US 12,007,991 B2
Automation device and method for optimized access to a variable
Stefan Van Lier, Minden (DE)
Assigned to Wago Verwaltungsgesellschaft MBH, Minden (DE)
Filed by WAGO VERWALTUNGSGESELLSCHAFT MBH, Minden (DE)
Filed on Jan. 22, 2019, as Appl. No. 16/253,848.
Claims priority of application No. 10 2018 101 203.9 (DE), filed on Jan. 19, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2019/0228013 A1, Jul. 25, 2019
Int. Cl. G06F 16/2453 (2019.01); G06F 9/46 (2006.01); G06F 16/22 (2019.01); G06F 16/2455 (2019.01); H04L 67/12 (2022.01)
CPC G06F 16/24539 (2019.01) [G06F 9/46 (2013.01); G06F 16/2228 (2019.01); G06F 16/24552 (2019.01); H04L 67/12 (2013.01)] 26 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An automation device for process automation with an open platform communications unified architecture (OPC UA) server containing one or more variables of the process automation, wherein the OPC UA server for receiving read requests from a client in communication with the automation device is set up for read of at least one variable, the automation device being configured to:
specify, at the OPC UA server of the automation device, a time period between two read requests for a same read request variable from the client, the OPC UA server determining the time period based on receipt times of the two read requests;
enable read access to the read request variable in an address space of the OPC UA server at a sampling time corresponding to the address space, independent of future read requests of the client; and
determine the sampling time as a function of a determined time span between two read requests,
wherein the OPC UA server is set up:
to enable read access for a queried variable in the address space of the OPC UA server at the respective sampling time,
to store a variable value for the queried variable obtained by the read access in a data structure, and
in a future read request, to send the variable value for the queried variable stored in the data structure to a querying client, the respective sampling time being assigned so as to not coincide with the future read request such that the client requests decouple from the read access for the queried variable.