Redundantly Operable Industrial Communication System, Method for Operation Thereof and Radio subscriber Station

A redundantly operable industrial communication system comprising:

• at least a first and a second communication device redundantly connected to an industrial communication network, each of the first and second communication device respectively including:
• at least a first and a second communication network connection, and
• a signal processing unit which is connected to the first and second communication network connections and which has a multiplexer unit for forwarding data frames to be transmitted to both communication network connections in a parallel manner and a redundancy handling unit for processing data frames received from both communication network connections, the redundancy handling unit comprising a filter unit which is configured to detect received redundant data frames;
• wherein the first communication device is respectively connected directly or indirectly to a radio subscriber station via its first and second communication network connections;
• wherein the second communication device is respectively connected directly or indirectly to a radio base station via its first and second communication network connections;
• wherein the radio subscriber stations are configured and to interchange messages relating to available radio base stations with one another,
• wherein the radio subscriber stations are further configured such that the messages are used to coordinate which of the radio subscriber stations has an exclusive authorization for a radio connection to a selected radio base station at least one of (i) currently and (ii) within a definable period;
• wherein the radio subscriber stations are configured and such that a temporary exclusive assignment of a radio base station to a radio subscriber station is respectively stated in the messages;
• and
• wherein the radio subscriber stations are configured such that the messages are used to avoid a plurality of radio subscriber stations assigned to the first communication device being simultaneously connected to the same radio base station during a roaming operation.

A method for redundantly operating an industrial communication system, at least a first and a second communication device being redundantly connected to an industrial communication network, the first and second communication devices respectively including at least a first and a second communication network connection and a signal processing unit which is connected to the first and second communication network connections and which forwards data frames to be transmitted to both communication network connections in a parallel manner and detects redundant data frames received from both communication network connections, the first communication device being respectively connected directly or indirectly to a radio subscriber station via its first and second communication network connections, and the second communication device being respectively connected directly or indirectly to a radio base station via its first and second communication network connections, the method comprising:

• interchanging message between the radio subscriber stations relating to available radio base stations;
• utilizing, by the radio subscriber stations, the messages to coordinate which of the radio subscriber stations has an exclusive authorization for a radio connection to a selected radio base station at least one of (i) currently and (ii) within a definable period;
• stating, by respective radio subscriber stations, a temporary exclusive assignment of a radio base station to a radio subscriber station in the messages;
• and
• utilizing, by the radio subscriber stations, the messages to avoid a plurality of radio subscriber stations assigned to the first communication device being simultaneously connected to the same radio base station during a roaming operation.

A radio subscriber station, comprising:

• a processor;
• and
• memory;
• wherein the radio subscriber station is configured to interchange messages relating to available radio base stations with a further radio subscriber station, the messages being utilized to coordinate which radio subscriber station has an exclusive authorization for a radio connection to a selected radio base station at least one of (i) currently and (ii) within a definable period;
• and
• wherein radio subscriber stations respectively state a temporary exclusive assignment of a radio base station to a radio subscriber station in the messages and utilize the messages to avoid a plurality of radio subscriber stations assigned to the first communication device being simultaneously connected to the same radio base station during a roaming operation.