# US 2017/0256158 A1 · Method for the reliable transport of alarm messages in a distributed computer system > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2017/0256158 A1 - Document ID: US20170256158A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 15/445,224 - Filed: 2017-02-28 - Published: 2017-09-07 - Earliest claimed: 2016-03-01 - Assignees: FTS Computertechnik GmbH - Applicants: Fts Computertechnik GmbH - Inventors: Hermann KOPETZ - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20170256158A1 ## CPC - G08B 29/185: {Signal analysis techniques for reducing or preventing false alarms or for enhancing the reliability of the system} - G06F 11/261: {by simulating additional hardware, e.g. fault simulation} - H04L 12/417: with deterministic access, e.g. token passing - H04L 41/0681: Configuration of triggering conditions - H04L 41/069: using logs of notifications; Post-processing of notifications - H04L 67/10: in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network (software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46) - 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 - G08B: SIGNALLING SYSTEMS, e.g. PERSONAL CALLING SYSTEMS; ORDER TELEGRAPHS; ALARM SYSTEMS - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) ## Abstract The invention relates to a method for the reliable transport of alarm messages in a distributed computer system, said computer system comprising components, in particular a plurality of components, the components being node computers, distributor units, sensors—preferably intelligent sensors—and actuators—preferably intelligent actuators—and all components having access to a global time of known precision, and the node computers, intelligent sensors and intelligent actuators exchanging messages via the distributor units. It is provided that the computer system includes intelligent alarm sensors or intelligent alarm sensors are assigned to the computer system, and an intelligent alarm sensor transmits two types of time-triggered messages, alarm messages having an alarm transport period prescribed a priori, and error detection messages having an error detection period prescribed a priori, and the time stamps for the occurrence of alarm events are included in an alarm monitoring interval, the alarm monitoring interval ending directly before the transmission of the alarm message and being at least twice as long as the alarm transport period, and an alarm message only being transmitted if at least one time stamp of an alarm event is included in the alarm message, and the current states of all alarms that are active immediately before the transmission of the error detection message are included in the periodic error detection messages. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for the reliable transport of alarm messages in a distributed computer system, said computer system comprising a plurality of components, the components being node computers, distributor units, intelligent sensors, and intelligent actuators, wherein all of the components have access to a global time of known precision, and the node computers, intelligent sensors and intelligent actuators are configured to exchange messages via the distributor units, the method comprising: assigning intelligent alarm sensors to the computer system or assigning the computer systems to intelligent alarm sensors; and transmitting from an intelligent alarm sensor two types of time-triggered messages, a first type being alarm messages having an alarm transport period prescribed a priori, and a second type being error detection messages having an error detection period prescribed a priori, wherein time stamps for the occurrence of alarm events are included in an alarm monitoring interval, the alarm monitoring interval ending directly before the transmission of the alarm message and being at least twice as long as the alarm transport period, and an alarm message only being transmitted if at least one time stamp of an alarm event is included in the alarm message, and wherein current states of all alarms that are active immediately before the transmission of the error detection message are included in the periodic error detection messages. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the position of the time stamp of an alarm event in an alarm message determines the significance of the alarm event. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the transmission instant of an alarm message determines the epochs for the time stamp of the alarm events that are contained in this alarm message, the time stamps of the alarm events being expressed in relation to these epochs. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the global time of the transmission instant of a sporadic alarm message is contained in this alarm message. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the instants of the transmission of a plurality of alarm messages that are to be transmitted to the same distributor unit are synchronized in such a manner that the alarm messages arrive at the distributor unit simultaneously, and the contents of the plurality of simultaneously arriving alarm messages are combined into a new alarm message and in some cases are transmitted further. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the authenticity and integrity of the data content of an alarm message is protected by an electronic signature, and this signature is transmitted in the subsequent alarm message. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein communication between the components is controlled by TT-Ethernet protocol. ### Claim 8 A distributed computer system comprising: a plurality of components which comprise node computers, distributor units, intelligent sensors, and intelligent actuators, wherein all of the components have access to a global time of known precision, and the node computers, intelligent sensors and intelligent actuators are configured to exchange messages via the distributor units, wherein the computer system includes intelligent alarm sensors or intelligent alarm sensors are assigned to the computer system, wherein for the reliable transport of alarm messages, an intelligent alarm sensor is configured to transmit two types of time-triggered messages, a first type being alarm messages having an alarm transport period prescribed a priori, and a second type being error detection messages having an error detection period prescribed a priori, wherein time stamps for the occurrence of alarm events are included in an alarm monitoring interval, the alarm monitoring interval being configured to end directly before the transmission of the alarm message and configured to be at least twice as long as the alarm transport period, and wherein an alarm message is only transmitted if at least one time stamp of an alarm event is included in the alarm message, and wherein current states of all alarms that are active immediately before the transmission of the error detection message are included in the periodic error detection messages. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The computer system of claim 8, wherein the position of the time stamp of an alarm event in an alarm message determines the significance of the alarm event. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The computer system of claim 8, wherein the transmission instant of an alarm message determines the epochs for the time stamp of the alarm events that are contained in this alarm message, the time stamps of the alarm events being expressed in relation to these epochs. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The computer system of claim 8, wherein the global time of the transmission instant of a sporadic alarm message is contained in this alarm message. ### Claim 12 (depends on 8) The computer system of claim 8, wherein the instants of the transmission of a plurality of alarm messages that are to be transmitted to the same distributor unit are synchronized in such a manner that the alarm messages arrive at the distributor unit simultaneously, and the contents of the plurality of simultaneously arriving alarm messages are combined into a new alarm message and in some cases are transmitted further. ### Claim 13 (depends on 8) The computer system of claim 8, wherein the authenticity and integrity of the data content of an alarm message are protected by an electronic signature, which is configured to be transmitted in the subsequent alarm message. ### Claim 14 (depends on 8) The computer system of claim 8, which is configured to provide communication between the components controlled by the TT-Ethernet protocol.