Universal configurable device gateway

• US 20060067209A1
• Filed: 07/29/2005
• Published: 03/30/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Modius, Inc., Elan Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (Perrigo Company PLC)
• Original Assignee: Modius, Inc.
• Inventors: Hartley, Jay, Sheehan, Thomas, Clementi, Stephen, Nowak, David M.
• Granted Patent: US 8,769,106 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/216
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/25217 Configure communication protocol, select between several
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4625 Single bridge functionality, e.g. connection of two networks over a single bridge
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0213 Standardised network management protocols, e.g. simple network management protocol [SNMP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0253 using browsers or web-pages for accessing management information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/046 comprising network management agents or mobile agents therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/56 Provisioning of proxy services store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/565 Conversion or adaptation of application format or content adding application control or application functional data H04L67/561
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/59 Providing operational support to end devices by off-loading in the network or by emulation, e.g. when they are unavailable
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/08 Protocols for interworking; Protocol conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/18 Multiprotocol handlers, e.g. single devices capable of handling multiple protocols

Abstract

A method and an apparatus for providing a configurable, object-oriented, protocol-neutral interface between a physical device and a server. The method includes coupling an application gateway with the physical device, where the application gateway includes a protocol gateway module configured for physical communication with the physical device, and an object adapter module configured for virtual communication between the physical device and a client application running on a server. The method further includes configuring a service starter to launch and bind the object adapter module with the protocol gateway module, configuring the protocol gateway module to define the physical interface between the physical device and the protocol gateway, and establishing communication between the protocol gateway module and the physical device, such that the physical device is exposed as a network device on the server.

Claims

1. A method of providing a configurable, object-oriented, protocol-neutral interface between a physical device and a server, comprising:

coupling an agent-based application gateway with the physical device, the agent-based application gateway comprising;

an agent-based protocol gateway module configured for physical communication with the physical device,

an agent-based object adapter module configured for virtual communication between the physical device and a client application on the server,

configuring a service starter to launch and bind the agent-based object adapter module with the agent-based protocol gateway module;

configuring the agent-based protocol gateway module to define the physical interface between the physical device and the agent-based protocol gateway; and

establishing communication between the agent-based protocol gateway module and the physical device, such that the physical device is exposed as a network device on the server.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the agent-based application gateway is configured for acquiring a data stream from the physical device by the client application on the server, where in response to a request from the client, the data stream is provided to the agent-based application gateway, where the data stream is processed and transmitted to the agent-based object adapter module in the form of time-stamped response objects,

wherein in the agent-based object adapter module point values in the data stream are converted into computed data point values using unit conversion to scale and offset the point values,

wherein the computed data point values are collected into a data event and encrypted and published,

and wherein the encrypted and published data event is transmitted to the client application on the server, where the encrypted and published data event is processed.

3. The method of claim 1 where the agent-based application gateway is configured for transmitting a set point value command request from the client application on the server to the physical device, where in response to the set point value command request, the request is sent to the agent-based object adapter module,

where at the agent-based object adapter module, the client application'"'"'s write permission is verified, the set point value is checked for writeability, the set point value is converted to the physical device'"'"'s native scale and a write request object is constructed and sent to the physical device where the point value is set.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the physical device is selected from the group consisting of industrial control equipment, building automation equipment, and network management equipment.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the physical device is selected from the group consisting of a power supply, an uninterrupted power supply (UPS), a compressor, a serial gateway, a head-end system, a programmable logic controller (PLC), an human machine interface (HMI) workstation, an IT server or a management system, and any device that supports industry-accepted protocols, including ModBus, Lon, DF1, N2, BACnet, CIP and SNMP, and combinations thereof.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein said coupling an application gateway with the physical device, comprises configuring the protocol gateway module for physical communication with the physical device via a serial communication protocol.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the serial communication protocol is a serial communication interface selected from the group consisting of RS-232, RS-422, RS-485, and combinations thereof.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein there is one object adapter module for each physical device that is interfaced with the server.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising coupling a plurality of physical devices by

providing a plurality of object adapter modules, one for each physical device, each one of the object adapter modules configured for virtual communication between each of the devices and the client application on the server.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the physical device is configured to generate and receive I/O information in accordance with a vendor-defined native language protocol, the application gateway recognizing the native language protocol and affecting a bi-directional communication with the physical device in the native language protocol.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the object adapter module is configured to affect bi-directional communication with the client application on a server using an Ethernet interface.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the communication between the physical device and the object adapter module is configured in accordance with an Internet Protocol packet-based transmission protocol.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the physical device communicates with the application gateway in accordance with a native language protocol, and wherein the application gateway has programming comprising:

data and executable instructions defining an operating section; and

a mapping of physical device protocol codes accessible to the operating section for enabling the application gateway to communicate with the physical device using a protocol code native to the physical device.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein

the application gateway is operable to be added to the physical device for connection with a network, to inform the server of characteristics of the physical device that is connected with the client.

15. The method of claim 1 further comprising

providing a protocol bridge module for linking the object adapter module with the client application on a server, the protocol bridge module configured for interconnecting the physical device with the client application, when the client application communicates via an application program interface.

16. An apparatus for connecting a physical device as a network device with a client application running on a networked server, comprising:

a first connector for attachment of the apparatus with the physical device;

a second connector for attachment of the apparatus with the server;

a communication module connected with said first and said second connectors for establishing a communication between the physical device and the server, said communication module, comprising;

an application gateway module configured for physical communication with the physical device,

an object adapter module configured for virtual communication between the physical device and the client application,

a lookup service module for announcing the object adapter to the server; and

a service starter module for launching and binding the object adapter module with the application gateway module.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the application gateway module is configured for acquiring a data stream from the physical device by the client application running on the server, where in response to a request from the client application, the data stream is provided to the application gateway module, where the data stream is processed and transmitted to the object adapter module in the form of time-stamped response objects,

wherein in the object adapter module point values in the data stream are converted into computed point data values using unit conversion to scale and offset the point values,

wherein the computed data point values are collected into a data event and encrypted and published,

and wherein the encrypted and published data event is transmitted to the client application on the server, where the encrypted and published data event is processed.

18. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the application gateway module is configured for transmitting a set point value command request from the client application on the server to the physical device, where in response to the set point value command request, the request is sent to the object adapter module,

where at the object adapter module, the client application'"'"'s write permission is verified, the set point value is checked for writeability, the set point value is converted to the physical device'"'"'s native scale and a write request object is constructed and sent to the physical device where the point value is set.

19. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein said communication module further comprises a protocol bridge module, said protocol bridge module configured for linking the object adapter module with the client application on the server, said protocol bridge module configured for interconnecting the physical device with the client application, when the client application communicates via an application program interface.

20. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the physical device is selected from the group consisting of industrial control equipment, building automation equipment, and network management equipment.

21. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the physical device is selected from the group consisting of a power supply, an uninterrupted power supply (UPS), a compressor, a serial gateway, a head-end system, a programmable logic controller (PLC), an human machine interface (HMI) workstation, an IT server or a management system, and any device that supports industry-accepted protocols, including ModBus, Lon, DF1, N2, BACnet, CIP and SNMP, and combinations thereof.

22. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein said first connector is configured for serial communication.

23. The apparatus of claim 22 wherein said first connector is a RS-232 connector, RS-422 connector, RS-485 connector, or combinations thereof.

24. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein said second connector is an RJ-45 connector.

25. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein said first connector is one of a plurality of first connectors, each configured for attachment of the apparatus with one of a plurality of the physical devices.

26. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein there is one object adapter module for each physical device that is interfaced with the server.

27. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the physical device is configured to generate and receive I/O information in accordance with a vendor defined native language protocol, the communication module recognizing the native language protocol and affecting a bi-directional communication with the physical device in the native language protocol.

28. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the object adapter module is configured to affect a bi-directional communication with the client application on the server using an Ethernet interface.

29. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the connection between the physical device and the object adapter is configured in accordance with an Internet Protocol packet-based transmission protocol.

30. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the physical device communicates with the communication module in accordance with a native language protocol, and wherein the communication module has programming comprising:

data and executable instructions defining an operating section; and

a mapping of physical device protocol codes accessible to the operating section for enabling the application gateway to communicate with the physical device using a protocol code native to the physical device.

31. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein

the apparatus is operable to be added to a physical device for connection with a network, to inform the server of characteristics of the physical device that is connected with the client application.