Main station and substation in a network and a method for transmitting data in a network

• US 20060045119A1
• Filed: 08/19/2005
• Published: 03/02/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/24/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bosch Rexroth AG (Robert Bosch GmbH)
• Original Assignee: Bosch Rexroth AG (Robert Bosch GmbH)
• Inventors: Schultze, Stephan, Schmid, Thomas, Kynast, Rigobert, Leurs, Ludwig
• Granted Patent: US 7,680,119 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/452
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/42 Loop networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/40221 Profibus
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/6454 Random, e.g. Ethernet
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/6459 Multiplexing, e.g. TDMA, CDMA
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/6464 Priority

Abstract

A method for allocating a device address in a network to a substation connected by a point-to-point connection includes transmitting an initialization message from a main station to a substation, which message contains a part of the device address, determining a set communication address of the substation, generating a complete device address based on a received part of the device address and based on the communication address, and transmitting a response mesasge from a device to the main station, which response message contains an address selected from the group consisting of the communication address, the device address, and both.

Claims

1. A method for allocating a device address in a network to a substation connected by a point-to-point connection, the method comprising the steps of transmitting an initialization message from a main station to a substation, which message contains a part of the device address;

determining a set communication address of the substation;

generating a complete device address based on a received part of the device address and based on the communication address; and

transmitting a response mesasge from a device to the main station, which response message contains an address selected from the group consisting of the communication address, the device address, and both.

2. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein said transmissitting the initialization message includes transmitting such initialization message which also contains a part of an IP address;

and further comprising generating a complete IP address of the substation via a received part of the IP address and with the aid of the communication address; and

transmitting from the substation to the main station the response message which contains the address selected from the group consisting of the communication address, the complete IP address, and both.

3. A method as defined in claim 1;

and further comprising generating in the main station a complete IP address of the substation with the aid of a preset part of an IP address, and the transmitting communicated address; and

transmitting to the substation an acknowledgement message containing the complete IP address as a response to a reception of the response message.

4. A substation for a network, comprising a reception unit for receiving an initialization message from a main station;

a communication address preparation unit for producing a communication address of the substation;

a control unit for determining a part of a device address based on the initialization message, for generating a complete device address based on a received part of the device address and based on the communication address; and

a transmission unit for transmitting a response message containing an address selected from the group consisting of the device address, the communication address, and both.

5. A substation as defined in claim 4, wherein said control unit is formed so as to determine also a part of an IP address based on the initialization message and to generate a complete IP address with the aid of a received part of the IP address and with the aid of the communication address, said transmitting unit being configured so as to transmit the response message that contians the address selected from the group consisting of the communication address, the complete IP address and both.

6. A substation as defined in claim 5, wherein said reception unit is also configured so as to receive an acknowledgement message containing the complete IP address as a response to the transmitted response message.

7. A main station for a network, comprising a control unit for controlling a network communication and an IP communication channel in order to supply a part of a device address;

a transmission unit for transmitting an initialization message which contains the part of the device address; and

the reception unit for receiving a response message via an IP communication channel, which message contains an address selected from the group consisting of a communication address, a complete device address, and both.

8. A main station as defined in claim 7, wherein said control unit is configured so as to trigger the transmission unit to provide the initialization message with a part of an IP address, while said reception unit is configured so as to receive an acknowledgement message containing a complete IP address as a response to a reception of the response message.