Computer-implemented method for checking a communication input of a programmable logic controller of an automation component of a plant
First Claim
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1. A computer-implemented method for checking a communication input of a programmable logic controller of an automation component of a plant, said checking occurring immediately upstream of an input interface of the programmable logic controller, the method comprising the steps of:
- performing a nominal/actual comparison locally at the programmable logic controller between a communication input and predefined rules of a nominal communication;
forwarding a communication input directly to the input interface of the programmable logic controller, if the communication input satisfies at least one predefined rule of the nominal communication;
forwarding the communication input to a processor in which internal statistics of all nominal/actual deviations are initially updated and deciding, based on a predefined reaction matrix including data arranged in rows and columns and including control features for controlling processes in one of the processor and a gate upstream of the input interface, whether a respective communication input shall result in issuance of a predefined active warning, if the communication input does not satisfy the at least one predefined rule;
forwarding, by the processor, the communication input to the gate upstream of the input interface of the programmable logic controller, if the communication input does not satisfy at least one predefined rule;
determining in the gate whether the communication input is one of blocked and not blocked depending on the predefined reaction matrix including the data arranged in rows and columns; and
deciding, based on the control features, whether statistics of all the nominal/actual deviations are to be updated and in which manner the statistics of all the nominal/actual deviations are to be updated.
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Abstract
In order to determine for a programmable logic controller whether or not a communication input is blocked, a nominal/actual comparison between the communication input and predefined rules of a nominal communication is performed, a reaction matrix being used for case differentiation.
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Citations
18 Claims
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1. A computer-implemented method for checking a communication input of a programmable logic controller of an automation component of a plant, said checking occurring immediately upstream of an input interface of the programmable logic controller, the method comprising the steps of:
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performing a nominal/actual comparison locally at the programmable logic controller between a communication input and predefined rules of a nominal communication; forwarding a communication input directly to the input interface of the programmable logic controller, if the communication input satisfies at least one predefined rule of the nominal communication; forwarding the communication input to a processor in which internal statistics of all nominal/actual deviations are initially updated and deciding, based on a predefined reaction matrix including data arranged in rows and columns and including control features for controlling processes in one of the processor and a gate upstream of the input interface, whether a respective communication input shall result in issuance of a predefined active warning, if the communication input does not satisfy the at least one predefined rule; forwarding, by the processor, the communication input to the gate upstream of the input interface of the programmable logic controller, if the communication input does not satisfy at least one predefined rule; determining in the gate whether the communication input is one of blocked and not blocked depending on the predefined reaction matrix including the data arranged in rows and columns; and deciding, based on the control features, whether statistics of all the nominal/actual deviations are to be updated and in which manner the statistics of all the nominal/actual deviations are to be updated. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A non-transitory computer program product having a computer program executing on a processor which, when used on a programmable logic controller, causes the processor to check a communication input of a programmable logic controller of an automation component of a plant, said checking occurring upstream of an input interface of the programmable logic controller, the computer program comprising:
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program code for performing locally at the programmable logic controller a nominal/actual comparison between a communication input and predefined rules of a nominal communication; program code for forwarding a communication input directly to the input interface of the programmable logic controller, if the communication input satisfies at least one predefined rule of the nominal communication; program code for forwarding the communication input to a processor in which internal statistics of all nominal/actual deviations are initially updated and deciding, based on a predefined reaction matrix including data arranged in rows and columns and including control features for controlling processes in one of the processor and a gate upstream of the input interface, whether a respective communication input shall result in issuance of a predefined active warning, if the communication input does not satisfy the at least one predefined rule; program code for forwarding, by the processor, the communication input to the gate upstream of the input interface of the programmable logic controller, if the communication input does not satisfy at least one predefined rule; program code for determining in the gate whether the communication input is one of blocked and not blocked depending on the predefined reaction matrix including the data arranged in rows and columns; and program code for deciding, based on the control features, whether statistics of all the nominal/actual deviations are to be updated and in which manner the statistics of all the nominal/actual deviations are to be updated.
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14. A checking device for checking a communication input of a programmable logic controller of an automation component of a plant, wherein components for performing the checking method being connected upstream of an input interface of the programmable logic controller, the checking device comprising:
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at least one processor; memory operatively coupled to the at least one processor; and at least one gate; wherein the memory includes instructions which are executed to; perform locally at the programmable logic controller nominal/actual comparisons between a communication input and predefined rules of a nominal communication; forward the communication input directly to the input interface of the programmable logic controller if the communication input satisfies at least one predefined rule of the nominal communication; forward the communication input to the processor, the third module including a module for updating internal statistics of all nominal/actual deviations and a module which applies a predefined reaction matrix including data arranged in rows and columns, and the processor being configured to decide, by applying the predefined reaction matrix including the data arranged in rows and columns and including control features for controlling processes in one of the processor and the gate, whether a respective communication input shall result in issuance of a predefined active warning; forward the communication input from the processor to the gate upstream of the input interface of the programmable logic controller if the communication input does not satisfy the at least one predefined rule; and decide, based on the control features, whether statistics of all the nominal/actual deviations are to be updated and in which manner the statistics of all the nominal/actual deviations are to be updated; and wherein the gate is configured to determine, based on the reaction matrix including the data arranged in rows and columns and including control features for controlling processes in one of the processor and the gate, whether the communication input is blocked. - View Dependent Claims (15, 17)
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16. An automation network for controlling and checking a communication of an input interface, the automation network comprising:
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at least one programmable logic controller of an automation component of a plant, the at least one programmable logic controller including the input interface; a central configuration server; a checking device upstream of the input interface of the at least one individual programmable logic controller, the checking device comprising; at least one processor; memory operatively coupled to the at least one processor; and at least one gate; wherein the memory includes instructions which are executed to; perform locally at the programmable logic controller nominal/actual comparisons between a communication input and predefined rules of a nominal communication; forward the communication input directly to the input interface of the programmable logic controller if the automation component of the plant if the communication input satisfies at least one predefined rule of the nominal communication; forward the communication input to the processor, the third module including a module for updating internal statistics of all nominal/actual deviations and a module for applying a predefined reaction matrix including data arranged in rows and columns and including control features for controlling processes in one of the processor and the gate, and the at least one processor being configured to decide, by applying the predefined reaction matrix including the data arranged in rows and columns, whether a respective communication input shall result in issuance of a predefined active warning; and forward the communication input from the processor to the gate upstream of the input interface of the programmable logic controller if the automation component of the plant if the communication input does not satisfy the at least one predefined rule, the gate being configured to determine, based on the predefined reaction matrix, whether the communication input is blocked; decide, based on the control features, whether statistics of all the nominal/actual deviations are to be updated and in which manner the statistics of all the nominal/actual deviations are to be updated; and provide communication between the central configuration server and the checking device. - View Dependent Claims (18)
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Specification