Industrial protocol conversion management method of information model based on ontology

Abstract

The invention discloses an industrial protocol conversion management method of an information model based on an ontology, and relates to the industrial field, a system framework corresponding to the method comprises an information model tool based on the ontology, a multi-protocol converter and industrial equipment, and the multi-protocol converter comprises an information model engine and a protocol module; the multi-protocol converter is connected with m multi-protocol industrial devices on an industrial site through the n protocol modules, reads and writes data of the protocol modules by using the information model engine, generates an information model, and finally uploads the information model to the ontology-based information model tool for display; the ontology-based information model tool can perform visual configuration, then issues configuration information to the information model engine of the multi-protocol converter and performs information model analysis, and finally runs a configured conversion task. The method ensures that data and operations between different protocols can be effectively mapped and converted.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the industrial field, and in particular to an industrial protocol conversion management method based on an ontology information model. Background Art

[0002] With the rapid development of smart manufacturing and Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), devices and systems from different manufacturers often use different communication protocols, such as Profinet, EtherCAT, LoRa, ZigBee, etc. These protocols have significant differences in data format, communication mode and processing logic, resulting in the inability of direct communication between different devices and systems. In actual industrial applications, this heterogeneity of protocols not only increases the complexity of system integration, but also limits the interconnection and collaborative work of devices and systems. In order to achieve data intercommunication and collaborative work between different systems, an effective protocol conversion management method is urgently needed.

[0003] Traditional protocol conversion methods usually rely on static mapping or specific rule sets. These methods often fail to meet the requirements of flexibility and scalability when facing complex and changing network environments. Moreover, when new protocols emerge or existing protocols are updated, the original conversion mechanism may not be able to adapt in time, resulting in reduced compatibility and maintainability of the system. Ontology can be used as a formal knowledge representation tool to help the system understand and handle the differences between different protocols. By introducing the idea of ​​ontology and developing an ontology-based information model to manage the protocol conversion process, the semantic relationship between different protocols can be better described and managed, thereby realizing conversion and interoperability between protocols, providing important technical support for the information and intelligent upgrade of the industrial field.

[0004] After searching the existing literature, it was found that the closest implementation scheme is the Chinese patent application number CN202111068787.1, named: A protocol conversion method based on knowledge graph, which specifically builds a protocol ontology and generates its corresponding knowledge graph, connects the knowledge graphs of different protocol ontologies through a mapping strategy, and forms a protocol conversion knowledge graph. When a protocol conversion request occurs, the knowledge graph is used to call a general algorithm for protocol conversion. This patent solves the problems of poor scalability, waste of resources, and low development efficiency of traditional methods.

[0005] Another similar implementation is the Chinese patent application number CN202410325882.2, named: A protocol conversion method based on knowledge graph, which is currently in the substantive examination stage. Its specific approach is: after building and maintaining the knowledge graph on the distributed system nodes, monitor and collect protocol usage and performance data in real time, and regularly update the knowledge graph content to adjust the protocol conversion rules. This patent improves the system's adaptability and response speed to various protocol standards, and improves network performance and protocol conversion efficiency. Both patents use the knowledge graph method to build and maintain protocol conversion rules to achieve an efficient, general and scalable protocol conversion method, but they did not introduce the content of the knowledge graph and the specific protocol conversion rules. Secondly, they implement protocol conversion at the application layer, which cannot guarantee the real-time performance of protocol conversion in industrial sites.

[0006] Patents related to other information models: The Chinese patent application number is CN201310125019.4, and its name is: A modeling method and information interaction method for an ultra-high voltage power grid information model. The specific approach is: A modeling method and information interaction method for an ultra-high voltage power grid information model are introduced, and transmitted on an information integration bus based on the IEC61970 / 61968 standard according to business scenario requirements.

[0007] The Chinese patent application number is CN202110965733.9, and its name is: A modeling method and device for an information model for industrial Internet identification. The specific approach is: by using four generators to process data sources respectively, generate data templates, identification codes, parse data and their corresponding mapping relationships, and finally construct an information model.

[0008] The Chinese patent application number is CN202311848436.1, which is in the substantive examination status. Its name is: Information model construction method, device and storage medium for process control system. Its specific approach is: by obtaining system structure data and application data and converting them into information models, the problem of protocol and standard differences between different devices and manufacturers is solved.

[0009] The Chinese patent application number is CN202410285255.0, which is in the substantive examination status. The name is: A 3D graph display interaction method based on electric power knowledge graph, which specifically involves: acquiring power system data, using RDF and OWL to construct a knowledge graph, and mapping it into 3D graphic elements to satisfy users' queries on the power system knowledge graph in a virtual reality environment. These four patents establish data as a standard information model or knowledge graph, which is conducive to solving the differences between different protocol standards and improving the efficiency of viewing data. However, they only monitor the collected data, and there is no way to configure it graphically, and they do not have the function of converting industrial protocols.

[0010] Therefore, it is necessary to design a universal, scalable and efficient management method for the field of industrial protocol conversion. Summary of the invention

[0011] In view of the above-mentioned defects of the prior art, the technical problem to be solved by the present invention is how to overcome the deficiencies in flexibility and scalability of the management method in the existing industrial protocol conversion process.

[0012] To achieve the above-mentioned purpose, the present invention provides an industrial protocol conversion management method based on an ontology-based information model, characterized in that the system framework corresponding to the method includes three parts: an ontology-based information model tool, a multi-protocol converter and industrial equipment, the multi-protocol converter includes an information model engine and a protocol module; the multi-protocol converter connects m multi-protocol industrial equipment at the industrial site through n protocol modules, uses the information model engine to read and write protocol module data and generate an information model, and finally uploads it to the ontology-based information model tool for display; the ontology-based information model tool can perform visual configuration, and then send configuration information to the information model engine of the multi-protocol converter and perform information model parsing, and finally runs the configured conversion task.

[0013] Furthermore, the ontology-based information model tool is located in a high-performance server.

[0014] Furthermore, the multi-protocol converter is an embedded device and can be connected to the ontology-based information model tool via a network.

[0015] Furthermore, the protocol module is a universal module centered on the protocol, and each protocol can mount multiple industrial devices according to the protocol characteristics, that is, the number of the protocol modules is less than the number of the industrial devices.

[0016] Furthermore, the ontology-based information model is divided into three layers, wherein the first layer is a physical layer, which includes the multi-protocol converter for heterogeneous protocol conversion, and there may be multiple of them;

[0017] The second layer is the information model engine body, which includes the self-attributes, various services and protocol module classes in the multi-protocol converter. The self-attributes may include attributes and identification IDs, the self-attributes include static attributes and dynamic attributes, the services refer to conversion services, and the protocol module classes are used to identify the accessed protocol modules;

[0018] The static attributes may include information such as manufacturer, software version, maximum number of card slots, etc.; the dynamic attributes may include information such as working status, IP address, operation sequence table, etc.;

[0019] The third layer is the protocol module body, which contains the parameters of the protocol module, including static parameters and dynamic parameters;

[0020] The static parameters encapsulate the basic description of the protocol module, including the protocol name, manufacturer, identification ID, and slot number, and the dynamic parameters include module operation status, I / O devices, and input and output data of the I / O devices;

[0021] Furthermore, the information model in the multi-protocol converter is in JSON format; the information model in the ontology-based information model tool is in JSON format, and node coordinate information is added compared to the information model in the multi-protocol converter.

[0022] Furthermore, the method mainly includes: initialization of ontology-based information model tools, information model update and protocol conversion rule configuration.

[0023] Furthermore, the initialization of the ontology-based information model tool, i.e. receiving the initialization data of the information model of the multi-protocol converter, comprises the following processing steps:

[0024] Step S11: Open and start the ontology-based information model tool, which may be developed based on the web and compatible with multiple platforms;

[0025] Step S12: Determine whether the multi-protocol converter is successfully connected, if successful, proceed to the next step; if unsuccessful, continue to wait for the multi-protocol converter to connect;

[0026] Step S13: receiving the initialization information model of the multi-protocol converter;

[0027] Step S14: Determine whether the information model already exists in the ontology-based information model tool. If so, first match it with the existing information model, replace and merge the old information model, and finally update the ontology-based information model diagram on the visualization interface; if not, directly update the ontology-based information model diagram on the visualization interface.

[0028] Furthermore, the information model update process includes the following processing steps:

[0029] Step S21: after the timer is initialized, it is determined whether the timer has reached the set time. If so, the next step is entered to complete the information model update. If not, it is determined whether a new multi-protocol converter is connected.

[0030] If a new device is connected, the process returns to the initialization of the ontology-based information model tool, receives the initialization information model of the new device, and then continues to determine whether the timer has reached the set time; if no new device is connected, continues to determine whether the timer has reached the set time;

[0031] The setting time of the timer needs to be set according to the frequency of information model update, and the frequency should not be too high;

[0032] Step S22: Update the information model. First, confirm whether the multi-protocol converter is connected, that is, confirm whether there is a source of information model data. If connected, receive the information model and merge it with the old information model. Then update the ontology-based information model diagram in the visual interface, and finally return to step S21 to continue to determine whether the timer has reached the set time. If not connected, directly return to step S21 to continue to determine whether the timer has reached the set time.

[0033] Furthermore, the protocol conversion rule configuration is performed by the user through a visual interface after the ontology-based information model tool is initialized. The protocol conversion rule configuration process includes the following steps:

[0034] Step S31: Visual editing and configuration, configuring the protocol conversion rules in the visual interface, that is, adding nodes and drawing the relationship between the nodes;

[0035] Step S32: determine the correctness of the rule, determine whether the conversion rule complies with the rule, including the basic parameters and the extended parameters. If it complies, proceed to the next step to complete the issuance of the protocol conversion rule; if it does not comply, report an error message, and then return to the visual interface to continue configuration;

[0036] Step S33: The sending of the protocol conversion rules first confirms whether the multi-protocol converter is connected, that is, confirms whether there is a configurable multi-protocol converter. If connected, the information model of the protocol conversion rules is intercepted and then sent down, and finally the sending of the information model is reported to the ontology-based information model tool; if not connected, the sending status is directly reported to the ontology-based information model tool.

[0037] This method can ensure that data and operations between different industrial protocol devices are effectively mapped and converted by designing an ontology-based information model. This method achieves efficient interoperability between devices through accurate description and association at the semantic level, which helps solve scalability and compatibility issues in heterogeneous systems. Displaying the information model in the form of an ontology graph makes complex concepts and relationships more intuitive. Based on this, developers and domain experts can more clearly understand and analyze the relationship between different protocol devices, reduce misunderstandings, and improve the efficiency of system configuration.

[0038] The ontology-based information model has good support for new protocols through semantic association and has strong expansion capabilities. With the diversification and complexity of industrial protocols, this method can quickly adapt to the integration requirements of new protocols. This method manages the data of different industrial protocol devices in the form of a visual ontology graph, improves the efficiency of knowledge management and decision support, and reduces the maintenance cost of the system.

[0039] This method takes into account the compatibility of existing industrial protocol devices, and the information model can be smoothly integrated into existing industrial systems. The efficiency of developers and domain experts in operations such as protocol mapping is improved through graphical methods, reducing the complexity and cost of implementation. With the rapid development of the Industrial Internet of Things, the demand for the management of multi-industrial protocol devices is growing. This method provides a solution for the current industrial protocol conversion and also provides ideas for the future interoperability of protocol devices. It has good market prospects and industrialization potential.

[0040] The concept, specific structure and technical effects of the present invention will be further described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings to fully understand the purpose, characteristics and effects of the present invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0041] Figure 1 It is a heterogeneous industrial wired / wireless protocol conversion architecture diagram of a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

[0042] Figure 2 It is an ontology-based information model initialization of a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

[0043] Figure 3 It is an information model update of a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

[0044] Figure 4 This is a protocol conversion rule configuration of a preferred embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0045] The following describes several preferred embodiments of the present invention with reference to the drawings in the specification, so that the technical content is clearer and easier to understand. The present invention can be embodied in many different forms of embodiments, and the protection scope of the present invention is not limited to the embodiments mentioned in the text.

[0046] In the drawings, components with the same structure are indicated by the same numerical reference numerals, and components with similar structures or functions are indicated by similar numerical reference numerals. The size and thickness of each component shown in the drawings are arbitrarily shown, and the present invention does not limit the size and thickness of each component. In order to make the illustration clearer, the thickness of the components is appropriately exaggerated in some places in the drawings.

[0047] The purpose of the present invention is to improve the deficiencies in flexibility and scalability of management methods in the existing industrial protocol conversion process, and to provide a heterogeneous protocol conversion management method based on an ontology information model.

[0048] The protocol conversion embodiment of the present invention is Figure 1 As an example, the multi-protocol converter connects m multi-protocol industrial devices at the industrial site through n protocol modules, uses the information model engine to read and write protocol module data and generate information models, and finally uploads them to the ontology-based information model tool for display. The ontology-based information model tool can perform visual configuration, then send configuration information to the information model engine of the multi-protocol converter and perform information model parsing, and finally run the configured conversion task.

[0049] Preferably, the ontology-based information model tool is located in a high-performance server.

[0050] Furthermore, the multi-protocol converter may have multiple ones for connecting the industrial devices in different areas.

[0051] Preferably, the multi-protocol converter is an embedded device and can be connected to the ontology-based information model tool via a network.

[0052] Furthermore, the protocol module is a universal module centered on the protocol, and each protocol can mount multiple industrial devices according to the protocol characteristics, that is, n is less than or equal to m.

[0053] The ontology-based information model used in the protocol conversion management of the present invention takes Profinet and Ethernet / IP as examples.

[0054] The ontology-based information model is divided into three layers.

[0055] The first layer is a physical layer, which includes the multi-protocol converter used for heterogeneous protocol conversion, and there may be multiple multi-protocol converters.

[0056] The second layer is the information model engine body, which includes the self-attributes, various services and protocol module classes in the multi-protocol converter. The self-attributes may include attributes and identification IDs. The attributes include static attributes and dynamic attributes. The service here takes the conversion service as an example. The protocol class module is used to identify the accessed protocol module.

[0057] Furthermore, the static attributes may include information such as manufacturer, software version, maximum number of card slots, etc. The dynamic attributes may include information such as working status, IP address, operation sequence table, etc.

[0058] The third layer is the protocol module body, which contains the parameters of the protocol module, including static parameters and dynamic parameters.

[0059] Furthermore, the static parameters encapsulate the basic description of the protocol module, which may be the protocol name, manufacturer, identification ID, slot number, etc. The dynamic parameters include the module operation status, I / O device and input and output data of the I / O device, etc. Here, the Profinet module is taken as an example, and its static parameters include the protocol name is Profinet, the manufacturer is Hongke, the identification ID is 0x123, and the slot number is 1; its dynamic parameters include the status value OK and I / O device 1. The I / O device 1 has input data of 0x01 and output data of 0x15.

[0060] Preferably, the information model in the multi-protocol converter may be in JSON format. The information model in the ontology-based information model tool may be in JSON format, which adds information such as node coordinates compared to the information model in the multi-protocol converter.

[0061] The protocol conversion management method of the present invention mainly includes: initialization of ontology-based information model tools, information model update and protocol conversion rule configuration.

[0062] The initialization of the ontology-based information model tool, that is, receiving the initialization data of the information model of the multi-protocol converter, the initialization process schematic diagram provided by the embodiment of the present invention is as follows Figure 2 As shown, the processing steps include the following:

[0063] Step S11: Open and start the ontology-based information model tool.

[0064] Preferably, the ontology-based information model tool can be developed based on the web and is compatible with multiple platforms.

[0065] Step S12: Determine whether the multi-protocol converter is successfully connected. If successful, proceed to the next step; if unsuccessful, continue to wait for the multi-protocol converter to connect.

[0066] Step S13: receiving the initialization information model of the multi-protocol converter.

[0067] Furthermore, the initialization information model is static data, namely, identification ID, static attributes and static parameters of protocol modules, etc.

[0068] Step S14: Determine whether the information model already exists in the ontology-based information model tool. If so, first match it with the existing information model, replace and merge the old information model, and finally update the ontology-based information model diagram on the visual interface; if not, directly update the ontology-based information model diagram on the visual interface.

[0069] The information model is updated after the ontology-based information model tool is initialized. The schematic diagram of the information model update process provided by the embodiment of the present invention is as follows: Figure 3 As shown, the processing steps include the following:

[0070] Step S21: After the timer is initialized, it is determined whether the timer has reached the set time. If it has reached the set time, the next step is entered to complete the information model update; if it has not reached the set time, it is determined whether a new multi-protocol converter is connected. If a new device is connected, it returns to the initialization of the ontology-based information model tool, receives the initialization information model of the new device, and then continues to determine whether the timer has reached the set time; if no new device is connected, it continues to determine whether the timer has reached the set time.

[0071] Furthermore, the setting time of the timer needs to be set according to the frequency of information model update, and the frequency should not be too high.

[0072] Step S22: Update the information model. First, confirm whether the multi-protocol converter is connected, that is, confirm whether there is a source of information model data. If connected, receive the information model and merge it with the old information model. Then update the ontology-based information model diagram in the visual interface, and finally return to step S21 to continue to determine whether the timer has reached the set time. If not connected, directly return to step S21 to continue to determine whether the timer has reached the set time.

[0073] The protocol conversion rule configuration is performed by the user through a visual interface after the initialization of the ontology-based information model tool. The schematic diagram of the protocol conversion rule configuration process provided by the embodiment of the present invention is as follows: Figure 4 As shown, the following processing steps are described using the configuration of Profinet and Ethernet / IP as an example:

[0074] Step S31: Visual editing and configuration: The protocol conversion rules are configured in the visual interface, that is, nodes are added and the relationship between the nodes is drawn.

[0075] Furthermore, there may be multiple conversion rules in the conversion service. The basic parameters of the conversion rules in the embodiment of the present invention are srcPro, destPro, srcAdd, destAdd, and byteSize, which respectively identify the source protocol, destination protocol, source protocol address, destination protocol address, and the number of bytes to be converted.

[0076] Furthermore, the conversion service is to convert Ethernet / IP into Profinet, the data addresses are 0x00 and 0x00 respectively, and the number of converted bytes is 1 Byte.

[0077] Furthermore, the parameters of the conversion rule may be increased with some extended parameters supported by the multi-protocol converter to ensure other performances during the conversion process, such as delay, jitter, etc.

[0078] Step S32: Determine the correctness of the rules. Determine whether the conversion rules comply with the rules, including the basic parameters and the extended parameters. If they comply, proceed to the next step to complete the issuance of the protocol conversion rules; if they do not comply, report an error message and then return to the visual interface to continue configuration.

[0079] Step S33: Sending down the protocol conversion rules. First, confirm whether the multi-protocol converter is connected, that is, confirm whether there is a configurable multi-protocol converter. If it is connected, the information model of the protocol conversion rules is intercepted and then sent down, and finally the sending of the information model is reported to the ontology-based information model tool; if it is not connected, the sending is directly reported to the ontology-based information model tool.

[0080] The preferred specific embodiments of the present invention are described in detail above. It should be understood that ordinary technicians in the field can make many modifications and changes based on the concept of the present invention without creative work. Therefore, all technical solutions that can be obtained by technicians in the technical field based on the concept of the present invention through logical analysis, reasoning or limited experiments on the basis of the prior art should be within the scope of protection determined by the claims.

Claims

1. An industrial protocol conversion management method based on an ontology information model, characterized in that: The system framework corresponding to the method includes three parts: an ontology-based information model tool, a multi-protocol converter and industrial equipment. The multi-protocol converter includes an information model engine and a protocol module; the multi-protocol converter connects m multi-protocol industrial equipment at the industrial site through n protocol modules, uses the information model engine to read and write protocol module data and generate an information model, and finally uploads it to the ontology-based information model tool for display; the ontology-based information model tool can perform visual configuration, and then send the configuration information to the information model engine of the multi-protocol converter and perform information model parsing, and finally runs the configured conversion task.

2. The industrial protocol conversion management method based on ontology information model according to claim 1, characterized in that: The ontology-based information model tool is located in a high-performance server.

3. The industrial protocol conversion management method based on ontology information model according to claim 2 is characterized in that: The multi-protocol converter is an embedded device and can be connected to the ontology-based information model tool using a network.

4. The industrial protocol conversion management method based on ontology information model according to claim 3 is characterized in that: The protocol module is a universal module centered on the protocol, and each protocol can mount multiple industrial devices according to the protocol characteristics, that is, the number of the protocol modules is less than the number of the industrial devices.

5. The industrial protocol conversion management method based on ontology information model according to claim 4 is characterized in that: The ontology-based information model is divided into three layers, wherein the first layer is a physical layer, which includes the multi-protocol converter for heterogeneous protocol conversion, and there may be multiple of them; The second layer is the information model engine body, which includes the self-attributes, various services and protocol module classes in the multi-protocol converter. The self-attributes may include attributes and identification IDs, the self-attributes include static attributes and dynamic attributes, the services refer to conversion services, and the protocol module classes are used to identify the accessed protocol modules; The static attributes may include information such as manufacturer, software version, maximum number of card slots, etc.; the dynamic attributes may include information such as working status, IP address, operation sequence table, etc.; The third layer is the protocol module body, which contains the parameters of the protocol module, including static parameters and dynamic parameters; The static parameters encapsulate the basic description of the protocol module, including the protocol name, manufacturer, identification ID, and slot number. The dynamic parameters include module operating status, I / O devices, and input and output data of the I / O devices.

6. The industrial protocol conversion management method based on ontology information model according to claim 5 is characterized in that: The information model in the multi-protocol converter is in JSON format; the information model in the ontology-based information model tool is in JSON format, and node coordinate information is added compared to the information model in the multi-protocol converter.

7. The industrial protocol conversion management method based on ontology information model according to claim 6 is characterized in that: The method mainly includes: initialization of ontology-based information model tools, information model update and protocol conversion rule configuration.

8. The industrial protocol conversion management method based on ontology information model according to claim 7 is characterized in that: The initialization of the ontology-based information model tool, i.e. receiving the initialization data of the information model of the multi-protocol converter, comprises the following processing steps: Step S11: Open and start the ontology-based information model tool, which may be developed based on the web and compatible with multiple platforms; Step S12: Determine whether the multi-protocol converter is successfully connected, if successful, proceed to the next step; if unsuccessful, continue to wait for the multi-protocol converter to connect; Step S13: receiving the initialization information model of the multi-protocol converter; Step S14: Determine whether the information model already exists in the ontology-based information model tool. If so, first match it with the existing information model, replace and merge the old information model, and finally update the ontology-based information model diagram on the visualization interface; if not, directly update the ontology-based information model diagram on the visualization interface.

9. The industrial protocol conversion management method based on ontology information model according to claim 8, characterized in that: The information model update process includes the following processing steps: Step S21: after the timer is initialized, it is determined whether the timer has reached the set time. If so, the next step is entered to complete the information model update. If not, it is determined whether a new multi-protocol converter is connected. If a new device is connected, the process returns to the initialization of the ontology-based information model tool, receives the initialization information model of the new device, and then continues to determine whether the timer reaches the set time; If no new device is connected, continue to determine whether the timer reaches the set time; The setting time of the timer needs to be set according to the frequency of information model update, and the frequency should not be too high; Step S22: Update the information model. First, confirm whether the multi-protocol converter is connected, that is, confirm whether there is a source of information model data. If connected, receive the information model and merge it with the old information model. Then update the ontology-based information model diagram in the visual interface, and finally return to step S21 to continue to determine whether the timer has reached the set time. If not connected, directly return to step S21 to continue to determine whether the timer has reached the set time.

10. The industrial protocol conversion management method based on ontology information model according to claim 9, characterized in that: The protocol conversion rule configuration is performed by the user through a visual interface after the initialization of the ontology-based information model tool. The protocol conversion rule configuration process includes the following steps: Step S31: Visual editing and configuration, configuring the protocol conversion rules in the visual interface, that is, adding nodes and drawing the relationship between the nodes; Step S32: determine the correctness of the rule, determine whether the conversion rule complies with the rule, including the basic parameters and the extended parameters. If it complies, proceed to the next step to complete the issuance of the protocol conversion rule; if it does not comply, report an error message, and then return to the visual interface to continue configuration; Step S33: The sending of the protocol conversion rules first confirms whether the multi-protocol converter is connected, that is, confirms whether there is a configurable multi-protocol converter. If connected, the information model of the protocol conversion rules is intercepted and then sent down, and finally the sending of the information model is reported to the ontology-based information model tool; if not connected, the sending status is directly reported to the ontology-based information model tool.

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