DATA TRANSMISSION WITH COMMUNICATION BROKER

Abstract

A method for transmitting data from a first sub-system to a second sub-system includes the steps of: providing a dataset by the first sub-system, the dataset having a data structure identifier and a data value; sending the dataset to the second sub-system; receiving the dataset by the second sub-system; checking whether complete assignment information regarding the data structure assigned to the data structure identifier is present in the second sub-system; recovering any missing assignment information from a communication broker in the event that the second sub-system does not contain complete assignment information; and determining the data structure on the basis of the data structure identifier and the assignment information. A corresponding system, a corresponding first sub-system, a corresponding second sub-system and a communication broker are also proposed.

Claims

1. A method for data transmission from a first subsystem to a second subsystem, comprising: providing a dataset by the first subsystem, which dataset comprises a data structure identifier, a data value; sending the dataset to the second subsystem; receiving the dataset by the second subsystem; checking whether full assignment information about the data structure assigned to the data structure identifier is present in the second subsystem; retrieving the missing assignment information from a communication broker if the full assignment information is not present in the second subsystem; determining the data structure on the basis of the data structure identifier and the assignment information.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the data structure identifier comprises a variable identifier, the data structure comprises a variable assigned to the variable identifier, the data value comprises a value of the variable.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the data structure identifier comprises a units identifier, the data structure comprises units assigned to the units identifier.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the data value is encrypted before the dataset is sent to the second subsystem, the data value is decrypted by the second subsystem.

5. The method as claimed in claim 4, wherein the first subsystem transmits decryption information to the communication broker.

6. The method as claimed in claim 4, wherein the second subsystem retrieves decryption information from the communication broker before the decryption of the data value.

7. The method as claimed in claim 4, wherein the data value is encrypted on the basis of encryption information assigned to the second subsystem.

8. The method as claimed in claim 7, wherein the encryption information assigned to the second subsystem is retrieved from the communication broker before encryption.

9. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein decryption information and/or encryption information has a limited validity .

10. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the dataset is transferred in real time.

11. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first subsystem transmits to the communication broker assignment information about the data structure belonging to the data structure identifier.

12. A first subsystem, for carrying out the method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first subsystem is configured: to provide the dataset comprising the data structure identifier and the data value; and to send the dataset to at least one second subsystem.

13. A second subsystem, wherein the second subsystem is configured: to receive a dataset comprising a data structure identifier and a data value; to check whether full assignment information about the data structure assigned to the data structure identifier is present in the second subsystem; to retrieve the missing assignment information from a communication broker if the full assignment information is not present in the second subsystem; and to determine the data structure on the basis of the data structure identifier and the assignment information.

14. A communication broker, for carrying out the method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the communication broker is configured to provide assignment information about the data structure assigned to the data structure identifier.

15. A system having a first subsystem, a second subsystem, and a communication broker, wherein the first subsystem is configured to provide a dataset comprising a data structure identifier and a data value, and to send the dataset to the second subsystem; wherein the second subsystem is configured to receive the dataset comprising the data structure identifier and the data value, to check whether full assignment information about the data structure assigned to the data structure identifier is present in the second subsystem, to retrieve the missing assignment information from the communication broker if the full assignment information is not present in the second subsystem, and to determine the data structure on the basis of the data structure identifier and the assignment information; and wherein the communication broker is configured to provide assignment information about the data structure assigned to the data structure identifier.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION

[0036] Some of the embodiments will be described in detail, with reference to the following figures, wherein like designations denote like members, wherein:

[0037] FIG. 1 shows a system having a plurality of subsystems.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0038] The system 100 shown in Fig. 1 comprises a plurality of subsystems 111, 112 and 113, between which data is meant to be transmitted, as indicated by dashed lines between the subsystems 111, 112 and 113. It is conceivable that some subsystems only receive data, and other subsystems only send data. Typically, however, a subsystem 111, 112 and 113 of the system 100 will both receive data and send data.

[0039] The subsystems 111, 112 and 113 may be assigned to different companies. In the production environment, it may be necessary that the data has to be transferred between the subsystems in real time. Often only a limited bandwidth is available for the data transmission.

[0040] Therefore it can be advantageous to transfer only the payload data. This assumes that the structure of the payload data is known to the particular subsystem that is receiving data.

[0041] The above-described method is proposed for this purpose, and shall be explained using the example of the subsystems 111 and 112, where the subsystem 111 serves as an example of a first subsystem, and the subsystem 112 as an example of a second subsystem.

[0042] The method is used for data transmission from the first subsystem 111 to the second subsystem 112. In this process, the first subsystem 111 provides and sends to the second subsystem 112 a dataset 121. The dataset 121 comprises a plurality of data structure identifiers and a data value. In the exemplary embodiment shown, the data structure identifiers are denoted by 12, 13 and 61, and the data value is ‘07eb63’.

[0043] The receiving second subsystem 112 checks whether full assignment information about the data structure identifiers is present. If this is not the case, the missing assignment information is retrieved from a communication broker 130.

[0044] The retrieval from, and the optional transmission (explained later) of assignment information to, the communication broker 130 is represented by dotted lines in Fig. 1

[0045] In principle, a company to which one of the subsystems 111, 112 or 113 is assigned can provide the communication broker 130. Usually, however, the communication broker 130 is provided by a neutral instance.

[0046] In the example shown, the communication broker 130 provides the assignment information for the data structure identifiers 12, 31 and 61. This assignment information allows the second subsystem 112 to interpret the data provided by the first subsystem 111. The data structure identifier 12 indicates that the data value ‘07eb63’ is a speed. The data structure identifier 12 can hence be regarded as a variable identifier. The data structure identifier 13 indicates that the data value ‘07eb63’ is given in the units meters per second (m/s). The data structure identifier 13 can hence be regarded as a units identifier. Finally, the data structure identifier indicates how the data value ‘07eb63’ is coded, namely as a hexadecimal value.

[0047] The assignment information hence makes it possible for the second subsystem 112 to interpret the data transmitted by the first subsystem 111.

[0048] It may become necessary or desirable during further development of the individual subsystems 111, 112, 133 to define new data structures. In order to give each of the other subsystems the opportunity to be able to interpret data values transmitted on the basis of the new data structure, assignment information about the data structure assigned to a new data structure identifier is transmitted to the communication broker. It is then possible for the other subsystems to obtain the new assignment information via the communication broker. This allows a subsystem to define new data structures that can be used by other subsystems.

[0049] Uniqueness of the assignment information between data structure identifier and data structure can be achieved by allocating each data structure identifier in the system only once.

[0050] 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.

[0051] 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.