Gateway apparatus, control instruction processing method, and program

• US 7,984,135 B2
• Filed: 03/20/2009
• Issued: 07/19/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Doi, Yusuke, Kaneko, Yu, Ishiyama, Masahiro, Maegawa, Tomonori
• Primary Examiner(s): Boutah; Alina N
• Assistant Examiner(s): BILGRAMI, ASGHAR H
• Application Number:
  US12/407,855
• Publication Number:
  US 20090249042A1
• Time in Patent Office: 851 Days
• Field of Search: 709/249, 709/223, 712/225
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4625 Single bridge functionality, e.g. connection of two networks over a single bridge
• 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 67/566 Grouping or aggregating service requests, e.g. for unified processing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/60 Scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests, e.g. requests for application data transmissions using the analysis and optimisation of the required network resources admission control or resource allocation H04L47/70
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/08 Protocols for interworking; Protocol conversion

Abstract

A gateway apparatus includes a translator connected to a first network for one or more controllers to control one or more devices, and one or more aggregators. The translator includes an acquisition unit which acquires load information concerning a load on each of the controllers, a control instruction reception unit which receives a control instruction for a device from a client via the second network, a determination unit which determines whether the instruction is an aggregation target, based on the information, a first transfer unit which transfers the instruction to the aggregator corresponding to the instruction, and a second transfer unit which receives an aggregate control instruction from the aggregator. The aggregator includes a third transfer unit which receives the instruction from the translator, an aggregation unit which aggregates the plurality of instructions into one aggregate control instruction, and a fourth transfer unit which transfers the aggregate control instruction.

Claims

1. A gateway apparatus comprising:

a translator which is located on a boundary between a first network and a second network and performs protocol conversion of a control instruction, the first network being connected to at least one controller for executing the control instruction for at least one device, the second network being connected to at least one client which transmits the control instruction; and

at least one aggregator which aggregates the plurality of control instructions,

wherein the translator includes;

an acquisition unit configured to acquire load information concerning a load on each of the controllers via the first network;

a control instruction reception unit configured to receive a control instruction for a desired device from at least one client via the second network;

a determination unit configured to determine whether the control instruction is an aggregation target, based on the load information on a controller corresponding to the device to which the control instruction is targeted, when the control instruction is received;

a first transfer unit configured to transfer the control instruction to the aggregator corresponding to the control instruction, when it is determined that the control instruction is an aggregation target; and

a second transfer unit configured to receive an aggregate control instruction from the aggregator, and

wherein the aggregator includes;

a third transfer unit configured to receive the control instruction from the translator;

an aggregation unit configured to aggregate the plurality of control instructions which have been received into one aggregate control instruction; and

a fourth transfer unit configured to transfer the aggregate control instruction to the translator.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the aggregator is provided for each combination of the device and the control instruction,

the control instruction includes first identification information identifying the control instruction and second identification information identifying the device to which the control instruction is targeted, and

the translator further includes a selection unit configured to select an aggregator to which the control instruction is transferred based on the first identification information and the second identification information contained in the control instruction.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the aggregator further includes

a control instruction queue configured to retain the received control instruction, and

a timer configured to start a timer when a first control instruction is retained in the control instruction queue, and

the aggregation unit of the aggregator aggregates control instructions retained in the control instruction queue into one aggregate control instruction when the timer reaches a predetermined count value.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the load information is a numerical value indicating a load on each of the controller, and

the determination unit of the translator compares a numerical value indicated by the load information of a controller corresponding to the device to which the received control instruction is targeted with a first threshold and a second threshold larger than the first threshold, sets the control instruction as an aggregation target if the numerical value is not more than the second threshold and is larger than the first threshold, does not set the control instruction as an aggregation target if the numerical value is not more than the first threshold, and discards the control instruction if the numerical value is larger than the second threshold.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the translator further includes a notification unit configured to notify a client as a transmission source of the control instruction of a message indicating an error if the numerical value is larger than the second threshold.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the translator further includes a priority information adding unit configured to add priority information indicating a priority of the control instruction to the received control instruction, and

the aggregation unit of the aggregator aggregates the plurality of control instructions into one aggregate control instruction in consideration of the priority information added to each of the plurality of control instructions.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the control instruction includes a set value associated with the device to which the control instruction is targeted,

the aggregator further includes an allowable range determination unit configured to determine whether the set value information contained in the control instruction received from the translator falls within an allowable range, and

the aggregation unit of the aggregator aggregates the plurality of control instructions into one aggregate control instruction in consideration of a result of the determination with respect to each of the plurality of control instructions.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the translator further includes a state determination unit configured to determine, when the control instruction is received, whether the device to which the control instruction is targeted is in a controllable state, and

the first transfer unit of the translator transfers the control instruction to the aggregator corresponding to the control instruction, when it is determined that the device is not in a controllable state.

9. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the translator further includes a control instruction transmission unit configured to transmit the aggregate control instruction received from the aggregator or the control instruction which is not determined as the aggregation target to the controller via the first network.

10. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the translator further includes a protocol conversion unit configured to perform protocol conversion of the aggregate control instruction received from the aggregator or the control instruction which is not determined as the aggregation target so as to comply with a protocol used between the gateway apparatus and the controller before transmission by the control instruction transmission unit to the controller.

11. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the translator further includes

a sender information adding unit configured to add sender information indicating a client as a transmission source of the control instruction to the received control instruction, and

a control result notification reception unit configured to receive a control result notification corresponding to the control instruction from the controller after the control instruction is transmitted to the controller,

the aggregation unit of the aggregator aggregates the sender information added to each of the control instructions when aggregating the plurality of control instructions into one aggregate control instruction, and

the translator further includes a control result transmission unit configured to transmit, when a notification of the control result is received, the control result to each of clients as transmission sources of the respective control instructions associated with the aggregate control instruction by referring to the sender information added to the aggregate control instruction.

12. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first network is a control system network, and the second network is an OA system network.

13. A control instruction processing method comprising:

acquiring, in a translator which a gateway apparatus includes, via a first network for connecting at least one controller for executing a control instruction for at least one device, load information concerning a load on each of the controllers;

receiving, in the translator, a control instruction for a desired device from at least one client via a second network different from the first network;

determining, in the translator, whether the control instruction is an aggregation target, based on the load information of a controller corresponding to the device to which the control instruction is targeted, when the control instruction is received;

transferring, in the translator, the control instruction to the aggregator corresponding to the control instruction, when it is determined that the control instruction is an aggregation target;

receiving, in an aggregator which the gateway apparatus includes, the control instruction from the translator;

aggregating, in the aggregator, the plurality of control instructions which have been received into one aggregate control instruction;

transferring, in the aggregator, the aggregate control instruction to the translator; and

receiving, in the translator, the aggregate control instruction from the aggregator.

14. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing instructions of a computer program which when executed by a computer results in performance of steps comprising:

acquiring, in a translator which a gateway apparatus includes, via a first network for connecting at least one controller for executing a control instruction for at least one device, load information concerning a load on each of the controllers;

receiving, in the translator, a control instruction for a desired device from at least one client via a second network different from the first network;

determining, in the translator, whether the control instruction is an aggregation target, based on the load information of a controller corresponding to the device to which the control instruction is targeted, when the control instruction is received;

transferring, in the translator, the control instruction to the aggregator corresponding to the control instruction, when it is determined that the control instruction is an aggregation target;

receiving, in an aggregator which the gateway apparatus includes, the control instruction from the translator;

aggregating, in the aggregator, the plurality of control instructions which have been received into one aggregate control instruction;

transferring, in the aggregator, the aggregate control instruction to the translator; and

receiving, in the translator, the aggregate control instruction from the aggregator.