Patent Document

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0002]    The present invention relates to a monitoring control system having a plurality of networks different in security level. 
         [0003]    2. Description of the Related Art 
         [0004]    In a general monitoring control system, information from equipment to be monitored is detected by a temperature sensor, a pressure sensor, a position sensor, and other various types of sensors; information thereof is presented to an operating staff and/or an observer; and various types of driving devices such as a motor, a valve, a switch, and a hydraulic power unit are operated by the operation of the operating staff and/or the observer to control operation conditions of the equipment. Such a monitoring control system is used in a wide range of fields, for example, electric generating plants, chemical plants, power reception and distribution equipment, and water and sewerage. 
         [0005]    A configuration shown in  FIG. 5  is adopted as a typical example of such a monitoring control system. 
         [0006]    In the drawing, the monitoring control system includes: equipment  1  to be monitored; various types of sensors  2  which detect temperature, pressure, position, and other operational information of the equipment  1 ; various types of driving devices  3  such as a motor, a valve, a switch, and a hydraulic power unit, which drive the equipment  1 ; and a monitoring control device  4  which monitors operation conditions of the equipment  1  based on information from the sensor  2  to control to be desired conditions. The monitoring control device  4  has an operation terminal  4   a  which processes the information from the sensor  2  to drive the driving devices  3  and controls the equipment  1  to be desired conditions, and a display  4   b  which displays the operation conditions of the equipment  1 ; and these devices are mutually connected via a network  5  in facilities. 
         [0007]    Furthermore in order to monitor the operation conditions of the equipment  1  at a location different from a placing location of the monitoring control device  4 , a monitoring device  6  is provided via a network  8  and a plant gateway (hereinafter, gateway is referred to as G/W) device  7  connected to the network  5 . The monitoring device  6  is provided with a communication terminal  6   a  which is for performing data communication with the monitoring control device  4  and a display  6   b.  Incidentally, these networks  5 ,  8  are mounted by a dedicated or general-purpose protocol. 
         [0008]    In this case, ordinarily, in order to collect information from the external unit and to perform data transmission to the external unit, a device such as the monitoring device  6  that does not perform operating control of the equipment  1  is also capable of being connected to the Internet  10  via an outside communication G/W device  9 . 
         [0009]    In such a conventional monitoring control system, the equipment  1  and the monitoring control device  4  that directly operates operating of the equipment  1  are protected by setting a security level high by the plant G/W device  7  in order to prevent entering from the external unit, for example, a cyber attack. However, although the monitoring device  6 , which merely monitors, secures security by the outside communication G/W device  9 , the monitoring device  6  communicates with the external unit ; and therefore, security level cannot be maintained high so much. 
         [0010]    Accordingly, in the conventional monitoring control system, the network  5  with a higher security level can prevent entering from the external unit via the Internet  10 . However, the network  8  with a lower security level has a possibility that the entering from the external unit cannot be prevented in connection with upgrading of a recent cyber attack; and when the network  8  is once infected by a virus or the like, there arises a possibility of security threat in that the network  5  with the higher security level is also infected utilizing a packet allowed in the network  8 . 
         [0011]    By the way, generally, there is known one in which a device that evaluates security is provided in a network to restrict communication from a network with the lower security level. (Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2006-279338) 
         [0012]    Furthermore, there is known one in which a communication direction is switched by an optical switch in order to protect information asset from a cyber attack from an outside network. (Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2004-274444) 
       RELATED ART DOCUMENT 
     Patent Document 
       [0013]    [Patent Document 1] Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2006-279338 (Paragraphs 0041, 0046) 
         [0014]    [Patent Document 2] Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2004-274444 (Paragraph 0022) 
         [0015]    [Patent Document 3] Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2005-32238 (Paragraph 0033) 
         [0016]    [Patent Document 4] Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2004-185483 (Paragraph 0011) 
         [0017]    However, when the protection device of the network such as the above Patent Document is applied, communication between the monitoring control device  4  and the monitoring device  6 , which are different in security level, cannot be secured and a monitoring control system cannot be configured. Furthermore, in contrast, when the communication is secured, it is likely to be infected from the network  8  with the lower security level to the network  5  with the higher security level and reliability of the monitoring control system is impaired. 
         [0018]    That is, although communication is limited by the use of a network firewall, the firewall is like a software-based security wall; and therefore, there is a possibility to change settings such that communication to a direction inhibited by the brittleness of the firewall itself and acquisition of administrative right becomes possible. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0019]    The present invention has been made to solve the above described problem and is to provide a monitoring control system by which security can be secured by being capable of performing only unidirectional communication from a network with a higher security level, to a network with a lower security level. 
         [0020]    According to the present invention, there is provided a monitoring control system including: a sensor which detects operation conditions of equipment to be controlled; a driving device which adjusts the operation conditions of said equipment; a monitoring control device which operates said driving device to control the operation conditions of said equipment based on the output of said sensor; a monitoring device which is capable of being connected to an outside network such as the Internet, and which is connected to said monitoring control device to monitor the operation conditions of said equipment; and a sender and a receiver, which are provided between said monitoring control device and said monitoring device to communicate in only one direction from said monitoring control device to said monitoring device In the monitoring control system, data communication is performed only from a network with a higher security level to a network with a lower security level. 
         [0021]    According to the present invention, data communication from a network with a lower security level to a network with a higher security level can be blocked, whereby an effect is exhibited that reliability of a monitoring control system can be secured. 
         [0022]    The foregoing and other object, features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the present invention when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0023]      FIG. 1  is a configuration diagram showing a monitoring control system according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention; 
           [0024]      FIG. 2  is a configuration diagram showing a monitoring control system according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention; 
           [0025]      FIG. 3  is a configuration diagram showing a monitoring control system according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention; 
           [0026]      FIG. 4  is a configuration diagram showing a monitoring control system according to Embodiment 4 of the present invention; and 
           [0027]      FIG. 5  is an outline configuration diagram showing a conventional monitoring control system. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Embodiment 1 
       [0028]    Hereinafter, the present invention will be described with reference to drawings of embodiments. 
         [0029]      FIG. 1  is a configuration diagram showing a monitoring control system according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. In the drawing, the monitoring control system has equipment  1  to be monitored and controlled; a sensor  2  which is attached to the equipment  1  and detects operation conditions of the equipment  1 ; a driving device  3  which controls the operation conditions of the equipment  1 ; and a monitoring control device  4  composed of an operation terminal  4   a  and a display  4   b,  which are connected to the sensor  2  and the driving device  3  via a network  5 . 
         [0030]    Furthermore, the monitoring control system has a monitoring device  6  connected to the monitoring control device  4  via a network  8  and the monitoring device  6  is capable of being connected to the Internet  10  via an outside communication G/W device  9 . 
         [0031]    In this case, the network  5  and the network  8  are configured to be capable of performing data communication in only one direction from the network  5  to the network  8  by intervening a sender  11  and a receiver  12  therebetween. Further, signals are fed back from the receiver  12  to the sender  11  side via a hard-wired part  13 ; and a display unit  14  which is for displaying an operation abnormality in the receiver  12  by the signals is provided. 
         [0032]    Incidentally, only unidirectional data communication can be performed by mounting an optical cable in only one direction of the sender/receiver; and detection of abnormal conditions in the receiver  12  can be performed by using notification of reliability, availability, and serviceability (RAS) such as a power supply stop and/or non-arrival of a watchdog timer. Further, communication between the network  5  and the network  8  can be performed by a general-purpose protocol. Furthermore, the display unit  14  can also be omitted by supplying signals from the hard-wired part  13  to the display  4   b  of the monitoring control device  4 . 
         [0033]    Under such a configuration, the monitoring control device  4  transmits data of the operation conditions of the equipment  1  via the network  5  and the sender  11 ; and the receiver  12  receives the data and further supplies to the monitoring device  6  via the network  8 . 
         [0034]    As described above, the data is transmitted in one direction from the monitoring control device  4  to the monitoring device  6  using the sender  11  and the receiver  12 ; and consequently, data flow from the network  8  with a lower security level to the network  5  can be physically blocked and it becomes possible to enhance a security level of the network  5 . As a result, reliability of the monitoring control system can be secured. 
         [0035]    Furthermore, when the receiver  12  is not normally operated, such a condition can be displayed by the display unit  14  using the notification of RAS such as non-arrival of the watchdog timer; as a result, it becomes possible to understand that the monitoring device  6  does not normally receive the data and countermeasures can be devised. 
       Embodiment 2 
       [0036]      FIG. 2  is a configuration diagram showing a monitoring control system according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention. In the drawing, the monitoring control system includes: in addition to the configuration of Embodiment 1, a sender  11   a  and a receiver  12   a,  which are provided in parallel to the sender  11  and the receiver  12 ; and a relay device  15  which switches these devices in response to the absence or presence of notification of RAS. 
         [0037]    The sender  11   a  and the receiver  12   a  have an equivalent function as the sender  11  and the receiver  12 , respectively, and transmit the same data in parallel by a general-purpose protocol. Furthermore, a configuration is made such that operation conditions the receiver  12   a  are fed back to the sender  11   a  side by a hard-wired part  13   a.    
         [0038]    Under such a configuration, during normal times, the relay device  15  regards the receiver  12  as a main system and the receiver  12   a  as a subsidiary system; and the relay device  15  transmits only data received by the receiver  12  via a transmission path A to a network with a lower security level  8 . 
         [0039]    Next, if an abnormality is generated, for example, notification of RAS such as non-arrival of a watchdog timer from the receiver  12  is received, the relay device  15  regards the receiver  12   a  as a main system immediately; and the relay device  15  transmits data received via a transmission path B to the network with the lower security level  8 . 
         [0040]    As described above, a redundant configuration, in which the relay device  15  switches to the receiver  12  side of the subsidiary system and transmits information when a failure in the receiver  12  of the main system is received, is adopted; and consequently, a data communication function can be maintained even when either the sender  11  or the receiver  12  is brought down. 
       Embodiment 3 
       [0041]      FIG. 3  is a configuration diagram showing a monitoring control system according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention. 
         [0042]    In the drawing, a monitoring control system is configured such that: in addition to the configuration of Embodiment 2, the same information is transmitted from a sender  11  to a receiver  12   a  and from a sender  11   a  to a receiver  12 ; and received data is selected by a relay device  15 . 
         [0043]    That is, during normal times, the relay device  15  sets priorities such that, a transmission path A is a first priority, a transmission path B is a second priority, a transmission path C is a third priority, and a transmission path D is a fourth priority; the relay device  15  transmits only received data via the transmission path A with a higher priority to a network with a lower security level  8 . this case, a determination of the priorities of the relay device  15  can be achieved by giving, for instance, a priority flag to the structure of data among the senders  11 ,  11   a  and the receivers  12 ,  12   a.    
         [0044]    Next, for example, when an abnormality is generated in the receiver  12 , the abnormality of the receiver  12  is notified to the sender  11  via a hard-wired part  13  and a display unit  14 , and the abnormality is notified to the sender  11   a  via a hard-wired part  13   c  and a display unit  14   a . Accordingly, the sender  11  lowers the priority of the transmission path A than that of the transmission path B, and the sender  11   a  lowers the priority of the transmission path C than that of the transmission path D. As a result, the priorities are changed that the priority of the transmission path B is first and the priority of the transmission path D is second; and the relay device  15  transmits only data via the transmission path B to the network with a lower security level  8 . Such a change in priorities in the senders  11 ,  11   a  can be achieved by a change in value of the priority flag. Furthermore, the generation of abnormality in the receiver  12  is displayed by the display unit  14  and the display unit  14   a.    
         [0045]    As described above, a redundant configuration, in which only data passed through a transmission path with a higher priority among four transmission paths is transmitted by the relay device  15 , is adopted; and consequently, even when the sender and the receiver are brought down one after another, a data communication function can be maintained and reliability of the monitoring control system can be improved. 
       Embodiment 4 
       [0046]      FIG. 4  is a configuration diagram showing a monitoring control system according to Embodiment 4 of the present invention. 
         [0047]    In the monitoring control system, a redundant configuration is achieved by providing a system switching device  16 ,  16   a ,  17 ,  17   a  on a sender  11 ,  11   a  and a receiver  12 ,  12   a , respectively 
         [0048]    That is, the system switching device  16  has a function to recognize that the sender  11  is regarded as a main system and the system switching device  16   a  has a function to recognize that the sender lie is regarded as a subsidiary system; and the system switching device  17  has a function to recognize that the receiver  12  is regarded as the main system and the system switching device  17   a  has a function to recognize that the receiver  12   a  is regarded as the subsidiary system. 
         [0049]    In this case, during normal operation, data to be transmitted from the sender  11  to the receiver  12  is regarded as the main system and only the receiver  12  of the main system transmits the data to a network with a lower security level  8 ; and the receiver  12   a  of the subsidiary system does not transmit the data to the network  8 . 
         [0050]    Next, for example, when an abnormality is generated in the receiver  12 , the system switching device  17  detects this and regards the receiver  12  as the subsidiary system. Then, the system switching device  17  notifies this to the system switching device  17   a  and the system switching device  17   a  regards the receiver  12   a  as the main system. By this, the sender  11  and the receiver  12   a  are regarded as the main system and data to be transmitted from the sender  11  to the receiver  12   a  is transmitted to the network with the lower security level  8 . 
         [0051]    Furthermore, when an abnormality is generated in the sender  11 , the system switching device  16  detects this and regards the sender  11  as the subsidiary system. Then, the system switching device  16  notifies this to the system switching device  16   a  and the system switching device  16   a  regards the sender  11   a  as the main system. By this, the sender  11   a  and the receiver  12  are regarded as the main system and data to be transmitted from the sender  11   a  to the receiver  12  is transmitted to the network with the lower security level  8 . 
         [0052]    Similarly, when an abnormality is generated in the sender  11  and the receiver  12 , the system switching device  16  regards the sender  11  as the subsidiary system and the system switching device  16   a  regards the sender ha as the main system; and the system switching device  17  regards the receiver  12  as the subsidiary system and the system switching device  17   a  regards the receiver  12   a  as the main system. By this, data to be transmitted from the sender  11   a  to the receiver  12   a  is transmitted to the network. 
         [0053]    As described above, the system switching device  16 ,  16   a  controls the main system or the subsidiary system of the sender  11 ,  11   a  and the system switching device  17 ,  17   a  controls the main system or the subsidiary system of the receiver  12 ,  12   a ; and consequently, the redundant configuration can be achieved. For example, even when the sender and the receiver are brought down one after another, transmitting and receiving functions can be maintained. As a result, reliability of the monitoring control system can be improved. 
         [0054]    Furthermore, the system switching devices  16 ,  16   a ,  17 ,  17   a  are incorporated in the monitoring control system as software; and consequently, a different device such as the relay device  15  in  FIG. 2  and  FIG. 3  does not need to be provided and the device can be configured inexpensively. Further, a case of a failure in the relay device  15  does not need to be assumed. 
         [0055]    Incidentally, in the present invention, the respective embodiments can be appropriately changed or omitted within the scope of the present invention. 
         [0056]    The present invention can be applied to a monitoring control system for use in electric generating plants, chemical plants, power reception and distribution equipment, water and sewerage, and the like. 
         [0057]    Various modifications and alternations of this invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of this invention, and it should be understood that this is not limited to the illustrative embodiments set forth herein.

Technology Category: 5