Management system using scripts to transfer data among devices connected to a network

• US 7,877,470 B2
• Filed: 06/14/2007
• Issued: 01/25/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Yokogawa Electric Corporation
• Original Assignee: Yokogawa Electric Corporation
• Inventors: Wada, Hidehiko
• Primary Examiner(s): Meky; Moustafa M
• Application Number:
  US11/762,798
• Publication Number:
  US 20070294383A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,321 Days
• Field of Search: 709217-219, 709/226, 709200-202, 709/223, 702/127, 702/179
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways

Abstract

A management system including: a management apparatus including a first control unit functioning as an agent; and at least one piece of field equipment connected to the management apparatus with communication connection, the field equipment including a field equipment main body and a second control unit functioning as a first service associated with the field equipment main body. The first service provides at least one of inputting and obtaining information to the corresponding field equipment main body, and the agent performs at least one of the inputting and the obtaining of the information to the field equipment main body through the corresponding first service based on a script describing access destinations and access contents in order.

Claims

1. A management system, comprising:

a management apparatus including a first control unit functioning as an agent; and

at least one piece of field equipment connected to the management apparatus with communication connection, the field equipment including a field equipment main body and a second control unit functioning as a first service associated with the field equipment main body,

wherein the first service provides at least one of inputting and obtaining information to the corresponding field equipment main body, and

the agent performs at least one of the inputting and the obtaining of the information to the field equipment main body through the corresponding first service based on a script describing access destinations and access contents in order,

wherein the system includes multiple field units of different communications formats, and the script format is common to all of the multiple field units.

2. The management system according to claim 1, further comprising at least one piece of arithmetic equipment connected to the management apparatus with the communication connection, the arithmetic equipment including a third control unit functioning as a second service,

wherein the second service performs a predetermined operation to an input value and provides an operation result of the operation, and

the agent inputs the input value pertaining to the information of the field equipment to the corresponding second service and obtains the operation result, based on the script describing the access to the second service.

3. The management system according to claim 2, further comprising at least one piece of database equipment connected to the management apparatus with the communication connection, the database equipment including a database and a fourth control unit functioning as a third service associated with the database,

wherein the third service provides at least one of reading, storing, and operating data to the corresponding database, and

the agent performs at least one of the reading, the storing, and the operating of the data to the database, the data pertaining to the information of the field equipment, through the corresponding third service based on the script describing the access to the third service.

4. The management system according to claim 1, further comprising at least one piece of database equipment connected to the management apparatus with the communication connection, the database equipment including a database and a fourth control unit functioning as a third service associated with the database,

wherein the third service provides at least one of reading, storing, and operating data to the corresponding database, and

the agent performs at least one of the reading, the storing, and the operating of the data to the database, the data pertaining to the information of the field equipment, through the corresponding third service based on the script describing the access to the third service.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein at least one piece of field equipment includes an actuator, said actuator receiving data from and sending data to the agent via the first service.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the script is sent out to the at least one field unit and said script designates destination, and for that destination designates a command, and for that command designates one or more arguments.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the script includes multiple arguments.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the agent directly communicates with the first service via the script.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the agent communicates with different field units communicating using different network communications using said script.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein said field equipment main body includes a measurement sensor to provide a signal of a measurement of a local area of the field equipment, said signal being transmitted via the first service to the agent.

11. A management system, comprising:

a management apparatus including a first control unit functioning as an agent;

at least one piece of field equipment; and

a control apparatus connected to the management apparatus with communication connection, the control apparatus including a second control unit functioning as a first service associated with the field equipment,

wherein the first service provides at least one of inputting and obtaining information to the corresponding field equipment, and

the agent performs at least one of the inputting and the obtainment of the information to the field equipment through the corresponding first service based on a script describing access destinations and access contents in order,

wherein the system includes multiple field units of different communications formats, and the script format is common to all of the multiple field units.

12. The management system according to claim 11, further comprising at least one piece of arithmetic equipment connected to the management apparatus with the communication connection, the arithmetic equipment including a third control unit functioning as a second service,

wherein the second service performs a predetermined operation to an input value and provides an operation result of the operation, and

the agent inputs the input value pertaining to the information of the field equipment to the corresponding second service and obtains the operation result, based on the script describing the access to the second service.

13. The management system according to claim 12, further comprising at least one piece of database equipment connected to the management apparatus with the communication connection, the database equipment including a database and a fourth control unit functioning as a third service associated with the database,

wherein the third service provides at least one of reading, storing, and operating data to the corresponding database, and

the agent performs at least one of the reading, the storing, and the operating of the data to the database, the data pertaining to the information of the field equipment, through the corresponding third service based on the script describing the access to the third service.

14. The management system according to claim 11, further comprising at least one piece of database equipment connected to the management apparatus with the communication connection, the database equipment including a database and a fourth control unit functioning as a third service associated with the database,

wherein the third service provides at least one of reading, storing, and operating data to the corresponding database, and

the agent performs at least one of the reading, the storing, and the operating of the data to the database, the data pertaining to the information of the field equipment, through the corresponding third service based on the script describing the access to the third service.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein said field equipment main body includes a measurement sensor to provide a signal of a measurement of a local area of the field equipment, said signal being transmitted via the first service to the agent.