1. A general packet radio service (GPRS) gateway support node (GGSN) front end processor (GFEP) system, comprising:
an inputoutput (IO) interface configured to receive data directly from at least one supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) device, the received data being for at least one of monitoring and controlling an advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) device; and
a GFEP processor operatively coupled to the IO interface, the GFEP processor being configured to:
perform a protocol conversion to facilitate transfer of the received data from the SCADA device to a GGSN of a wireless communications network; and
provide the received data to the GGSN for delivery via the wireless communications network to the AMI device.
2. The GFEP system of claim 1, wherein in being configured to perform a protocol conversion, the GFEP processor is configured to perform a data link layer protocol conversion.
3. The GFEP system of claim 2, wherein in being configured to perform the data link layer protocol conversion, the GFEP processor is configured to convert the received data from a first protocol used by the SCADA device and selected from a group of first protocols consisting of Distributed Network Protocol (DNP), Modbus, Modbus X, and Multispeak to a second protocol used by the GGSN, the second protocol being a data link layer protocol of the Internet Protocol Suite.
4. The GFEP system of claim 1, further comprising:
a GFEP provisioning manager operatively coupled to the GFEP processor, the GFEP provisioning manager being configured to provision at least one GFEP connection with configuration parameters comprising at least one of a connection type, a protocol used, a source address, a destination address, and a transmission restriction.
5. The GFEP system of claim 4, further comprising:
a GFEP security catalog database configured to store a security profile for the at least one GFEP connection, each security profile comprising at least one of a connection type, a SCADA device characteristic, an allowed protocol, an allowed address, a data transmitted amount, and a data received amount; and
a GFEP security manager operatively coupled to the GFEP processor and the GFEP security catalog database, the GFEP security manager being configured to:
receive, in response to a particular GFEP connection of the at least one GFEP connection between the SCADA device and the GFEP system being initiated, a request for security information from the GFEP provisioning manager;
fetch, in response to the request for security information, the security profile associated with the SCADA device from the GFEP security catalog database; and
forward the security profile associated with the SCADA device to the GFEP provisioning manager;
wherein the GFEP provisioning manager is further configured to use the security profile to provision the particular GFEP connection.
6. The GFEP system of claim 1, wherein the GFEP processor is part of the GGSN.
7. A network architecture for facilitating inter-domain communications between a supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) domain and a wireless service provider domain, the network architecture comprising:
a general packet radio service (GPRS) gateway support node (GGSN);
a GGSN front end processor (GFEP) system, the GFEP system being configured to:
perform a protocol conversion to facilitate transfer of data received from the SCADA domain to the wireless service provider domain; and
provide the data to the GGSN.
8. The network architecture of claim 7, further comprising at least one SCADA device operating in the SCADA domain, wherein:
the GFEP system is further configured to receive the data from the at least one SCADA device.
9. The network architecture of claim 8, wherein the at least one SCADA device is associated with at least one of electricity generation, electricity transmission, electricity distribution, a manufacturing process, a production process, a fabrication process, a refining process, water treatment, water distribution, wastewater collection, wastewater treatment, natural gas distribution, natural gas collection, oil distribution, oil collection, a defense system monitoring process, a security system monitoring process, a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning process, and energy consumption.
10. The network architecture of claim 8, wherein in being configured to perform a protocol conversion, the GFEP system is configured to perform a data link layer protocol conversion.
11. The network architecture of claim 10, wherein in being configured to perform the data link layer protocol conversion, the GFEP system is configured to convert the data from a first protocol used by the at least one SCADA device and selected from a group of first protocols consisting of Distributed Network Protocol (DNP), Modbus, Modbus X, and Multispeak to a second protocol used by the GGSN, the second protocol being a data link layer protocol of the Internet Protocol Suite.
12. The network architecture of claim 7, further comprising at least one automated monitoring infrastructure (AMI) device operating in an AMI domain that is in communication with the wireless service provider domain, wherein:
the GGSN is configured to receive the data from the GFEP system and provide the data to the at least one AMI device via a wireless communications network
13. The network architecture of claim 12, wherein the at least one AMI device is associated with at least one of electricity generation, electricity transmission, electricity distribution, a manufacturing process, a production process, a fabrication process, a refining process, water treatment, water distribution, wastewater collection, wastewater treatment, natural gas distribution, natural gas collection, oil distribution, oil collection, a defense system monitoring process, a security system monitoring process, a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning process, and energy consumption.
14. The network architecture of claim 12, wherein the at least one AMI device is a smart grid device.
15. The network architecture of claim 7, wherein the GFEP system is in communication with the GGSN.
16. The network architecture of claim 7, wherein the GFEP system is integrated within the GGSN.
17. A method for operating a general packet radio service (GPRS) gateway support node (GGSN) front end processor (GFEP) system to facilitate inter-domain communications between a supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) domain and a wireless service provider domain, the method comprising:
at the GFEP system:
performing a protocol conversion to facilitate transfer of data received from a SCADA device of the SCADA domain to a GGSN of the wireless service provider domain; and
providing the data to the GGSN for delivery via a wireless communications network of the wireless service provider domain to an automated metering infrastructure (AMI) device.
18. The method of claim 17, further comprising provisioning a GFEP connection of the GFEP system to the SCADA device with configuration parameters comprising at least one of a connection type, a protocol used, a source address, a destination address, and a transmission restriction.
19. The method of claim 18, wherein the GFEP connection is provisioned in part using a security profile associated with the SCADA device, the security profile comprising at least one of a connection type, a SCADA device characteristic, an allowed protocol, an allowed address, a data transmitted amount, and a data received amount.
20. The method of claim 17, wherein performing the protocol conversion comprises converting the data received according to a first protocol used by the SCADA device and selected from a group of first protocols consisting of Distributed Network Protocol (DNP), Modbus, Modbus X, and Multispeak to a second protocol used by the GGSN, the second protocol being a data link layer protocol of the Internet Protocol Suite.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A planar light source device comprising:
a light guide plate;
a linear light source disposed in a light incident side of the light guide plate;
a reflective sheet disposed in a rear side of the light guide plate; and
a heat spreader sheet disposed in a rear side of the reflective sheet,
wherein along a first edge of the heat spreader sheet adjacent the linear light source, a distance between a first portion of the first edge and the linear light source is different than a distance between a second portion of the first edge and the linear light source,
wherein the first portion and the second portion are further away from the linear light source that is a light incident side surface of the light guide plate, and
wherein, in a vicinity of an electrode portion of the linear light source, the first portion is further from the light incident side surface of the light guide plate than is the second portion, and
an another edge of the heat spreader sheet is substantially aligned with a corresponding side surface other than the incident side surface of the light guide plate.
2. The planar light source device according to claim 1, wherein the linear light source comprises at least one bent portion.
3. The planar light source device according to claim 1, wherein the first edge of the heat spreader sheet is at an inner side relative to the light incident side surface of the light guide plate in a range where the linear light source exists.
4. The planar light source device according to claim 3, wherein the linear light source comprises at least one bent portion.
5. The planar light source device according to claim 1,
wherein a positioning portion of the first edge of the heat spreader sheet is at an outer side relative to the light incident side surface of the light guide plate in a range between electrode portions of the linear light source.
6. The planar light source device according to claim 5, wherein the linear light source comprises at least one bent portion.
7. A liquid crystal display apparatus comprising:
the planar light source device as defined in claim 1; and
a liquid crystal display panel disposed in a viewing side of the planar light source device.
8. The liquid crystal display apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the linear light source comprises at least one bent portion.
9. The liquid crystal display apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the first edge of the heat spreader sheet is at an inner side relative to the light incident side surface of the light guide plate in a range where the linear light source exists.
10. The liquid crystal display apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the linear light source comprises at least one bent portion.
11. The liquid crystal display apparatus according to claim 7,
wherein a positioning portion of the first edge of the heat spreader sheet is at an outer side relative to the light incident side surface of the light guide plate in a range between electrode portions of the linear light source.
12. The liquid crystal display apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the linear light source comprises at least one bent portion.