# US 10,122,835 B2 · Method and radio communication system for an industrial automation system, radio subscriber station and serialization unit

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- Number: US 10,122,835 B2
- Document ID: US10122835B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/849,164
- Filed: 2017-12-20
- Published: 2018-07-05
- Granted: 2018-11-06
- Earliest claimed: 2016-12-29
- Assignees: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
- Applicants: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
- Inventors: Joerg Mueller
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10122835B2

## CPC

- H04L 69/324: in the data link layer [OSI layer 2], e.g. HDLC
- G05B 19/41855: {by local area network [LAN], network structure}
- H04L 1/00: Arrangements for detecting or preventing errors in the information received {(correcting synchronisation H04L7/00)}
- H04L 1/22: using redundant apparatus to increase reliability
- H04L 49/70: {Virtual switches}
- H04L 12/4641: {Virtual LANs, VLANs, e.g. virtual private networks [VPN] (LAN interconnection over a bridge based backbone H04L12/462; encapsulation techniques H04L12/4633; routing of packets H04L45/00; packet switches H04L49/00; virtual private networks for security H04L63/0272)}
- H04L 2101/622: Layer-2 addresses, e.g. medium access control [MAC] addresses
- H04W 88/08: Access point devices
- Y02P 90/02: Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]
- H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M)
- G05B: CONTROL OR REGULATING SYSTEMS IN GENERAL; FUNCTIONAL ELEMENTS OF SUCH SYSTEMS; MONITORING OR TESTING ARRANGEMENTS FOR SUCH SYSTEMS OR ELEMENTS (systems for controlling or regulating non-electric variables G05D; systems for regulating electric or magnetic variables G05F; control devices or systems insofar as characterised by mechanical features only G05G)
- H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72)
- Y02P: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS

## Abstract

A radio communication system in which first and second communication devices are linked redundantly to an industrial communication network, wherein the first communication device is connected to a serialization unit connected to a network infrastructure device, first and second radio base stations are connected to the network infrastructure device, the second communication device is indirectly or directly connected to a first and a second radio subscriber station, the first radio subscriber station is connected to the first radio base station whilst the second radio subscriber station is connected to the second radio base station, where the serialization unit replaces destination addresses in data frames conveyed by the first communication device with addresses of the first or second radio subscriber stations, where the radio subscriber stations replace destination addresses corresponding to their address in data frames conveyed via the radio base stations with original destination addresses replaced in the serialization unit.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A radio communication system for an industrial automation system, comprising:
at least one first and one second communication device operatively linked redundantly to an industrial communication network, each of the at least one first and one second communication device comprising:
at least one first and one second communication network terminal, and
a signal processing unit connected to the at least one first and second communication network terminals, said signal processing unit having a multiplexer unit for parallel forwarding of data frames to be sent to the at least one first and second communication network terminals and having a redundancy treatment unit for processing data frames received by the at least one first and second communication network terminals, the redundancy treatment unit being configured to detect received redundant data frames;
at least one network infrastructure device comprising:
a plurality of communication network terminals, and
a coupling element interconnecting the at least one first and second communication network terminals;
wherein the at least one first communication device is connected via its at least one first and second communication network terminals to a serialization unit which is connected to the least one network infrastructure device via exactly one line connection;
wherein a first and a second radio base station are connected to the at least one network infrastructure device;
wherein the at least one second communication device is connected via its at least one first and second communication network terminals one of (i) indirectly and (ii) directly to a first and a second radio subscriber station;
wherein the first radio subscriber station is connected to the first radio base station via a first radio link and the second radio subscriber station is connected to the second radio base station via a second radio link;
wherein the serialization unit is configured to replace destination addresses in each data frame conveyed via the at least one first communication network terminal of the at least one first communication device with an address of the first radio subscriber station and configured to replace destination addresses in each data frame conveyed via the at least one second communication network terminal of the at least one first communication device with an address of the second radio subscriber station;
wherein the first radio subscriber station is configured to replace destination addresses corresponding to its address in each data frame conveyed via the first radio link with original destination addresses replaced in the serialization unit; and
wherein the second radio subscriber station is configured to replace destination addresses corresponding to its address in each data frame conveyed via the second radio link with the original destination addresses replaced in the serialization unit.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The communication system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the serialization unit is further configured to insert the replaced original destination addresses in data frames conveyed via the at least one first and second communication network terminals of the at least one first communication device as additional information into a predetermined area of a respective data frame.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The communication system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the first and the second radio subscriber stations are configured to replace destination addresses corresponding to their address in each data frame conveyed via the at least one first and second radio link in accordance with the additional information in the predetermined area of the respective data frame with the original destination address.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The communication system as claimed in claim 1, wherein mutually redundant data frames are identified by a uniform sequence number; and wherein signal processing units of the at least one first and second communication devices are configured to sequence numbers to be issued to data frames to be conveyed redundantly.

### Claim 5 (depends on 2)

The communication system as claimed in claim 2, wherein mutually redundant data frames are identified by a uniform sequence number; and wherein signal processing units of the at least one first and second communication devices are configured to sequence numbers to be issued to data frames to be conveyed redundantly.

### Claim 6 (depends on 3)

The communication system as claimed in claim 3, wherein mutually redundant data frames are identified by a uniform sequence number; and wherein signal processing units of the at least one first and second communication devices are configured to sequence numbers to be issued to data frames to be conveyed redundantly.

### Claim 7 (depends on 4)

The communication system as claimed in claim 4, wherein a transmission of data frames to be conveyed redundantly occurs in accordance with the Parallel Redundancy Protocol (PRP).

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The communication system as claimed in claim 7, wherein the serialization unit is configured to insert replaced original destination addresses in data frames conveyed via the first and second communication network terminal of the first communication device as additional information into a PRP trailer of the respective data frame.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The communication system as claimed in claim 8, wherein the first and the second radio subscriber stations are configured to replace destination addresses corresponding to their address in each data frame conveyed via the first and second radio link in accordance with the additional information in the PRP trailer of the respective data frame with the original destination address.

### Claim 10 (depends on 7)

The communication system as claimed in claim 7, wherein the at least one first and second communication devices comprise a PRP Redbox, and wherein in each case a communication device is connected to the industrial communication network.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The communication system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first and second radio subscriber stations and the first and second radio base stations are allocated to one of (i) at least one Wireless Local Area Network, (ii) a Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX), (iii) a Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) and (iv) a Long-Term Evolution (LTE) mobile radio network and another mobile radio network.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The communication system as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one of (i) the at least one first communication device, (ii) the at least one second communication device, (iii) the network infrastructure device and (iv) the serialization unit are at least one of (i) software-implemented and (ii) virtualized functional units of a computer-based device.

### Claim 13

A method for operating a radio communication system for an industrial automation system, comprising:
linking at least one first and second communication devices redundantly to an industrial communication network, the at least one first and second communication devices each comprising:
at least one first and one second communication network terminal, and
a signal processing unit connected to the at least one first and second communication network terminal, said signal processing unit forwarding data frames to be sent in parallel to the at least one first and second communication network terminals and detecting redundant data frames received by the at least one first and second communication network terminals;
providing at least one network infrastructure device with a plurality of communication network terminals and a coupling element interconnecting the communication network terminals;
connecting the first communication device via its at least one first and second communication network terminals to a serialization unit which is connected to the network infrastructure device via exactly one line connection;
connecting a first and a second radio base station to the network infrastructure device;
connecting the at least one second communication device via its at least one first and second communication network terminals one of (i) indirectly and (ii) directly to a first and a second radio subscriber station;
connecting the first radio subscriber station to the first radio base station via a first radio link and connecting the second radio subscriber station to the second radio base station via a second radio link;
replacing, by the serialization unit, destination addresses in each data frame conveyed via the at least one first communication network terminal of the first communication device with an address of the first radio subscriber station and replacing, by the serialization unit, destination addresses in data frames conveyed via the at least one second communication network terminal of the at least one first communication device with an address of the second radio subscriber station;
replacing, by the first radio subscriber station, destination addresses corresponding to its address in each data frame conveyed via the first radio link with original destination addresses replaced in the serialization unit; and
replacing, by the second radio subscriber station, destination addresses corresponding to its address in each data frame conveyed via the second radio link with the original destination addresses replaced in the serialization unit.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The method as claimed in claim 13, wherein the serialization unit inserts replaced original destination addresses in data frames conveyed via the first and second communication network terminal of the first communication device as additional information into a predetermined area of a respective data frame.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein the first and second radio subscriber stations replace destination addresses corresponding to their address in each data frame conveyed via the first and second radio link in accordance with the additional information in the predetermined area of the respective data frame with the original destination address.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The method as claimed in claim 15, wherein mutually redundant data frames are identified by a uniform sequence number; and wherein the signal processing units of the at least one first and second communication devices issue sequence numbers to data frames to be conveyed redundantly.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The method as claimed in claim 16, wherein the data frames to be conveyed redundantly are transmitted in accordance with the Parallel Redundancy Protocol (PRP).

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The method as claimed in claim 17, wherein the serialization unit inserts replaced original destination addresses in data frames conveyed via the at least one first and second communication network terminals of the first communication device as additional information into a PRP trailer of the respective data frame.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

The method as claimed in claim 18, wherein the first and the second radio subscriber stations replace destination addresses corresponding to their address in each data frame conveyed via the first and second radio link in accordance with the additional information in the PRP trailer of the respective data frame with the original destination address.