METHOD, DEVICE AND SYSTEM FOR OPTIMISING DATA TRANSMISSION BETWEEN CONTROL DEVICES AND CLOUD SYSTEMS

Abstract

A method for optimizing data transmission in an automation system between a control device and at least one cloud system, as well as to a corresponding control device, a corresponding cloud system, and a control system. The method includes at least the following steps: determining a data transmission characteristic of at least one transmission path that is available for data transmission by means of a first and/or a second determination component; analyzing whether the data to be transmitted can be transmitted, based on the data transmission characteristic determined; selecting at least one action from a set of actions in order to adapt the data to be transmitted and/or the transmission path if the data to be transmitted cannot be transmitted, so as to allow the data transmission; and performing the at least one selected action.

Claims

1. A method for optimizing data transmission in an automation system between a control device and at least one cloud system, the method comprising: determining a data transmission characteristic of at least one transmission path that is available for data transmission by a first and/or a second determination component, the first determination component being part of the control device and the second determination component being part of the cloud system; analyzing whether the data to be transmitted is adapted to be transmitted, based on the data transmission characteristic determined, the analyzing being accomplished via a first and/or a second analysis component, the first analysis component being part of the control device and the second analysis component being part of the cloud system; selecting at least one action from a set of actions in order to adapt the data to be transmitted and/or the transmission path if the data to be transmitted cannot be transmitted, so as to allow the data transmission, the selecting being accomplished via a first and/or a second selection component, the first selection component being part of the control device and the second selection component being part of the cloud system; and performing the at least one selected action via a first and/or a second action component, the first action component being part of the control device and the second action component being part of the cloud system.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: transmitting data between the control device and the cloud system after the performing of the action.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the determining of the data transmission characteristic of at least one transmission path includes at least one of: determining a bandwidth of the at least one transmission path, determining the number of available transmission paths, determining a status of a data buffer, determining a length of transmission, and/or determining a latency.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the determining of the data transmission characteristic of at least one transmission path includes the determining of the data transmission characteristic in the uplink and/or downlink.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the determining of the data transmission characteristic includes a completed speed test and/or a continuous monitoring of the data transmission characteristic.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the continuous monitoring includes the continuous monitoring of a data buffer on the sending side and/or on the receiving side and/or the continuous monitoring of a length of transmission.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the analyzing of whether the data to be transmitted is to be transmitted is based on the data transmission characteristic determined and a data configuration of data to be transmitted.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the method further comprises ascertaining of the data configuration of the data to be transmitted, and wherein the data configuration includes at least one of the following configuration parameters: a quantity of data, a data type, a priority, a required security level, and/or a required redundancy.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the set of actions comprises at least one of the following actions: a prioritization procedure, a data reduction procedure, a function reduction procedure, adaptation of a transmission interval, use of an alternative and/or additional transmission path, and/or use of an alternative and/or additional transmission method.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the alternative and/or additional transmission path is a transmission path of a further control device.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one transmission path is arranged to be wired and/or wireless.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein the data are transmitted in parallel and/or serially from at least one control device to multiple cloud systems.

13. A method for controlling an automation system via a control device, preferably a PLC control device, wherein the control device uses, in order to control the automation system, the method according to claim 1 for optimizing data transmission in the automation system between the control device and at least one cloud system.

14. A control device, in particular a PLC control device, set up for optimizing data transmission in an automation system between the control device and at least one cloud system, the control device comprising: a data transmission device; and a component device that includes at least one of: a determination component set up for determining a data transmission characteristic of at least one transmission path that is available for data transmission; an analysis component set up for analyzing whether the data to be transmitted can be transmitted, based on the data transmission characteristic determined; a selection component set up for selecting at least one action from a set of actions in order to adapt the data to be transmitted and/or the transmission path if the data to be transmitted cannot be transmitted, so as to allow the data transmission; or an action component set up for performing the at least one selected action.

15. A cloud system set up for optimizing data transmission in an automation system between a control device and the cloud system, wherein the cloud system comprises: a data transmission device; and a component device that comprises at least one of: a determination component set up for determining a data transmission characteristic of at least one transmission path that is available for data transmission; an analysis component set up for analyzing whether the data to be transmitted can be transmitted, based on the data transmission characteristic determined; a selection component set up for selecting at least one action from a set of actions in order to adapt the data to be transmitted and/or the transmission path if the data to be transmitted cannot be transmitted, so as to allow the data transmission; or an action component set up for performing the at least one selected action.

16. The control system comprising a control device according to claim 14 and a cloud system, wherein the control system is set up to execute a method comprising: determining a data transmission characteristic of at least one transmission path that is available for data transmission by a first and/or a second determination component, the first determination component being part of the control device and the second determination component being part of the cloud system; analyzing whether the data to be transmitted is adapted to be transmitted, based on the data transmission characteristic determined, the analyzing being accomplished via a first and/or a second analysis component, the first analysis component being part of the control device and the second analysis component being part of the cloud system; selecting at least one action from a set of actions in order to adapt the data to be transmitted and/or the transmission path if the data to be transmitted cannot be transmitted, so as to allow the data transmission, the selecting being accomplished via a first and/or a second selection component, the first selection component being part of the control device and the second selection component being part of the cloud system; and performing the at least one selected action via a first and/or a second action component, the first action component being part of the control device and the second action component being part of the cloud system.

17. A computer program, comprising instructions that are adapted to be executed by one or more processors, wherein the instructions when executed cause the one or more processors to execute the method according to claim 1.

18. The method according to claim 1, wherein the control device is a PLC control device.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0047] The present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description given hereinbelow and the accompanying drawings which are given by way of illustration only, and thus, are not limitive of the present invention, and wherein:

[0048] FIG. 1 is a schematic flowchart of a method for optimizing data transmission;

[0049] FIGS. 2A to 2C are schematic representations of a control device and a cloud system;

[0050] FIG. 3 is a schematic representation of a control system; and

[0051] FIG. 4 is a schematic representation of a component device.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0052] In particular, FIG. 1 shows a schematic flowchart of a method 10. The method 10 includes the steps of determining 11, analyzing 12, selecting 13, performing 14, as well as—optionally — transmitting 15 data.

[0053] In the first step 11, a data transmission characteristic of at least one transmission path that is available for data transmission is determined. This is accomplished by means of a first and/or a second determination component that is arranged on the control device side or on the cloud system side.

[0054] In a second step 12, it is analyzed whether the data to be transmitted can be transmitted, based on the data transmission characteristic determined and optionally on a data configuration of data to be transmitted. The analyzing 12 is accomplished by means of a first and/or a second analysis component, wherein the first analysis component is part of the control device and the second analysis component is part of the cloud system.

[0055] In a third step 13, if the data to be transmitted cannot be transmitted, at least one action is selected from a set of actions in order to adapt the data to be transmitted and/or the transmission path so as to allow the data transmission. The selecting 13 is accomplished by means of a first and/or a second selection component, wherein the first selection component is part of the control device and the second selection component is part of the cloud system. If the analysis in step 12 shows that the data to be transmitted can be transmitted, it is possible to continue immediately with step 15 without an action being selected and/or performed.

[0056] In a fourth step 14, the at least one selected action is performed by means of a first and/or a second action component, wherein the first action component is part of the control device and the second action component is part of the cloud system.

[0057] In a fifth step 15, the data are transmitted. The transmission can take place from the control device to the cloud system or from the cloud system to the control device. The method is not limited to one control device and one cloud system, but rather can be carried out with any number of control devices and/or cloud systems.

[0058] FIGS. 2A to 2C show different configurations of control devices 100 and cloud systems 200 that in each case can transmit data through a data transmission path 302, 304, 306. The data transmission can take place in both directions here, which is to say from the control device 100 to the cloud system 200 or from the cloud system 200 to the control device 100.

[0059] In the first configuration according to FIG. 2A, the control device 100 includes a component device 400, which is described in detail in connection with FIG. 4. The cloud system 200 does not include a corresponding component device. In this configuration, the method described would be executed solely by the control device 100.

[0060] In the second configuration according to FIG. 2B, the control device 100 does not include a component device. Instead, the cloud system 200 includes a corresponding component device 400′. The component device 400′ corresponds to the component device 400, which is described in detail in connection with FIG. 4. In this configuration, the method described would be executed solely by the cloud system 200.

[0061] In the third configuration according to FIG. 2C, both the control device 100 and the cloud system 200 include a corresponding component device 400, 400′. In this configuration, the execution of the method described can be divided between the cloud system 200 and the control device 100. This division is not necessarily statically defined, but instead the division of the execution of the individual method steps can take place dynamically, wherein the utilization of the control device 100 and/or of the cloud system 200 is considered in the division.

[0062] FIG. 3 shows a schematic representation of a control system 1, which includes a multiplicity of control devices 100a, 102a, 100b, 100c, and a cloud system 200. The control devices 100a, 102a are arranged at a first location A, the control device 100b at a second location B, and the control device 100c at a third location C, wherein the locations A, B, and C are spatially separated from one another. The control devices 100a, 102a, 100b, 100c and the cloud system 200 are connected to one another through a data transmission network 300 comprising transmission paths 312, 313, 314, 316, 318. Data transmission in the data transmission network 300 can be optimized in accordance with the method 10. In particular, the control device 100a can use the control device 100b or the transmission paths 313, 314 as a gateway in order to be able to provide a higher data transmission rate in the short term. Transmission paths 312, 313, 314, 316, 318 can each be wireless or wired.

[0063] FIG. 4 shows a schematic representation of a component device 400, which includes at least one of the following components: a determination component 411, set up for determining a data transmission characteristic of at least one transmission path that is available for data transmission; an analysis component 412, set up for analyzing whether the data to be transmitted can be transmitted, based on the data transmission characteristic determined and optionally on a data configuration of data to be transmitted; a selection component 413, set up for selecting at least one action from a set of actions in order to adapt the data to be transmitted and/or the transmission path if the data to be transmitted cannot be transmitted, so as to allow the data transmission; and/or an action component 414, set up for performing the at least one selected action.

[0064] The invention being thus described, it will be obvious that the same may be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention, and all such modifications as would be obvious to one skilled in the art are to be included within the scope of the following claims.