Fault-tolerant mastership arbitration in a multi-master system
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method for controlling devices, comprising:
- transmitting from a first device to a second device a first signal having a first frequency indicating a first device configuration, a second frequency indicating a second device configuration, or a third frequency indicating a third device configuration, wherein the first, second, and third frequencies are different from one another;
receiving at the first device from the second device a second signal having the first frequency indicating the first device configuration, the second frequency indicating the second device configuration, or the third frequency indicating the third device configuration, wherein;
the first device configuration is a configuration in which the device is controlling one or more other devices, the second device configuration is a configuration in which the device is not controlling the one or more other devices and is ready to control the one or more other devices, and the third device configuration is a configuration in which the device is not ready to control the one or more other devices;
taking control of the one or more other devices, by the first device, when the configuration indicated by the second signal changes from the first device configuration to either the second device configuration or the third device configuration; and
changing the first signal to indicate the first configuration.
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Abstract
A system and method are provided for controlling mastership among multiple devices in a fault tolerant manner. The devices may be configured to transmit and receive redundant heartbeat signals to indicate the mastership state of the device. The signals may operate in a plurality of configurations including active-master, ready and not-ready. By detecting the signal configuration sent from the other devices, each device is capable of managing its own transitions into and out of mastership in order to ensure that there is one and only one device functioning as master.
57 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method for controlling devices, comprising:
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transmitting from a first device to a second device a first signal having a first frequency indicating a first device configuration, a second frequency indicating a second device configuration, or a third frequency indicating a third device configuration, wherein the first, second, and third frequencies are different from one another; receiving at the first device from the second device a second signal having the first frequency indicating the first device configuration, the second frequency indicating the second device configuration, or the third frequency indicating the third device configuration, wherein; the first device configuration is a configuration in which the device is controlling one or more other devices, the second device configuration is a configuration in which the device is not controlling the one or more other devices and is ready to control the one or more other devices, and the third device configuration is a configuration in which the device is not ready to control the one or more other devices; taking control of the one or more other devices, by the first device, when the configuration indicated by the second signal changes from the first device configuration to either the second device configuration or the third device configuration; and changing the first signal to indicate the first configuration. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A system for controlling devices, comprising:
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an output component of a first device configured to output to an input component of a second device;
a first output signal indicating that the first device is controlling one or more other devices, a second output signal indicating that the first device is not controlling the one or more other devices and is ready to control the one or more other devices, and a third output signal indicating that the first device is not ready to control the one or more devices;an input component of the first device configured to receive from an output component of the second device;
a first input signal indicating that the second device is controlling the one or more other devices, a second input signal indicating that the second device is not controlling the one or more other devices and is ready to control the one or more other devices, and a third input signal indicating that the second device is not ready to control the one or more other devices; andcircuitry configured to control the one or more other devices based at least in part on the detection of a change in a signal received at the input component of the first device, the change being from the first input signal to the second or third input signal, wherein the first input signal and first output signal have a first frequency, the second input signal and the second output signal have a second frequency, the third input signal and third output signal have a third frequency, and the first, second, and third frequencies are different from one another. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A system of controlling mastership comprising:
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a first management device comprising a first input component and a first output component, the first output component configured to output to a second input component three mastership signals and the first input component configured to receive from a second output component the three mastership signals, wherein the three mastership signals indicate an active configuration, a ready configuration, and a not ready configuration, respectively, and the each of the three mastership signals has a different pulse frequency than the other two mastership signals; a second management device comprising the second input component and the second output component, the second output component configured to output to the first input component the three mastership signals and the second input component configured to receive from the first output component the three mastership signals; a first communication link between the first output component and the second input component; and a second communication link between the first input component and the second output component. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification