Method, electronic component and system for the diagnosis of communication connections

• US 20110170434A1
• Filed: 12/23/2010
• Published: 07/14/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/14/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Phoenix Contact GmbH & Company KG
• Original Assignee: Phoenix Contact GmbH & Company KG
• Inventors: Behr, Thorsten, Wegener, Friedrich, Pape, Andreas
• Granted Patent: US 8,660,012 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/252
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/41855 by local area network [LAN], network structure
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/0235 based on a comparison with predetermined threshold or range, e.g. "classical methods", carried out during normal operation; threshold adaptation or choice; when or how to compare with the threshold
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/027 Alarm generation, e.g. communication protocol; Forms of alarm
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/142 using statistical or mathematical methods
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0847 Transmission error
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/16 Threshold monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]

Abstract

The invention relates to a method and system for diagnosing communication connections in a communication system. The invention enables the provision of a plurality of first diagnosis units and at least one second diagnosis unit, wherein the first and second diagnosis units each are assigned to a communication connection of the communication system and are configured for determining a value of a diagnosis variable of the respectively assigned communication connections, and provides for determining a value of at least one diagnosis variable by each of the first diagnosis units, determining a value of at least one diagnosis variable by the at least one second diagnosis unit, transferring the values determined by the first diagnosis units to an evaluation unit, statistically evaluating the transferred values by the evaluation unit, and diagnosing the values determined by the at least one second diagnosis unit depending on the statistical evaluation by the evaluation unit.

Claims

1. A method for the diagnosis of communication connections in a communication system, comprising the steps:

a) providing a plurality of first diagnosis units and at least one second diagnosis unit, wherein the first and second diagnosis units are each assigned to at least one communication connection of the communication system and are configured to determine a value of at least one diagnosis variable of the respectively assigned communication connections;

b) determining a value of the at least one diagnosis variable by each of the first diagnosis units;

c) determining a value of the at least one diagnosis variable by the at least one second diagnosis unit;

d) transferring the values determined by each of the first diagnosis units to an evaluation unit;

e) statistically evaluating the transferred values by the evaluation unit; and

f) diagnosing the values determined by the at least one second diagnosis unit depending on the statistical evaluation by the evaluation unit.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the steps b) to f) are repeated in predetermined time intervals and/or in case of a change of the configuration of the communication system.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein statistically evaluating by the evaluation unit comprises determining an upper and/or lower limit value for the at least one diagnosis variable, and wherein the diagnosis comprises comparing the values determined by the at least one second diagnosis unit with the upper and/or lower limit value.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein as upper limit value for the at least one diagnosis variable, a value is determined below which value a predetermined proportion of the values of the respective diagnosis variable determined by the first diagnosis units lies, or wherein as lower limit value for the at least one diagnosis variable, a value is determined above which value a predetermined proportion of the values of the respective diagnosis variable determined by the first diagnosis units lies.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the predetermined proportion lies below 100%.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein statistically evaluating by the evaluation unit comprises determining an average value of at least one diagnosis variable.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one diagnosis variable comprises at least one variable or a temporal change of a variable, wherein the variable is selected from a group comprising the variables

(i) transmitting power,

(ii) receiving power,

(iii) path length of the respective communication connection,

iv) bit error rate,

(v) checksum error rate

(vi) attenuation, and

(vii) transmission bandwidth.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein for at least one duplex communication connection having a first and a second data direction, a first value for the first data direction and a second value for the second data direction of the at least one diagnosis variable is determined, and wherein the diagnosis comprises comparing the first and second value to each other and/or to an upper and/or lower limit value and/or average value determined by the statistical evaluation.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the second diagnosis unit or a central device of the communication system or a superimposed communication system comprises the evaluation unit.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein for detecting a predetermined error type for the at least one diagnosis variable, a limit value for the deviation from an average value of the respective diagnosis variable determined by the statistical evaluation is defined.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the communication connections are configured as wireless or optical connections.

12. An electronic component, configured for carrying out a method according to claim 1, comprising:

a receiver unit for receiving values of at least one diagnosis variable of a plurality of communication connections of a communication system;

a storage for storing the received values, and

an evaluation unit for statistically evaluating all received values and for diagnosing the received values of at least one selected communication connection depending on the statistical evaluation.

13. A communication system, configured for carrying out a method according to claim 1, comprising:

a plurality of communication connections;

a plurality of diagnosis units that are each assigned to at least one of the communication connections and are configured to determine a value of at least one diagnosis variable of the respectively assigned communication connections; and

at least one evaluation unit, wherein the diagnosis units are configured to transfer determined values of the at least one diagnosis variable to the at least one evaluation unit, wherein the evaluation unit is configured to statistically evaluate all received values and for diagnosing the received values of at least one selected communication connection depending on the statistical evaluation.

14. The method according to claim 4, wherein the predetermined proportion lies below 95%.

15. The method according to claim 4, wherein the predetermined proportion lies below 90%.

16. The method according to claim 4, wherein the predetermined proportion lies below 85%.

17. The method according to claim 4, wherein the predetermined proportion lies below 80%.