Industrial automation with 5G and beyond

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12464041-B2
Application number	US-201916274800-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 13, 2019
Priority date	Feb 13, 2019
Publication date	Nov 4, 2025
Grant date	Nov 4, 2025

Abstract

Techniques for enhancing performance in Industrial Internet-of-Things (IIoT) scenarios, including techniques for time-sensitive networking (TSN) and 5G wireless network integration. An example method, performed by a wireless device, comprises receiving system information (SI) from a radio base station (RBS) of a radio access network (RAN), the SI being indicative of support for TSN through the RBS, and establishing at least one TSN stream with an external data network, through the RBS. The example method further includes receiving a first timing signal from the wireless communications network, via the RBS, receiving a second timing signal from the external TSN data network to which the wireless device is connected, comparing the first timing signal to the second timing signal to determine an offset, and transmitting the offset to the wireless communications network.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method performed by a wireless device associated with a wireless communications network, the method comprising:
receiving a first timing signal originating within the wireless communications network; receiving a second timing signal from a time-sensitive networking (TSN) data network to which the wireless device is connected, wherein the TSN data network is external to the wireless communication network; and establishing at least one TSN stream with the external TSN data network, through a radio base station (RBS) in the wireless communications network.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first timing signal comprises a cellular time reference and the second timing signal comprises a working clock time reference.

3 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising transmitting at least one of an epoch, a TSN domain number, and a time domain identifier to at least one of the RBS and the external TSN data network.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the external TSN data network is an Ethernet network.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the wireless communications network is a cellular communications network.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first timing signal is received in system information (SI) received from the RBS, the SI being indicative of support for TSN through the RBS.

7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the SI is comprised in one or more system information blocks (SIBs).

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first timing signal is received in a Radio Resource Control (RRC) message).

9 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving, from the external TSN data network and via the RBS in the wireless communication network, a transmission schedule associated with the TSN data stream.

10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the first timing signal is received in system information (SI) received from the RBS, the SI being indicative of support for TSN through the RBS.

11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the SI is comprised in one or more system information blocks (SIBs).

12 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the first timing signal is received in a Radio Resource Control (RRC) message.

13 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the first timing signal comprises a cellular time reference and the second timing signal comprises a working clock time reference.

14 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the transmission schedule comprises cycle times and gate control lists for one or more traffic classes comprising the TSN data stream.

15 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the method further comprises:
sending, to a network associated with the RBS, a request to allocate radio resources for communication of the TSN data stream between the wireless device and the RBS, wherein the request further comprises information related to the transmission schedule; and receiving, from the network, a response indicating whether radio resources can be allocated to meet the transmission schedule associated with the TSN data stream.

16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein if the response from the network indicates that radio resources cannot be allocated to meet the transmission schedule of the TSN data stream, the response further comprises an indication of one or more further time windows during which radio resources can be allocated.

17 . The method of claim 15 , further comprising, based on the response from the network, sending, to the external TSN data network, an indication of whether the transmission schedule can be met.

18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the response from the network comprises an indication of one or more further time windows during which radio resources can be allocated, and wherein the indication sent to the external network further includes information related to the one or more further time windows.

19 . The method of claim 15 , wherein:
the network comprises a 5G core network (5GC); and the request is sent to and the response is received from an access management function (AMF) of the 5GC.

20 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the external TSN data network is an Ethernet network.

21 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the wireless communications network is a cellular communications network.

22 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises receiving, from a radio base station (RBS) of the wireless communications network, system information (SI) or a Radio Resource Control (RRC) message, wherein the SI or RRC message is indicative of support of at least one time-sensitive networking (TSN) feature through the RBS, and wherein said establishing depends on the received SI or RRC message.

23 . A wireless device comprising:
transceiver circuitry configured to communicate with a wireless communications network; and processing circuitry operatively coupled to the transceiver circuitry and configured to control the transceiver circuitry and to:
receive a first timing signal originating within the wireless communications network;
receive a second timing signal from a time-sensitive network (TSN) data network to which the wireless device is connected, wherein the TSN data network is external to the wireless communications network; and
establish at least one TSN stream with the external TSN data network, through a radio base station (RBS) in the wireless communications network.

24 . The wireless device of claim 23 , wherein the first timing signal comprises a cellular time reference and the second timing signal comprises a working clock time reference.

25 . The wireless device of claim 23 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to transmit at least one of an epoch, a TSN domain number, and a time domain identifier to at least one of the RBS and the external TSN data network.

26 . The wireless device of claim 23 , wherein the external TSN data network is an Ethernet network.

27 . The wireless device of claim 23 , wherein the wireless communications network is a cellular communications network.

28 . The wireless device of claim 23 , wherein the processing circuitry is configured to receive the first timing signal in system information (SI) received from the RBS, the SI being indicative of support for TSN through the RBS.

29 . The wireless device of claim 28 , wherein the SI is comprised in one or more system information blocks (SIBs).

30 . The wireless device of claim 28 , wherein the processing circuitry is configured to receive the first timing signal in a Radio Resource Control (RRC) message).

31 . The wireless device of claim 28 , wherein the processing circuitry is configured to receive, from the external TSN data network, a transmission schedule associated with the TSN data stream.

32 . The wireless device of claim 31 , wherein the wireless device is adapted to receive the first timing signal in system information, SI, received from the RBS, the SI being indicative of support for TSN through the RBS.

33 . The wireless device of claim 31 , wherein the wireless device is adapted to receive the first timing signal in a Radio Resource Control, RRC, message.

34 . The wireless device of claim 31 , wherein the first timing signal comprises a cellular time reference and the second timing signal

Assignees

• Ericsson Telefon Ab L M

Inventors

• Sachs Joachim
• Alabbasi Abdulrahman
• Andersson Mattias
• Andgart Niklas
• Angelsmark Ola
• Araújo José
• Ashraf Muhammad Ikram
• Balachandran Kumar
• Baldemair Robert
• Berg Rodrigo
• Blankenship Yufei
• Chernogorov Fedor
• Diachina John Walter
• Dudda Torsten
• Enbuske Henrik
• Falahati Sorour
• Farkas János
• Fröberg Olsson Jonas
• Gerami Majid
• Gustafsson Harald
• Hiltunen Kimmo
• Höglund Andreas
• Holmberg Torgny
• Kenesi Zsolt
• Kern András
• Kittichokechai Kittipong
• Larmo Anna
• Lundsjö Johan
• Miklós György
• Munz Hubertus
• Nemeth Gabor
• Nygren Johannes
• Olsson Johan
• Palaios Alexandros
• Patel Dhruvin
• Persson Joakim
• Persson Per
• Pradas Jose Luis
• Rácz Sándor
• Ramachandra Pradeepa
• Reider Norbert
• Roeland Dinand
• Ruffini Stefano
• Salmela Patrik
• Sandberg Sara
• Sandgren Magnus
• Schliwa-Bertling Paul
• Shapin Alexey
• Shi Nianshan
• Singh Bikramjit
• Skarin Per
• Smeets Bernard
• Sun Ying
• Sundman Dennis
• Svensson Fredrik
• Svensson Malgorzata
• Szabo Geza
• Tonutti Wolfgang
• Varga Balázs
• Wahlström Mårten
• Wang Kun
• Wang Yi-Pin Eric
• Yilmaz Osman Nuri Can
• Zou Zhenhua
• Lopez Miguel

Classifications

• H04W92/18

  between terminal devices · CPC title

• H04W84/18

  Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks · CPC title

• H04W56/0065

  using measurement of signal travel time · CPC title

• H04W56/001

  Synchronization between nodes · CPC title

• H04W48/08

  Access restriction or access information delivery, e.g. discovery data delivery (signalling during connection H04W76/00) · CPC title