Web access for non-TCP/IP control devices of an industrial control system

A method of communicating information in an industrial control system for controlling an industrial process, the industrial control system having:

• a plurality of control devices communicating data over a control network using a control network protocol, wherein each control device includes a respective web server program that may directly respond to and provide Internet application level socket API data and wherein each control device provide signals to or receive signals from the industrial process to control the industrial process;
• a web access interface including an Internet interface and a control network interface, wherein the control network interface is coupled to the plurality of control devices by way of the control network, and wherein the Internet interface is capable of being coupled to a remote device via the Internet, the web access interface executing:
• an Internet communications program executing on the web access interface that receives an Internet signal from the Internet having Internet application level socket API data and formatted in accordance with an Internet transport layer protocol and an Internet network layer protocol, wherein the Internet communications program extracts the Internet application level socket API data from the Internet signal and provides an Internet application level socket API signal including the Internet application level socket API data;
• and
• a control network communications program executing on the web access interface that receives the Internet application level socket API signal and transmits a network signal over the control network based upon the Internet application level socket API signal to an appropriate one of the control devices selected in accordance with the Internet signal for response to the Internet application level socket API data, wherein the Internet application level socket API data is included within the network signal and processed by the respective web server program at the one of the control devices, and wherein the network signal is formatted and transmitted according to a protocol of the control network and not formatted or transmitted in accordance with any Internet transport layer protocol and any Internet network layer protocol;
• the method comprising the steps of:
• receiving a request signal at the web access interface, wherein the request signal has been provided over the Internet from the remote device;
• processing an Internet media access control protocol and a TCP/IP protocol with respect to the request signal by way of the Internet communications program of the web access interface, in order to extract Internet application level socket API data in the form of a Internet application level socket API signal;
• determining an appropriate destination control device from among the plurality of control devices;
• formatting the Internet application level socket API signal in accordance with the control network protocol and an internal media access control protocol to produce a network signal;
• and
• delivering the network signal to the appropriate destination control device so that the Internet application level socket API data can be processed by the respective server program.