Resilient network configuration for time sensitive traffic

• US 10,805,222 B2
• Filed: 05/01/2017
• Issued: 10/13/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 05/01/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Frangieh, Tony, Berner, Andrew William, Bush, Stephen Francis, Staudinger, Vincent
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Thuong
• Application Number:
  US15/583,149
• Publication Number:
  US 20180316557A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,261 Days
• Field of Search: 709221, 709249, 370360, 455522
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0806 for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/28 in relation to timing considerations
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/62 Establishing a time schedule for servicing the requests
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/00 Reducing energy consumption in communication networks
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/00 Systems for electrical power generation, transmission, distribution or end-user application management characterised by the use of communication or information technologies, or communication or information technology specific aspects supporting them
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/18 Network protocols supporting networked applications, e.g. including control of end-device applications over a network

Abstract

According to some embodiments, system and methods are provided, comprising receiving, from a network configuration module, configuration data at a network driver of a communication network; configuring the network driver based on the received configuration data; receiving one or more data packets at the network driver from an application; determining that one or more segregation features are present in the data packet based on the received configuration data; transmitting the one or more data packets based on the one or more segregation features; and controlling one or more operations of an installed product based on the transmitted one or more data packets. Numerous other aspects are provided.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, from a network configuration module, configuration data at a network driver of a communication network;

configuring the network driver based on the configuration data;

receiving one or more data packets at the network driver from an application;

determining that one or more segregation features are present in the one or more data packets based on the configuration data, wherein the segregation features classify data based on different rules;

creating, at the network driver, a frame format for the one or more data packets based on the one or more segregation features;

packaging the one or more data packets into one or more data frames based on the frame format;

receiving, from the network configuration module, switch configuration data at a scheduler, wherein the switch configuration data is the scheduled opening and closing of one or more gates of a switch;

receiving the one or more data frames at the scheduler;

generating a schedule, via the scheduler, for the one or more data frames based on the switch configuration data and the one or more data frames; and

configuring the switch to forward the one or more data frames to a destination node, wherein each data frame is forwarded based on the schedule including the scheduled opening and closing of the one or more gates of the switch; and

controlling one or more operations of an installed product based on the forwarded one or more data frames, wherein the forwarded one or more data frames are received based on the scheduled opening and closing of the one or more gates of the switch to avoid at least one of malfunction of the installed product and false readings.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication network is an Ethernet network configured as a Time Sensitive Network (TSN).

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more segregation features is one of a packet content, a Quality of Service (QoS) parameter, a port number, and an IP destination node.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising port, wherein the port is one of a Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) port and a User Datagram Protocol (UDP) port.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the QoS parameter is critical versus non-critical.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

associating a tag with the frame format.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the switch configuration data is based on the schedule and one or more priority parameters for each channel.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

transmitting the one or more data frames from the network driver to the switch; and

transmitting the one or more data frames from the switch to the destination node.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the installed product is one of a vehicle, one or more medical devices, and a power-generating facility.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein controlling the one or more operations of the installed product comprises applying brakes for at least one of a locomotive and a rail vehicle system.

11. A system comprising:

an installed product, including a plurality of components;

a computer programmed with a network configuration module for the installed product, the network configuration module for configuring a communication network to control operations of the installed product;

the computer including a processor and a memory in communication with the processor, the memory storing the network configuration module and additional program instructions, wherein the processor is operative with the network configuration module and additional program instructions to perform functions as follows;

receive, from the network configuration module, configuration data at a network driver of the communication network;

configure the network driver based on the configuration data;

receive one or more data packets at the network driver from an application;

determine that one or more segregation features are present in the one or more data packets based on the configuration data, wherein the segregation features classify data based on different rules;

creating, at the network driver, a frame format for the one or more data packets based on the one or more segregation features;

packaging the one or more data packets into one or more data frames based on the frame format;

receiving, from the network configuration module, switch configuration data at a scheduler, wherein the switch configuration data is the scheduled opening and closing of one or more gates of a switch;

receiving the one or more data frames at the scheduler;

generating a schedule, via the scheduler, for the one or more data frames based on the switch configuration data and the one or more data frames; and

configuring the switch to forward the one or more data frames to a destination node, wherein each data frame is forwarded based on the schedule including the scheduled opening and closing of the one or more gates of the switch; and

control one or more operations of the installed product based on the forwarded one or more data frames, wherein the forwarded one or more data frames are received based on the scheduled opening and closing of the one or more gates of the switch to avoid at least one of malfunction of the installed product and false readings.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the communication network is an Ethernet network configured as a Time Sensitive Network (TSN).

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the one or more segregation features is one of a packet content, a Quality of Service (QoS) parameter, and an IP destination node.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the processor is operative with the network configuration module and the additional program instructions to perform functions further comprising:

associating a tag with the frame format.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the switch configuration data is based on the schedule and one or more priority parameters for each channel.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the installed product is one of a vehicle, one or more medical devices, and a power-generating facility.

17. A non-transitory, computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by a computer processor, cause the computer processor to perform a method comprising:

receiving, from a network configuration module, configuration data at a network driver of a communication network;

configuring the network driver based on the configuration data;

receiving one or more data packets at the network driver from an application;

determining that one or more segregation features are present in the one or more data packets based on the configuration data, wherein the segregation features classify data based on different rules;

creating, at the network driver, a frame format for the one or more data packets based on the one or more segregation features;

packaging the one or more data packets into one or more data frames based on the frame format;

receiving, from the network configuration module, switch configuration data at a scheduler, wherein the switch configuration data is the scheduled opening and closing of one or more gates of a switch;

receiving the one or more data frames at the scheduler;

generating a schedule, via the scheduler, for the one or more data frames based on the switch configuration data and the one or more data frames; and

configuring the switch to forward the one or more data frames to a destination node, wherein each data frame is forwarded based on the schedule, including the scheduled opening and closing of the one or more gates of the switch;

and

controlling one or more operations of an installed product based on the forwarded one or more data frames, wherein the forwarded one or more data frames are received based on the scheduled opening and closing of the one or more gates of the switch to avoid at least one of malfunction of the installed product and false readings.

18. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the communication network is an Ethernet network configured as a Time Sensitive Network (TSN).

19. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the one or more segregation features is one of a packet content, a Quality of Service (QoS) parameter, and an IP destination node.

20. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 17, further comprising:

associating a tag with the frame format.

21. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 20, wherein the switch configuration data is based on the schedule and one or more priority parameters for each channel.

22. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the installed product is one of a vehicle, one or more medical devices, and a power-generating facility.