EP2258057A1

EP2258057A1 - Method and device for adapting at least one communication connection and system comprising such a device

Info

Publication number: EP2258057A1
Application number: EP08735633A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Kurt Hochleitner; Jaroslaw Kussyk
Original assignee: Siemens AG
Current assignee: Siemens AG
Priority date: 2008-04-01
Filing date: 2008-04-01
Publication date: 2010-12-08
Also published as: WO2009121397A1

Abstract

A method for adapting at least one transfer segment in a common-frequency network, wherein the common-frequency network comprises at least three nodes, wherein the three nodes are connected by means of at least two transfer segments, wherein at least one transfer segment is adapted. The invention further relates to a corresponding device and a system comprising such a device.

Description

description

Method and device for adapting at least one communication link and system comprising such a device

The invention relates to a method and a device for adapting at least one communication link and a system comprising such a device.

When connecting a large number of energy meters, sensors, load switching devices, automation devices and / or other devices or devices to one or more central (s) or base station (s) can wireless or wired

Information transmission systems are used, which comprise a single frequency network (English: "Single frequency network").

In such a single-frequency network, a data unit or a data telegram (also referred to as "telegram") is transmitted by one or more senders in all directions at the same time and on the same frequencies. When a node (also referred to as a station or network station) in the common wave network receives the data unit, it is correspondingly, and if necessary, supplied to a destination in several retransmission steps or waves via other stations or nodes. Details concerning the common wave network can be found e.g. in [I].

An advantage of the single-frequency networks is that the routing (e.g., to the tick of the route search or maintenance) is simplified: Thus, the single-frequency network allows a transmission process from a source (source station) to a destination (destination station) - possibly over several

Transmission sections (also referred to as hops) or intermediate stations - only by an indication of the address the destination (s) and the number of retransmissions.

In this case, it is not decisive which network stations and / or network nodes are in which parts of the network

Transmission path (nabschnitte) forward a data unit in the direction of destination. This results from the transmission channel as well as from different constellations of the common wave network.

In this case, it is disadvantageous that no suitable adaptation of the signal transmission takes place along the individual transmission sections or hops in the single-frequency network. This is particularly disadvantageous for power distribution networks whose transmission channels can have strong time- and location-dependent interference and channel fading.

The object of the invention is to avoid the above-mentioned disadvantages and in particular to provide an approach based on which in a single-frequency network, an advantageous adaptation of the signal transmission to the current conditions in individual

Message channel sections along the transmission line can take place.

This object is achieved according to the features of the independent claims. Further developments of the invention will become apparent from the dependent claims.

To achieve the object, a method for adapting at least one transmission section in a single-frequency network is specified, wherein the common-frequency network comprises at least three nodes,

in which the three nodes are connected by means of at least two transmission sections,

- In which at least one transmission section is adapted. It should be noted that the adaptation may include: a change, a new setting, an initialization or a deletion of the transmission section.

Preferably, a transmission section can be adapted starting from at least one node of the single-frequency network in the direction of the next node or in the direction of a plurality of next nodes.

It should be noted here that the transmission section referred to herein may also comprise a transmission step. In particular, the transmission section (transmission step) can be determined by at least one transmitter transmitting information, in particular a data unit, to at least one receiver.

Said nodes can therefore be connected to one another via parallel transmission sections or transmission steps. In addition, a node can be connected via a further node with at least one destination node. Each such sub-connection may correspond to a transmission section or a transmission step.

A node of the common wave network may comprise a network component, a power consumption meter, a sensor, a load switching device, an automation device or the like. include or be associated with or associated with such.

Thus, the present approach provides a way to selectively adapt at least one transmission section or possibly several (or all) transmission sections of a communication connection from at least one node to at least one destination node. This allows the individual transmission sections in the Single-frequency network are suitably used according to their capabilities or characteristics.

The present approach is applicable to single-wired or wireless single-frequency networks, in particular using a standard-wave transmission technique (Gleichwellenfunk radio).

The single-frequency network referred to herein comprises several possibilities for the propagation of messages or

Data units between multiple nodes. At least one node sends a data unit to at least one other node. Accordingly, multiple transmitters may be provided, each transmitting a data unit to one or more receivers. Such multiple transmitters transmit substantially simultaneously, i. in particular, while maintaining predetermined or predefinable time tolerances, the data unit to at least one receiver. It should be noted that the transmitter does not have to be complicated to synchronize with each other.

Furthermore, it is possible for a receiver to retransmit a data unit received from the sender as soon as he is able to do so. It is not necessary that the data unit has been completely received; if necessary, a forwarding of the data unit can already be initiated as soon as only a part (for example a preamble) of the data unit has been received.

Optionally, the receiver can also wait for the receipt of the complete data unit before forwarding it.

In particular, in the single-frequency network, a data unit can be transmitted from a node to a destination node via one or more nodes, each of the nodes, according to the principle explained above, the data unit forwards. The propagation or transmission of the data units thus takes place over several transmission sections or in several transmission steps (or within several hops). An adaptation of the at least one transmission section can take place alternately or in parallel according to the approach presented here on the basis of one or more nodes. In particular, several masters may be provided for the adaptation of several transmission sections of the common wave network.

A development consists in that the at least two transmission sections comprise a point-to-multipoint connection. Alternatively or in addition to this, the at least two transmission sections may comprise a multipoint-to-point connection.

Also, it is a continuing education that the

Communication link between two nodes has at least two transmission sections.

A development is that at least the at least one transmission section is optimized.

In that regard, the at least one communication section

(iteratively or iteratively) may be set to satisfy a predetermined criterion (for example, a bit rate or the like) or the best possible criterion (concerning, for example, the best possible bit rate) may be selected.

Another development is that the at least one transmission section is adapted starting from at least one node.

In particular, the first node (eg, as a master in the common wave network) may have a plurality of nodes Adapting a variety of connections with a variety of nodes.

Depending on the type of transmission, the adaptation of the connection to a destination node or to a group of

Destination node or different to all destination nodes (broadcast).

In particular, it is a development that the at least one transmission section is adapted by at least one transmission parameter, in particular a transmission rate and / or a transmission mode is adapted / be.

Also, it is a training that the

Transmission parameter is a multi-dimensional transmission parameter or includes a variety of properties and / or sizes.

Preferably, some or all of the transmission sections each have at least one transmission parameter which is transmitted by at least one node, e.g. of at least one master, is adaptable. The transmission parameter can thereby map and / or influence a multiplicity of different characteristics of the channel. The transmission parameter can be used to forward information about the respective transmission section in a data unit or in a data telegram and / or to make a setting concerning at least one property of the transmission section for a transmission section.

It is also a development that the one transmission parameter is used that corresponds to a default. Such a specification can be a threshold and / or a best value (eg in the context of the optimization). In particular, the transmission parameter can be determined in an iterative method.

Furthermore, it is a further development that is determined and / or estimated on the basis of at least one node of the transmission parameters.

As part of an additional development, quantities and / or vectors are exchanged between the nodes of the common wave network. Preferably, the amounts and / or vectors per transmission section may comprise at least one transmission parameter.

A next development is that the transmission parameter has a direction indication or orientation in the common wave network.

Thus, it is possible that depending on the

Transmission direction, e.g. from a first node to a second node or vice versa, a corresponding (possibly different) adaptation is made.

An embodiment is that the transmission parameter comprises at least one of the following information or properties:

a bitrate,

a transmission type, a channel assignment,

a transmission power,

a selected transmission line

a modulation type,

an interleaving or a kind of interleaving, a transmission direction,

a time delay,

a carrier frequency, a transmission power,

a phase of a carrier,

a transmission coding,

- a transmission speed.

An alternative embodiment is that the at least one transmission section of the communication link is adapted taking into account at least one of the following criteria: a minimum transmission time;

a maximum transmission rate;

a minimum frequency of collisions with adjacent channels;

- the best possible data transmission quality; a maximum number of reachable stations or nodes;

- a minimum transmission power.

A next embodiment is that the at least one transmission section of the communication connection is adapted taking into account a combination and / or a weighting of the at least one criterion.

It is also an embodiment that the at least one transmission section of the communication connection is adapted taking into account at least one boundary condition.

A development consists in that the at least one transmission section of the communication connection is adapted by means of a feedback-free approach.

In this case, an adaptation can be made without explicitly making a negative confirmation. For example, a timer may be provided on the side of a node as an initiator for such an adaptation, the sequence of which indicates that an adaptation was not possible. Done one Confirmation from the remote station (possibly including the adaptation made), the initiator learns that the adaptation was successful.

An additional embodiment is that the at least one transmission section of the communication connection is adapted by means of a feedback approach.

In this case, the initiator of the adaptation can explicitly receive a feedback as to whether a proposed adaptation is possible or has taken place.

It should be noted that depending on the transmission section a feedback-free approach or a rückmeldender approach is selectable.

Another embodiment is that at least one node is a master station or a base station in the common wave network.

It is also a possibility that the transmission sections are adapted stepwise starting from at least one node in the direction of a transmission section and / or a destination (node).

It is also a further embodiment that the result of the previous adaptation is used in a next step.

Furthermore, a device for transmitting a data unit comprising a processor unit and / or an at least partially hardwired or logical circuit arrangement, which is set up such that the method can be carried out as described herein, is provided for achieving the above-mentioned object. Said processor unit may be or include any type of processor or computer or computer with correspondingly necessary peripherals (memory, input / output interfaces, input devices, etc.). Such a processor unit can in particular in one

Communication device may be provided, which in particular has a transmitter, receiver (receiver) or a transceiver.

Furthermore, a hard-wired or logical

Circuit unit, e.g. an FPGA or ASIC or other integrated circuit may be provided. In particular, electronic, electromagnetic, acoustic or other elements may be provided to detect and / or process different signals.

In particular, the device may thus comprise a unit for parallel processing of signals and / or a unit for serial processing of signals.

The device may comprise or be embodied as: a measuring device, a diagnostic device, a counter, an information acquisition device, a control device, a direction finder and / or a corresponding system.

The device can be used in power engineering.

It is possible that the signal comprises different physical quantities:

an electrical variable,

an electromechanical size,

- an electromagnetic quantity, - an acoustic quantity,

a thermal size, a mechanical (in particular a hydraulic or pneumatic) size,

a chemical quantity,

- an optical size.

Combinations of the aforementioned sizes are possible as a signal (e).

It is a further development that the device is a communication device, wherein the communication device exchanges signals with another communication device via a communication link which at least partially comprises a power network.

Furthermore, to solve the problem, a system is provided comprising a device as described herein.

Embodiments of the invention are illustrated and explained below with reference to the drawings.

Show it:

Fig.l an example of a single-frequency network with several

Node, wherein a propagation of a data unit or a data telegram from a source to a destination in the course of three transmission sections (hops) is shown;

FIG. 2 is a table for illustrating the time sequence of the sending and the spreading of

Adaptation information for the common wave network according to FIG.

The approach proposed here is applicable to a single-frequency network. Such a common wave network preferably comprises a plurality of nodes (stations, Network elements), eg energy consumption meters, sensors, load switching devices, automation devices, etc.

Preferably, in the common wave network (at least) a node is provided, which is designed as a master, i. from which a communication towards at least one other node of the common wave network (with a slave functionality) is initiated.

Preferably, such a master can be a

Establish communication link to at least one other node of the network and / or affect a transmission to the at least one node, for example, change a transmission rate and / or a transmission mode.

Furthermore, the approach presented here makes it possible to determine or estimate a reception quality for individual (or several) data units (for example data telegrams).

Thus, the solution presented herein allows for adaptation of at least one communication link in a common wave network.

Preferably, each point-to-point transmission and / or point-to-multipoint transmission and / or multipoint-to-multipoint transmission and / or multipoint-to-point transmission in a single-frequency network is at least a set or a vector

M _S D = {MsDl, M _S D2, ..., M ₃ Di, ..., M ₃ DN}

associated with elements M _SD i, each containing information about a transmission mode (eg, a bit rate, a

Transmission type, a channel assignment, a transmission power, a selected transmission line, etc.) in an i-th Transmission section (or hop or partial transmission) of the entire transmission from a source S to a destination D. The source S and the destination D are nodes of the common wave network.

Alternatively, each point-to-point transmission in a single-frequency network can have at least two sets and / or vectors

M _S D = {MSDI, M _S D2, ..., M ₃ Di, ..., M _SDN } and

M _DS = {MDS I, M _{DS 2} , ..., M _DSD , ..., M _DSM }

with elements M _SDl and M _DSD respectively, which respectively contain information about the transmission modes in the ith transmission section of the entire transmission from the source S to the destination D or in the j-th

Transmission step of the entire transmission from the destination D to the source S include.

By a specific modification of individual elements of the transmission mode vectors M _SD and M _DS and their respective number of transmission sections (number of hops) N and M, the simulcast transmission over the entire propagation path from the source to at least one destination and possibly back to the Source adapted to the respective (current) conditions of the transmission channel.

The adaptation and / or optimization of the data transmission between the individual nodes of the single-frequency network is preferably carried out on the basis of the abovementioned vectors taking into account various criteria, e.g.

a minimum transmission time; a maximum transmission rate;

- the best possible data transmission quality. Furthermore, the adaptation and / or optimization of the data transmission network can take place, taking account of combinations of the above criteria, possibly with further criteria. The criteria can still be weighted. It is also possible to take boundary conditions or parameters into consideration, eg a minimum data transmission quality or a maximum number of transmission sections N _max and M ¹ _m IH _a aX •

In the adaptation and / or optimization, information about the quality of the transmission modes used in vectors M _SD and / or M _DS can be transmitted back to the source in different ways.

One possibility is a feedback-free approach

(English: "open-loop adaptation") in which the compiled according to various criteria vectors M _SD and / or M _DS are tested when connecting to the destination from the source. For example, in the case of a communication failure, progressively more reliable, albeit slower, transmission modes can be tried. Only upon a successful attempt does the source receive feedback from the destination station as an acknowledgment for the respective vectors M _SD and / or M _DS .

Alternatively, an adaptation and / or optimization taking into account a feedback (feedback approach, English: "closed-loop adaptation") take place, in which the source receives its own knowledge about a reception quality in the destination and then possibly the Vectors M _SD and / or M _DS suitable adapts.

Depending on the type of connection establishment in the single-frequency network (eg point-to-multipoint, point-to-point, multipoint-to-multipoint and / or multipoint-to-point), the adaptation and / or optimization of individual vectors M _SD and / or M _DS in a central node of the single-frequency network, eg in a network station, a master station or a base station, or distributed in individual nodes or network stations.

For adaptation and / or optimization, the source may also use that information of a destination that was determined when receiving data units for other destinations. This makes it possible, if necessary, to obtain advantageous assignments for the vectors M _SD and / or M _DS and thus to achieve certain synergy effects.

The adaptation and / or optimization of the data transmission by means of the vectors M _SD and / or M _DS can take place both during a construction or during an expansion or a reduction (reduction) of the network (establishing a connection to new nodes) as well as during ongoing data transmission ,

The presented method can, for example, be realized in a common wave network with a central station (master) for the successive extension or expansion of the transmission mode vectors M _SD and / or M _DS and comprise the following steps:

a. Initially, the master can try to optimize all connections to nodes within the first transmission section (so-called 1-hop connections). In that case, the individual transmission mode vectors M _SD and / or M _DS each comprise only one element M _SD i or M _DS i.

b. An optimization of so-called 2-hop connections, ie the vectors

M _DS = {MDSI, MDS ₂ } to the respective targets (nodes with slave functionality) takes place based on information coming from the previous optimization (see a.).

For elements M _SD i or M _DS i, preferably only those transmission modes are used which were also determined for 1-hop connections in the preceding optimization.

The second elements M _SD 2 and M _DS 2 of the vectors M _SD and M _DS are adapted, for example, by trying all possible transmission modes.

This procedure can be used iteratively in the single-frequency network up to the number of maximum possible transmission sections (maximum number of transmission sections N _max and M _max in the vectors M _SD and M _DS ). It is also possible to continue this approach until all connections from the master to all potential targets have been established.

During operation and / or during polling, each destination (node with slave functionality) can receive data units directed from the master to other destinations or from other destinations to the master. The information obtained regarding the reception quality and the corresponding vectors M _SD and M _DS , which are transmitted in data units, can thus be stored by the destination.

This stored information can be queried by the master at the destinations and thus advantageously used for adapting and / or optimizing an existing master-destination connection and / or destination-master connection and / or for setting up alternative connections. Fig. 1 shows an example of a simulcast transmission from a source 0 to a destination 8 comprising three transmission sections (hops).

A data telegram is sent from the source 0 in a transmission mode M ₀ 8 i. Due to the physical conditions of the transmission medium, the data telegram is transmitted in a second transmission section from the nodes 2 and 3 and in a third transmission section from the nodes 2, 3, 5 and 6 forwarded to the destination 8.

Fig. 2 shows a table comprising the nodes 0 to 8 as columns and the transmission sections (hops) 1 to 3 as rows. The table shows the time sequence of the transmission modes M ₀ 8 i to M ₀ 83 used for transmission. "Rx" designates a successful data telegram reception in a node.

Other advantages:

The approach described above permits adaptation and / or optimization of individual point-to-point connections and / or point-to-multipoint connections and / or multipoint-to-multipoint connections and / or multipoint-to-point connections in a single-frequency network with a large number of subscribers and thus a nearly optimal and robust adaptation of the common-frequency network to a transmission medium with location-dependent and / or time-dependent properties.

A further advantage is that the information for adapting or optimizing the connections can be obtained (almost) without an interruption of the data transmission, and thus can be efficiently saved further network resources. It is also possible to use the proposed method in networks that also support multi-hop relaying as a single-frequency network.

Literature:

[1] WO 2004/064276 Al

Claims

claims

1. A method for adapting at least one transmission section in a common wave network comprising at least three nodes,

- In which at least one transmission section is adapted.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least two transmission sections comprise a point-to-multipoint connection.

A method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the at least two transmission sections comprise a multipoint-to-point connection.

4. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, - wherein the communication link between two nodes has at least two transmission sections.

5. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein at least the at least one

Transmission section is optimized.

6. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the at least one transmission section of at least one node is adapted.

7. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the at least one transmission section is adapted by at least one transmission parameter, in particular a

Transmission rate and / or a transmission mode is adapted / be.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the transmission parameter is a multi-dimensional transmission parameter or comprises a plurality of properties and / or sizes.

9. The method according to any one of claims 7 or 8, wherein the transmission parameter is used, which corresponds to a default.

10. The method according to any one of claims 7 to 9, wherein the transmission parameter is determined in an iterative method.

11. The method according to any one of claims 7 to 10, wherein based on at least one node of

Transmission parameter is determined and / or estimated.

12. The method according to any one of claims 7 to 11, in which quantities and / or vectors are exchanged between the nodes of the common wave network.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the amounts and / or vectors per transmission section comprise at least one transmission parameter.

14. The method according to any one of claims 7 to 13, wherein the transmission parameter has a direction indication or orientation in the common wave network.

15. The method according to claim 7, wherein the transmission parameter comprises at least one of the following information or properties: a bit rate,

- a transfer mode,

a channel assignment, a transmission power,

a selected transmission line,

a modulation type,

an interleaving or a kind of interleaving, a transmission direction,

a time delay,

a carrier frequency,

a transmission power,

a phase of a carrier, a transmission coding,

- a transmission speed.

16. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the at least one transmission section of the communication link is adapted under

Consider at least one of the following criteria:

a minimum transmission time;

a maximum transmission rate; a minimum frequency of collisions with adjacent channels;

- the best possible data transmission quality;

a maximum number of reachable stations or nodes; - a minimum transmission power.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the at least one transmission section of the communication link is adapted taking into account a combination and / or a weighting of the at least one criterion.

18. The method according to any one of claims 16 or 17, wherein the at least one transmission section of the communication link is adapted under

Consideration of at least one boundary condition.

19. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the at least one transmission section of the communication link is adapted by means of a feedback-free approach.

20. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the at least one transmission section of the communication connection is adapted by means of a feedback approach.

21. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein at least one node is a master station or a base station in the common wave network.

22. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the transmission sections are adapted step by step from at least one node in the direction of a transmission section and / or a destination.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein in a next step, the result of the previous adaptation is used.

24. An apparatus for transmitting a data unit comprising a processor unit and / or an at least partially hardwired or logic circuit arrangement which is set up such that the method according to one of the preceding claims can be carried out.

25. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the device is a communication device, wherein the communication device with a further communication device signals via a

Communication link, which at least partially includes a power grid, exchanges.

26. System comprising a device according to one of claims 24 or 25.