP address determination unit 111 using the conversion table. The transmission request message is a message requesting the transmission of the control message of protocol B to the application B of the communication destination device 201. The conversion function unit 110 stores the combination of the source IP address and the source port number of the data packet received from the communication source device 101 or 102 in the internal memory for protocol B in the conversion function unit 110.

[0093] The communication protocol processing unit 112 of the conversion function unit 110 adds an HTTPS header and an IP header to the generated transfer request message, and generates a data packet to the gateway device 200. The external communication unit 114 of the conversion function unit 110 outputs the generated data packet to the wide area network N3.

[0094] The processing of the conversion function unit 120 is the same as that of the conversion function unit 110 except that the communication destination device that is the object of the conversion processing is the communication destination device 202. That is, when the internal communication unit 123 of the conversion function unit 120 receives a data packet with the local IP address as the destination and the destination port number 1000, the communication protocol processing unit 122 performs conversion processing for protocol A and generates a transmission request message of the second communication protocol. That is, the communication protocol processing unit 122 generates a payload including a control message of protocol A, address information indicating the local IP address of the communication destination device 202, and port number information indicating the port number 1000. In addition, by adding a header of the second communication protocol to the payload, a transmission request message of the second communication protocol is generated. The transmission request message is a message requesting the transmission of a control message of protocol B to the application A of the communication destination device 202. The conversion function unit 120 stores the combination of the transmission source IP address and the transmission source port number of the data packet received from the communication source device 101 or 102 in the internal memory for protocol A in the conversion function unit 120.

[0095] When the internal communication unit 123 of the conversion function unit 120 receives a data packet with the local IP address as the destination and the destination port number 1001, the communication protocol processing unit 122 performs conversion processing for protocol B and generates a transmission request message of the second communication protocol. That is, the communication protocol processing unit 122 generates a payload including a control message of protocol B, address information indicating the local IP address of the communication destination device 202, and port number information indicating the port number 1001. Furthermore, by adding a header of the second communication protocol to the payload, a transmission request message of the second communication protocol is generated. The transmission request message is a message requesting the transmission of the control message of protocol B to the application B of the communication destination device 202. The conversion function unit 120 stores the combination of the transmission source IP address and the transmission source port number of the data packet received from the communication source device 101 or 102 in the internal memory for protocol B in the conversion function unit 120.

[0096] The communication protocol processing unit 122 of the conversion function unit 120 adds an HTTPS header and an IP header to the generated transfer request message, and generates a data packet to be sent to the gateway device 200. The external communication unit 124 outputs the generated data packet to the wide area network N3.

[0097] The external communication unit 214 of the conversion function unit 210 of the gateway device 200 receives a data packet sent from the conversion function unit 110 or 120 of the communication processing device 100. The communication protocol processing unit 212 in the conversion function unit 210 reads the address information, port number information, and the control message of the first communication protocol (protocol A or protocol B) from the payload of the transmission request message of the second communication protocol contained in the received data packet. The communication protocol processing unit 212 generates a UDP header and an IP header, etc., and attaches the UDP header and the IP header, etc. to the control message of the first communication protocol (protocol A or protocol B) to generate a data packet. The destination IP address is the local IP address represented by the above address information, and the source IP address is the local IP address of the gateway device 200. The destination port number of the UDP header is the port number represented by the port number information. The source port number of the UDP header is an arbitrary number or a predetermined number. The internal communication unit 213 of the conversion function unit 210 outputs the generated data packet to the local area network N2. The output data packet is received by the communication destination device 201 or 202 .

[0098] The communication destination device 201 or 202 receives a data packet whose destination IP address is the IP address of the device from the gateway device 200. The communication destination device 201 or 202 obtains the control message of the first communication protocol (protocol A or protocol B) contained in the received data packet, and passes the control data contained in the obtained control message to the application indicated by the destination port number of the UDP header. If the destination port number is 1000, it is passed to application A, and if the destination port number is 1001, it is passed to application B. Each application operates according to the passed control data.

[0099] Figure 6 This is a diagram showing a sequence between the devices when a control message of protocol B is sent from the communication source device 102 to the communication destination device 202, together with a schematic structure of a data packet sent in the sequence. The second communication protocol is HTTPS. The IP address of the communication source device 102 is 192.168.1.123, and the transmission source port number used by the communication source device 102 is 901.

[0100] The communication source device 102 generates a control message of protocol B including control data of the communication destination device 202, and generates a data packet P11 to which a UDP header and an IP header are attached. The destination IP address of the data packet P11 is the local IP address of the conversion function unit 120 that performs processing corresponding to the communication destination device 202 that is the control object. The sending source IP address of the data packet P11 is the local IP address of the communication source device 102. The destination port number of the UDP header is the waiting port number 1001 of protocol B. The sending source port number of the UDP header is the above-mentioned "901". The communication source device 102 outputs the generated data packet P11 to the cloud network N1 (S201).

[0101] The IP address determination unit 121 of the conversion function unit 120 of the communication processing device 100 obtains the local IP address of the communication destination device 202 corresponding to the destination IP address of the received data packet based on the conversion table. In addition, the communication protocol processing unit 122 of the conversion function unit 120 generates a payload including address information indicating the local IP address of the communication destination device 202, port number information indicating the port number 1001, and a control message of protocol B based on the received data packet. The communication protocol processing unit 122 generates a TCP header and an IP header and attaches them to the payload. The source IP address of the IP header is the global IP address of the conversion function unit 120, and the destination IP address is the global IP address of the conversion function unit 220 in the gateway device 200. The destination port number of the TCP header is the waiting port number of the gateway device 200, and the source port number is an arbitrary number or a predetermined number. In addition, the communication protocol processing unit 122 generates a header (HTTPS header) of the second communication protocol. The communication protocol processing unit 122 generates a transmission request message (HTTPS message) of the second communication protocol and a data packet P12 by adding a header to the head of the payload. The conversion function unit 120 outputs the generated data packet P12 to the wide area network N3 (S202). The conversion function unit 120 stores the set of the source IP address and the source port number (192.168.1.123:901) of the data packet P11 received from the communication source device 102 in the internal memory.

[0102] The gateway device 200 receives the data packet P12 sent from the conversion function unit 120 of the communication processing device 100. The communication protocol processing unit 212 in the conversion function unit 210 of the gateway device 200 reads the address information, port number information, and the control message of protocol B from the payload of the transmission request message of the second communication protocol contained in the received data packet P12. The conversion function unit 210 generates a UDP header with the destination port number set to the port number 1001 indicated by the port number information, and generates an IP header with the address indicated by the address information (the IP address of the communication destination device 202) set as the destination. The sending source address of the IP header is the local IP address of the gateway device 200. The sending source port number of the UDP header is the port number 1001 used for protocol B. The conversion function unit 210 generates a data packet P13 by attaching the generated UDP header and IP header to the control message of protocol B. The conversion function unit 210 outputs the generated data packet P13 to the local area network N2 (S203). The output data packet is received by the communication destination device 202 .

[0103] The communication destination device 202 receives the data packet P13 whose destination IP address is the IP address of the communication destination device 202 from the gateway device 200. The communication destination device 202 passes the control data included in the control message of protocol B to the application B indicated by the port number 1001 of the UDP header in the received data packet P13. The application B operates according to the acquired control data.

[0104] In the above description, the case where the control message of protocol B is sent from the communication source device 102 to the communication destination device 202 is described. Figure 7 An operation example in which a response message of protocol B is transmitted from the communication destination device 202 that has received the control message to the communication source device 102 will be described.

[0105] Figure 7 This diagram shows a sequence between the devices when a response message of protocol B is transmitted from the communication destination device 202 to the communication source device 102, together with a schematic structure of a data packet transmitted in the sequence.

[0106] The communication destination device 202 generates a data packet P14 by attaching an IP header with the gateway device 200 as the destination to the response message of protocol B containing the response data sent to the communication source device 102. The communication destination device 202 outputs the generated data packet P14 to the local area network N2 (S211). The sending source IP address of the data packet P14 is the local IP address of the communication destination device 202, and the destination address is the local IP address of the gateway device 200. The sending source port number of the UDP header is the port number 1001 used for protocol B. The destination port number of the UDP header is the port number 1001 used for protocol B. The gateway device 200 uses port number 1001 for protocol B and port number 1000 for protocol A, and waits in the local area network N2.

[0107] The conversion function unit 210 of the gateway device 200 determines the source IP address of the IP header (the IP address of the communication destination device 202) based on the data packet P14 received from the communication destination device 202. In addition, the conversion function unit 210 determines the destination port number of the UDP header from the data packet P14 (the port number 1001 used by the application B). In addition, the conversion function unit 210 obtains the response message of the protocol B from the data packet P14. The conversion function unit 210 generates a payload of the second communication protocol including address information indicating the local IP address of the communication destination device 202, port number information indicating the port number 1001 used by the protocol B, and the response message of the protocol B. The conversion function unit 210 adds an IP header and the like to the payload. In addition, the conversion function unit 210 generates a transmission request message of the second communication protocol and a data packet P15 by adding a header of the second communication protocol to the payload. The conversion function unit 210 outputs the generated data packet P15 to the wide area network N3 (S212). The source IP address of the IP header of the data packet P15 is the global IP address of the gateway device 200, and the destination IP address is the global IP address of the communications processing device 100. The destination port number of the UDP of the data packet may be the standby port number of the communications processing device 100, and the source port number may be an arbitrary number or a predetermined number. The predetermined number may also be the same as the port number used for waiting for the data packet of the control message from the communications processing device 100.

[0108] The conversion function unit 120 in the communication processing device 100 obtains the address information, port number information, and the response message of protocol B based on the payload of the transmission request message of the second communication protocol contained in the data packet P15 received from the gateway device 200. The address information indicates the IP address of the communication destination device 202 corresponding to the conversion function unit 120, and the port number information indicates the port number used by protocol B (application B). Therefore, the group of the IP address and port number of the communication source device 102 stored in the internal memory for protocol B (192.168.1.123:901) is read out. The conversion function unit 120 generates an IP header with the read IP address as the destination IP address and its own local IP address as the source IP address. In addition, a UDP header is generated with the read port number as the destination port number and the port number (1001) used for protocol B as the source port number. The conversion function unit 120 generates a data packet P16 by attaching a UDP header and an IP header to the response message of protocol B. The conversion function unit 120 transmits the data packet P16 to the communication source device 102 in the cloud network N1 (S213). In addition, although the data packet P15 is also received in the conversion function unit 110, the above-mentioned address information obtained from the received data packet P15 does not indicate the IP address of the communication destination device 201 corresponding to the conversion function unit 110, and therefore the conversion function unit 110 discards the received data packet P15.

[0109] The communication source device 102 reads the response message of protocol B from the received data packet P16, and performs processing based on the response data contained in the response message. The communication source device 102 can determine which of the communication destination devices 201 and 202 the response message comes from based on the source IP address of the data packet P16. In addition, the application program of the source (type of the first communication protocol) can be determined based on the source port number. The processing example based on the response data is the same as that of the first embodiment.

[0110] exist Figure 7 In the description of , an example is shown in which a response message of protocol B is sent from the communication destination device 202 to the communication source device 102, but the same operation can be performed when the communication destination device 202 receives a control message of protocol A and sends a response message. In addition, when the communication destination device 202 receives a control message for protocol A or B from the communication source device 101, the same operation as above is performed when the response message is sent to the communication source device 101. In addition, when the communication destination device 201 receives a control message for protocol A or B from the communication source device 101 or 102, the above operation can be performed when the response message is sent to the communication source device 101 or 102.

[0111] As described above, according to this embodiment, the communication processing device 100 includes information on the port number corresponding to the application to which the control message should be transmitted among the multiple applications running in the communication destination device at the transmission destination in the transmission request message of the second communication protocol. Thus, the gateway device 200 can transmit the control message of the first communication protocol to the corresponding application even when multiple applications are running in the communication destination device.

[0112] (Variant 1)

[0113] The IP address and waiting port number of communications processing device 100 and the IP address and waiting port number of gateway device 200 in the second embodiment described above can also be set by a file created based on user input.

[0114] Figure 8 is a block diagram of a communication system 2A according to a first variation of the second embodiment. Figure 5 The same or corresponding elements are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof is omitted.

[0115] The communication processing device 100 is provided with a function setting unit 180 for setting the conversion function units 110 and 120. The function setting unit 180 sets the conversion function units 110 and 120 (settings such as IP addresses and port numbers) based on the system configuration file 181. The system configuration file 181 can be created and updated based on input data from the user terminal 301. The function setting unit 180 presents the user terminal 301 with an input GUI (Graphical User Interface) screen for creating and updating the system configuration file 181. The function setting unit 180 receives the data input from the user terminal 301 and creates the system configuration file 181. The user inputs necessary information on the input GUI screen and performs an upload operation, thereby providing the input information to the function setting unit 180.

[0116] The gateway device 200 is provided with a function setting unit 280 for setting the conversion function unit 210. The function setting unit 280 sets the conversion function unit 210 (settings such as IP address and port number) based on the system configuration file 281. The system configuration file 281 can be created and updated based on the input data from the user terminal 301. The function setting unit 280 prompts the user terminal 301 with an input GUI screen for creating and updating the system configuration file 281. The function setting unit 280 receives the data input from the user terminal 301 to create the system configuration file 281. The user inputs the necessary information on the input GUI screen and performs an upload operation, so that the input information can be provided to the function setting unit 280. In addition, the user terminal 301 used to set the setting function unit 180 and the user terminal 301 used to set the setting function unit 280 can be the same as or different from the user terminal connected to the wide area network N3.

[0117] Fig. 9 The example of the system configuration file 181 and the system configuration file 281 is shown. The function setting unit 180 generates Fig. 9 In addition, the function setting unit 280 generates a system configuration file 181 based on the user input. Fig. 9 (B) system configuration file 281. "Cloud URI" is the URI of communications processing device 100 when communications processing device 100 is an HTTPS server.

[0118] exist Figure 8 , an example in which a function setting unit is added to each of communications processing device 100 and gateway device 200 in the second embodiment is shown, but the same modification can be made in the first embodiment as well.

[0119] (Variant 2)

[0120] In the second embodiment described above, both the conversion function units 110 and 120 can handle multiple types of first communication protocols (protocol A and protocol B), but each may only handle one first communication protocol. For example, the conversion function unit 110 may correspond to protocol A, and the conversion function unit 120 may correspond to protocol B. In this case, the communication destination device 201 may only handle protocol A, and the communication destination device 202 may only handle protocol B.

[0121] Alternatively, for example, the conversion function unit 110 may support protocol B, and the conversion function unit 120 may support protocol A. In this case, the communication destination device 201 may only support protocol B, and the communication destination device 202 may only support protocol A.

[0122] (Variant 3)

[0123] In the second embodiment described above, two communication source devices exist in the cloud network N1 , but the number of communication source devices may be three or more.

[0124] Furthermore, although there are two communication destination devices in the local area network N2, the number of communication destination devices may be one or three or more.

[0125] In addition, the number of communication source devices and communication destination devices does not need to be the same. There may be one communication source device and two or more communication destination devices. In addition, there may be two or more communication source devices and one communication destination device.

[0126] Fig.10 is a block diagram of a communication system 2B according to a third variation of the second embodiment. Figure 5 The same or corresponding elements are marked with the same reference numerals, and detailed descriptions are omitted. In this example, there are two or more communication source devices and one communication destination device. Since there is only one communication destination device, there is only one conversion function unit in the communication processing device. Except for the difference in the number of communication destination devices and the number of conversion function units, the operation of the communication system 2B is the same as that of the communication system 2B. Figure 5 The same as the communication system 2.

[0127] Fig.11 This is a block diagram of a communication system 2C according to a third variation of the second embodiment. In this example, there are three communication source devices (communication source devices 101, 102, 103) and three communication destination devices (communication destination devices 201, 202, 203). Since there are three communication destination devices, there are also three conversion function units in the communication processing device (conversion function units 110, 120, 130). The conversion function units 110, 120, 130 perform processing corresponding to the communication destination devices 201, 202, 203, respectively. The operation of the communication system 2C is the same as that of the first embodiment, except that the number of communication destination devices and the number of conversion function units are different. Figure 5 The same as the communication system 2.

[0128] and Fig.10 as well as Fig.11 The same modification can also be applied to the first embodiment.

[0129] (Variant 4)

[0130] In the second embodiment described above, the conversion function units 110 and 120 are used in common for all communication source devices, but a dedicated conversion function unit may be provided for each communication source device.

[0131] Fig.12It is a block diagram of a communication system 2D according to a fourth variation of the second embodiment.

[0132] The conversion function units 110 and 120 are dedicated to the communication source device 101 that processes the protocol A, and the conversion function units 130 and 140 are dedicated to the communication source device 102 that processes the protocol B. The conversion function unit 110 is used when a control message is sent from the communication source device 101 to the communication destination device 201, and the conversion function unit 120 is used when a control message is sent from the communication source device 101 to the communication destination device 202. The conversion function unit 130 is used when a control message is sent from the communication source device 102 to the communication destination device 201, and the conversion function unit 140 is used when a control message is sent from the communication source device 102 to the communication destination device 202. The conversion function unit 130 has the same function as the conversion function unit 110, and the conversion function unit 140 has the same function as the conversion function unit 120. Since the operation example of the communication system 2D is the same as that of the second embodiment, the description thereof will be omitted.

[0133] and Fig.12 The same modification can also be applied to the first embodiment.

[0134] (Variant 5)

[0135] In the second embodiment described above, there is one local area network, but there may be two or more local area networks. In this case, a gateway device and a communication processing device are arranged for each local area network.

[0136] Fig.13 It is a block diagram of a communication system 2E according to a fifth modification of the second embodiment.

[0137] There are two local area networks N2_A and N2_B. Communication destination devices 201A and 202A are arranged in the local area network N2_A, and communication destination devices 201B and 202B are arranged in the local area network N2_B. The address systems of the local area networks N2_A and N2_B are independent of each other. As shown in the figure, the IP addresses of the communication destination devices 201A and 202A are the same as those of the communication destination devices 201B and 202B, but they may be different.

[0138] A gateway device 200A and a communication processing device 100A are configured to correspond to the local network N2_A, and a gateway device 200B and a communication processing device 100B are configured to correspond to the local network N2_B.

[0139] When a control message of the first communication protocol is sent from the communication source device 101 to the local area network N2_A, the communication processing device 100A and the gateway device 200A are used. When a control message of the first communication protocol is sent from the communication source device 101 to the local area network N2_B, the communication processing device 100B and the gateway device 200B are used. The conversion function units 110 and 120 of the communication processing device 100A correspond to the communication destination devices 201A and 202A in the local area network N2_A, respectively. Since the conversion function units 130 and 140 of the communication processing device 100B correspond to the communication destination devices 201B and 202B in the local area network N2_B, respectively.

[0140] Fig.13 The operation example of the communication system 2E is the same as that of the first or second embodiment, so the description is omitted.

[0141] exist Fig.13 In the embodiment, an example is shown in which the number of local area networks in the second embodiment is multiple, but the number of local area networks can also be multiple in the first embodiment.

[0142] (Variant 6)

[0143] In the first and second embodiments described above, each conversion function unit is fixedly connected to a gateway device, but in this variant, there are multiple gateway devices, and the gateway device to which each conversion function unit is connected can be switched by setting. This can reduce the number of conversion function units operating in the communication processing device, and can save memory capacity or power consumption.

[0144] Fig.14 It is a block diagram of a communication system 2F of a sixth variant of the second embodiment. The conversion function units 110 and 120 in the communication processing device 100 can switch the settings through the function setting unit 180. The function setting unit 180 sets the conversion function units 110 and 120 through the system configuration file A when the conversion function units 110 and 120 communicate with the gateway device 200A. On the other hand, the function setting unit 180 sets the conversion function units 110 and 120 through the system configuration file B when the conversion function units 110 and 120 communicate with the gateway device 200B. The global IP addresses of the gateway devices 200A and 200B are different. The settings based on the system configuration files A and B also include the settings of the global IP addresses of the gateway devices 200A and 200B. The function setting unit 180 sets the conversion function units 110 and 120 according to the instruction data from the user terminal 301. Alternatively, the function setting unit 180 may perform settings of the conversion function units 110 and 120 in response to a request from the communication source device 101 .

[0145] When the conversion function units 110 and 120 are set by the system configuration file A, the conversion function unit 110 performs processing corresponding to the communication destination device 201A of the local network N2_A. In addition, the conversion function unit 120 performs processing corresponding to the communication destination device 202A of the local network N2_A.

[0146] When the conversion function units 110 and 120 are set by the system configuration file B, the conversion function unit 110 performs processing corresponding to the communication destination device 201B of the local network N2_B. In addition, the conversion function unit 120 performs processing corresponding to the communication destination device 202B of the local network N2_B.

[0147] Since the operation after setting in the system configuration file A or B is the same as that in the first or second embodiment, the description thereof will be omitted.

[0148] exist Fig.14 Although a modification example in the second embodiment is shown, the same modification can be made in the first embodiment.

[0149] (Variant 7)

[0150] Each conversion function unit in the communication processing device 100 of the first and second embodiments described above may have functions other than the IP address identification unit and the communication protocol processing unit. In this way, the function of each conversion function unit can be expanded.

[0151] Fig.15 The block diagram is a communication system 2G according to the seventh modification of the second embodiment. The switching function unit 110 further includes a communication status detection unit 115, a packet aggregation unit 116, and a communication suppression determination unit 117. The switching function unit 120 further includes a communication status detection unit 125, a packet aggregation unit 126, and a communication suppression determination unit 127.

[0152] The communication status detection unit 115 detects the communication status between the communication processing device 100 (conversion function units 110, 120) and the gateway device 200, or the communication status between the communication source device 101 and the communication destination device 201, and sends information indicating the communication status to the user terminal 301. The user terminal 301 may also display the communication status and allow the user to confirm the communication status. For example, in the case where an error occurs and the communication stops, the user may also go to the location where the local area network N2 is set up to confirm the status of the communication destination device 201. The function of the communication status detection unit 125 is the same as that of the communication status detection unit 115.

[0153] The data packet aggregation unit 116 aggregates multiple data packets output to the wide area network N3 into one data frame. By aggregating multiple data packets into one, when the size of the data packets is small, it is possible to reduce overhead and reduce communication volume compared to sending the data packets separately. The data packet aggregation unit 116, for example, aggregates the data packets into one data frame until the upper limit of the data size or the number of data packets that can be aggregated into the data frame is reached. In addition, a time limit can be set for the aggregation, and if the upper limit is not reached within a certain time, the aggregation is temporarily terminated at that moment. The function of the data packet aggregation unit 126 is the same as that of the data packet aggregation unit 116.

[0154] The communication suppression determination unit 117 monitors the number of errors in the communication, and when the number of errors exceeds a threshold, terminates or suppresses the communication, and sends information indicating this to the communication source device 101, the communication source device 102, or the user terminal 301. For example, the communication suppression determination unit 117 may also monitor whether the number of errors in the communication, such as the number of HTTPS timeouts or the number of retransmissions, exceeds a threshold in the communication between the communication processing device 100 (conversion function units 110, 120) and the gateway device 200. The communication suppression determination unit 127 has the same function as the communication suppression determination unit 117. The operation of the communication suppression determination unit 127 is obvious from the description of the communication suppression determination unit 117, so the detailed description is omitted.

[0155] In addition, the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment and each embodiment as it is, and in the implementation stage, the constituent elements can be deformed and concretized within the scope of its main purpose. In addition, various inventions can be formed by appropriately combining a plurality of constituent elements disclosed in the above-mentioned embodiment. In addition, for example, it is also possible to consider deleting a few constituent elements from all the constituent elements shown in the embodiment. And, it is also possible to appropriately combine the constituent elements recorded in different embodiments.

[0156] Description of Reference Numerals

[0157] 1, 2, 2A, 2B, 2C, 2D, 2E, 2F, 2G communication systems

[0158] 100, 100A, 100B communication processing device

[0159] 101, 102, 103 communication source device

[0160] 110 Conversion function unit

[0161] 111 IP Address Determination Department

[0162] 112 Communication protocol processing unit

[0163] 113 Internal Communications Department

[0164] 114 External Communications Department

[0165] 115 Communication status detection unit

[0166] 116 Data Packet Aggregation Unit

[0167] 117 Communication suppression judgment unit

[0168] 120, 130, 140 conversion function unit

[0169] 121 IP address determination department

[0170] 122 Communication protocol processing unit

[0171] 123 Internal Communications Department

[0172] 124 External Communications Department

[0173] 125 Communication status detection unit

[0174] 126 Data Packet Aggregation Unit

[0175] 127 Communication suppression judgment unit

[0176] 180 Function setting section

[0177] 181 System Configuration Files

[0178] 200, 200A, 200B Gateway Devices

[0179] 201, 201A, 201B communication destination device

[0180] 202, 202A, 202B communication destination device

[0181] 203 Communication destination device

[0182] 210, 220 Conversion function unit

[0183] 212 Communication protocol processing unit

[0184] 213 Internal Communications Department

[0185] 214 External Communications Department

[0186] 280 Function setting section

[0187] 281 System Configuration Files

[0188] 301 User Terminal

[0189] N1 Cloud Network

[0190] N2 Local Area Network

[0191] N2_A Local Area Network

[0192] N2_B Local Area Network

[0193] N3 Wide Area Network

[0194] P1, P2, P3, P4, P5, P6 data packets

[0195] P11, P12, P13, P14, P15, P16 data packets.

Claims

1. A communication processing device, comprising: A first communication unit receives a message of a first communication protocol from a first communication device in a first network of a first address system; an address determination unit that, when a destination address of a message of the first communication protocol is consistent with a first address in the first address system assigned to the first communication unit, determines an address of the second communication device corresponding to the first address based on corresponding data that establishes a correspondence between the first address and an address of a second communication device in a second network of a second address system; a communication protocol processing unit that includes address information indicating the address of the second communication device and the message of the first communication protocol in a payload, and generates a message of the second communication protocol that requests transmission of the message of the first communication protocol to the second communication device; as well as The second communication unit transmits a message of the second communication protocol to a gateway device capable of communicating with the second communication device in the second network.

2. The communication processing device according to claim 1, wherein: The communication protocol processing unit determines which of a plurality of port numbers corresponding to a plurality of application programs running in the second communication device matches the destination port number of the message of the first communication protocol. The communication protocol processing unit includes port number information indicating the determined port number in the payload, The message of the second communication protocol is a message requesting transmission of a message of the first communication protocol to the application program indicated by the port number information and operating in the second communication device.

3. The communication processing device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The communication protocol processing unit generates a message of the second communication protocol by adding a header of the second communication protocol to the payload.

4. The communication processing device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The message of the first communication protocol includes control data for controlling the second communication device.

5. The communication processing device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The second communication protocol is a communication protocol at a higher level than the first communication protocol in the communication protocol hierarchy.

6. The communication processing device according to claim 5, wherein: The second communication protocol is HTTPS.

7. The communication processing device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: A plurality of conversion function units are provided, wherein the conversion function units include the first communication unit, the address determination unit, the communication protocol processing unit, and the second communication unit. The plurality of conversion function units respectively set the plurality of the second communication devices in the second network as objects to be processed, The first communication units of the plurality of conversion function units are assigned different first addresses, respectively.

8. The communication processing device according to claim 7, wherein: The plurality of second communication devices exist in a plurality of second networks having respectively different second address systems.

9. A communication method, receiving, by the communication unit, a message of the first communication protocol from a first communication device in a first network of a first address system, In a case where the destination address of the message of the first communication protocol is consistent with the first address in the first address system assigned to the communication unit, based on the corresponding data that establishes a correspondence between the first address and the address of the second communication device in the second network of the second address system, the address of the second communication device corresponding to the first address is determined, including address information indicating the address of the second communication device and the message of the first communication protocol in a payload, generating a message of the second communication protocol, the message of the second communication protocol requesting transmission of the message of the first communication protocol to the second communication device, sending a message of the second communication protocol to a third network, receiving a message of the second communication protocol from the third network, Processing the message of the second communication protocol and obtaining the address information and the message of the first communication protocol, A message of the first communication protocol with the address of the second communication device indicated by the acquired address information as a destination is transmitted to the second communication device in the second network.

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