Traffic management system including packet to object synchronization mechanisms

A packet control unit in a packet switched control network (PSCN), the PSCN comprising a number of packet control units for controlling packet traffic being routed between the number of packet control units via packet routing links, the PSCN being mapped to a network with a physical layer having object traffic such that the packet routing links and the packet control units correspond to path sections and path points, respectively, in the physical layer and each path point is associated with a traffic information unit for detecting arrival of an object at the path point and outputting object arrival information, the packet control unit comprising:

• a transmission device for sending a packet, corresponding to the object on the physical network, to a target packet control unit in the packet switched control network, the target packet control unit corresponding to a specific path point on the physical network;
• a reception device for receiving packets from other packet control units in the packet switched control network and for receiving object arrival information indicating the arrival of at least one object at a path point corresponding to the packet control unit;
• and
• a synchronization device for sending the packet, corresponding to the object on the physical network, to the packet control unit whose corresponding path point has detected the arrival of the object corresponding to the packet.

A packet control unit in a packet switched control network (PSCN), the PSCN comprising a number of packet control units for controlling packet traffic being routed between the number of packet control units via packet routing links, the PSCN being mapped to a network with a physical layer having object traffic such that the packet routing links and the packet control units correspond to path sections and path points, respectively, in the physical layer and each path point is associated with a traffic information unit for detecting arrival of an object at the path point and outputting object arrival information, the packet control unit comprising:

• a transmission device for sending a packet, corresponding to the object on the physical network, to a target packet control unit in the packet switched control network according to a predetermined routing method for controlling the packet traffic, the target packet control unit corresponding to a specific path point on the physical network;
• a reception device for receiving packets from other packet control units in the packet switched control network and for receiving object arrival information indicating the arrival of at least one object at a path point corresponding to the packet control unit and
• a synchronization device for deleting the packet, corresponding to the object on the physical network, if the object arrival information indicating the arrival of the object corresponding to the object on the physical network is not received within a predetermined time interval by the reception device.

A traffic management system for managing object traffic in a network, the traffic management system comprising:

• a physical layer, comprising:
• objects moving along
• path sections that are connected to each other by path points located at the end of each path section;
• traffic information units associated with each path point, the traffic information unit adapted for detecting arrival of objects at the respective path point and for sending object arrival information associated with the corresponding path point;
• and
• a packet switched control network, comprising:
• packet routing links, corresponding to the path sections on the physical layer, for routing packets corresponding to objects on the physical layer;
• packet control units, corresponding to the path points on the physical layer, connecting the packet routing links for controlling packet traffic so that each packet corresponds to an object moving on a corresponding path section in the physical layer, the packet control units adapted for sending, as a source packet control unit, packets to a target packet control unit via the packet routing links according to a predetermined packet routing method for controlling the packet traffic in the packet switched control network,
• whereupon a traffic information unit, detecting the arrival of an object at the traffic information unit associated path point, outputs a corresponding object arrival information and a packet control unit corresponding to the associated path point does not detect the arrival of a packet corresponding to the object, a synchronization packet control unit is adapted for sending a packet corresponding to the object to the packet control unit corresponding to the associated path point to synchronize the packet routing and the object movement.

A method for managing traffic comprising objects in motion in a network having a physical layer, the method comprising:

• mapping a packet switched control network (PSCN) to topology of the physical layer, wherein packet routing links (PRL) in the PSCN are mapped to path sections in the physical layer;
• associating a source packet control unit (PCU) in the PSCN with a corresponding path point in the physical layer;
• utilizing a traffic information unit (TIU), associated with the path point, for detecting and providing traffic arrival information at the path point;
• associating a specific packet in the PSCN with a specific traffic object in the physical layer;
• routing the specific packet along the packet routing links corresponding to the detected movement of the specific traffic object in the physical network;
• determining whether the arrival of the specific traffic object at one of the path points is detected;
• generating an object arrival information if the arrival of the specific traffic object at the one of the path points is detected and sending the specific packet associated with the specific object to a packet control unit corresponding to the one of the path points;
• and
• directing a synchronization device in one of the packet control units in the PSCN to delete the specific packet if the object arrival information of the specific traffic object at the one of the path points is not received in a predetermined time interval by a reception device in the source packet control unit.