Communication method in a communication segment of a network

• US 9,992,295 B2
• Filed: 06/17/2015
• Issued: 06/05/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/17/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sercel (Cggveritas)
• Original Assignee: Sercel (Cggveritas)
• Inventors: Baron, Julien, Laine, Jerome, Gregoire, Christian, Sagot, Pierre, Houdusse, Jean-Pierre
• Primary Examiner(s): Cox, Natisha D
• Application Number:
  US14/741,919
• Publication Number:
  US 20150365490A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,084 Days
• Field of Search: None
• 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 67/563 Data redirection of data network streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/02 Protocol performance
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/03 Protocol definition or specification protocol conformance testing H04L1/244

Abstract

A communication method is provided in a communication network, including a plurality of devices forming an ordered communication segment. At least one intermediate device of this segment is connected to at most two other devices called a previous device and a next device. The intermediate device receives data from the previous device and emits at least these data to the next device to propagate the data on the segment. A concentrator initializes transmission of a first frame of data through the segment to a terminal device ending the segment, which sends back a symbol initiating transmission of a second frame of data to the first concentrator through the segment. The method includes receiving a first symbol from the previous device, which triggers emitting a WAIT symbol to the previous device and emitting at least first symbol to the next device.

Claims

1. A communication method in a communication network comprising an ordered communication segment of devices, said segment comprising a first and a second terminal devices ending the segment and at least one intermediary device, wherein said intermediary device is connected to at most two other devices of the segment, called a previous device and a next device, receives data from the previous device and emits at least these data to the next device, allowing propagation of the data on the segment, the first terminal device being a concentrator initializing transmission of a first frame of data through the segment to the second terminal device, said second terminal device sending back a second frame of data downstream to the concentrator through the segment;

wherein the communication method comprises the following acts carried out by at least an intermediary device;

reception of a first symbol EOSF from the previous device of said intermediary device, periodic emission of WAIT symbols to the previous device of said intermediary device, said periodic emission being triggered by reception of a first symbol, and emission of at least the first symbol EOSF to the next device of said intermediary device, and

wherein the periodic emission of WAIT symbols is interrupted by reception of determined data other than WAIT symbols from the next device.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein emission of WAIT symbols is periodically spaced out of a duration less than a first determined period.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein an absence of reception of a WAIT symbol from the next device during a second determined period triggers a definition of said intermediary device as being the second terminal device of the segment.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the second determined period is at least larger than or equal to twice the first determined period.

5. The method according to claim 1 wherein the second terminal device is a second concentrator.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising changing the data received from the previous device by modifying a determined field when the data goes across the intermediary device of the segment, the value of this determined field being representative to the range of said intermediary device in the segment.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the value of the determined field is modified whichever the direction of the data transmission.

8. The method according to claim 1 wherein each device comprises at least two communication ports for transmitting the data to the following devices by different cables, the data being transmitted by the at least two communication ports.

9. The method according to claim 1 wherein each device comprises at least two communication ports for transmitting the data to the following devices by different cables, the data being transmitted by the at least two communications ports, and wherein an absence of reception of a WAIT symbol from the next device during a second determined period triggers the definition of said intermediary device as being the second terminal device of the segment, and further comprising the emission by said intermediary device to the next device by using only one communication port as long as said intermediary device receives WAIT symbols from this next device during the last cycle, and the emission by said intermediary device to the next device by using the at least two communication ports when said intermediary device did not receive WAIT symbols from this next device.

10. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a computer program comprising program code instructions which, when executed on a computer or a processor, implement a method for managing communication in a communication network comprising an ordered communication segment of devices, said segment comprising a first and a second terminal devices ending the segment and at least one intermediary device, wherein said intermediary devices is connected to at most two other devices of the segment, called previous device and next device, receives data from the previous device and emits at least these data to the next device, allowing the propagation of the data on the segment, the first terminal device being a concentrator initializing the transmission of a first frame of data through the segment to the second terminal device, said second terminal device sending back a second frame of data downstream to the concentrator through the segment;

wherein the instructions configure the intermediary device to carry out the following acts of the method;

reception of a first symbol EOSF from the previous device of said intermediary device, periodic emission of WAIT symbols to the previous device of said intermediary device, said periodic emission being triggered by reception of a first symbol, and emission of at least the first symbol EOSF to the next device of said intermediary device,

wherein the periodic emission of WAIT symbols is interrupted by reception of determined data other than WAIT symbols from the next device.

11. A communication device implemented in a communication network comprising a plurality of devices forming a ordered communication segment, at least one device of the segment being connected to at most two other devices called previous device and next device, the communication device comprising:

a first communication port for exchanging data with a previous device and a second communication port for exchanging at least these data with a next device allowing propagation of the data on the segment, wherein said first communication port is adapted to receive a first symbol EOSF from the previous device and to periodically emit WAIT symbols to said previous device, said second communication port is adapted to emit at least said first symbol EOSF to the next device, the reception of said first symbol activating the periodic emission of WAIT symbols and the emission of said at least first symbol EOSF,

wherein the periodic emission of WAIT symbols is interrupted by reception of determined data other than WAIT symbols from the next device.