XML-BASED EVENT DRIVEN INTERFACE FOR OPC DATA ACCESS

• US 20100114994A1
• Filed: 10/08/2008
• Published: 05/06/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/08/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Huang, Qiming, Zhou, Honghao
• Granted Patent: US 8,196,155 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/811
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/143 Markup, e.g. Standard Generalized Markup Language [SGML] or Document Type Definition [DTD]

Abstract

Communication from applications may be carried in XML-based events through sockets, Web services, JMS, HTTP, telnet channels, and the like to an OPC client. The OPC client may include an event engine configured to process the XML-based events, and convert them to appropriate COM/DCOM API invocations. In some embodiments, the OPC client buffers collected data from the COM/DCOM API, and transmits the buffered data in an XML event to an application based on a subscription time schedule and/or value condition. The OPC client allows service oriented event-driven applications to interact with industry devices remotely via the open architecture provided by the OPC specification using a business level language syntax.

Claims

1. A method for communicating with a device, the method comprising:

receiving an XML event from an application;

determining a set of calls for an interface associated with a device based on the XML event; and

invoking the set of determined calls to control the device.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein determining the set of calls for the interface comprises translating the XML event into one or more calls in the set of calls.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving data in response to controlling the device;

examining at least one of a time interval or value condition;

generating another XML event based on the data; and

transmitting the another XML event to the application.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein determining the set of calls for the interface comprises determining a plurality of calls, the method further comprising:

receiving data for each call in plurality of calls in response to controlling the device; and

generating another XML event based on aggregating the data for each call in the plurality of calls.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the XML event defines a plurality of times;

and

wherein controlling the device comprises controlling the device at each of the plurality of times.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein controlling the device comprises reading data from the device.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein controlling the device comprises writing data to the device.

8. A data processing system comprising:

an interface associated with a device;

a processor; and

a memory coupled to the processor, the memory configured to store a set of instructions which when executed by the process cause the processor to;

receive an XML event from an application;

determine a set of calls for the interface based on the XML event; and

invoke the set of determined calls to control the device.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein the processor is caused to translate the XML event into one or more calls in the set of calls.

10. The system of claim 8 wherein the processor is further caused to:

receive data in response to controlling the device;

examine at least one of a time interval or value condition;

generate another XML event based on the data; and

transmit the another XML event to the application.

11. The system of claim 8 wherein the processor is further caused to:

determine a plurality of calls based on the XML event;

receive data for each call in plurality of calls in response to controlling the device; and

generate another XML event based on aggregating the data for each call in the plurality of calls.

12. The system of claim 8 wherein the XML event defines a plurality of times;

and

wherein the processor is cause to control the device at each of the plurality of times.

13. The system of claim 8 wherein the processor is caused to receive the XML event using a web services protocol.

14. The system of claim 8 wherein the processor is caused to receive the XML event using the hypertext transport protocol (HTTP).

15. A computer readable medium configured to store a set of code modules which when executed by one or more processors of a computer system cause the processors to communicate with a device, the computer readable medium comprising:

code for receiving an XML event from an application;

code for determining a set of calls for an interface associated with a device based on the XML event; and

code for invoking the set of determined calls to control the device.

16. The computer readable medium of claim 15 wherein the code for determining the set of calls for the interface comprises code for translating the XML event into one or more calls in the set of calls.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 15 further comprising:

code for receiving data in response to controlling the device;

code for examining at least one of a time interval or value condition;

code for generating another XML event based on the data; and

code for transmitting the another XML event to the application.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 15 wherein the code for determining the set of calls for the interface comprises code for determining a plurality of calls, the computer readable medium further comprising:

code for receiving data for each call in plurality of calls in response to controlling the device;

code for examining at least one of a time interval or value condition; and

code for generating another XML event based on aggregating the data for each call in the plurality of calls.

19. The computer readable medium of claim 15 wherein the XML event defines a plurality of times;

and

wherein the code for controlling the device comprises code for controlling the device at each of the plurality of times.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 15 wherein the code for controlling the device comprises code for reading data from the device.