Method and transfer device for transferring data blocks

Abstract

A method for transferring data blocks from a field device to a server, each data block including data describing an operation of the field device during a block time period is provided. The method includes setting a first and a second pointer delimiting a completed time period; and, until a predetermined transfer period elapses: transferring the data blocks having a block time period that is later than the second pointer to the server in a chronological order; and if all data blocks having a block time period that is later than the second pointer have been transferred to the server, transferring the data blocks having a block time period that is earlier than the first pointer to the server in an anti-chronological order. Data blocks can efficiently and reliably be transferred to the server.

Claims

1. A method for transferring data blocks from a field device to a server device, each data block comprising historical data describing an operation of the field device during a block time period, the method comprising: setting a first pointer and a second pointer delimiting a completed time period such that all data blocks having a block time period comprised within the completed time period have previously successfully been transferred from the field device to the server device; and until a predetermined transfer period elapses: transferring the data blocks having a block time period that is later than the second pointer to the server device in a chronological order starting from the data block having a block time period that is closest to the second pointer; and if all data blocks having a block time period that is later than the second pointer have been transferred to the server device, transferring the data blocks having a block time period that is earlier than the first pointer to the server device in an anti-chronological order starting from the data block having a block time period that is closest to the first pointer.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: updating a position of the second pointer upon completed transfer of the data block having a block time that is closest to the second pointer; and/or updating a position of the first pointer upon completed transfer of the data block having a block time that is closest to the first pointer.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: skipping the transfer of the one or several data blocks which have already been transferred to the server device when transferring the data blocks having a block time period that is later than the second pointer and/or earlier than the first pointer.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the field device is a wind turbine.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: stopping the transfer of data blocks to the server device after completing any uncompleted data block transfer as soon as the predetermined transfer period elapses.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein each block time period has a same length in time.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein each block time period lasts between 1 and 20 minutes.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the data blocks all have identical data structures.

9. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: storing the data blocks in the field device after collection of the historical data and before transferring the data blocks to the server device.

10. A computer program product, comprising a computer readable hardware storage device having computer readable program code stored therein, said program code executable by a processor of a computer system to implement the method according to claim 1 when run on at least one computer.

11. A transfer device for transferring data blocks from a field device to a server device, each data block comprising historical data describing an operation of the field device during a block time period, the transfer device comprising: a setting unit for setting a first pointer and a second pointer delimiting a completed time period such that all data blocks having a block time period comprised within the completed time period have previously successfully been transferred from the field device to the server device; and a transfer unit for, until a predetermined transfer period elapses: transferring the data blocks having a block time period that is later than the second pointer to the server device in a chronological order starting from the data block having a block time period that is closest to the second pointer; and if all data blocks having a block time period that is later than the second pointer have been transferred to the server device, transferring the data blocks having a block time period that is earlier than the first pointer to the server device in an anti-chronological order starting from the data block having a block time period that is closest to the first pointer.

12. The transfer device according to claim 11, for executing a method for transferring data blocks from the field device to the server device.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION

(1) Some of the embodiments will be described in detail, with references to the following Figures, wherein like designations denote like members, wherein:

(2) FIG. 1 shows an example of a system including a field device, a server device and a transfer device;

(3) FIG. 2 shows an example of a transfer device;

(4) FIG. 3 shows an example of a database;

(5) FIG. 4 shows a method for transferring data blocks according to a first embodiment;

(6) FIG. 5 shows another example of a database;

(7) FIG. 6 shows another example of a database;

(8) FIG. 7 shows another example of a database;

(9) FIG. 8 shows another example of a database;

(10) FIG. 9 shows another example of a database; and

(11) FIG. 10 shows a method for transferring data blocks according to a second embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(12) FIG. 1 shows an example of a system including a field device 1, a server device 2 and a transfer device 5.

(13) The field device 1 is a wind turbine in the present example. The wind turbine 1 comprises a rotor 12 connected to a generator (not shown) arranged inside a nacelle 11. The nacelle 11 is arranged at the upper end of a tower 10 of the wind turbine 1. The wind turbine 1 comprises three rotor blades 9 attached to the rotor 12 which rotate when they are exposed to wind. Upon rotation of the rotor blades 9, the generator of the wind turbine 1 generates electricity.

(14) The wind turbine 1 shown in FIG. 1 is connected to a server device 2 through a cable 13. The server device 2 shown in FIG. 1 is a personal computer serving as a central server. The server 2 can be connected to further field devices, in particular wind turbines (not shown in FIG. 1).

(15) The nacelle 11 comprises the transfer device 5 and a plurality of sensors 14. Without loss of generality, FIG. 1 shows only one sensor 14. During operation of the wind turbine 1, that is when the wind turbine 1 generates electrical power from wind power, the sensors 14 sense operation properties of the wind turbine 1 including a wind speed, a rotation speed of the rotor blades 9 and an amount of produced electrical power. The sensed information is stored in an internal storage unit (not shown) of the wind turbine 1 as historical data 3.

(16) FIG. 3 shows a database 8 comprising historical data 3 collected during operation of the wind turbine 1 and stored in the wind turbine 1. In the database 8, the historical data 3 is stored in a plurality of data blocks 4a-4q. The data blocks 4a-4q all comprise historical data 3 ordered in a same predetermined structure.

(17) Each data block 4a-4q includes historical data 3 that was collected during a block time period BT. Although the block time period BT is only shown for the data block 4c in FIG. 3, it is the same for all other data blocks 4a-4q as well. In the present example, each block time period BT is ten minutes long.

(18) In the example of FIG. 3, some of the data blocks 4a-4q have already been transferred to the server 2. These data blocks 4f-4j are hatched in FIG. 3. All non-hatched data blocks 4a-4e and 4k-4q have not yet been transferred to the server 2. In FIG. 3, the current time (now) is indicated by “N”. The time evolves along the direction indicated by the arrow labelled “t”.

(19) The transfer device 5 shown in FIG. 1 is used to transfer the data blocks 4a-4q to the server 2 through the cable 13. In detail, the transfer device 5 comprises a setting unit 6 as well as a transfer unit 7, as shown in FIG. 2. The transfer device 5 is capable of executing a method for transferring data blocks 4a-4q from the wind turbine 1 to the server 2. A first embodiment of such a method is shown in FIG. 4.

(20) In a step S1 of FIG. 4, a first pointer P1 and a second pointer P2 delimiting a completed time period CT are set. This step S1 is performed by the setting unit 6 of the transfer device 5.

(21) In detail, the setting unit 6 sets the pointers P1 and P2 such that the block time periods BT of all the already transferred data blocks 4a-4q are included in the completed time period. In the example of FIG. 3, the pointers P1 and P2 are set to as to include the block time periods BT of the data blocks 4f-4j. The first pointer P1 is placed between data blocks 4e and 4f and the second pointer P2 is placed between data blocks 4j and 4k, as illustrated in FIG. 3.

(22) Then, in a step S2 of FIG. 4, data blocks 4a-4q having a block time period BT that is later than the second pointer P2 are chronologically transferred to the server 2 through the cable 13. Step S2 is executed by the transfer unit 7 of the transfer device 5. In the present example, the data blocks 4k-4q are more recent than the second pointer P2 and are transferred in step S2, starting with data block 4k which is closest from the second pointer P2.

(23) As shown in FIG. 5, the data block 4k is transferred first. Then, the position of the second pointer P2 is updated. Afterwards, the data blocks 4l, 4m, 4n, 4o, 4p and 4q are transferred to the server 2 in this order. The data blocks 4k-4q are however only transferred to the server 2 as long as a predetermined transfer period has not elapsed. This predetermined transfer period defines a time period during which data blocks 4a-4q can be transferred to the server 2.

(24) When all data blocks 4k-4q which contain historical data 3 that is more recent than the second pointer P2 have been transmitted to the server 2 (see FIG. 6), step S3 of the method of FIG. 4 is executed.

(25) In detail, in step S3 of FIG. 4, data blocks 4a-4q having a block time period BT that is earlier than the first pointer P1 are anti-chronologically transferred to the server 2 through the cable 13. Step S3 is also executed by the transfer unit 7 of the transfer device 5. In the present example, the data blocks 4a-4e are more ancient than the first pointer P1 and are transferred to the server in step S3, starting with data block 4e which is closest from the first pointer P1.

(26) As shown in FIG. 7, the data block 4e is transferred first during step S3. Then, the position of the first pointer P1 is updated. Afterwards, the data blocks 4d, 4c, 4b and 4a are transferred to the server 2 in this order. The data blocks 4a-4e are however only transferred to the server 2 as long as the predetermined transfer period has not elapsed.

(27) Overall, the position of the pointers P1 and P2 indicates which data blocks 4a-4q were transferred to the server 2 at any time.

(28) If the predetermined transfer period is long enough, all data blocks 4a-4q get transmitted to the server 2, as shown in FIG. 8.

(29) If the predetermined transfer period elapses during step S2 or S3, the transfer of data blocks 4a-4q is stopped after completing the current transfer and the position of the pointer P1, P2 is updated accordingly. The dynamical update of the position of the pointers P1 and P2 allows to resume the transfer of the data blocks 4a-4q from where is was stopped, without omitting any data blocks 4a-4q and without repeating any transfer of data blocks 4a-4q.

(30) Overall, the data blocks 4a-4q all get transferred to the server 2 reliably and in a rather grouped (chronological or anti-chronological) manner. This facilitates an analysis of the historical data 3 contained in the data blocks 4a-4q by the server 2. Further, transferring the newer data blocks 4a-4q before transferring older data blocks 4a-4q is advantageous in view of the analysis performed by the server 2.

(31) FIG. 9 shows a further example of a database 8 with data blocks 4a-4q to be transferred to the server 2. Here, some scattered data blocks 4l, 4o and 4p (hatched in FIG. 9) were already transferred to the server 2 but are not included in the completed time period CT defined by the pointers P1 and P2. This is because the block time periods BT of all data blocks 4a-4q located between the pointers P1 and P2 have necessarily already been transferred to the server 2. Since the data blocks 4k, 4m and 4n of FIG. 9 were not yet transferred to the server 2, they cannot be included in the completed time period CT. The completed time period CT is the time period including the most block time periods BT of transferred data blocks 4a-4q.

(32) The database 8 of FIG. 9 can be transferred along the same lines as described above, using the method of FIG. 4. The only difference is that the data blocks 4l, 4o and 4p, which have already been transferred, are not transferred again. Rather, their transfer is skipped and the position of the pointer P2 is updated accordingly.

(33) FIG. 10 shows a method for transferring data blocks according to a second embodiment. This method can also be executed using the transfer device 5 of FIGS. 1 and 2.

(34) The method of FIG. 10 includes the steps S1-S3 which were already described in view of FIG. 4 above. However, step S2 of FIG. 10 includes steps S4, S5 and S6, and step S3 of FIG. 10 includes steps S7, S8 and S9. In step S4, the data block 4a-4q which is closest to the second pointer P2 and more recent than the second pointer P2 is transferred. Then, in step S5, the transfer device 5 checks whether the predetermined transfer period has elapsed. If so, the transfer process is stopped in step S10. Otherwise, if the predetermined transfer period has not elapsed, it is checked whether all data blocks 4a-4q that are more recent than the second pointer P2 have been transferred to the server 2 in step S6. If not, the steps S4 to S6 are repeated.

(35) If it is determined in step S6 that all data blocks 4a-4q that are more recent than the second pointer P2 have been transferred to the server 2, the process continues with step S7. In step S7, the data block 4a-4q which is closest to the first pointer P1 and more ancient than the first pointer P1 is transferred. Then, in step S8, the transfer device 5 checks whether the predetermined transfer period has elapsed. If so, the transfer process is stopped in step S10. Otherwise, if the predetermined transfer period has not elapsed, it is checked whether all data blocks 4a-4q that are more ancient than the first pointer P1 have been transferred to the server 2 in step S9. If not, the steps S7 to S9 are repeated. If it is determined in step S8 that all data blocks 4a-4q that are more ancient than the first pointer P1 have been transferred to the server 2, the transfer process is terminated (step S10).

(36) Although embodiments of the present invention has been described in accordance with preferred embodiments, it is obvious for the person skilled in the art that modifications are possible in all embodiments. For example, the database 8 can be modified in order to comprise more or less data blocks 4a-4q. Any combination of data blocks 4a-4q can initially be comprised in the completed time period CT. Instead of being transferred through a cable 13, the data blocks 4a-4q can also be transferred wirelessly from the field device 1 to the server device 2. Instead of being part of the field device 1, the transfer device 5 may be a separate entity. The historical data 3 can include other operation properties of the field device 1.

(37) Although the present invention has been disclosed in the form of preferred embodiments and variations thereon, it will be understood that numerous additional modifications and variations could be made thereto without departing from the scope of the invention.

(38) For the sake of clarity, it is to be understood that the use of “a” or “an” throughout this application does not exclude a plurality, and “comprising” does not exclude other steps or elements.