Broker-Adapter Gateway for Protocol-Independent Industrial Data Access
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Solution Overview
Problem
Industrial automation systems generate vast amounts of data from various sources, requiring applications to discover and interact with multiple data storage locations and protocols, leading to complexity and the need for frequent updates when protocol or location changes occur.
Innovation Solution
A common gateway platform system with adapters, brokers, and applications that use a universal protocol to facilitate data acquisition from industrial automation environments, allowing applications to request data without direct connection to storage and enabling protocol independence.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If applications directly connect to multiple data storage locations and protocols to acquire industrial automation data, then data acquisition capability is improved, but device complexity and maintenance burden increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a data server as an intermediary component that sits between applications and multiple data storage locations. The data server handles protocol translation, data routing, and storage location management, allowing applications to acquire data from multiple sources without directly connecting to each storage location or understanding their protocols. This mediator approach resolves the contradiction by centralizing complexity in the data server while keeping applications simple.
Solution Approach 2:
The data server is designed with universal functionality to handle multiple data storage locations, various protocols, and different application requirements through a single unified interface. It can translate between different protocols, route data to appropriate storage locations, and serve multiple applications simultaneously. This multi-functional design allows the system to maintain high adaptability while reducing overall complexity by consolidating diverse functions in one component.
2Reliability
If applications are modified to track protocol or location changes in data storages, then data acquisition accuracy is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The data server acts as a mediator that absorbs changes in data storage locations and protocols. When storage locations or protocols change, only the data server needs to be updated with new connection parameters and protocol translations. Applications continue to operate unchanged, requesting data through the same interface. This resolves the contradiction by isolating change management to the data server while maintaining simple application operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The data server implements automatic discovery and adaptation mechanisms that allow it to self-configure when data storage locations or protocols change. It can automatically detect new storage locations, learn protocol formats, and update its internal routing tables without manual intervention. This self-service capability maintains data acquisition accuracy while eliminating the need for manual application modifications.
3Adaptability or versatility
If a common gateway platform with brokers and adapters is implemented, then adaptability to different protocols is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the broker and adapter functionalities into a single integrated data server component. Rather than having separate broker and adapter layers, the data server combines message brokering, protocol translation, data routing, and storage management into one unified system. This consolidation maintains protocol independence and adaptability while reducing the overall system structure to a simpler three-component architecture (applications, data server, data storage locations).
Data Source
AI summary
Systems, methods, and software disclosed herein relate to a common gateway platform system. In an implementation, program instructions direct a computing system to execute a common gateway platform environment comprising an adapter comprising an adapter name identification, a broker connected to the adapter, and an application connected to the adapter. The application also generates an action configured according to a common gateway platform protocol, transmit the action to the broker, and receive a reaction from the broker. The broker is configured to identify the adapter based on the adapter identifier and transmit the action to the adapter. The broker also receives the reaction from the adapter and transmit the reaction to the application. The adapter is configured to acquire the data from the industrial automation environment based on an adapter instruction in the action, generate the reaction comprising the acquired data, and transmit the reaction to the broker.