Patent ID: 6915330

Claim:
A communication system for automation equipment for communicating over a TCP/IP network wherein such automation equipment is for controlling an automation application by executing an application program written in one or several languages according to standard IEC 1131-3, the communication system comprising: exchange means for implementing a WEB server function or a WEB client function inside an application program, said exchange means comprising at least one WEB function block for interacting with such application program, said WEB function block comprising a generic program code and configuration data that are specific to each WEB function block, said configuration data comprising a general format of frames exchanged by the WEB function block, a type of HTTP request that the WEB function block can receive or send and the relative URL address of the WEB function block in the automation equipment, and an HTTP interface in such automation equipment for routing messages from the TCP/IP network to a WEB function block identified by a URL address, and for routing messages from a WEB function block in the automation equipment to a URL address on the TCP/IP network.