Method and system for identifying and retrieving data of interest

Abstract

Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to methods and systems for identifying and retrieving data of interest. A method for identifying and retrieving data of interest in an OPC UA PubSub automation network, where the OPC UA PubSub automation network comprises at least one publisher, the at least one publisher providing publisher data, the method comprising: connecting a gateway device to the OPC UA PubSub automation network; discovering at least one information source in the OPC UA automation network; identifying, by the gateway device, a proxy and connecting to the proxy, wherein the proxy manages publisher data provided by the at least one publisher; determining, by the gateway device, at least one matched information source from the discovered at least one information source based on the information intent and PubSub meta-information provided by the agent; and retrieving, by the gateway device, the data of interest from the at least one matched information source.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to methods and systems for efficient discovery and processing of machine-readable publisher information sources in an Open Platform Communications Unified Architecture (OPC UA) Publish-Subscribe (PubSub) automation network. Background Art

[0002] In modern approaches to information retrieval within OPC UA PubSub networks via gateway devices, discovering interesting data and its sources, as well as identifying field devices and their associated parameters, typically requires manual configuration. This process involves compiling an endpoint list consisting of device or agent IP addresses and a topic tree, and configuring network security measures to ensure secure data collection. Following this setup, users are required to manually browse the available information and select the desired data.

[0003] Manual configuration in PubSub networks presents several challenges that can hinder efficiency and scalability. First, because the process relies heavily on manual intervention, it is time-consuming and error-prone. Errors in compiling endpoint lists or configuring network security measures can lead to security vulnerabilities or data inconsistencies. Furthermore, manually selecting data of interest can result in overlooking valuable information or selecting irrelevant data, resulting in suboptimal system performance. Furthermore, as networks grow in complexity with an increasing number of devices and data sources, manual configuration becomes increasingly cumbersome and difficult to manage. This can hinder the ability to efficiently adapt the network to changing needs and technologies.

[0004] Overall, the reliance on manual configuration in PubSub networks highlights the need for automated solutions to streamline operations and improve system reliability.

[0005] The problem to be solved is to reduce the above mentioned manual, time-consuming and error-prone effort of manually configuring gateway devices in an OPC UA PubSub automation network. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The invention is defined by the subject matter of the independent claims. Additional features of the invention are presented in the dependent claims.

[0007] According to one aspect of the present invention, a method for identifying and retrieving data of interest in an Open Platform Communications Unified Architecture (OPC UA) PubSub automation network, wherein the OPC UA PubSub automation network includes at least one publisher that provides publisher data, comprises the following steps: Connecting a gateway device to the OPC UA PubSub automation network. Discovering at least one information source in the OPC UA PubSub automation network by the gateway device. Identifying a proxy by the gateway device and connecting to the proxy, wherein the proxy manages publisher data provided by the at least one publisher. Determining at least one matched information source from the at least one discovered information source by the gateway device based on the information intent of the gateway device and PubSub meta-information of the publisher data provided by the proxy. Retrieving the data of interest from the at least one matched information source by the gateway device.

[0008] OPC UA is a cross-platform IEC 62541 standard for exchanging data from sensors to cloud applications. In other words, OPC UA provides a standardized way to exchange data between different OPC UA nodes in an OPC UA network.

[0009] As used herein, the term "OPC UA PubSub Automation Network" describes a PubSub network based on OPC UA. PubSub provides an asynchronous information transmission and reception model between so-called publishers, which provide publisher data in a broadcast manner or provide publisher data to a proxy component, and so-called subscribers, which consume the provided publisher data. Publishers provide their publisher data independently of subscribers. Each publisher data is associated with a topic. Subscribers subscribe to the topics of their interest and receive the corresponding publisher data. In other words, publishers have no information about who uses the provided publisher information, and subscribers have no information about who provided the publisher information. Therefore, due to the PubSub communication model, publishers and subscribers are loosely coupled, i.e., publishers and subscribers may not even be aware of each other's existence.

[0010] As used herein, the term "gateway device" includes a physical entity and / or a logical entity. In other words, a gateway device includes a device and / or a service. Preferably, a gateway device consumes, processes, and / or ingests information provided within an OPC UA PubSub automation network.

[0011] Preferably, connecting the gateway device to the OPC UA PubSub automation network includes: physically connecting (plugging) the gateway device to the OPC UA PubSub automation network or wirelessly connecting the gateway device to the OPC UA PubSub automation network; and / or installing software or service to the OPC UA PubSub automation network.

[0012] As used herein, the term "information source" refers to any OPC UA entity (also referred to as an OPC UA node) in an OPC UA PubSub Automation Network that provides information. This includes, for example, publishers, but also brokers or other data servers.

[0013] As used herein, the term "data of interest" includes information within an OPC UA PubSub Automation Network that may be of interest to a user accessing a gateway device, or to the gateway device itself.

[0014] As used herein, the term "publisher" includes a physical or logical entity that provides information or events. Preferably, a publisher comprises a field device such as a sensor or actuator. Publishers publish data using an OPC UA PubSub-compatible protocol, such as the Unified Architecture Datagram Protocol (UADP), Message Queuing Telemetry Transport (MQTT), or Advanced Message Queuing Protocol (AMQP). In addition to implementing the PubSub protocol, publishers can also implement OPC UA Client / Server (CS) communication.

[0015] The OPC UA PubSub Automation Network preferably also includes at least one subscriber. As used herein, the term "subscriber" encompasses both physical and logical subscribers to information provided by publishers. Subscribers utilize the same protocol as publishers and may also implement OPC UA CS communication. Preferably, a subscriber is a physical or logical entity that obtains and consumes data provided by at least one publisher. Subscribers preferably define at least one set of topics of interest.

[0016] Preferably, an OPC UA PubSub automation network participant can be both a publisher and a subscriber.

[0017] Preferably, identifying the proxy by the gateway device and connecting to the proxy further comprises: detecting whether the OPC UA PubSub automation network is proxy-based. Preferably, the OPC UA PubSub automation network is a proxy-based OPC UA PubSub automation network. Preferably, identifying the proxy by the gateway device and connecting to the proxy further comprises: automatically discovering the proxy.

[0018] As used herein, the term "broker" includes a message broker. In the case of some protocols such as MQTT or AMQP, a dedicated "broker" component is required that acts as a middleware between "publishers" and "subscribers."

[0019] Preferably, identifying the proxy by the gateway device and connecting to the proxy further comprises: detecting a proxy URL / IP from the OPC UA PubSub automation network. Preferably, the proxy in the OPC UA PubSub automation network is an MQTT proxy, where an MQTT proxy describes a message queue telemetry transport proxy.

[0020] Thus, an automated method for identifying a proxy by a gateway device and connecting to the proxy is provided.

[0021] Furthermore, the method provides for integration of a gateway device into an OPC UA PubSub automation network.

[0022] Preferably, after the proxy is identified by the gateway device and connected to the proxy, the method further comprises: discovering at least one OPC UA node among the OPC UA nodes within the OPC UA PubSub automation network, wherein the OPC UA nodes include a global discovery and alias server GDS, a security key service SKS, an FX communication manager, and a normal OPC UA server.

[0023] GDS is an optional OPC UA node that allows listing of OPC UACS servers that can be registered on the GDS. The discovery functionality can be implemented within a central unity or in a decentralized manner using LDS-ME (mDNS) or similar technologies.

[0024] SKS is an optional OPC UA node that is used to distribute keys for message security when encryption is used between publishers and subscribers. SKS is implemented using a set of predefined OPC UA nodes / methods.

[0025] The FX Communication Manager is an optional OPC UA node that maintains and applies OPC UA FX Connection configurations – a collection of high-level bidirectional configurations between publishers and subscribers. An FX Connection is an abstraction of two bidirectional PubSub connections between a publisher and a subscriber.

[0026] Preferably, the gateway device connects to discovered elements within the OPC UA PubSub automation network.

[0027] Proxy credentials may be required for connecting to GDS or SKS by a gateway device.

[0028] Thus, an automated method for identifying, by a gateway device, OPC UA nodes within an OPC UA PubSub automation network and connecting to these OPC UA nodes is provided.

[0029] The user may be prompted to provide the required credentials and / or certificates required to connect to the GDS or SKS.

[0030] Preferably, discovering at least one of the OPC UA nodes further comprises obtaining an address of the discovered component by scanning for PubSubConnection type objects within the discovered component. The term "OPC UA Information Model" includes an organizational framework that defines and characterizes information sources in an OPC UA PubSub Automation Network and relates these information sources. Preferably, the OPC UA Information Model includes well-known object types or dictionary references.

[0031] Preferably, the publisher data includes information about the OPC UA node and / or subset information that has been published by the publisher.

[0032] Furthermore, this information is encoded into the OPC UA Information Model, where it is obtained directly by the publisher itself, or by using an intermediate information source such as an OPC UA Aggregation Server.

[0033] Preferably, determining, by the gateway device, at least one matched information source further comprises: searching and selecting the information source based on information intent, wherein the information intent is a predefined data intent, a preconfigured data intent and / or an application-specific data intent.

[0034] Preferably, the information intent includes a text query and / or a structured query that describes the information of interest.

[0035] Preferably, after discovering at least one information source in the OPC UA PubSub automation network, matching information sets and their sources are filtered, wherein the matched information and their sources are compared with the information intent.

[0036] Preferably, the matching process may be supported by semantic information included within the OPC UA Information Model, such as known object types or dictionary references.

[0037] Preferably, the technical implementation of the matching process includes natural language processing, structured query and other matching technologies.

[0038] In one example, the informal query formula may be "effective speed output of a variable frequency drive."

[0039] In another example, a more formal query formula might be "the current set point parameters of device 1."

[0040] Thus, an improved automated method for determining and discovering information sources in an OPC UA PubSub automation network is provided.

[0041] Preferably, the selection of the information source comprises using PubSub meta information, wherein for example the PubSub meta information comprises the frequency of updates, the topic name or the name of the FX connection.

[0042] Preferably, determining, by the gateway device, at least one matched information source further comprises: parsing the list of alternative OPC UA variable names using an OPC UA alias mechanism, wherein the OPC UA alias mechanism comprises a mechanism for determining an alternative well-defined name for any node in the system.

[0043] Preferably, determining, by the gateway device, at least one matched information source further comprises using PubSub and OPC UA FX extensions for information searching, wherein said extensions include using additional dynamic semantics for emerging and changing FX connections and / or implicit dependencies between publishers and subscribers (e.g., knowledge that a PLC is broadcasting to the same group to which a drive's setpoint is subscribed).

[0044] Therefore, an improved automated method for determining a matched information source from at least one discovered information source based on the information intent of a gateway device and PubSub meta-information of publisher data provided by a broker within an OPC UA PubSub automation network is provided.

[0045] Preferably, the retrieval further includes: performing redundancy detection on the data of interest.

[0046] Preferably, retrieving includes subscribing to published data or reconfiguring a provider within the OPC UA PubSub automation network.

[0047] Preferably, the method further comprises: performing regular detection of joining / detaching devices and OPC UA nodes (eg, mobile devices such as AGVs).

[0048] In one example, an edge computer discovers generally available information about an OPC UA node, as well as a subset of information that has been published using OPC UA PubSub technology, where the information is encoded into an OPC UA Information Model.

[0049] Preferably, the method further comprises: after the retrieval, obtaining the data of interest by the gateway device.

[0050] Preferably, the method is a computer-implemented method.

[0051] In one example, the gateway device obtains a matched information source and a subset of information of an OPC UA node that has been published using OPC UA PubSub technology, wherein the information is encoded into an OPC UA information model.

[0052] Taking into account the PubSub metadata of the publisher data and the information intent of the gateway device to use the proxy to determine the matching information source allows the reuse of existing published data set messages (DataSetMessages) and / or existing security groups of the publisher data. For example, if a dedicated publisher has already provided some information that matches the data of interest to the gateway device, its purpose is not to re-create an additional publish request to the publisher, but to subscribe to the existing data set that has already been published.

[0053] Therefore, an improved automation method is provided for a gateway device to allow the gateway device to be integrated into an OPC UA PubSub enabled automation network for semi-automated information flow discovery based on information intent and PubSub meta-information of publisher data.

[0054] In a preferred embodiment, the method further comprises: providing the data of interest to at least one other network by the gateway device.

[0055] The gateway device provides the interest data description PubSub reuse interest data to at least one other network.

[0056] The retrieved data of interest, or in other words, the obtained data of interest, may be republished by the gateway device to another network via the cloud proxy.

[0057] Preferably, data obtained by the gateway will be ingested into the cloud system, typically via proxy-based OPC UA PubSub.

[0058] The obtained data of interest may be ingested or may be processed by the gateway device.

[0059] Preferably, instead of ingesting, the gateway device performs local processing on data obtained from the OPC UA PubSub automation network (eg, the gateway device calculates the OEE (Overall Equipment Effectiveness) of a dedicated device based on its operating status).

[0060] Preferably, providing the data of interest to at least one other network by the gateway device further comprises: performing efficient cloud ingestion by passing locally published data to a cloud proxy with minimal modification.

[0061] In one example, if the OPC UA PubSub automation network within the factory network is proxy-based, the acquired large amounts of data, i.e., the data collection payload, can be directly reused to allow for more efficient ingestion. In this case, the gateway device needs to modify the data of interest to forward it to the cloud proxy.

[0062] One advantage of this approach is that it reduces the need for the gateway device to decode the payload of the data of interest, although encoding conversion may be required to match the requirements of the cloud proxy, such as from binary-based UADP encoding to text-based JSON.

[0063] Additionally, the gateway device can take over the task of uploading relevant information model fragments to a cloud proxy or OPC UA cloud repository based on information within the local OPC UA server.

[0064] Preferably, providing includes: outputting data of interest to the user by the gateway device.

[0065] Thus, an improved method for providing retrieved data of interest to at least one other network is provided.

[0066] In a preferred embodiment, the other network comprises a cloud system.

[0067] Thus, an improved method for providing retrieved data of interest to at least one other cloud network is provided.

[0068] In a preferred embodiment, providing the data of interest includes converting the data of interest into a format readable by other networks.

[0069] Preferably, if Transmission Control Protocol TCP communication is not used within an OPC UA PubSub automation network (e.g. PubSub over User Datagram Protocol UDP), the published data is converted to a suitable format and republished, where TCP is a connection-based protocol and UDP is connectionless.

[0070] In a preferred embodiment, retrieving the data of interest from at least one matched information source comprises determining, and the determining comprises the following steps.

[0071] If the matched information source has been published by at least one of the publishers, the method further includes: subscribing, by the gateway device, to the publisher associated with the data of interest.

[0072] Furthermore, if the matched information source has not been published by at least one of the publishers, the method further includes: requesting, by the gateway device, PubSub reconfiguration within the OPC UA PubSub automation network.

[0073] Preferably, retrieving the data of interest further comprises: performing a search to determine whether the data of interest has been published by at least one of publishers within the OPC UAPubSub automation network.

[0074] Preferably, if the data of interest has been published by a publisher, the gateway device subscribes to the publisher, wherein the configuration of the publisher is not changed.

[0075] Preferably, subscribing further comprises adding the gateway device to a list of subscribers of data published by the publisher without changing a configuration of the OPC UA PubSub automation network, wherein the configuration of the OPC UA PubSub automation network includes non-real-time communication.

[0076] Preferably, the subscription further comprises: adding the gateway device to a list of subscribers of the publisher in the case where no sample payload is attached to the publisher.

[0077] To collect the data of interest as efficiently as possible, the method further includes reusing, where possible, existing published data set messages containing the data of interest. Based on knowledge of existing publishers and the information published by these existing publishers, the gateway device utilizes the associated security group to identify the desired publications (data of interest) and published data sets (PublishedDataSets).

[0078] The term "data collection message" includes the unchanged payload of an OPC UA PubSub Automation Network message that is handed over by a publisher to a broker for delivery.

[0079] The term "published data set" includes a list of monitored variables or a selection of events.

[0080] Preferably, the gateway device joins an existing security group by contacting the responsible SKS and obtains the required cryptographic keys to decrypt the obtained data.

[0081] Preferably, if the matched information source has not been published by at least one of the publishers, the gateway device sends a PubSub reconfiguration request within the OPC UA PubSub automation network.

[0082] Preferably, requesting PubSub reconfiguration requires confirmation from the user and / or the user is asked to provide required information (e.g., credentials / keys).

[0083] Furthermore, if a real-time communication protocol (e.g., IEEE TSN) is used, PubSub reconfiguration may be required to allow additional subscribers to join the publisher.

[0084] Preferably, if an existing publisher configuration cannot be reused due to unavailable keys, the gateway attempts to create a new collection of published data by using an available FX Communication Manager or interacting with the corresponding PubSub configuration within the identified publisher.

[0085] Preferably, if creation of a new published data set fails, the gateway device attempts to fall back to OPC UA client / server based communication relying on OPC UA client / server subscription mechanisms, where these mechanisms cannot be mixed with OPC UA PubSub.

[0086] Thus, an improved automated method for subscribing to data of interest published by a publisher is provided. Furthermore, if the publisher is not found, a reconfiguration request will be performed by the gateway device.

[0087] In a preferred embodiment, at least one matched information source is determined using an OPC UA Information Model that provides information about entities and data in an OPC UA PubSub automation network. Preferably, pre-browsing the information model includes, by the gateway device, examining the structure of published data within the OPC UA PubSub automation network before actively participating in the OPC UA PubSub automation network and subscribing to relevant publishers.

[0088] In one example, before subscribing to a specific topic, a gateway device in an OPC UA PubSub automation network analyzes the available information model to understand the type of data being published, the format of the data and / or messages, and the relationships between different topics or channels. This upfront exploration ensures that the gateway device has a clear understanding of the data flow and can make informed decisions about which topics to subscribe to.

[0089] Preferably, by browsing the information model in advance, the edge device can avoid misunderstandings and identify potential data sources.

[0090] Compatibility between publishers and gateway devices within the OPC UA PubSub automation network is thus ensured.

[0091] Thus, an improved automated method for inspecting and analyzing the structure of published data within an OPC UA PubSub automation network by a gateway device prior to subscribing to the relevant publisher is provided.

[0092] Preferably, determining at least one matched information source comprises using PubSub specific features.

[0093] Preferably, determining at least one matched information source comprises: identifying, selecting and processing published device information and PubSub meta-information using the OPC UA PubSub specification.

[0094] Preferably, determining at least one matched information source comprises identifying, selecting and processing published data, related sources and PubSub meta-information using concepts of OPC UA FX, which extend OPC UA PubSub.

[0095] An alternative information source could be the FX Communication Manager, as it contains the high-level data flow between publishers and subscribers using abstractions called functional entities.

[0096] Thus, an improved automated method for identifying, selecting and processing published data, related sources and their PubSub meta-information within an OPC UA PubSub automation network is provided.

[0097] In a preferred embodiment, PubSub specific characteristics include a publishing interval, and / or information about the publisher describing the intent of the information.

[0098] Preferably, the PubSub specific characteristics include a publishing interval, and / or information about publishers and subscribers of the information intent within a structured query describing the information intent.

[0099] In one example, the PubSub specific characteristic may be "publish a setpoint at least every 100 milliseconds," or in another example, the PubSub specific characteristic may be "have a setpoint with at least one subscriber."

[0100] Regarding information related to publishers and subscribers, it should be considered that normal access to publisher / subscriber dependencies may not be possible due to the loosely coupled nature of the PubSub model, and may require elevated permissions to access non-standardized diagnostic information of the broker.

[0101] Thus, an improved automated method for determining matched information sources within an OPC UA PubSub automation network is provided.

[0102] In a preferred embodiment, the information intent includes semantic information.

[0103] As used herein, the term "semantic information" includes information about the intent of information, such as subject matter.

[0104] Preferably, semantic information includes the meaning or content intended to be conveyed by the information.

[0105] Preferably, the semantic information explains the information intent, including the relationships and connections between different information and topics.

[0106] Preferably, semantic information understands the context and meaning of the information intent in relation to the concept, entity or idea represented by the information intent.

[0107] Therefore, an improved automated method for determining matched information sources based on semantic information of information intent within an OPC UA PubSub automation network is provided.

[0108] Preferably, the PubSub meta information includes the frequency of updates, the topic name and / or the name of the FX connection.

[0109] Preferably, PubSub meta information includes topic name, subscription detail message properties, publisher and subscriber information configuration settings.

[0110] Preferably, PubSub meta information provides information about a topic, including the purpose, access rights, message format, and properties of the topic.

[0111] This PubSub meta information helps the gateway device understand the type of published data on the topic and how to effectively interpret it.

[0112] Thus, an improved automated method for understanding the type of published data about a topic and how it should be interpreted by a gateway device is provided.

[0113] In a preferred embodiment, the method further comprises obtaining, by the gateway device, security data from the agent, wherein the security data allows the gateway device to retrieve the encrypted data of interest.

[0114] Preferably, the gateway device obtains security data and / or keys from the proxy in order to secure messages in case encryption is used between publishers and subscribers and / or to retrieve encrypted data of interest.

[0115] Thus, an improved automated method for retrieving encrypted data of interest within an OPC UA PubSub automation network is provided.

[0116] In a preferred embodiment, the gateway device comprises an edge device gateway.

[0117] The gateway device includes a physical entity and / or a logical entity. In other words, the gateway device includes a device and / or a service.

[0118] According to one aspect of the present invention, a system for industrial information identification and retrieval in an OPC UA PubSub automation network is provided, wherein the system is configured to perform the method as described herein.

[0119] According to one aspect of the present invention, a system for identifying and retrieving data in an OPC UA PubSub automation network includes the following: at least one publisher configured to provide publisher data; a proxy configured to manage the publisher data provided by the at least one publisher; and a gateway device configured to connect to the OPC UA PubSub automation network, discover at least one information source in the OPC UA PubSub automation network, identify and connect to a proxy, determine at least one matched information source from the at least one discovered information source based on an information intent and semantic information provided by the proxy, and retrieve data of interest from the at least one matched information source.

[0120] Preferably, the system further comprises a global discovery and alias server GDS, a security key service SKS, an FX communication manager and a general OPC UA server, wherein these components are to be discovered by the gateway device.

[0121] Preferably, the OPC UA PubSub automation network comprises a further global discovery server GDS, which allows listing of OPC UACS servers which can be registered on the further global discovery server GDS.

[0122] Preferably, in the GDS, search and discovery functionality is implemented in a central entity or in a decentralized manner using LDS-ME (mDNS).

[0123] Preferably, connecting to the GDS may also require obtaining credentials required to log into the OPC UA entity, or the user may be prompted to provide the required credentials and / or certificates and further information required to log in.

[0124] Preferably, the OPC UA PubSub Automation Network comprises a further Security Key Service SKS to distribute keys for message security in case encryption is used between publishers and subscribers.

[0125] Preferably, SKS is implemented using a predefined set of OPC UA nodes / methods.

[0126] Preferably, the OPC UA PubSub automation network comprises a further OPC UA FX Communication Manager for maintaining and applying OPC UA FX connection configurations.

[0127] Preferably, an OPC UA FX connection configuration comprises a set of high-level bidirectional configurations between publishers and subscribers.

[0128] Preferably, an OPC UA FX connection comprises the abstraction of two bidirectional PubSub connections between a publisher and a subscriber.

[0129] The Gateway Device discovers OPC UA nodes of the OPC UA PubSub Automation Network using the following techniques: LDS-ME / mDNS, GDS, DHCP information obtained with a DHCP lease, well-known DNS names dynamically remapped in the field (e.g., Proxy Edge), IP / port scanning, proprietary protocols, and user input.

[0130] Furthermore, the gateway device discovers OPC UA nodes of the OPC UA PubSub Automation Network using an asset management shell submodel, wherein the asset management shell submodel describes OPC UA endpoints explicitly via a submodel or implicitly via qualifiers or variable content.

[0131] The gateway device connects to other OPC UA nodes in the OPC UA PubSub Automation Network, such as GDS or SKS, where the required login credentials will be required.

[0132] An example is presented below:

[0133] Theme name: "WeatherData",

[0134] Description: A topic for publishing real-time weather updates.

[0135] Permissions: The gateway device and / or subscriber must have permissions to view the topic.

[0136] Message format: JSON

[0137] Location: Specifies the geographic location to which the weather data pertains.

[0138] "Temperature": indicates the temperature at the specified location.

[0139] Humidity: Indicates the humidity level at a specified location.

[0140] "Timestamp": Provides the timestamp when the weather data was collected.

[0141] In this example, PubSub meta-information provides information about the "Weather Data" topic, including its purpose, access permissions, message format, and properties. This PubSub meta-information helps subscribers understand the type of data available on the topic and how to effectively interpret it.

[0142] According to one aspect of the present invention, a computer program product is provided, wherein when the computer program product is run on a computer, the computer is enabled to perform the method as described herein.

[0143] According to one aspect of the present invention, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, the computer-readable storage medium comprising computer instructions, wherein when the computer instructions are executed on a computer, the computer is enabled to perform the method as described herein. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0144] Exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings:

[0145] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a system for identifying and retrieving data of interest in an agent-based OPC UA PubSub automation network according to an embodiment of the present application is illustrated.

[0146] Figure 2 is a flowchart illustrating a method for identifying and retrieving data of interest in an agent-based OPC UA PubSub automation network according to another embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0147] Figure 1A schematic diagram of a system for identifying and retrieving data in an OPC UA PubSub automation network 100 is shown. The system includes: at least one publisher 102 configured to provide publisher data P; a proxy 101 configured to manage the publisher data P provided by the at least one publisher 102; and a gateway device 103 configured to connect to the OPC UA PubSub automation network 100, discover at least one information source in the OPC UA PubSub automation network 100, identify and connect to the proxy 101, determine at least one matched information source from the discovered at least one information source based on an information intent and semantic information provided by the proxy 101, and retrieve data of interest D from the at least one matched information source. To find an information source that matches the interests of the gateway device 103, the gateway device 103 receives PubSub meta-information M of the publisher data P from the proxy. The gateway device 103 uses the semantic information S and information intent I of the gateway device 103 to find interesting topics and corresponding information sources that match the interests of the gateway device 103. The information intent I of the gateway device 103 reflects the interests of the gateway device 103. With the help of the subscription request R, the gateway device 103 subscribes to the matched information source at the proxy 101 to retrieve the data of interest.

[0148] Preferably, the OPC UA PubSub automation network further includes OPC UA nodes, such as a Global Discovery and Alias ​​Server GDS, a Security Key Service SKS, an FX Manager, and a common OPC UA Server, wherein these nodes are to be discovered by the gateway device.

[0149] Figure 2 1 is a flowchart of a method for identifying and retrieving data of interest in an OPC UA PubSub automation network according to an embodiment of the present application. The method provided in the embodiment of the present application includes the following steps.

[0150] In a first step S101 , a gateway device to an OPC UA PubSub automation network is connected.

[0151] In a second step S102 , at least one information source in the OPC UA PubSub automation network is discovered.

[0152] In the next step S103 , the proxy will be identified by the gateway device, and the gateway device will be connected to the proxy, wherein the proxy manages publisher data provided by at least one publisher.

[0153] In the next step S104 , the gateway device determines at least one matched information source from the discovered at least one information source based on the information intent and the PubSub meta-information provided by the agent.

[0154] In the next step S105 , the gateway device retrieves the data of interest from at least one matched information source.

[0155] Preferably, in the next step S106 , the gateway device provides at least one other data of interest for network evaluation.

[0156] The provided data can be republished by the gateway device to the cloud-hosted agent.

[0157] In one possible embodiment, the data obtained by the gateway will be republished to the cloud system, typically via a proxy-based OPC UA PubSub.

[0158] Preferably, providing includes: outputting, by the gateway device, data of interest to the user.

Claims

1. A method for identifying and retrieving data of interest in an Open Platform Communications Unified Architecture (OPC UA) publish-subscribe automation network, wherein the OPC UA publish-subscribe automation network includes at least one publisher (102), the at least one publisher (102) providing publisher data (P), the method comprising: connecting a gateway device (103) to the OPC UA publish-subscribe automation network; Discovering, by the gateway device (103), at least one information source in the OPC UA publish-subscribe automation network; identifying a proxy (101) by the gateway device (103) and connecting to the proxy (101), wherein the proxy (101) manages the publisher data (P) provided by the at least one publisher (102); The gateway device (103) determines at least one matched information source from the at least one discovered information source based on the information intent of the gateway device (103) and the publish-subscribe meta information (M) of the publisher data (P) provided by the agent (101); The data of interest (D) is retrieved by the gateway device (103) from the at least one matched information source.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: The data of interest (D) is provided by the gateway device (103) to at least one other network (104).

3. The method according to claim 2, The other network (104) includes a cloud system.

4. The method according to claim 2 , wherein providing the data of interest (D) comprises: The data of interest (D) is converted into a format readable by the other network.

5. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein retrieving the data of interest (D) from the at least one matched information source comprises: OK, among them If the matched information source has been published by at least one of the at least one publisher (102), the method further comprises: subscribing, by the gateway device (103), to the publisher associated with the data of interest (D); and If the matched information source has not been published by at least one of the at least one publisher (102), the method further comprises: requesting, by the gateway device (103), a publish-subscribe reconfiguration within the OPC UA publish-subscribe automation network.

6. The method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the at least one matched information source is determined using an OPC UA Information Model, the OPC UA Information Model providing information about entities and data in the OPC UA publish-subscribe automation network.

7. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein determining the at least one matched information source comprises: Use publish-subscribe specific features.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the publish-subscribe specific characteristics include a publishing interval, and / or information about the at least one publisher (102) describing the information intention.

9. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the information intent comprises semantic information.

10. The method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the publish-subscribe meta information comprises a frequency of updates, a topic name and / or a name of an FX connection.

11. The method according to any of the preceding claims, obtaining, by the gateway device (103) from the proxy (101), security data, wherein the security data allows the gateway device (103) to retrieve encrypted data of interest (D).

12. The method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the gateway device (103) comprises an edge device gateway.

13. A system for industrial information identification and retrieval in an OPC UA publish-subscribe automation network, The system is configured to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 12.

14. A computer-readable storage medium comprising computer instructions, wherein when the computer instructions are executed on a computer, the computer is enabled to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 12.

15. A computer program product, wherein when the computer program product is run on a computer, the computer is enabled to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 12.

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