Network arrangement and method prioritization of real-time telegrams in a convergent network

• US 10,313,268 B2
• Filed: 11/02/2015
• Issued: 06/04/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Siemens AG
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Gotz, Franz-Josef, Klotz, Dieter
• Primary Examiner(s): Musa, Abdelnabi O
• Application Number:
  US14/930,379
• Publication Number:
  US 20160127268A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,310 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/42 Centralised routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/15 Interconnection of switching modules
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/566 of the information or information source or recipient

Abstract

A method for the prioritization of real-time telegrams in a convergent network, in particular in an industrial network and/or a “time-sensitive network” (TSN), wherein the convergent network has a central distribution infrastructure and a decentralized distribution infrastructure, and within the convergent network a service sends and/or receives real-time telegrams, and wherein the convergent network has a switching node forming a central network node for connection of central distribution infrastructure and decentralized distribution infrastructure, and which has a coupling port via which the switching node is connected to the decentralized distribution infrastructure, wherein the switching node has central network ports via which the switching node is integrated into the central distribution infrastructure, where real-time telegrams received at central network ports of the switching nodes are assigned a higher priority level than the real-time telegrams received at the coupling ports so as to provide efficient prioritization of real-time telegrams.

Claims

1. A method for the prioritization of real-time telegrams in a convergent network having at least one central distribution infrastructure and at least one decentralized distribution infrastructure, at least one service in the convergent network at least one of sending and receiving real-time telegrams, the method comprising:

receiving the real-time telegrams at a central network port of the switching nodes within the at least one central distribution infrastructure, the convergent network including at least one switching node forming a central network node which interconnects the at least one central distribution infrastructure and the at least one decentralized distribution infrastructure and including at least one coupling port of the at least one switching node via which the at least one switching node is connected to the at least one decentralized distribution infrastructure, and the at least one switching node including central network ports via which the at least one switching node is integrated into the at least one central distribution infrastructure; and

assigning a higher priority level than real-time telegrams received at the coupling ports of the at least one switching node within the at least one central distribution infrastructure such that the real-time telegrams in the convergent network having the at least one central distribution infrastructure and at least one decentralized distribution infrastructure are efficiently prioritized.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the real-time telegrams received at the coupling ports are assigned a lower priority level than the real-time telegrams received at the central network port of the switching nodes within the at least one central distribution infrastructure.

3. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein each real-time telegram at additional central network ports is assigned a higher priority level.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein each real-time telegram at additional central network ports is assigned a higher priority level.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein priority levels of the real-time telegrams are dynamically assigned.

6. The method as claimed in claim 5, wherein the assignment of the priority levels of the real-time telegrams is load-dependent.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein prioritization of the real-time telegrams is performed by a respective receiving network port.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the convergent network is an industrial network.

9. A network arrangement performing the method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the network arrangement includes at least one central distribution infrastructure having at least one switching node;

and at least one decentralized distribution infrastructure.

10. The network arrangement as claimed in claim 9, wherein the central distribution infrastructure essentially has a ring structure.

11. The network arrangement as claimed in claim 10, wherein the central distribution infrastructure essentially has a comb-like structure.

12. The network arrangement as claimed in claim 10, wherein the network arrangement one of (i) forms part of an industrial automation system and (ii) is connectable to the industrial automation system.

13. The network arrangement as claimed in claim 9, wherein the central distribution infrastructure essentially has a comb-like structure.

14. The network arrangement as claimed in claim 13, wherein the network arrangement one of (i) forms part of an industrial automation system and (ii) is connectable to the industrial automation system.

15. A network device for performing the method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the network device comprises one of a switch, hub, router, network adapter and network distributor.