Alias-Based Access Request Control for Flexible Data Acquisition

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing control systems face difficulties in easily acquiring necessary data and adapting to changes in system configurations, as they require significant time and effort to generate access requests and manage complex character strings.

Innovation Solution

A control system with a processing unit, providing unit, storage unit, and interpretation unit that uses character string definitions to replace shorter first character strings with longer second character strings in access requests, allowing for flexible data acquisition and system configuration updates.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If access requests use detailed second character strings to represent system paths, then data acquisition precision is improved, but time and effort to generate access requests increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedata acquisition precisionVSAvoidtime and effort to generate access requests

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a character string definition file as an intermediary between the simplified first character string and the detailed second character string. This definition file stores mapping relationships between short aliases and long system paths, allowing the system to automatically resolve first character strings to their corresponding second character strings during data acquisition, thus eliminating the need for users to manually construct detailed access requests while maintaining precise data access capability

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent creates a simplified copy (first character string) of the detailed system path (second character string) and stores the mapping relationship in a definition file. This copy serves as an alias that represents the original detailed path, allowing users to work with simplified strings while the system handles the translation to actual system paths, reducing user effort while preserving access precision

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

2Ease of operation

If access requests use simplified first character strings, then ease of operation is improved, but adaptability to system configuration changes deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveease of generating access requestsVSAvoidadaptability to system configuration changes

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent makes the character string definition file dynamic and updatable. When system configuration changes occur, users can modify the definition file to reflect new mapping relationships between first and second character strings. This dynamic update capability allows the system to adapt to configuration changes while users continue to use simplified first character strings, maintaining both ease of operation and adaptability

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The patent performs preliminary setup by creating the character string definition file that maps simplified aliases to detailed system paths. This preliminary action establishes a layer of abstraction that decouples user operations from system configuration details, allowing future system changes to be handled by updating the definition file rather than changing user access requests, thus maintaining ease of operation while improving adaptability

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Productivity

If character string definitions store mapping relationships, then productivity is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedata acquisition efficiencyVSAvoidsystem structure complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the complexity of system path management into a separate, standalone character string definition file. This extraction removes the burden of managing detailed system paths from the main control system logic, confining complexity to a simple configuration file that can be independently maintained. The control system only needs to perform simple lookups in this external file, thereby improving productivity while isolating and reducing the perceived complexity of the main system

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Data Source

PatentUS20240184256A1Control system, data providing method, and relay processing program

Publication Date: 2024.06.06 OMRON CORP

AI summary

A control system includes: a processing unit configured to determine processing for a control device or a device connected to the control device in accordance with an access request; a providing unit configured to transmit data acquired by performing the determined processing to a transmission source of the access request; a storage unit configured to store a character string definition including at least one combination of a first character string and a second character string longer than the first character string; and an interpretation unit configured to replace the first character string included in the access request with a second character string associated with the first character string by referring to the character string definition.