Method for transmitting data between a central control apparatus and a plurality of decentralized devices, and corresponding means

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12379701-B2
Application number	US-201816641613-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 22, 2018
Priority date	Aug 25, 2017
Publication date	Aug 5, 2025
Grant date	Aug 5, 2025

Abstract

More efficient data transmission of safety-relevant data is achieved by a method for transmitting data between the central control apparatus and a plurality of decentralized devices, which includes generating, in the central control apparatus, a data telegram for the broadcast or multicast transmission of data to a plurality of devices, unidirectionally transmitting the data telegram from the central control apparatus to at least one decentralized device, monitoring the transmission duration of the transmission of the data telegram from the central control apparatus to the at least one decentralized device, and triggering a predetermined safety reaction if the transmission duration exceeds a predefined value. Further, a control and data transmission system designed to carry out the method, and means belonging to such a system.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for transmitting data between a central control apparatus and a plurality of decentralized devices, having the following steps:
generating, in the central control apparatus, a data telegram for the multicast transmission of data to a group of the of devices that are located in a defined spatial region, the data telegram comprising identification information that identifies the defined spatial region;
unidirectionally transmitting the data telegram from the central control apparatus to at least one of the decentralized devices of the group, wherein the at least one of the decentralized devices of the group is designed to recognize whether it is currently located in the spatial region identified by the identification information, and wherein the data telegram is transmitted wirelessly from the central control apparatus to the at least one of the decentralized devices of the group;
monitoring the transmission duration of the transmission of the data telegram from the central control apparatus to the at least one of the decentralized devices of the group, wherein the monitoring step is performed with synchronized timers or wherein the monitoring step is performed by the step of establishing a data connection configured for bidirectional communication between the central control apparatus and the at least one of the decentralized devices of the group, the data telegram being transmitted unidirectionally from the central control apparatus to the at least one of the decentralized devices of the group via this data connection; and
triggering a predetermined safety reaction if the transmission duration exceeds a predetermined value.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the step of monitoring is performed with the synchronized timers and wherein the central control apparatus and the at least one of the decentralized devices of the group each comprises one of the synchronized timers, and wherein the method further comprises the following steps:
synchronizing the timer in the central control apparatus with the respective timer in the at least one of the decentralized devices of the group;
generating a time stamp by the central control apparatus and transmission of the time stamp within the data telegram, the transmission duration being monitored as a function of the time stamp.

3. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the timers are synchronized before the at least one of the decentralized devices of the group is put into operation and/or at predetermined intervals of time.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the step of monitoring is performed by the step of establishing the data connection configured for bidirectional communication between the central control apparatus and the at least one of the decentralized devices of the group, and further comprising the step of:
monitoring of the transmission quality of the data connection by the central control apparatus and/or by the at least one of the decentralized devices of the group, the monitoring of the transmission duration of the transmission of the data telegram taking place as a function of the monitored transmission quality.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one of the decentralized devices of the group is designed as an automated guided vehicle.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the wireless transmission of the data telegram takes place via a wireless network.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the data telegram is used to transmit safety-relevant data.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein a safe communication protocol is used to transmit the data telegram.

9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one of the decentralized devices of the group is designed as an automated guided vehicle, and wherein the at least one of the decentralized devices of the group comprises a position determining apparatus and is adapted to determine whether a position currently determined by the position determining apparatus is located within the spatial region identified by the identification information.

10. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one of the decentralized devices of the group is designed as an automated guided vehicle, comprising a sensor suitable for determining whether the decentralized device is located within the spatial region identified by the identification information, wherein the sensor is adapted to detect signals transmitted by an apparatus arranged in an identifiable spatial region.

11. A control apparatus for controlling a plurality of decentralized devices, the control apparatus designed for generating a data telegram for the broadcast or multicast transmission of data to the plurality of decentralized devices, the control apparatus comprising:
a central controller;
a transmitter unit for unidirectionally transmitting the data telegram to at least one of the decentralized devices, wherein the data telegram is transmitted wirelessly from the control apparatus to the at least one of the decentralized devices; and
a first timer for monitoring the transmission duration of the unidirectional transmission of the data telegram from the control apparatus to the at least one of the decentralized devices,
wherein the control apparatus is further designed to establish a data connection configured for bidirectional communication with the at least one of the decentralized devices,
wherein the transmitter unit unidirectionally transmits the data telegram via the data connection, and
wherein the first timer comprises a diagnostic unit that is designed to:
monitor the transmission quality of the data connection configured for bidirectional communication, wherein a delay time is determined, with which the control apparatus receives a response to a data message from the at least one of the decentralized devices;
monitor the transmission duration of the unidirectional transmission of the data telegram as a function of the monitored transmission quality, wherein the central controller uses the determined delay time to deduce how long it took or how long it took at most to transmit the data message from the control apparatus to the at least one of the decentralized devices; and
trigger a predetermined safety reaction if the transmission duration exceeds a predetermined value.

12. The control apparatus according to claim 11 , further comprising a second timer serving as a reference timer for synchronizing the first timer with a timer arranged in the at least one of the decentralized devices, and wherein the control apparatus is further designed to generate a time stamp and transmit it within the data telegram.

13. The control apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein the timer for monitoring the transmission duration of the unidirectional transmission of the data telegram from the control apparatus to the at least one of the decentralized devices, further comprises a receiver unit and/or a diagnostic unit.

14. A device designed as an automated guided vehicle that can be controlled by a central control apparatus, the device comprising:
a diagnostic unit for monitoring the transmission duration of the unidirectional transmission of the data telegram from the central control apparatus to the device, wherein the monitoring is performed with synchronized timers or wherein the monitoring is performed by establishing a data connection configured for bidirectional communication between the central control apparatus and the at least one of the decentralized devices of the group, the data telegram being transmitted unidirectionally from the central control apparatus to

Assignees

• Phoenix Contact Gmbh & Co

Inventors

• Oster Viktor
• Rahlves Lutz

Classifications

• G05B2219/50393

  Floor conveyor, AGV automatic guided vehicle · CPC title

• H04L43/16

  Threshold monitoring · CPC title

• H04L12/403

  with centralised control, e.g. polling · CPC title

• H04L43/106

  using time related information in packets, e.g. by adding timestamps · CPC title

• H04L43/0858

  One way delays · CPC title