KR20200127905A - Method and apparatus for remote controlling of industrial device in smart factory - Google Patents

Abstract

Provided is an information providing device, which includes a memory and at least one processor executing instructions of a program loaded in the memory. A program comprises the steps of: receiving an IP address request message including an identifier of a specific industrial device from a smart factory server; and transmitting an IP address of the industrial device to the smart factory server, when receiving the IP address assigned to the specific industrial device from a network device. The industrial device is operated based on the content of the message received from the smart factory.

Description

Remote control method and device of industrial device of smart factory {METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR REMOTE CONTROLLING OF INDUSTRIAL DEVICE IN SMART FACTORY}

The present invention relates to a technology for remotely controlling an industrial device of a smart factory.

Among the various aspects of the smart factory service, two services are being provided: machine vision and cooperative robots.

Machine vision refers to an industrial image processing technology that collects product images to inspect and analyze product characteristics. Based on deep learning, technology to detect irregular defective products and optical processing technology to overcome surrounding environments such as lighting and background are the core. Machine vision can be used for defect inspection, robot guidance, product recognition, and dimension measurement.

In addition, through machine vision, it is possible to always provide consistent quality verification regardless of personal fatigue, work proficiency, and surrounding environment, and improve production rate through quick judgment and inspection. If an optical camera is used, precise quality inspection can also be performed.

A cooperative robot refers to a robot that physically interacts in the same work space as a person. Cooperative robots can be installed anywhere, and safety and efficiency can be secured by performing dangerous or simple repetitive tasks on behalf of people. In addition, the desired path of the robot can be set through simple programming. For the implementation of a cooperative robot, a deep learning-based collision detection technology, a teach pendant technology, and a smart actuator capable of high-speed current control are required.

Meanwhile, the existing method for using machine vision and cooperative robots connects each device and the smart factory server to the same subnet through a local network, and the smart factory server transmits a broadcast message to the device for device discovery. do. Therefore, the existing method is a structure suitable to operate as a local network at the process cell site.

In order to control industrial devices on a public network rather than a local network, the smart factory server must check the IP of each device, so a static IP must be assigned to each device. However, this method can cause IP shortage problems throughout the network.

If each device uses a variable IP because it is difficult to allocate a fixed IP, since the smart factory server cannot determine the variable IP for each device, the administrator must check this every time the IP address of the device changes. There is also a concern that communication will be cut off whenever the device's IP address is changed.

The problem to be solved is a method of automatically obtaining the IP address of the communication device connected to the industrial device in the smart factory, and remotely controlling the industrial device using the obtained IP address of the communication device and the connection information between the industrial device and the communication device. And an apparatus.

An information providing device according to an embodiment, comprising a memory and at least one processor that executes instructions of a program loaded in the memory, wherein the program includes an identifier of a specific industrial device from a smart factory server. Receiving an IP address request message, and when receiving an IP address allocated to the specific industrial device from a network device, transmitting the IP address of the industrial device to the smart factory server, wherein the industrial device It operates based on the content of the message received from the smart factory.

Upon receiving the changed IP address of the industrial device from the network device, the step of transmitting the changed IP address to the smart factory server may be further included.

The changed IP address may be newly generated from the network device according to session reconnection between the industrial device and the network.

The industrial device may include a communication device, and the message may include at least one of an identifier of the industrial device, an IP address assigned to the communication device, and a port number of a communication device connected to the industrial device.

A method of operating an information providing device operated by at least one processor according to an embodiment, comprising the steps of: receiving an IP address allocated to a specific communication device from a network device, and including an identifier of the specific communication device from a smart factory server. Upon receiving the IP address request message, transmitting the IP address of the communication device to the smart factory server, wherein the communication device is connected to an industrial device of the smart factory.

When the IP address of the communication device is changed, receiving a changed IP address of the communication device from the network device, and transmitting the changed IP address to the smart factory server.

A method of operating a smart factory server operated by at least one processor according to an embodiment, the method comprising: transmitting an IP address request including an identifier of a registered communication device to an information providing device, from the information providing device to the communication device Receiving an IP address of, and transmitting a control message of an industrial device connected to the communication device to the communication device, wherein the destination IP address of the control message is the IP address of the communication device.

The method may further include registering at least one of an identifier of the industrial device, an identifier of the communication device, and a port number to which the communication device and the industrial device are connected.

The control message may include an identifier of the industrial device and the port number, and may be transmitted to the communication device in a unicast manner.

It may further include receiving a changed IP address of the communication device from the information providing device, and mapping the changed IP address with an identifier of the communication device and storing it.

The industrial device may be a machine vision camera or a robot, and the control message may be a search message of the machine vision camera or a socket connection request message of the robot.

According to the present invention, even if the IP assigned to the communication device connecting the industrial device and the network is changed, the changed IP can be known without the intervention of an administrator, so that the smart factory can be efficiently operated.

In addition, according to the present invention, since it is not necessary to allocate static IPs to a number of industrial devices or communication devices in a smart factory, the problem of IP shortage in the network can be prevented.

1 is a block diagram of an existing smart factory remote control system.
2 is an exemplary diagram of a communication method between a conventional machine vision camera and a smart factory server.
3 is an exemplary diagram of a communication method between an existing robot and a smart factory server.
4 is a block diagram of a smart factory remote control system according to an embodiment.
5 is a flowchart of a method of operating a smart factory remote control system according to an embodiment.
6 is a hardware configuration diagram of a computing device according to an embodiment.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings so that those of ordinary skill in the art can easily implement the embodiments of the present invention. However, the present invention may be implemented in various different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein. In the drawings, parts irrelevant to the description are omitted in order to clearly describe the present invention, and similar reference numerals are assigned to similar parts throughout the specification.

Throughout the specification, when a part "includes" a certain component, it means that other components may be further included rather than excluding other components unless otherwise stated. In addition, terms such as "... unit", "... group", and "module" described in the specification mean units that process at least one function or operation, which can be implemented by hardware or software or a combination of hardware and software. have.

In the present specification, a terminal is a user device, and a device, a user equipment (UE), a mobile equipment (ME), a mobile station (MS), a mobile terminal (MT), a subscriber station, SS), a portable subscriber station (PSS), a user equipment (UE), an access terminal (AT), etc., and may be referred to as a mobile terminal, a subscriber station, a mobile subscriber station, It may include all or part of functions such as user equipment.

The terminal of the present specification is a gateway, a base station (BS), an access point (AP), a radio access station (RAS), a node B (Node B), an advanced node B (evolved NodeB, eNodeB), a base transceiver station (BTS), a mobile multihop relay (MMR)-BS, 5G NB (gNB), and the like, and can be connected to a remote server.

In this specification, a base station refers to a 5G mobile communication NR (New Radio) base station established by 3GPP, and a 5G radio access network NG-RAN (Next Generation-Radio Access Network) is connected to a plurality of gNodeBs. eNodeB may also be included.

Embodiments of the present invention are standard documents related to a 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) 5G (5G) system, such as FS_NextGen (Study on Architecture for Next Generation System), or a multi- access Edge Computing) can be supported by standard documents. That is, among the embodiments of the present invention, steps or parts not described in order to clearly reveal the technical idea of the present invention may be supported by the document. In addition, all terms disclosed in this document can be described by the standard document.

1 is a configuration diagram of an existing smart factory remote control system, FIG. 2 is an exemplary diagram of a communication method between an existing machine vision camera and a smart factory server, and FIG. 3 is an example of a communication method between a conventional robot and a smart factory server. Is also.

Referring to FIG. 1, the existing smart factory remote control system 10 is connected to an industrial device 100 such as a robot installed in a factory, a machine vision camera, or an industrial device 100 or mounted inside the industrial device 100. It includes a communication device 200, and a smart factory server 300 connected to the rear end of the network to remotely control and control the industrial device 100 to support the process.

As described through the background technology, the existing smart factory remote control system 10 may be implemented in a local network, but a case in which it is implemented in a public network will be described below.

The communication device 200 accesses the core system through a base station and transmits and receives data to and from a public network or a dedicated network connected through the core system. In this case, the smart factory server may be included in a public network or a dedicated network.

The core system refers to a set of devices including Control Plane functions and User Plane functions. The control plane functions of the core system include Access and Mobility Function (AMF), Session Management Function (SMF), and NEF. And the user plane function of the core system includes UPF.

The AMF manages the mobile state of the communication device 200, and manages, for example, which wireless access network the communication device 200 is connected to or whether it is in an idle state.

When the AMF receives the connection request message from the communication device 200, it transmits the session creation request of the communication device 200 to the SMF.

The SMF performs session management, such as generating a session by receiving a session creation request from the communication device 200 from the AMF. In addition, the SMF allocates an IP address to be used in a network to which the communication device 200 will access.

Network Exposure Function (NEF) provides an event open service that provides data outside the core network. In addition, data from outside may be transmitted to the terminal through SMF.

When the industrial device 100 and the smart factory server 300 are connected to a public network, especially a 5G network, not a local network, the following problems may occur.

Referring to FIG. 2, communication between the camera and the smart factory server 300 may be performed by a GigE (Gigabit Etherne) Vision protocol. GigE Vision refers to a machine vision camera interface standard defined by AIA based on Gigabit Ethernet hardware.

First, the smart factory server 300 must transmit a discovery message for device discovery, but a broadcast message cannot be delivered through a standard 5G network. In addition, since the IP of the communication device 200 is assigned as a variable IP instead of a fixed IP due to a network resource problem, the smart factory server 300 manually checks the IP of the communication device 200 every time and uses a unicast method. A discovery message is transmitted to the communication device 200.

If the industrial device 100 is assigned a local IP from the communication device 200 through port forwarding and then transmits an ACK message to the smart factory server 300, the IP address in the message is a local IP. 100) and the smart factory server 300 communication is impossible.

In addition, since the subnets of the industrial device 100 and the smart factory server 300 are different, an ACK message must be broadcast according to the standard, but there is a problem that the 5G network does not support the broadcasting method. That is, there is a problem that the smart factory server 300 cannot search for the industrial device 100 in a public network.

Referring to FIG. 3, when the industrial device 100 is a robot, the communication device 200 may first allocate a local IP to the robot. Thereafter, the smart factory server 300 transmits a socket connection request for TCP/IP communication to the communication device 200. The communication device 200 transmits this to the robot through port forwarding, and the robot transmits a response to the socket connection request to the smart factory server 300.

At this time, since the IP address of the communication device 200 and the local IP address allocated to the robot by the communication device 200 are also variable IPs, communication may be disconnected unless the administrator checks the IP address of the communication device 200 from time to time. There is.

Therefore, the smart factory server 300 stores information on the variable IP used by the communication device 200 so that the administrator can communicate directly with the robot without manually checking the change of the IP assigned to the communication device 200. There is a need for a way to make it know.

4 is a block diagram of a smart factory remote control system according to an embodiment.

4, the smart factory remote control system 20 further includes an IP information providing server 400 in addition to the industrial device 100, the communication device 200, and the smart factory server 300 described in FIG. 1 do.

The industrial device 100 refers to a device installed in a smart factory, such as a machine vision camera or a robot. Machine vision cameras may support GigE Vision protocol

The communication device 200 refers to a device for wirelessly communicating with a base station to connect the industrial device 100 and a network. It can be implemented as a router or a communication module. The communication device 200 may be physically separated from the industrial device 100 and exist outside, and may be connected to the industrial device 100 by wireless or wired connection, or may be included in the industrial device 100.

The smart factory server 300 refers to a platform for controlling the industrial device 100 from outside the smart factory by using the IP address of the communication device 200 obtained from the IP information providing server 400.

For example, the smart factory server 300 may remotely control a robot and control an image captured by a machine vision camera, and the controllable industrial device 100 is not limited thereto. In addition, the smart factory server 300 may be implemented as a cloud server.

The smart factory server 300 may be included in a dedicated network, and may be connected to an application function (AF).

The smart factory server 300 may open a connection session with the robot using the IP address of the communication device 200 as a destination IP address, and perform a machine vision camera search procedure.

The IP information providing server 400 collects variable IP information allocated by the network equipment to the communication device 200 and transmits it to the smart factory server 300, so that the smart factory server 300 communicates with the IP of the communication device 200. Each industrial device 100 can be directly controlled based on information of the industrial devices 100 connected to the communication device 200.

When the communication device 200 connects to the network, the IP information providing server 400 may collect the IP address of the communication device 200 connected to the network and the location information of the communication device 200 from the network device. The network device may be a P-GW in the case of an LTE network and an SMF in the case of a 5G network.

The IP information providing server 400 may be a device connected to the NEF or included in the NEF. The IP information providing server 400 may comply with standards related to 3GPP Network Exposure Function (NEF) or ETSI Mobile Edge Platform (MEP).

Hereinafter, the IP information providing server 400 acquires the IP address of the registered communication device 200 and transmits it to the smart factory server 300, and uses the IP address obtained by the smart factory server 300 to obtain an industrial device. How to control 100 will be described.

5 is a flowchart of a method of operating a smart factory remote control system according to an embodiment.

5, the smart factory server 300 registers the identifiers of the industrial devices 100 installed in the smart factory, the identifiers of the communication device 200 connected to the industrial device 100, and the connected port information as industrial device information. (S101). For example, the smart factory server 300 may store information in the form shown in Table 1.

Communication device identifier Industrial device identifier Connected port number Device 1 Device 1 100 Device 2 101 Device 2 Device 3 102

In Table 1, the identifier of the communication device 200 may be any one of IMSI, Scrambled IMSI, IMEI, and MS-ISDN.

The smart factory server 300 transmits a service registration request message for requesting registration of an IP information providing service including the identifier of the communication device 200 to the IP information providing server 400 (S102).

The IP information providing server 400 stores the received identifier of the communication device 200 and transmits a response message to the service registration request message (S103, S104).

When power is applied to the communication device 200 to access the network, the communication device 200 receives an IP address from the SMF (S105, S106). Specifically, the communication device 200 requests a packet data network (PDN) connection to a network. The SMF allocates an IP address to be used by the communication device 200 in a PDN session and provides it to the communication device 200. In this case, the IP to which the communication device 200 is allocated may be a variable IP.

On the other hand, not only a case in which the power of the communication device 200 is initially applied, but also a case in which the power of the communication device 200 is reapplied during smart factory operation may occur. Even in this case, as in the case where the communication device 200 initially accesses the network, the IP address may be provided again from the SMF.

That is, when the power of the communication device 200 is reconnected, the communication device 200 may reconnect the PDN session and receive a new IP address from the SMF. The new IP address may be different from the initially provided IP address.

The communication device 200 allocates a local IP address to each connected industrial device 100 (S107). The communication device 200 uses a port number to distinguish the plurality of industrial devices 100, and may additionally use the identifier of each industrial device 100.

The IP information providing server 400 receives an IP address assigned to the communication device 200 from the SMF and transmits the IP address to the smart factory server 300 (S108, S109). The IP information providing server 400 may directly transmit an IP address to the smart factory server 300 or receive a request to provide an IP address from the smart factory server 300 and provide an IP address as a response thereto.

On the other hand, when power is reapplied to the communication device 200 in step S105 and a new IP address is generated from the SMF, the IP information providing server 400 directly notifies the IP address change to the smart factory server 300, or A question about whether to change the IP address is received from the smart factory server 300, and a new IP address may be provided as an answer thereto.

In this case, when the IP address of the communication device 200 is changed, the smart factory server 300 may request a notification to the IP information providing server 400 in advance to receive an alarm.

Meanwhile, the IP information providing server 400 may map and store the identifier of the communication device 200 registered in step S103 to the IP address.

The smart factory server 300 adds the IP address of the communication device 200 to the registered industrial device information (S110).

Thereafter, a control request of the industrial device 100 is input to the smart factory server 300 (S111). The control request may include the identifier of the industrial device 100, and may be, for example, remote control of a robot or remote control of a machine vision camera.

The smart factory server 300 uses the IP address stored in step S110 as a destination address and transmits a message for searching the industrial device 100 to the communication device 200 in a unicast manner (S112). In this case, the source IP address of the device discovery message may be the IP address of the smart factory server 300. The device search message may include a source IP address, a destination IP address, and an industrial device identifier.

The communication device 200 transmits a device search message to the corresponding industrial device 100 through port forwarding (S113). In addition to the device search message, the communication device 200 may transmit control messages generated by the smart factory server 300 to the lower industrial devices 100. On the other hand, when a router or a communication module is directly mounted on the industrial device 100, since port forwarding is unnecessary, the corresponding step may be omitted.

The industrial device 100 transmits a response message to the device search message to the smart factory server 300 through the communication device 200 (S114, S115). In this case, the response message may be transmitted in a unicast manner, and the destination IP address may be the IP address of the smart factory server 300.

When the industrial device 100 is a machine vision camera, unlike the existing GigE Vision protocol, when the machine vision camera receives a device search message, it may directly transmit a response message in a unicast manner regardless of the flag field.

Thereafter, the smart factory server 300 may remotely control the industrial device 100 (S116).

6 is a hardware configuration diagram of a computing device according to an embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 6, the IP information providing server 400 executes a program including instructions described to execute the operation of the present invention in the computing device 500 operated by at least one processor. .

The hardware of the computing device 500 may include at least one processor 510, a memory 520, a storage 530, and a communication interface 540, and may be connected through a bus. In addition, hardware such as an input device and an output device may be included. The computing device 500 may be equipped with various software including an operating system capable of driving a program.

The processor 510 is a device that controls the operation of the computing device 500, and may be various types of processors 510 that process instructions included in a program. For example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or an MPU ( Micro Processor Unit), MCU (Micro Controller Unit), GPU (Graphic Processing Unit), and the like. The memory 520 loads a corresponding program such that instructions described to perform the operation of the present invention are processed by the processor 510. The memory 520 may be, for example, read only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), or the like. The storage 530 stores various types of data and programs required to perform the operation of the present invention. The communication interface 540 may be a wired/wireless communication device.

According to the present invention, even if the IP assigned to the communication device connecting the industrial device and the network is changed, the changed IP can be known without the intervention of an administrator, so that the smart factory can be efficiently operated.

In addition, according to the present invention, since it is not necessary to allocate static IPs to a number of industrial devices or communication devices in a smart factory, the problem of IP shortage in the network can be prevented.

The embodiments of the present invention described above are not implemented only through an apparatus and a method, but may be implemented through a program that realizes a function corresponding to the configuration of the embodiment of the present invention or a recording medium on which the program is recorded.

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above, the scope of the present invention is not limited thereto, and various modifications and improvements by those skilled in the art using the basic concept of the present invention defined in the following claims are also provided. It belongs to the scope of rights.

Claims (11)

As an information providing device,
Memory, and
Including at least one processor to execute instructions (instructions) of the program loaded in the memory,
The above program is
Receiving an IP address request message including an identifier of a specific industrial device from the smart factory server, and
When receiving an IP address assigned to the specific industrial device from a network device, transmitting the IP address of the industrial device to the smart factory server,
The industrial device is operated based on the content of the message received from the smart factory, information providing device. In claim 1,
When receiving the changed IP address of the industrial device from the network device, transmitting the changed IP address to the smart factory server
The information providing device further comprising. In paragraph 2,
The changed IP address,
The information providing device, which is newly created from the network device according to the reconnection of a session between the industrial device and the network. In claim 1,
The industrial device comprises a communication device,
The message includes at least one of an identifier of the industrial device, an IP address assigned to the communication device, and a port number of a communication device connected to the industrial device. A method of operating an information providing device operated by at least one processor,
Receiving an IP address assigned to a specific communication device from a network device, and
When receiving an IP address request message including an identifier of the specific communication device from a smart factory server, transmitting the IP address of the communication device to the smart factory server,
The communication device is connected to the industrial device of the smart factory, the operation method. In clause 5,
If the IP address of the communication device is changed, receiving a changed IP address of the communication device from the network device, and
Transmitting the changed IP address to the smart factory server
Further comprising, the operation method. As a method of operating a smart factory server operated by at least one processor,
Transmitting a request for an IP address including an identifier of a registered communication device to an information providing device,
Receiving an IP address of the communication device from the information providing device, and
Including the step of transmitting a control message of the industrial device connected to the communication device to the communication device,
The destination IP address of the control message is an IP address of the communication device. In clause 7,
Registering at least one of an identifier of the industrial device, an identifier of the communication device, and a port number to which the communication device and the industrial device are connected
Operation method further comprising a. In clause 8,
The control message,
The method of operation, comprising the identifier of the industrial device and the port number, and transmitted to the communication device in a unicast manner. In clause 7,
Receiving a changed IP address of the communication device from the information providing device, and
Mapping and storing the changed IP address with an identifier of the communication device
Further comprising, the operation method. In clause 7,
The industrial device is a machine vision camera or a robot,
The control message is a search message of the machine vision camera or a socket connection request message of the robot.

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