Intermediary Communication Device for Cross-Network Protocol Translation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Industrial controllers and cloud servers operate on different network address architectures and communication protocols, making it difficult for them to communicate effectively, especially when controlling industrial processes remotely.
Innovation Solution
A communication processing device that includes a first communicator to receive messages in a first communication protocol, an address specifying unit to map addresses between different address architectures, a communication protocol processor to generate messages in a second communication protocol, and a second communicator to transmit these messages to a gateway device, enabling communication between devices with different address architectures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If software is placed on a cloud server to enable remote control, then operational convenience is improved, but communication compatibility deteriorates due to different network address architectures and protocols
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a communication processing device as an intermediary between the cloud server and industrial controller. This device includes an address specifying unit that maps cloud server addresses to local controller addresses, and a communication protocol processor that converts between different communication protocols. The intermediary enables remote control functionality while resolving the incompatibility between cloud and local network architectures.
2Adaptability or versatility
If new communication functions are added to enable inter-network communication, then communication compatibility is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the communication system into distinct functional components: the cloud server, the communication processing device, and the industrial controller. The communication processing device is further segmented into an address specifying unit and a communication protocol processor. This segmentation isolates the complexity to a dedicated intermediary device, leaving the original server and controller unchanged.
Solution Approach 2:
By placing all communication compatibility functions in the intermediary communication processing device, the patent avoids modifying the existing server and controller software. The intermediary handles address mapping and protocol conversion, thereby improving communication compatibility without increasing the complexity of the original devices.
3Adaptability or versatility
If address mapping is implemented between different network architectures, then communication compatibility is improved, but information processing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The communication processing device serves as an intermediary that maintains an address correspondence table mapping cloud server addresses to local controller addresses. When a communication request arrives, the address specifying unit queries the table and performs the appropriate address translation. This centralized approach simplifies the overall system by concentrating address processing logic in one location.
Solution Approach 2:
The address correspondence table is pre-configured with all necessary address mappings before communication begins. This preliminary setup eliminates the need for complex real-time address resolution algorithms during operation, reducing information processing complexity during actual communication tasks.
Data Source
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AI summary
[Problem] To realize communication between communication devices belonging to networks with different address architectures. [Solution to Problem] The communication processing device of the present embodiment comprises: a first communicator to receive a message of a first communication protocol from a first communication device in a first network of a first address architecture; a communication protocol processor configured to, when a destination address of the received message of the first communication protocol matches a first address of the first communicator, generate a message of a second communication protocol having a payload including address information indicative of an address of a second communication device in a second network and including the message of the first communication protocol, the message of the second communication protocol requesting that the message of the first communication protocol be transferred to the second communication device; and a second communicator configured to transmit the message of the second communication protocol to a gateway device which can communicate with the second communication device in the second network.