Method and system for handling data based on the acknowledgement and extraction of data packets

• US 20070041394A1
• Filed: 09/03/2004
• Published: 02/22/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/04/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Siemens AG
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Schäfer, Philipp
• Granted Patent: US 8,050,258 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/432
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/23 Reliability checks, e.g. acknowledgments or fault reporting

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for handling, namely forwarding and extracting, data, especially messages, in a system comprising at least one data source and a plurality of data receivers. The invention also relates to a corresponding system comprising at least one data source and at least one data receiver. At least one set of data, especially a message, is forwarded to a plurality of data receivers from a data source. According to the invention, when a set of data forwarded from the data source is acknowledged by one of the data receivers, said acknowledged data is preferably automatically extracted from the data source for the rest of the data receivers.

Claims

1-17. -17. (canceled)

18. A method for handling messages in an automation system having at least one data source and a plurality of data receivers, the method comprising:

forwarding a message from the data source to the plurality of data receivers;

acknowledging the forwarded message by at least one data receiver of the plurality of data receivers; and

withdrawing the forwarded message from the plurality of data receivers other than the at least one data receiver upon acknowledging the forwarded message by the at least one data receiver.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein the data source withdraws the forwarded message.

20. The method according to claim 18, wherein each data receiver confirms receipt of the forwarded message by transmitting a receipt confirmation message to the data source.

21. The method according to claim 20, wherein the receipt confirmation message includes a message ID for unambiguously identifying the forwarded message and the respective data receiver.

22. The method according to claim 20, wherein the receipt confirmation message is stored by the data source.

23. The method according to claim 19, further comprising:

processing the forwarded message by the at least one data receiver; and

acknowledging the processing of the forwarded message by transmitting a processing confirmation message to the data source by the at least one data receiver, wherein the data source withdraws the forwarded message from the plurality of data receivers other than the at least one data receiver based on the processing confirmation message.

24. The method according to claim 23, further comprising indicating the processing of the forwarded message by the at least one data receiver to the plurality of data receivers other than the at least one data receiver.

25. The method according to claim 18, wherein the messages are error messages.

26. A device for handling messages in an automation system, comprising:

at least one data source configured to forward a message to the plurality of data receivers; and

a plurality of data receivers, wherein at least one data receiver of the plurality of data receivers acknowledges the forwarded message, and the forwarded message is withdrawn from the plurality of data receivers other than the at least one data receiver upon acknowledging the forwarded message by the at least one data receiver.

27. The device according to claim 26, wherein the data source withdraws the forwarded message.

28. The device according to claim 26, wherein each data receiver confirms receipt of the forwarded message by transmitting a receipt confirmation message to the data source, the receipt confirmation message including a message ID for unambiguously identifying the forwarded message and the respective data receiver.

29. The device according to claim 27, wherein the forwarded message is processed by the at least one data receiver and the processing of the forwarded message is acknowledged by transmitting a processing confirmation message to the data source by the at least one data receiver, the data source withdrawing the forwarded message from the plurality of data receivers other than the at least one data receiver based on the processing confirmation message.

30. The device according to claim 26, wherein the processing of the forwarded message by the at least one data receiver is indicated to the plurality of data receivers other than the at least one data receiver.

31. An automation system, comprising a plurality of automation devices configured to exchange messages, wherein

at least one of the automation devices is configured as a data source for forwarding messages to the other automation devices, the other automation devices configured as data receivers,

a message is forwarded from the data source to the plurality of data receivers, the forwarded message is acknowledged by at least one data receiver of the plurality of data receivers, and

the forwarded message is withdrawn from the plurality of data receivers other than the at least one data receiver upon acknowledging the forwarded message by the at least one data receiver.

32. The automation system according to claim 31, wherein the data source withdraws the forwarded message.

33. The automation system according to claim 31, wherein each data receiver confirms receipt of the forwarded message by transmitting a receipt confirmation message to the data source, the receipt confirmation message including a message ID for unambiguously identifying the forwarded message and the respective data receiver.

34. The automation system according to claim 32, wherein the forwarded message is processed by the at least one data receiver and the processing of the forwarded message is acknowledged by transmitting a processing confirmation message to the data source by the at least one data receiver, the data source withdrawing the forwarded message from the plurality of data receivers other than the at least one data receiver based on the processing confirmation message.

35. The automation system according to claim 31, wherein the processing of the forwarded message by the at least one data receiver is indicated to the plurality of data receivers other than the at least one data receiver.