Data transfer system and method

Abstract

To provide a technique that can reduce management cost of setting information required for data transfer.SOLUTION: A data transfer system is a computer system that transfers data acquired from a field device to another device on a network, comprises at least a communication device that is connected to the field device to enable data communication and receives data acquired by the field device, and a communication control server that receives the data from the communication device and transfers it to the other device on the network. The communication device creates an instruction book indicating a transfer destination and a transfer order of the data and sends it to the communication control server. The communication control server transfers the data to the other device based on the instruction book received from the communication device. Other devices include at least one of a service server that performs predetermined data processing on the data received from the communication control server regarding the service desired by a user and sends it back to the communication control server, and a data server that stores the data received from the communication control server in a storage area.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to techniques for transferring data. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, digital transformation has been progressing in the manufacturing industry in order to improve production efficiency and reduce labor in factories, and there is a growing need to consolidate data held by on-site equipment at manufacturing sites in IT environments and perform advanced analysis.

[0003] In light of the above background, for example, Patent Document 1 describes a technique in which data held by a field device is subjected to multiple processes in a gateway device and then transferred to a desired data server.

[0004] Here, for example, by using the technology provided by Patent Document 2, it is possible to configure a plurality of processing functions on the gateway device as external servers and make them available from a plurality of sites. This makes it unnecessary to provide processing functions to each site, and realizes a data transfer system characterized by requesting necessary processing to an external server. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] JP 2019-102974 A [Patent Document 2] JP 2022-047624 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] When a large-scale data transfer system is realized in the above-mentioned configuration, the number of field devices will be huge, and it is assumed that the processing desired by the user and the data server to which the data is to be transferred will be different for each field device. Therefore, the amount of setting information managed within the system, such as the processing information desired by the user and the data server information of the transfer destination, related to the above items, will be huge. In addition, it is expected that the setting information will change dynamically during operation due to changes in the data server to which the data is to be transferred and changes in the processing desired by the user.

[0007] On the other hand, in the technology provided by Patent Document 2, the routing server centrally manages the setting information, and therefore the management costs for the setting information are expected to become enormous.

[0008] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above problems, and has an object to provide a technique that can reduce the management costs of setting information required for data transfer. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] The data transfer system according to the present invention is a computer system that transfers data acquired from a field device to another device on a network, and includes at least a communication device that is connected to the field device so as to be able to perform data communication and that receives the data acquired by the field device, and a communication control server that receives the data from the communication device and transfers it to the other device on the network. The communication device creates an instruction document indicating the transfer destination and transfer order of the data, and transmits it to the communication control server. The communication control server transfers the data to the other device based on the instruction document received from the communication device. The other device includes at least one of a service server that performs a predetermined data processing related to a service desired by a user on the data received from the communication control server and returns it to the communication control server, and a data server that stores the data received from the communication control server in a memory area.

[0010] Other problems and solutions disclosed in the present application will be made clear in the description of the preferred embodiment and the drawings. Effect of the Invention

[0011] According to the present invention, it is possible to reduce the management costs of setting information required for data transfer. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of an entire system including a data transfer system. [Diagram 2] FIG. 4 is a sequence diagram showing an example of a processing flow in the first embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of an instruction sheet in the first embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 11 is a sequence diagram showing an example of a processing flow in the second embodiment. [Diagram 5] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of an instruction sheet in the second embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of an entire system in a third embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 13 is a sequence diagram showing an example of a processing flow in the third embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0013] Each embodiment will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

[0014] It should be noted that the respective embodiments are merely examples for explaining the present invention, and that in order to clarify the explanation, some parts have been omitted or simplified as appropriate. Also, the present invention can be embodied in various other forms.

[0015] In order to facilitate understanding of the invention, the position, size, shape, range, etc. of each component illustrated in the drawings may not represent the actual position, size, shape, range, etc. Therefore, the present invention is not necessarily limited to the position, size, shape, range, etc. disclosed in the drawings.

[0016] In the following description, the same or similar components will be denoted by common reference symbols, and redundant description may be omitted.

[0017] In addition, when there are multiple identical components, or components having similar functions, or components in the same position, they may be described with different subscripts added to the same reference numeral. In addition, when there is no need to distinguish between these multiple components, the subscripts may be omitted. Unless otherwise specified, each component may be singular or plural.

[0018] Examples of information may be described using expressions such as "table," "list," and "queue," but information may be expressed using other data structures. For example, information such as "XX table," "XX list," and "XX queue" may be expressed as "XX information." When describing identification information, expressions such as "identification information," "identifier," "name," "ID," and "number" are used, but these are interchangeable.

[0019] In the embodiment, the processing performed by executing a program may be described. Here, the computer executes the program using a processor (e.g., a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit)), and performs processing defined by the program using a storage device (e.g., a memory) and an interface device (e.g., a communication port). Therefore, the subject of the processing performed by executing the program may be the processor. Similarly, the subject of the processing performed by executing the program may be a controller, device, system, computer, or node having a processor. The subject of the processing performed by executing the program may be a control unit (arithmetic unit), and may include a dedicated circuit that performs specific processing. Here, the dedicated circuit is, for example, an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), or a CPLD (Complex Programmable Logic Device).

[0020] A program may be installed in a computer from a program source. The program source may be, for example, a program distribution server or a computer-readable storage medium (e.g., a non-transitory recording medium). When the program source is a program distribution server, the program distribution server may include a processor and a storage resource that stores a program to be distributed, and the processor of the program distribution server may distribute the program to be distributed to other computers. In addition, in an embodiment, two or more programs may be realized as one program, and one program may be realized as two or more programs.

[0021] In the following description, functions may be described using the expression "yyy unit", but the functions may be realized by one or more programs being executed by a processor, or by one or more dedicated circuits (e.g., FPGA or ASIC), or by a combination thereof. When a function is realized by a program being executed by a processor, the function may be at least a part of the processor, since the defined processing is performed using a storage device and / or an interface device, etc., as appropriate. Processing described using a function as the subject may be processing performed by a processor or a controller, device, system, computer, or node having the processor. The description of each function is an example, and multiple functions may be combined into one function, or one function may be divided into multiple functions.

[0022] In addition, in the following explanation, terms such as "send," "transfer," and "receive" are used, but the server-client relationship in the communication is not limited to these terms, and the server-client relationship may be reversed.

[0023] In the following description, an "interface device" may be one or more interface devices. The one or more interface devices may be at least one of the following: One or more I / O (Input / Output) interface devices. The I / O (Input / Output) interface devices are interface devices to at least one of the I / O devices and a remote display computer. The I / O interface device to the display computer may be a communications interface device. The at least one I / O device may be a user interface device, e.g., either an input device such as a keyboard and pointing device, or an output device such as a display device. One or more communication interface devices. The one or more communication interface devices may be one or more homogeneous communication interface devices (e.g., one or more NICs (Network Interface Cards)) or two or more heterogeneous communication interface devices (e.g., a NIC and an HBA (Host Bus Adapter)).

[0024] In the following description, the term "storage device" may refer to at least one of memory and persistent storage device.

[0025] In the following description, a "memory" refers to one or more memory devices, which are an example of one or more storage devices, and may typically be a primary storage device. At least one memory device in the memory may be a volatile memory device or a non-volatile memory device.

[0026] In the following description, a "persistent storage device" may be one or more persistent storage devices, which are an example of one or more persistent storage devices. A persistent storage device may typically be a non-volatile storage device (e.g., an auxiliary storage device), and more specifically, may be, for example, a hard disk drive (HDD), a solid state drive (SSD), a non-volatile memory express (NVME) drive, or a storage class memory (SCM).

[0027] In addition, in the following description, a "processor" may be one or more processor devices. The at least one processor device may typically be a microprocessor device such as a CPU, but may also be another type of processor device such as a GPU. The at least one processor device may be a single core or a multi-core. The at least one processor device may be a processor core. The at least one processor device may also be a broader processor device such as the dedicated circuit described above.

[0028] Furthermore, in the following description, the "data transfer system" may be a system composed of one or more physical computers, or may include a system (e.g., a cloud computing system) realized on a group of physical computing resources (e.g., a cloud platform). When the data transfer system "displays" the display information, it may mean displaying the display information on a display device possessed by the computer, or it may mean that the computer transmits the display information to the display computer (in the latter case, the display information is displayed by the display computer).

[0029] First Embodiment First, a configuration example of a data transfer system 1 in the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

[0030] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of an entire system including a data transfer system 1 (hereinafter, also referred to as an "overall system") in a first embodiment and a second embodiment described later.

[0031] (Overall system configuration example) The data transfer system 1 is a computer system capable of reducing the management costs of various information related to field devices 40a, 40b, 40c,..., 40n (hereinafter collectively referred to as "field devices 40" when referring to them collectively or when no distinction is made) that have limited resources or operational policies, and is realized by a computer device and a server device having the respective configurations described below.

[0032] The field device 40 is, for example, a control device such as a computer device or a PLC (Programmable Logic Controller) that controls various production facilities such as industrial robots and machine tools in a factory.

[0033] 1, this data transfer system 1 includes, as components, at least communication devices 10a, 10b, 10c,..., 10n (hereinafter, collectively referred to as "communication devices 10" when referring to them collectively or when no particular distinction is made) connected to corresponding field devices 40 so as to be able to communicate data with them, and a communication control server 20 connected to each communication device 10 so as to be able to communicate data with them. Each communication device 10 is physically or logically connected to one or more field devices 40 in a 1:1 or 1:N ratio of units.

[0034] That is, as shown in FIG. 1, the communication control server 20 is connected to each communication device 10 via an appropriate network 60 such as the Internet or a dedicated line.

[0035] In addition, as illustrated in FIG. 1, the communication control server 20 is also connected to various service servers 30, such as a virus check server 30a and a virus removal server 30b, and various data servers 50 via a network 60 so that data can be communicated between them.

[0036] That is, the data transfer system 1 is a computer system that, as part of smart factory control, acquires data (hereinafter referred to as "field data") representing various information related to each field device 40 from each field device 40 installed in the factory, and transfers the acquired field data to various service servers 30 such as a virus check server 30a and a virus removal server 30b, and various data servers 50. The data transfer system 1 realizes this series of processes by the cooperation of each communication device 10 and a communication control server 20, which are components of the data transfer system 1.

[0037] Each communication device 10, the communication control server 20, various service servers 30 such as the virus check server 30a and the virus removal server 30b, and various data servers 50 are connected to the network 60 via well-known communication equipment (not shown), but may also be connected wirelessly.

[0038] Similarly, each field device 40 and each communication device 10 are connected by wire via a well-known communication device (not shown), but may be connected wirelessly.

[0039] Furthermore, a user terminal (not shown), such as a laptop PC, tablet, or smartphone owned by an equipment manager of the factory, who is a user of the data transfer system 1, may be connected to each of the communication devices 10 and / or the communication control server 20, which are components of the data transfer system 1, so as to be able to communicate data with each other via a network 60. In this case, the user terminal and the network 60 may be connected wirelessly or by wire.

[0040] Further, each communication device 10 and / or communication control server 20 may be connected to other computers, servers, etc. via a network 60 so as to be capable of mutual data communication.

[0041] In the present embodiment, each communication device 10 and / or communication control server 20 is described as being composed of one device, as illustrated in Fig. 1. However, for example, each communication device 10 and / or communication control server 20 may be composed of multiple devices.

[0042] In the present embodiment, as illustrated in Fig. 1, each communication device 10 and the communication control server 20 are described as being separate devices. However, each communication device 10 and the communication control server 20 may be configured as the same device. In this case, the communication control server 20 may be configured to include, for example, some or all of the functions performed by each communication device 10. Furthermore, at least one of the communication devices 10 may be configured to include, for example, some or all of the functions performed by the communication control server 20.

[0043] Furthermore, the data transfer system 1 may be configured to include some or all of the functions carried out by various service servers 30 such as the virus check server 30a and the virus removal server 30b and / or various data servers 50, for example.

[0044] (Example of functional block of communication device 10) Next, a description will be given of an example of blocks of various functions included in the communication device 10. Each block described below indicates a block in terms of a function, not a configuration in terms of a hardware unit.

[0045] The communication device 10 includes the following functional blocks: a control unit (not shown), a storage unit (not shown), a communication unit 101, and an input / output unit .

[0046] The control unit executes various data processing based on the programs and data stored in the storage unit and the data acquired by the communication unit 101. The control unit also functions as an interface between the storage unit and the communication unit 101.

[0047] The control unit has an instruction book creation unit 103 as a functional block.

[0048] The instruction book creation unit 103 creates an instruction book 70 including at least information on the processing information desired by the user and information on the various service servers 30 and various data servers 50 to which the on-site data is to be transferred.

[0049] The control unit is configured using a processor such as a CPU, and can realize these functional blocks by executing a predetermined program. Note that instead of a processor, the control unit may be configured using a logic circuit such as an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array). The control unit may also be configured by combining a processor and a logic circuit.

[0050] The storage unit is configured using storage devices such as memory, and stores programs that supply various processing instructions to the control unit, and data representing various information used in the processing executed by the control unit.

[0051] The storage unit has an instruction book storage unit 104 as a functional block.

[0052] The instruction book storage unit 104 stores the instruction book 70 created by the instruction book creation unit 103 as data.

[0053] The communication unit 101 is responsible for communication processing with other devices such as the communication control server 20 and user terminals via the network 60. The communication unit 101 is configured using, for example, a network interface card (NIC) or a host bus adapter (HBA).

[0054] The input / output unit 102 is responsible for various processes related to an I / O (Input / Output) interface, that is, a user interface. The input / output unit 102 includes functional blocks of an input unit (not shown) and an output unit (not shown).

[0055] The input unit is responsible for input-related processes such as accepting input operations from the user among processes related to the user interface. The input unit is configured using, for example, a touch panel, and detects various operations from the user.

[0056] The output unit is responsible for output-related processes such as displaying various screens showing processing results, etc. on a display device, outputting audio, etc., among processes related to the user interface. The output unit is configured using, for example, a touch screen, a liquid crystal display, etc.

[0057] The above description of each function is merely an example, and multiple functions may be combined into one function, or one function may be divided into multiple functions.

[0058] In the present embodiment, the functions of the communication device 10 have been described as being integrally realized by one computer device. However, these functions may be realized by a plurality of computers or server devices connected to each other. The communication device 10 may be configured to include a general-purpose computer device such as a laptop PC and a web browser installed thereon, or may be configured to include a web server and various portable devices.

[0059] (Example of functional block of communication control server 20) Next, a description will be given of an example of blocks of various functions provided in the communication control server 20. Each block described below represents a block in terms of function, not a configuration in terms of hardware.

[0060] The communication control server 20 includes the following functional blocks: a control unit (not shown), a storage unit (not shown), and a communication unit 201.

[0061] The control unit executes various data processing based on the programs and data stored in the storage unit and the data acquired by the communication unit 201. The control unit also functions as an interface between the storage unit and the communication unit 201.

[0062] The control unit has the functional blocks of an instruction book reading unit 202 and an instruction book content reflecting unit 203 .

[0063] The instruction book reading unit 202 reads the instruction book 70 received from the communication device 10 via the communication unit 201 .

[0064] Further, the instruction book content reflecting unit 203 determines the transfer destination and transfer order of the site data received via the communication unit 201 based on the contents of the instruction book 70 read by the instruction book reading unit 202. Note that the transfer order may be random.

[0065] The control unit is configured using a processor such as a CPU, and can realize these functional blocks by executing a predetermined program. Note that instead of a processor, the control unit may be configured using a logic circuit such as an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array). The control unit may also be configured by combining a processor and a logic circuit.

[0066] The storage unit is configured using storage devices such as memory, and stores programs that supply various processing instructions to the control unit, and data representing various information used in the processing executed by the control unit.

[0067] The communication unit 201 is responsible for communication processing with other devices, such as each communication device 10, various service servers 30 such as a virus check server 30a and a virus removal server 30b, and / or various data servers 50, etc., performed via a network 60. The communication unit 201 is configured using, for example, a NIC (Network Interface Card), an HBA (Host Bus Adapter), etc.

[0068] Furthermore, the communication control server 20 may also include an input / output unit (not shown) that includes functional blocks of an input unit (not shown) and an output unit (not shown).

[0069] The input / output unit is responsible for various processes related to an I / O (Input / Output) interface, that is, a user interface. The input / output unit includes functional blocks of an input unit (not shown) and an output unit (not shown).

[0070] The input unit is responsible for input-related processes such as accepting input operations from the user among processes related to the user interface. The input unit is configured using, for example, a touch panel, and detects various operations from the user.

[0071] The output unit is responsible for output-related processes such as displaying various screens showing processing results, etc. on a display device, outputting audio, etc., among processes related to the user interface. The output unit is configured using, for example, a touch screen, a liquid crystal display, etc.

[0072] The above description of each function is merely an example, and multiple functions may be combined into one function, or one function may be divided into multiple functions.

[0073] In the present embodiment, the functions of the communication control server 20 have been described as being realized integrally by one computer device. However, these functions may be realized by a plurality of computers or server devices connected to each other. The communication control server 20 may be configured to include a general-purpose computer device such as a laptop PC and a web browser installed thereon, or may be configured to include a web server and various portable devices.

[0074] Furthermore, each of the communication devices 10 and / or the communication control server 20 constituting the data transfer system 1 may have further functions in addition to the various functions described above. For example, any one of the communication devices 10 may be configured to include some of the above functions provided by the communication control server 20, and the communication control server 20 may be configured to include some of the above functions provided by the communication device 10.

[0075] The service server 30 only needs to have the functions required for the transfer of on-site data, and different service servers 30 may exist for each function. For example, the above-mentioned virus check server 30a is a service server 30 equipped with a function for executing a virus check process on on-site data. Also, the above-mentioned virus removal server 30b is a service server 30 equipped with a function for executing a process for removing only a computer virus from on-site data infected with the computer virus. Note that the service server 30 is not limited to these specific examples, and may have functions other than those focused on security services.

[0076] (Processing flow example) Next, the flow of processing executed in the first embodiment will be described.

[0077] FIG. 2 is a sequence diagram showing an example of the processing flow executed in the first embodiment, in which the communication control server 20 transfers on-site data to the service server 30 and the data server 50 based on an instruction sheet 70a generated by the communication device 10.

[0078] In the first embodiment, a virus check server 30a is assumed as a specific example of the service server 30. Therefore, the following description will be given on the assumption that the destinations of the on-site data transmitted to the communication control server 20 are the virus check server 30a and the data server 50.

[0079] In addition, in the following explanation, terms such as "send," "transfer," and "receive" are used, but the server-client relationship in the communication is not limited to these terms, and the server-client relationship may be reversed.

[0080] In step S101, the control unit of the communication device 10 executes a process of creating the instruction 70a by the instruction creation unit 103 based on the input operation of the user received via the input / output unit 102. As a result, the instruction 70a is created according to the content of the input operation. FIG. 3 shows an example of the instruction 70a created in step S101. In the instruction 70a in the first embodiment, in addition to the IP address information of the communication device 10, the IP address information of the data server 50, the protocol information at the time of transfer, and the service ID indicating the virus check server 30a and the data information to be processed as the processing information desired by the user, and an electronic signature for the purpose of ensuring integrity are described. Note that the information described in the instruction 70a is not limited to these contents, and detailed information for realizing more detailed control may be described. Also, the configuration of the instruction 70a may be described in a structure format or in a list format. When the process in step S101 is completed, the control unit of the communication device 10 proceeds to step S102.

[0081] In step S102, the control unit of the communication device 10 executes a process of transmitting the instruction statement 70a created in step S101 to the communication control server 20 via the communication unit 101. As a result, the instruction statement 70a is transmitted to the communication control server 20. The control unit of the communication control server 20 receives the instruction statement 70a via the communication unit 201. When the process in step S102 is completed, the control unit of the communication control server 20 proceeds to step S105.

[0082] In step S103, the control unit of the field device 40 executes a process of transmitting the field data to the communication device 10. As a result, the field data is transmitted to the communication device 10. The control unit of the communication device 10 receives the field data via the communication unit 101. When the process in step S103 is completed, the control unit of the communication device 10 proceeds to step S104.

[0083] In step S104, the control unit of the communication device 10 executes a process of transferring the on-site data received in step S103 to the communication control server 20 via the communication unit 101. This causes the on-site data to be transferred to the communication control server 20. The control unit of the communication control server 20 receives the on-site data via the communication unit 201. Upon completing the process in step S104, the control unit of the communication control server 20 proceeds to step S106, and waits until the process in step S105 is completed.

[0084] In step S105, the control unit of the communication control server 20 executes a process of reading the contents of the instruction book 70a received in step S102 by the instruction book reading unit 202. As a result, the contents of the instruction book 70a are read in. When the process in step S105 is completed, the control unit of the communication control server 20 proceeds to step S106.

[0085] In step S106, the control unit of the communication control server 20 executes a process in which the instruction book content reflection unit 203 determines the service server 30 (hereinafter also simply referred to as the "transfer destination") to which the on-site data received in step S104 will be transferred and the transfer order of the on-site data based on the contents of the instruction book 70a read in step S105. This determines the transfer destination and transfer order of the on-site data that reflect the contents of the instruction book 70a. When the process in step S106 is completed, the control unit of the communication control server 20 proceeds to step S107.

[0086] In step S107, the control unit of the communication control server 20 executes a process of transferring the on-site data, the transfer destinations and transfer order of which have been determined in step S106, to the transfer destinations in the transfer order via the communication unit 201. As described above, in the first embodiment, a virus check server 30a is assumed as a specific example of the service server 30. Therefore, the control unit of the communication control server 20 transfers the on-site data to the virus check server 30a via the communication unit 201. The control unit of the virus check server 30a receives the on-site data via the communication unit. When the process in step S107 is completed, the control unit of the virus check server 30a proceeds to step S108.

[0087] In step S108, the control unit of the virus check server 30a executes a process (hereinafter also referred to as "virus check process") to check whether the on-site data received in step S107 is infected with a computer virus. As a result, data indicating the result of the virus check process for the on-site data (hereinafter also referred to as "virus check process result data") is obtained. When the process in step S108 is completed, the control unit of the virus check server 30a proceeds to step S109.

[0088] In step S109, the control unit of the virus check server 30a executes a process of transmitting the virus check processing result data acquired in step S108 to the communication control server 20 via the communication unit. The control unit of the virus check server 30a may transmit a directory of on-site data confirmed to be infected with a computer virus and on-site data that is not infected with a computer virus, depending on whether the on-site data is infected with a computer virus, or may transmit a list in which an identifier of the on-site data and a flag indicating whether the on-site data is infected with a computer virus are written together. In this way, the virus check processing result data is transmitted to the communication control server 20. The control unit of the communication control server 20 receives the virus check processing result data via the communication unit 201. When the process in step S109 is completed, the control unit of the communication control server 20 proceeds to step S110.

[0089] In step S110, the control unit of the communication control server 20 reads the contents of the virus check processing result data received in step S109, and executes a process to check the result of the virus check processing for the on-site data related to the virus check processing result data. This allows the result of the virus check processing for the on-site data to be checked. When the process in step S110 is completed, the control unit of the communication control server 20 proceeds to step S111.

[0090] In the explanation of the first embodiment, the flow of processing when the result of the virus check processing of the on-site data in step S110 is confirmed to be negative, i.e., when the on-site data is not infected with any computer virus, will be described in detail. In contrast, the details of the flow of processing when the result of the virus check processing of the on-site data in step S110 is confirmed to be positive, i.e., when the on-site data is infected with some kind of computer virus, will be described later in relation to FIG. 4 as the explanation of the second embodiment.

[0091] In step S111, if the result of the virus check process on the site data is negative, i.e., if the site data is not infected with any computer virus, the control unit of the communication control server 20 executes a process of transferring the site data to the data server 50 via the communication unit 201 based on the result of the process in step S106. As a result, normal site data that is not infected with any computer virus is transferred to the data server 50. When the control unit of the data server 50 receives the site data via the communication unit, it ends the process shown in the sequence diagram of FIG.

[0092] In this way, according to the data transfer system 1, the transfer destination and transfer order of the field data can be efficiently managed using the instruction book 70 created by each communication device 10. In other words, by distributively managing the setting information required for data transfer in each communication device 10, the management cost of the setting information can be reduced.

[0093] The first embodiment has been described above with reference to FIGS.

[0094] <Second embodiment> Next, a second embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 1 and FIGS.

[0095] The second embodiment represents an example of system operation when the applied service is changed. The data transfer system 1 in the second embodiment changes the applied service by updating the contents of the instruction book 70 on the communication device 10.

[0096] (Overall system configuration example) The overall system in the second embodiment is also the system illustrated in Fig. 1 and is equivalent to the overall system in the first embodiment. Therefore, since the contents are similar to those already described, the description will be omitted here.

[0097] (Example of functional blocks of the communication device 10 and the communication control server 20) Moreover, the functional blocks of each communication device 10 and the communication control server 20 in the second embodiment are also similar to those in the first embodiment, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted here.

[0098] (Processing flow example) Next, the flow of processing executed in the second embodiment will be described.

[0099] Figure 4 is a sequence diagram showing an example of the processing flow executed in the second embodiment, in which the communication control server 20 transfers on-site data to the service servers (30a, 30b) and the data server 50 based on an instruction manual 70b updated by the communication device 10.

[0100] In the second embodiment, a virus check server 30a and a virus removal server 30b are assumed as specific examples of the service server 30. Therefore, the following description will be given on the assumption that the destinations of the on-site data transmitted to the communication control server 20 are the virus check server 30a, the virus removal server 30b, and the data server 50.

[0101] In addition, in the following explanation, terms such as "send," "transfer," and "receive" are used, but the server-client relationship in the communication is not limited to these terms, and the server-client relationship may be reversed.

[0102] In step S201, the control unit of the communication device 10 executes a process of updating the already created instruction 70a to the instruction 70b by the instruction creation unit 103 based on the input operation of the user received via the input / output unit 102. As a result, the already created instruction 70a is updated to the instruction 70b according to the content of the input operation. An example of the instruction 70b after the update is shown in FIG. 5. In the instruction 70b in the second embodiment, in addition to the IP address information of the communication device 10, the IP address information of the data server 50 and the protocol information at the time of transfer, as the processing information desired by the user, the service ID indicating the virus check server 30a and the data information to be processed, the service ID indicating the virus removal server 30b and the data information to be processed, and an electronic signature for the purpose of ensuring integrity are described. Note that the information described in the instruction 70b is not limited to these contents, and detailed information for realizing more detailed control may be described. The configuration of the instruction 70b may be described in a structure format or in a list format. When the control unit of the communication device 10 completes the process in step S201, the process proceeds to step S202.

[0103] In step S202, the control unit of the communication device 10 executes a process of transmitting the instruction form 70b updated in step S201 to the communication control server 20 via the communication unit 101. As a result, the instruction form 70b is transmitted to the communication control server 20. The control unit of the communication control server 20 receives the instruction form 70b via the communication unit 201. When the process in step S202 is completed, the control unit of the communication control server 20 proceeds to step S205.

[0104] In step S203, the control unit of the field device 40 executes a process of transmitting the field data to the communication device 10. As a result, the field data is transmitted to the communication device 10. The control unit of the communication device 10 receives the field data via the communication unit 101. When the process in step S203 is completed, the control unit of the communication device 10 proceeds to step S204.

[0105] In step S204, the control unit of the communication device 10 executes a process of transferring the on-site data received in step S203 to the communication control server 20 via the communication unit 101. This causes the on-site data to be transferred to the communication control server 20. The control unit of the communication control server 20 receives the on-site data via the communication unit 201. Upon completing the process in step S204, the control unit of the communication control server 20 proceeds to step S206, and waits until the process in step S205 is completed.

[0106] In step S205, the control unit of the communication control server 20 executes a process of reading the contents of the instruction book 70b received in step S202 by the instruction book reading unit 202. As a result, the contents of the instruction book 70b are read in. When the process in step S205 is completed, the control unit of the communication control server 20 proceeds to step S206.

[0107] In step S206, the control unit of the communication control server 20 executes a process to determine the transfer destination and transfer order of the site data received in step S204 based on the contents of the instruction book 70b read in step S205 by the instruction book content reflection unit 203. This determines the transfer destination and transfer order of the site data that reflects the contents of the instruction book 70b. When the process in step S206 is completed, the control unit of the communication control server 20 proceeds to step S207.

[0108] In step S207, the control unit of the communication control server 20 executes a process of transferring the on-site data, the destinations and the order of transfer of which have been determined in step S206, to the destinations in the order of transfer via the communication unit 201. As described above, in the second embodiment, the virus check server 30a and the virus removal server 30b are assumed as specific examples of the service server 30. Therefore, the control unit of the communication control server 20 first transfers the on-site data to the virus check server 30a via the communication unit 201. The control unit of the virus check server 30a receives the on-site data via the communication unit. When the process in step S207 is completed, the control unit of the virus check server 30a proceeds to step S208.

[0109] In step S208, the control unit of the virus check server 30a executes a virus check process on the on-site data received in step S207. As a result, virus check process result data is obtained for the on-site data. When the process in step S208 is completed, the control unit of the virus check server 30a proceeds to step S209.

[0110] In step S209, the control unit of the virus check server 30a executes a process of transmitting the virus check processing result data acquired in step S208 to the communication control server 20 via the communication unit. The control unit of the virus check server 30a may transmit a directory of on-site data confirmed to be infected with a computer virus and on-site data that is not infected with a computer virus, depending on whether the on-site data is infected with a computer virus, or may transmit a list in which an identifier of the on-site data and a flag indicating whether the on-site data is infected with a computer virus are written together. In this way, the virus check processing result data is transmitted to the communication control server 20. The control unit of the communication control server 20 receives the virus check processing result data via the communication unit 201. When the process in step S209 is completed, the control unit of the communication control server 20 proceeds to step S210.

[0111] In step S210, the control unit of the communication control server 20 reads the contents of the virus check processing result data received in step S209, and executes a process to check the result of the virus check processing for the on-site data related to the virus check processing result data. This allows the result of the virus check processing for the on-site data to be checked. When the process in step S210 is completed, the control unit of the communication control server 20 proceeds to step S211.

[0112] Note that the details of the process flow when it is confirmed in step S210 that the result of the virus check process of the on-site data is negative, i.e., when the on-site data is not infected with any computer virus, are as described above in relation to Fig. 2 in the explanation of the first embodiment. In contrast, the explanation of the second embodiment will describe in detail the process flow when it is confirmed in step S210 that the result of the virus check process of the on-site data is positive, i.e., when the on-site data is infected with some kind of computer virus.

[0113] In step S211, if the result of the virus check process on the on-site data is positive, that is, if the on-site data is infected with some kind of computer virus, the control unit of the communication control server 20 executes a process of transmitting the on-site data to the virus removal server 30b via the communication unit 201. As a result, the on-site data confirmed to be infected with a computer virus is transmitted to the data server 50. The control unit of the virus removal server 30b receives the on-site data via the communication unit. When the process in step S211 is completed, the control unit of the virus removal server 30b proceeds to step S212.

[0114] In step S212, the control unit of the virus removal server 30b executes a process to remove the computer virus that has infected the on-site data received in step S211 (hereinafter also referred to as "virus removal process"). As a result, the on-site data is restored to a normal state free of computer viruses by removing the computer virus that has infected the on-site data. When the process in step S212 is completed, the control unit of the virus removal server 30b proceeds to step S213.

[0115] In step S213, the control unit of the virus removal server 30b executes a process of transmitting the on-site data that has been restored to a normal state as a result of the virus removal process in step S212 to the communication control server 20 via the communication unit. As a result, the on-site data that has been restored to a normal state after the virus removal process is transmitted to the communication control server 20. The control unit of the communication control server 20 receives the on-site data that has been restored to a normal state via the communication unit 201. When the process in step S213 is completed, the control unit of the communication control server 20 proceeds to step S214.

[0116] In step S214, the control unit of the communication control server 20 executes a process to confirm that the on-site data received in step S213 is in a normal state. This confirms that the on-site data is in a normal state. After completing the process in step S214, the control unit of the communication control server 20 proceeds to step S215.

[0117] In step S215, the control unit of the communication control server 20 executes a process of transferring the site data confirmed to be in a normal state in step S214 to the data server 50 via the communication unit 201. As a result, the site data confirmed to be in a normal state is transferred to the data server 50. When the control unit of the data server 50 receives the site data via the communication unit, it ends the process shown in the sequence diagram of FIG.

[0118] In this way, according to the data transfer system 1, the destination and order of transfer of on-site data can be efficiently managed by using the instruction book 70 updated by each communication device 10. That is, the management cost of the setting information required for data transfer can be reduced by distributively managing the setting information in each communication device 10. In addition, according to the data transfer system 1, the processing to be applied to the data can be easily added and / or deleted by updating the instruction book 70.

[0119] The second embodiment has been described above with reference to FIGS.

[0120] <Third embodiment> Next, a third embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0121] FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of the overall system configuration including the data transfer system 1 in the third embodiment.

[0122] (Overall system configuration example) As illustrated in FIG. 6, the overall system in the third embodiment is a system in which a distribution server 80 is further added to the overall systems in the first and second embodiments illustrated in FIG.

[0123] This distribution server 80 is connected to at least each communication device 10 so as to be able to perform data communication via the network 60. As a result, the distribution server 80 distributes, for example, a program for linking with the data transfer system 1 to each communication device 10. In addition, for example, when a new service is added, the distribution server 80 distributes various information related to the new service (hereinafter also referred to as "new service information") to each communication device 10.

[0124] (Example of functional blocks of the communication device 10 and the communication control server 20) The functional blocks of each communication device 10 and the communication control server 20 in the third embodiment are the same as those in the first and second embodiments, and therefore will not be described here.

[0125] (Processing flow example) Next, the flow of processing executed in the third embodiment will be described.

[0126] FIG. 7 is a sequence diagram showing, as an example of the process flow executed in the third embodiment, the process flow executed between the distribution server 80 and each communication device 10 when the distribution server 80 performs various distributions to each communication device 10.

[0127] Note that content that is similar to that already explained will be omitted.

[0128] First, a flow of processing executed between distribution server 80 and each communication device 10 when distribution server 80 distributes a program to each communication device 10 will be described.

[0129] In step S301, the control unit of the distribution server 80 executes a process of distributing a program related to the instruction book creation unit 103, etc., to each communication device 10 via the communication unit. This causes the program to be distributed to each communication device 10. The control unit of each communication device 10 receives the program via the communication unit 101. When the process in step S301 is completed, the control unit of each communication device 10 proceeds to step S302.

[0130] In step S302, the control unit of each communication device 10 executes a process for installing the program received in step S301. As a result, the program is installed in each communication device 10.

[0131] Next, the flow of processing executed between the distribution server 80 and each communication device 10 when the distribution server 80 notifies each communication device 10 of the addition of a new service server 30 to provide a new service, or the deletion of an existing service server 30 due to a change in the content or termination of a service, will be described.

[0132] In step S303, the control unit of the distribution server 80 executes a process of notifying each communication device 10 of the addition of a new service server 30, the deletion of an existing service server 30, etc., via the communication unit. This causes notifications regarding the addition or deletion of a service server 30 to be sent to each communication device 10. The control unit of each communication device 10 receives the notification via the communication unit 101. When the process in step S303 is completed, the control unit of each communication device 10 proceeds to step S304.

[0133] In step S304, the control unit of each communication device 10 executes a process to reflect the information represented by the notification received in step S303. As a result, the information represented by the notification is reflected in each communication device 10. Specifically, the information regarding the addition or deletion of the service server 30 is reflected in the process executed by the instruction book creation unit 103 when creating or updating the instruction book 70, and in the content of the instruction book 70 created or updated by the process.

[0134] In addition, the distribution server 80 is not limited to the above examples of program distribution and various notifications regarding the service server 30, but can also distribute various other data and notify various other information to each communication device 10 simultaneously.

[0135] As described above, the data transfer system 1 may be a system including at least the communication devices 10 and the communication control server 20. In other words, it goes without saying that the data transfer system 1 in the third embodiment may be the entire system illustrated in FIG. 6, which further includes the distribution server 80.

[0136] In such a case, the data transfer system 1 may generate the instruction book 70 in the distribution server 80 and then distribute it to each communication device 10 all at once.

[0137] 6, the distribution server 80 simultaneously notifies each communication device 10 of various notifications regarding distribution of various programs and addition or deletion of the service server 30. This makes it possible to further reduce the management cost of setting information required for data transfer.

[0138] <Display screen example> Next, a display screen displayed to the user of the data transfer system 1 will be described with reference to FIG.

[0139] FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen in the first to third embodiments.

[0140] As shown in FIG. 8, an instruction book creation screen 90 includes an information input field 91, an applicable service check field 92, and an instruction book creation / update button 93.

[0141] The information input field 91 is a user interface for allowing a user of the data transfer system 1 to input necessary information when creating or updating the instruction sheet 70. Specific examples of the information input field 91 include an information input field 91a for the IP address of the data server 50, an information input field 91b for the protocol used when transferring to the data server 50, and an information input field 91c for data to which the service is applied.

[0142] The applicable service check field 92 is a user interface for allowing a user of the data transfer system 1 to flag desired processing when creating or updating the instruction book 70. Specific examples of the applicable service check field 92 include an applicable service check field 92a for flagging a request for a virus check service, and an applicable service check field 92b for flagging a request for a virus removal service.

[0143] The create / update instruction book button 93 is a button for triggering the creation or update of the instruction book 70 based on the information entered in the information input field 91 and the service information checked in the applicable service check field 92 when creating or updating the instruction book 70.

[0144] The above-described embodiment of the present invention can be summarized as follows.

[0145] (1) The data transfer system 1 is a computer system that transfers data acquired from a field device 40 to other devices (30, 50) on a network 60, and includes at least a communication device 10 that is connected to the field device 40 so as to be capable of data communication and that receives data (field data) acquired by the field device 40, and a communication control server 20 that receives the data from the communication device 10 and transfers it to other devices (30, 50) on the network 60. The communication device 10 creates an instruction 70 that indicates the transfer destination and transfer order of the data, and transmits it to the communication control server 20. The communication control server 20 transfers the data to the other devices (30, 50) based on the instruction 70 received from the communication device 10. The other devices (30, 50) include at least one of a service server 30 that performs a predetermined data processing related to a service desired by a user on the data received from the communication control server 20 and returns it to the communication control server 20, and a data server 50 that stores the data received from the communication control server 20 in a storage area. In this way, according to the data transfer system 1, the transfer destination and transfer order of the field data can be efficiently managed using the instruction book 70 created by each communication device 10. In other words, by distributively managing the setting information required for data transfer in each communication device 10, the management cost of the setting information can be reduced.

[0146] (2) The communication device 10 updates the contents of the instruction sheet 70 and transmits it to the communication control server 20. The communication control server 20 transfers the data to the other devices (30, 50) based on the updated instruction sheet 70. In this manner, the data transfer system 1 can easily add and / or delete processing to be applied to the data by updating the instruction sheet 70.

[0147] (3) The instruction sheet 70 includes at least an identifier of the communication device 10 and identifiers of the other devices (30, 50).

[0148] (4) The communication device 10 creates the instruction book 70 based on the input operation received from the user.

[0149] (5) When creating the instruction book 70, the communication device 10 reflects the service change information received from the distribution server 80 in the instruction book 70.

[0150] (6) Identifying the communication device 10 and the service server 30 based on the instruction book 70, and determining the service usage fee to be charged to the user of the communication device 10.

[0151] (7) The communication device 10 is connected to the field device 40 so as to be able to communicate data, receives data (field data) acquired by the field device 40, and transmits the data to the communication control server 20 on the network 60 so as to be able to communicate data. The communication device 10 creates an instruction sheet 70 indicating the destination and order of transfer of the data from the communication control server 20, and transmits the instruction sheet 70 to the communication control server 20. The instruction sheet 70 includes at least an identifier of the communication device 10 and an identifier of another device (30, 50) on the network 60 desired by the user. The other device (30, 50) on the network 60 desired by the user includes at least one of a service server 30 that performs a predetermined data processing related to a service desired by the user on the data received from the communication control server 20 and returns the data to the communication control server 20, and a data server 50 that stores the data received from the communication control server 20 in a memory area.

[0152] (8) The communication control server 20 is a server device that is connected to the communication device 10 so as to be able to communicate data, and that transfers data received from the communication device 10 to other devices (30, 50) on the network 60, and transfers the data to the other devices (30, 50) based on an instruction 70 received from the communication device 10 and indicating the transfer destination and transfer order of the data. The other devices (30, 50) include at least one of a service server 30 that performs predetermined data processing related to a service desired by the user on the data received from the communication control server 20 and returns the data to the communication control server 20, and a data server 50 that stores the data received from the communication control server 20 in a memory area.

[0153] (9) The service server 30 is a server device that is connected to the communication control server 20 so that data can be communicated between them, and performs specified data processing on data received from the communication control server 20. Based on instructions from the communication control server 20, the service server 30 performs specified data processing on the data received from the communication control server 20, and returns it to the communication control server 20.

[0154] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and can be implemented using any components without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[0155] The above-mentioned embodiments, examples, and modifications are merely examples, and the present invention is not limited to these contents as long as the characteristics of the invention are not impaired. In addition, although various embodiments, examples, and modifications have been described above, the present invention is not limited to these contents. Other aspects that are conceivable within the scope of the technical idea of ​​the present invention are also included in the scope of the present invention.

[0156] In the above figures, the control lines and information lines are shown as those considered necessary for the explanation, and do not necessarily show all the control lines and information lines in the actual implementation. For example, it may be considered that almost all the components are actually connected to each other.

[0157] The above-described layout of each functional unit of the data transfer system 1 is merely an example. The layout of each functional unit can be changed to an optimal layout in terms of the performance, processing efficiency, communication efficiency, and the like of the hardware and software included in the data transfer system 1. [Explanation of symbols]

[0158] 1: Data transfer system

Claims

1. A data transfer system for transferring data acquired from a field device to another device on a network, comprising: a communication device connected to the field device so as to be capable of data communication and configured to receive data acquired by the field device; a communication control server that receives the data from the communication device and transfers it to another device on the network; At least the communication device creates an instruction document indicating a transfer destination and a transfer order of the data, and transmits the instruction document to the communication control server; The communication control server transfers the data to the other device based on an instruction received from the communication device; The other device is a service server that performs a predetermined data processing for a service desired by a user on the data received from the communication control server and returns the data to the communication control server; a data server that stores the data received from the communication control server in a storage area; At least one of the following is included: Data transfer system.

2. The communication device updates the content of the instruction book and transmits it to the communication control server; The communication control server transfers the data to the other device based on the updated instruction.

2. The data transfer system according to claim 1.

3. The data transfer system according to claim 1 , wherein the instruction book includes at least an identifier of the communication device and an identifier of the other device.

4. 2. The data transfer system according to claim 1, wherein the communication device creates the instruction sheet based on an input operation received from a user.

5. 2. The data transfer system according to claim 1, wherein the communication device reflects service change information received from a distribution server in the instruction book when creating the instruction book.

6. 2. The data transfer system according to claim 1, further comprising: identifying said communication device and said service server based on said instruction book; and determining a service usage fee to be charged to a user of said communication device.

7. A communication device that is connected to a field device so as to be capable of data communication, receives data acquired by the field device, and transmits the data to a communication control server on a network connected to the field device so as to be capable of data communication, creating an instruction sheet indicating a transfer destination and a transfer order of the data from the communication control server, and transmitting the instruction sheet to the communication control server; the instruction includes at least an identifier of the communication device and an identifier of another device on the network desired by the user; Other devices on the network desired by the user: a service server that performs a predetermined data processing for a service desired by a user on the data received from the communication control server and returns the data to the communication control server; a data server that stores the data received from the communication control server in a storage area; At least one of the following is included: Communications equipment.

8. A communication control server that is connected to a communication device so as to be capable of data communication and transfers data received from the communication device to another device on a network, Transferring the data to the other device based on an instruction received from the communication device, the instruction indicating a transfer destination and a transfer order of the data; The other device is a service server that performs a predetermined data processing for a service desired by a user on the data received from the communication control server and returns the data to the communication control server; a data server that stores the data received from the communication control server in a storage area; At least one of the following is included: Communication control server.

9. A service server that is connected to a communication control server so as to be capable of mutual data communication and performs predetermined data processing on data received from the communication control server, Based on an instruction from the communication control server, the data received from the communication control server is subjected to a predetermined data processing, and the data is returned to the communication control server. Service server.

10. A data transfer method for transferring data acquired from a field device to another device on a network, comprising the steps of: a communication device connected to the field device so as to be capable of data communication and configured to receive data acquired by the field device; a communication control server that receives the data from the communication device and transfers it to another device on the network; In a computer system comprising at least the communication device creates an instruction document indicating a transfer destination and a transfer order of the data, and transmits the instruction document to the communication control server; The communication control server transfers the data to the other device based on an instruction received from the communication device; The other device is a service server that performs a predetermined data processing for a service desired by a user on the data received from the communication control server and returns the data to the communication control server; a data server that stores the data received from the communication control server in a storage area; At least one of the following is included: Data transfer methods.

Images