CN117278639A - Method, apparatus and storage medium for deterministic network-based communication time scheduling - Google Patents

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention relate to a method, apparatus, and storage medium for deterministic network-based communication time scheduling. The method comprises the steps of responding to the fact that the current node equipment needs to send control data messages in the current communication period, and determining the type of the control data messages needing to be sent; responding to the type of the control data message to be transmitted is determined to be a non-response type control data message, and determining response node equipment indicated by the non-response type control data message; determining response time information corresponding to the indicated response node equipment based on the indicated response node equipment so as to update the duration of the current control time slice; and transmitting the determined response time information to the other node device. Therefore, the method not only can meet the requirement of quick request response about control data, but also can effectively improve communication efficiency and reduce bandwidth waste.

Description

Method, apparatus and storage medium for deterministic network-based communication time scheduling

Technical Field

Embodiments of the present invention relate generally to the field of communications and, more particularly, relate to a method, computing device, and storage medium for deterministic network-based communication time scheduling.

Background

In recent years, as the industrial control system is rapidly transformed into digitization and intellectualization, various automation and informatization tools are integrated into the industrial control system, so that the requirements of the industrial control system on communication are higher and higher. Deterministic networks are increasingly being used in industrial control fields, for example EPA (Ethernet for Plant Automation, industrial ethernet) is widely used in complex control systems in many fields of electricity, chemical industry, machinery, mining, petroleum, etc.

In the traditional communication time scheduling method, the allocated periodic time slices of each network device need to meet the communication requirement of the maximum transmission data, so that the difference of the periodic data transmission moments of certain two node devices is larger in a specific scene, and the requirement of quick request response of certain control data can not be met; the processing time possibly existing in the process of processing the request data and transmitting the response data fluctuates by the application layer, so that the response node equipment misses a preset transmitting moment, and response data overtime replies. In order to ensure that each node device of the network has enough response time to send response type control data messages, respectively presetting sending offset time in a control time slice and a period time slice, and reserving response time for each node device; however, this also results in a network reservation redundancy time that is too long, reducing communication efficiency.

In summary, the conventional manner for scheduling communication time has the following disadvantages: it is difficult to meet the demand for quick request response with respect to control data, and communication efficiency is low.

Disclosure of Invention

In view of the foregoing, the present invention provides a method, a computing device, and a storage medium for deterministic network-based communication time scheduling, which can meet the need for a fast request response with respect to control data, and avoid response data timeout replies.

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of deterministic network-based communication time scheduling, the network comprising a plurality of node devices, each communication cycle of the network comprising a control time slice, a cycle time slice and an aperiodic time slice; determining the type of the control data message to be transmitted in response to determining that the current node equipment needs to transmit the control data message in the current communication period; responding to the type of the control data message to be transmitted is determined to be a non-response type control data message, and determining response node equipment indicated by the non-response type control data message; determining response time information corresponding to the indicated response node equipment based on the indicated response node equipment so as to update the duration of the current control time slice; and transmitting the determined response time information to the other node device.

According to a second aspect of the present invention there is provided a computing device comprising: at least one processor; and a memory communicatively coupled to the at least one processor; the memory stores instructions executable by the at least one processor to enable the at least one processor to perform the method of the first aspect of the invention.

In a third aspect of the invention, there is provided a non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing computer instructions for causing a computer to perform the method of the first aspect of the invention.

In some embodiments, determining response time information corresponding to the indicated responding node devices includes: determining a transmission time length required by the response node equipment to transmit the response class control data message based on the preset response time information of the response node equipment; and determining the response time length of the responding node equipment and/or the response time of the responding node equipment.

In some embodiments, determining response time information corresponding to the indicated responding node device further comprises: responsive to determining that there are at least two indicated responding node devices in the non-responding class control data message, determining a response order between the responding node devices based on any of: a predetermined response time length or a predetermined response time of each responding node device; or a predetermined response priority of each responding node device.

In some embodiments, the method of deterministic network-based communication time scheduling further comprises: based on the determined response order among the response node devices, the initial response time length and/or the initial response time of each response node device and the transmission time length required by each response node device for transmitting the response class control data message, checking whether time conflict exists when each response node device transmits the response class control data message; determining that the time conflict check passes in response to determining that each response node device has no time conflict when transmitting the response type control data message; and generating response time information corresponding to the response node devices based on response order among the response node devices, initial response time length and/or initial response time of each response node device and transmission time length required by each response node device for transmitting the response class control data message when the time conflict verification passes.

In some embodiments, the method of deterministic network-based communication time scheduling further comprises: responding to the fact that time conflict exists when each response node device sends a response type control data message, and determining that time conflict verification is not passed; and aiming at a plurality of response node devices with time conflict, adjusting the initial response time length and/or the initial response time of the response node devices with the following response order, so that each response node device does not have time conflict when sending the response type control data message, and checking through the time conflict.

In some embodiments, the method of deterministic network-based communication time scheduling further comprises: the predetermined response time length of each responding node device is adjusted based on the response time length actually spent by each responding node device via a predetermined dynamic algorithm in a predetermined number of consecutive plurality of communication cycles.

In some embodiments, the method of deterministic network-based communication time scheduling further comprises: in response to determining that the indicated responsive node device is not present in the non-responsive class control data message, determining that the duration of the current control time slice is not less than a predetermined minimum duration threshold, the predetermined minimum duration threshold being determined based on a minimum transmit duration requirement of the non-responsive class control data message.

In some embodiments, the method of deterministic network-based communication time scheduling further comprises: responsive to receiving the non-responsive class control data message, determining a responsive node device indicated by the non-responsive class control data message; responding to the determination that the current node equipment is the responding node equipment, and at least determining the response time length and the response time corresponding to the current node equipment based on the received response time declaration information; updating the duration of the current control time slice based on the received response time declaration information; and in response to determining that the response time arrives, sending one of a response class control data message, a response time statement message and a timeout statement message to the other node device based on the response class control data message preparation state of the current node device.

In some embodiments, the method of deterministic network-based communication time scheduling further comprises: determining a delay response duration of the current node in response to determining that the response time arrives and that the current node device does not have a valid response class control data message; calculating the updated time length of the current control time slice based on the delay response time length of the current node; updating the duration of the current control time slice and the response time of the current node based on the delay response time in response to determining that the updated duration of the current control time slice is less than or equal to a predetermined maximum duration threshold; and sending a response time statement message to other node devices in the network, wherein the response time statement message at least indicates the delay response time length.

In some embodiments, determining the delay response duration of the current node comprises: responding to time conflict between updated response time of the current node equipment and other response node equipment when sending response type control data messages; and adjusting the delay response time length of the current node equipment based on the response time length of other node equipment with time conflict, so that each response node does not have time conflict when sending the response type control data message.

It should be understood that the description in this section is not intended to identify key or critical features of the embodiments of the invention or to delineate the scope of the invention. Other features of the present invention will become apparent from the description that follows.

Drawings

The above and other features, advantages and aspects of embodiments of the present invention will become more apparent by reference to the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar elements.

FIG. 1 illustrates a schematic diagram of an example system environment for implementing a method of deterministic network-based communication time scheduling in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 2 shows a schematic structural diagram of a node device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 3 shows a macrocycle schematic of a network according to an embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 4 shows a flow chart of a method of deterministic network based communication time scheduling according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 5 shows a schematic diagram of a responding node in a macro period according to an embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 6 shows a control-time-slice elastic structure diagram according to an embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 7 shows a schematic diagram of a multi-response node in a network according to an embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 8 shows a flow chart of a method for message time collision verification according to an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 9 illustrates a response time conflict diagram among responding nodes according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10 illustrates a response time diagram after a responding node adjusts the response time conflict in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 11 shows a flow chart of a method for network communication time scheduling of a responding node according to an embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 12 shows a flow chart of a method for response class messaging according to an embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 13 shows a flow chart of a method for network communication time scheduling for non-responding nodes according to an embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 14 shows a schematic diagram of declarative delay response duration according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 15 shows another declarative delay response duration diagram in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 16 is a schematic diagram showing a message time collision after declaring a delay response duration according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 17 is a diagram showing another message time collision after declaring a delay response duration according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 18 is a diagram illustrating message time collision adjustment after declaring a delay response duration according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Detailed Description

Exemplary embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which various details of the embodiments of the present invention are included to facilitate understanding, and are to be considered merely exemplary. Accordingly, those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that various changes and modifications of the embodiments described herein can be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. Also, descriptions of well-known functions and constructions are omitted in the following description for clarity and conciseness.

The term "comprising" and variations thereof as used herein means open ended, i.e., "including but not limited to. The term "or" means "and/or" unless specifically stated otherwise. The term "based on" means "based at least in part on". The terms "one example embodiment" and "one embodiment" mean "at least one example embodiment. The term "another embodiment" means "at least one additional embodiment". The terms "first," "second," and the like, may refer to different or the same object. Other explicit and implicit definitions are also possible below.

As described above, the conventional deterministic network-based communication time scheduling method has disadvantages in that: it is difficult to meet the demand for quick request response with respect to control data, and communication efficiency is low.

To at least partially address one or more of the above-mentioned problems, as well as other potential problems, an example embodiment of the present invention proposes a deterministic network-based scheme of communication time scheduling, wherein a network comprises a plurality of node devices, each communication cycle of the network comprising a control time slice, a cycle time slice, and a non-cycle time slice; the scheme of the invention comprises the steps of responding to the determination that the current node equipment needs to send the control data message in the current communication period, and determining the type of the control data message needing to be sent; responding to the type of the control data message to be transmitted is determined to be a non-response type control data message, and determining response node equipment indicated by the non-response type control data message; therefore, the current node is used as a sending node of the non-response type control data message, and specific other node equipment in the network can be designated as a response node of the non-response type message.

In addition, the scheme further comprises that the current node further determines response time information corresponding to the indicated response node equipment based on the indicated response node equipment so as to update the duration of the current control time slice; and transmitting the determined response time information to the other node device. Therefore, the non-response type control data message sending node in the network can determine the response node needing to answer and the response time information required by each response node based on the indicated response node, schedule the response time required by sending the response type control data message for the response node, and adjust the duration of the control time slice; therefore, in the communication period, response time does not need to be reserved for each node device, so that the reserved length of the control time slice is shorter, the communication efficiency is improved, and the bandwidth waste is reduced.

The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the drawings in the embodiments of the present invention, and it is obvious that the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, but not all embodiments, and they should not be construed as limiting the protection scope of the present application.

Fig. 1 shows a system environment for implementing a method of deterministic network-based communication time scheduling according to an embodiment of the present invention, a schematic diagram of a control system 100. As shown in fig. 1, the control system 100 includes a network 130, where the network 130 includes a plurality of node devices (e.g., node devices 1, 2, 3, 4, … …, N), and the node devices may be formed into a ring by end-to-end connection, a bus by end connection, or a star topology by connecting switches.

The network 130 is a deterministic network such as EPA (Ethernet for Plant Automation, industrial Ethernet), and the EPA bus is a real-time Ethernet bus implemented based on an Ethernet physical layer.

With respect to deterministic networks, which include, for example, large bandwidth, low latency, low jitter, deterministic capable networks created with network resources, deterministic business experiences can be provided for different industry needs; the method can be used for the vertical industries with extremely high requirements on low network time delay, reliability and stability, such as industry, energy, internet of vehicles and the like.

Fig. 3 shows a macrocycle schematic of a network according to an embodiment of the invention. Each communication macrocycle of the network 130 is divided into a control time slice, a cycle time slice and a non-cycle time slice according to the nature of the various types of data being transmitted in the control system 100. It should be appreciated that each communication macrocycle in the network 130 may include multiple control time slices and multiple cycle time slices, depending on the requirements of the actual network. As shown in fig. 3, the master station, the slave stations 1-3 each correspond to a node device, the master station and the slave stations being equal in terms of communication time schedule.

With respect to control time slices, for example, for transmitting control-related data of strong real-time, high responsiveness; with respect to periodic time slices, e.g. sensor-like data for transmitting periodic, large data blocks, and with respect to non-periodic time slices, e.g. for transmitting bursty, real-time low-demand data such as information on device configuration, fault diagnosis, operating status, etc.

With respect to control related data, for example, related to a network or a specific node device: control commands, receive responses, command data, parameter settings (adjustments), status data, control signals, error monitoring and correction, priority data, and the like.

The control message is used for sending a control class data message, and the control class data can be divided into response class control data and non-response class control data, wherein a strongly-correlated precedence relationship exists between the response class control data and certain non-response class control data. For example, the node device 2 receives a non-response class control data message from the node device 1, the non-response class control data message requesting data from the node device 2, and after a period of response time, the node device 2 responds to the requested data by sending a response class data message.

With respect to node devices, each node device in the network 130 may receive transmitted messages from other nodes in the network according to a predetermined configuration and transmit messages to other nodes in the network at predetermined transmission times.

With respect to any of the node devices (1-N), there may be one or more processing units, including dedicated processing units such as GPUs, FPGAs, ASICs, etc., and general purpose processing units such as CPUs. In addition, one or more virtual machines may also be running on each node device.

Fig. 2 shows a schematic structural diagram of a node device according to an embodiment of the present invention, where the node device in fig. 2 is identical to any node device in the network 130, and each node device includes, for example, a processor 200, a transceiver 220, and a memory 240.

With respect to the processor 200, it is configured to determine a type of the control data packet to be transmitted in response to determining that the current node device needs to transmit the control data packet in the current communication period; responding to the type of the control data message to be transmitted is determined to be a non-response type control data message, and determining response node equipment indicated by the non-response type control data message; based on the indicated response node device, response time information corresponding to the indicated response node device is determined so as to update the duration of the current control time slice.

With respect to transceiver 220, it is configured to send one or more of the determined response time information, non-response class control data messages, response time statement messages, delay statement messages, timeout statement messages to other node devices in the network.

With respect to the memory 240, it is used to store data, messages, delay durations, etc. that the node device receives, transmits, processes, calculates and generates at various stages.

Fig. 4 shows a flow chart of a method 400 of deterministic network based communication time scheduling according to an embodiment of the invention. Method 400 may be performed by any of the node devices shown in fig. 1 or fig. 2. It should be understood that method 400 may also include additional steps not shown and/or that the illustrated steps may be omitted, as the scope of the invention is not limited in this respect.

In step 402, if the node device determines that the current node device needs to send a control data packet in the current communication period, the node device determines the type of the control data packet to be sent.

Regarding the types of control data messages, for example, the types of control data messages are classified into a responsive class and a non-responsive class by the types of data they contain. Wherein the response class control data message comprises response class control data: the non-responsive class control data message contains non-responsive class control data.

The response type control data is, for example, control data that is returned to the requesting end (the node device that transmits the data request message) after the node device receives the data request.

Regarding non-response class control data: for example, the non-response type control data includes request information to other node devices and does not include response information to the request information of other node devices in a message which is processed and transmitted by the node devices alone.

Regarding the non-response type control data message, the non-response type control data message may be sent by any node in the network according to the actual data requirement, for example, please refer to fig. 3, which shows the case of sending by the master node device; it may also be transmitted from a node for broadcasting information, or requesting data from a specific node, etc.

With respect to the response class control data message, please refer to fig. 5, for example, based on the setting of the network 130, the response class control data message may be sent by the slave node device, so as to respond to the non-response class control data message sent by the master node when the slave node acts as the response node, where there is a logical relationship between the response class control message and the corresponding non-response class control data message, where the non-response message requests a preceding response, and the response message replies to the following one.

In step 404, if the node device determines that the type of the control data packet to be transmitted is a non-response type control data packet, it determines a responding node device indicated by the non-response type control data packet.

Regarding the responding node, in the non-response type control data message, the transmitting node may request data from some nodes in the network, and when data needs to be requested from other nodes in the network, the transmitted non-response type control data message may include information capable of indicating node equipment that needs to respond to the message, where the node that needs to respond to the non-response type control data message is the responding node. The responding node needs to send the responding class control data message at a certain moment after receiving the non-responding class control data message, so as to reply to the request of the non-responding class control data message sending node.

For example, referring to fig. 5, transmission of a non-response type control data message and a response type control data message in one communication macro period is illustrated, in fig. 5, the master station transmits the non-response type control data message at time T0 to request data from the slave station 1, and the slave station 1 transmits the response type control data message at time T2 to answer the request of the slave station 1.

In step 406, the node device determines response time information corresponding to the indicated responding node device based on the indicated responding node device, so as to update the duration of the current control time slice.

In some embodiments, the response time information includes: determining a transmission time length required by the response node equipment to transmit the response class control data message based on the preset response time information of the response node equipment; and determining the response time length of the responding node equipment and/or the response time of the responding node equipment. For example, the response time information includes response time information that determines each response node, such as how long it takes to respond, how long it takes to send a response class control data message, and the order of responses among the plurality of response time nodes.

For example, referring to fig. 5, the master station transmits a response time announcement message at time T1, and the designated response node is the declaration response time Δt1 of the slave station 1, the transmission time T1 of the response time announcement message, the time T2 of the slave station 1 for transmitting the response class control data message, and the transmission time T1 required for the slave station 1 to transmit the response class control data message.

For example, referring to fig. 7, the master station declares a message at time T1 with a response time, designating the response nodes as slave 1 and slave 2. The method comprises the following steps of declaring response time Deltat 1 of a slave station 1, sending time T1 of a response time declaration message, time T2 of sending a response type control data message by the slave station 1 and sending time T1 required by the slave station 1 to send the response type control data message; the declaration response time Δt2 of the slave station 2, the transmission time T1 of the response time declaration message, the time T3 of the slave station 2 for transmitting the response class control data message, and the transmission time T2 required for the slave station 2 to transmit the response class control data message.

Thus, in the non-response type control data message of the present invention, the response node may be specified, or no other node response may be required. When other nodes are required to respond to the non-responsive class control data message, the required response nodes can be designated, and the response time required for each response node can be different, generally the more response nodes are designated, the longer the total response time required, which results in adjustment of the control time slice length.

Fig. 6 shows a control-time-slice elastic structure diagram according to an embodiment of the invention. In order to avoid the problem that the normal operation of the system is affected due to overtime of the control message transmission, the network communication time scheduling method provided by the embodiment of the invention sets the control time slices in the network as time slices with elastic length, and the control time slices can be adjusted between preset minimum time length and maximum time length (namely, the minimum control time slices are less than or equal to the current control time slices and less than or equal to the maximum control time slices as shown in figure 6).

In some embodiments, in response to determining that the indicated responding node device is not present in the non-responsive class control data message, it is determined that the duration of the current control time slice is not less than a predetermined minimum duration threshold, the predetermined minimum duration threshold being determined based on a minimum transmit duration requirement of the non-responsive class control data message.

For example, referring to fig. 3, the master station sends a non-response type control data packet at time T0 in the macro period, and no response node is specified in the non-response type packet at time T0, and at this time, the length of the control time slice may be adjusted to be greater than or equal to the minimum threshold, and only the non-response type control data packet meeting the time T0 may be sent.

For example, referring to fig. 5, when the master station requests to acquire data of the slave station 1 in the macro period, the master station sends a non-response type control data message at a preset time T0. And then, a response time declaration message is sent, wherein the response time declaration message carries the sending time T1 of the response time declaration message, the receiving response time Deltat 1 of the slave station 1 and the time slice length T1 occupied by the response type control data message sent by the slave station 1. After receiving the response time declaration message, the slave station 1 calculates the transmission time T2 of the response class control data message. The transmission time T2 of the response class control data message of the slave station 1 is equal to the response time declaration message transmission time T1 plus the declaration response time Δt1, i.e., t2=t1+ [ delta ] T1.

In the scenario shown in fig. 5, the master station requests the slave station 1 to respond by sending a non-response type control data message at time T0, the length of the control time slice needs to be adjusted to satisfy time T2, and the slave station needs to send a response type control data message, that is, the end time of the control time slice needs to be later than the end time of the time period T1 (after the slave station 1 completes sending).

In the scenario shown in fig. 7, the master station transmits a non-response type control data packet at time T0, requests that both the slave station 1 and the slave station 2 respond, and the length of the control time slice needs to be adjusted to satisfy time T3, i.e., the transmission of the response type control data packet by the slave station 2, i.e., the end time of the control time slice needs to be later than the end time of the time period T2 (after the transmission by the slave station 2 is completed).

The invention provides an elastic adjustable control time slice, which can adjust the length of each macro period control time slice based on the number of response nodes in the macro period, response time information such as response time required by each response node, response message sending time and the like. Therefore, in the communication macro period, response time does not need to be reserved for each node in advance, so that the reserved length of a control time slice is shorter, the communication is more efficient, and the waste of bandwidth is reduced.

In step 408, the node device sends the determined response time information to other node devices.

In some embodiments, transmitting the determined response time information to the other node device includes: adding the determined response time information into a control data message to be transmitted, and transmitting the determined response time information to other nodes through the control data message; or generating a response time declaration message based on the determined response time information, and transmitting the generated response time declaration message after the control data message to be transmitted is transmitted.

Referring to time T1 in fig. 5, the master station transmits the determined response time information to other nodes through a response time declaration message. The non-response type control data packet transmitted at the time of the master station T0 may carry information such as response nodes and response times of the response nodes.

In some embodiments, determining response time information corresponding to the indicated responding node device further comprises: responsive to determining that there are at least two indicated responding node devices in the non-responding class control data message, determining a response order between the responding node devices based on any of: a predetermined response time length or a predetermined response time of each responding node device; or a predetermined response priority of each responding node device.

Regarding response sequence, for example, the sending sequence of response class control data messages among a plurality of response nodes, when a plurality of response nodes are indicated, the sending sequence of each node is determined in response time information, and the phenomenon that message conflict is caused by overlapping sending time of each node when the response class control data messages are sent can be effectively avoided.

For example, the master station orders the transmission order of the slave stations according to the response time of each slave station, and the slave stations with short response time respond preferentially; referring to fig. 7, the master station requests data from the slave station 1 and the slave station 2 in a non-response type control data message sent at time T0, the predetermined response time of the slave station 1 is Δt1, the predetermined response time of the slave station 2 is Δt2, Δt2> Δt1+t1, and it is determined that the slave station 1 sends the response type control data message at time T2, and the slave station 2 sends the response type control data message at time T3. Based on the determined response time information, the response time message sent by the master station at the time T1 declares response times delta T1, delta T2 and response data message occupation times T1 and T2 of the slave station 1 and the slave station 2, and all nodes can reply the response data preferentially according to the response times of the slave station 1 and the slave station 2.

For example, if the predetermined response time of the slave station 1 is Δt1 and the predetermined response time of the slave station 2 is Δt2, if Δt 2= Δt1, the response order may be decided according to the predetermined priority of the slave station device if the slave station 2 has a higher priority than the slave station 1, and at this time, the master station may declare that the slave station 2 transmits a response time declaration message first and the slave station 1 transmits a response time declaration message later in the response declaration time information. It should be appreciated that if Δt2 > - Δt1, in some cases, the slave stations may also be caused to send response messages first, according to a priority order, for a longer response time.

Therefore, in the method for scheduling network communication time provided by the embodiment of the invention, response time is not required to be reserved for each node in each communication period, and only time required by non-response type control data message transmission is required to be reserved in a control time slice, as in the scenario shown in fig. 3, time is required to be reserved in the control time slice, so that the cut-off time of the control time slice is later than the time T0'. The node which needs to be responded can be determined as the response node through the sending node of the non-response type control data message, and then in the communication macro period, the time required by meeting the response and sending the response type control data message is only required to be adjusted for each response node, and the length of the control time slice is adjusted according to the required time. Therefore, the method can greatly improve the network communication efficiency and save the bandwidth.

Fig. 8 shows a flowchart of a method 800 for message time collision verification according to an embodiment of the invention. Method 800 may be performed by any of the node devices shown in fig. 1 or fig. 2. It should be understood that method 800 may also include additional steps not shown and/or that the illustrated steps may be omitted, as the scope of the invention is not limited in this respect.

In step 802, the node device checks whether there is a time conflict when each responding node device sends a response class control data message, based on the determined response order among the responding node devices, the initial response time length and/or the initial response time of each responding node device, and the sending time length required for each responding node device to send the response class control data message.

Regarding the initial response time length, the initial response time length of each node device may be different due to the parameters of each node device, the content of the message, the content of the request, and the like.

For example, referring to fig. 9, after designating the response node devices as the slave station 1 and the slave station 2, when determining that the response is in the same order, the slave station 1 sends a response control data packet at time T2, the duration occupied by the sending packet is T1, the slave station 2 sends a response control data packet at time T3, the duration occupied by the sending packet is T2, and at this time, both T1 and T2 overlap, that is, there is a conflict between the response times of the slave station 1 and the slave station 2.

In step 804, if the node device determines that there is no time conflict when each responding node device sends a response class control data message, it determines that the time conflict check passes.

For example, referring to fig. 7, when slave 1 and slave 2 transmit respective response class control data messages, there is no overlap of t1 and t2, i.e., there is no collision between the response times of slave 1 and slave 2, no message collision is present, i.e., through collision verification,

in step 806, when the time conflict check passes, the node devices generate response time information corresponding to the responding node devices, wherein the response order is between the responding node devices, the initial response time and/or the initial response time of each responding node device, and the transmission time required by each responding node device to transmit the response class control data message.

Therefore, after the response nodes are determined, the nodes can avoid the conflict when the determined response nodes send response type messages through conflict verification, and response time declaration information is generated according to the time information of the response nodes passing the conflict verification, so that message conflict among the response nodes can be avoided from a request sending end.

In some embodiments, the node device determines that the time conflict check fails if it is determined that each responding node device has a time conflict when sending the response class control data message.

The declaration response time length of the response node, which can, for example, reflect how long after the response end receives the request data, can be ready for the response data, which is related to the response data length that needs to be provided by the response node.

For example, referring to fig. 9 and the description above with respect to fig. 9, in the scenario illustrated in fig. 9, when the slave station 1 and the slave station 2 transmit response class control data messages, there is a collision, and therefore, the time collision check is not passed; the master station does not determine response time information to be sent to other nodes in the network according to the time information of each response node corresponding to the scenario shown in fig. 9.

In some embodiments, the node device adjusts an initial response duration and/or an initial response time of the response node device with the response order for a plurality of response node devices with time conflicts, so that each response node device does not have time conflicts when sending the response class control data message, so as to check through the time conflicts.

For example, referring to fig. 10, it is shown that the time collision of the response messages in fig. 9 is adjusted, so that the adjusted response time information of each node is as shown in fig. 10, the sending durations T1 and T2 of the response class control data messages of the slave station 1 and the slave station 2 are unchanged, the declaration response duration Δt1 of the slave station 1 is unchanged, the sending time T2 of the response class message is also unchanged, the declaration response duration Δt2 of the original slave station 2 is adjusted to be Δt2', the corresponding response time T3 is also adjusted to be T3', and after the response duration of the slave station 2 is prolonged, there is no time collision between the slave station 1 and the slave station 2 when the response class control data messages are sent, and the time collision verification is passed. Thus, the master station transmits the time information of each response node without time conflict obtained after adjustment to other nodes in the network.

Therefore, according to the scheme, when time conflict exists among response nodes based on the preset response time information, the response time of the response nodes can be adjusted by the sending node of the non-response control data message, so that the time conflict exists among the response nodes in the sent response time information is avoided, and the communication efficiency is improved.

In some embodiments, the predetermined response time period for each responding node device is adjusted via a predetermined dynamic algorithm based on the response time period actually spent by each responding node device during a predetermined number of consecutive plurality of communication cycles.

For example, during operation of the network 130, the actual response time of each secondary station is monitored in real time, such as by the primary station; after a period of operation of the network 130, the master station will obtain a sample library of actual response times for each slave station (as responding nodes), and may predict the next required response time Δt for a certain slave station using, for example, kalman filtering or other regression algorithms; at the same time, the master station maintains a sample library of actual response times that are dynamically refreshed as the communication cycle continues.

Therefore, along with the duration of the communication period in the network, the preset declaration response time length of the response node can be dynamically adjusted through a related algorithm, so that the preset declaration response time length better meets the requirements of the network environment, and the communication efficiency is improved.

Fig. 11 shows a flow chart of a method 1100 for network communication time scheduling of a responding node according to an embodiment of the invention. Method 1100 may be performed by any of the node devices shown in fig. 1 or fig. 2. It should be understood that method 1100 may also include additional steps not shown and/or that the steps shown may be omitted, as the scope of the invention is not limited in this respect.

In step 1102, if the node device receives the non-responsive class control data message, a responsive node device indicated by the non-responsive class control data message is determined.

In step 1104, if the node device determines that the current node device is a responding node device, at least a response time length and a response time corresponding to the current node device are determined based on the received response time declaration information.

For example, referring to fig. 5, if the slave station 1 determines that it is a responding node device based on the received response time declaration information, it is determined that the declaration response time of the slave station 1 is Δt1, the response time is T2, and the transmission time of the response class control data message is T1 based on the received response time information.

In step 1106, the node device updates the duration of the current control time slice based on the received response time declaration information.

For example, referring to fig. 5, the node device secondary station 1 increases the length of the control time slice, such as increasing the td duration, and updates the duration of the control time slice according to the response time declaration information, so as to obtain the current control time slice.

In step 1108, if the node device determines that the response time arrives, one of a response class control data message, a response time statement message, and a timeout statement message is sent to the other node device based on the response class control data message preparation status of the current node device.

Regarding the response class control data message preparation state, when the corresponding response time comes, if the response node is ready to respond to the class control data message, sending the response class control data message; if the response node is not ready to respond to the class control data message, sending a response time declaration message to prolong the response time; and if the response node cannot send the response type control data message in the period, sending a timeout declaration message.

In some embodiments, if the node device determines that the response time or the updated response time arrives and that the current node device has a valid response class control data message, the response class control data message for the current node is sent to other node devices in the network.

In some embodiments, if the node device determines that the time period of the updated control time slice is greater than the predetermined maximum time period threshold, in the current control time slice, sending a timeout declaration message to other node devices in the network, where the timeout declaration message is at least used to indicate that the current node device does not send a response class control data message about the current node in the current control time slice.

Therefore, based on the method, the node in the network can determine whether the designated response node is the node according to the received non-response type control data message, so that based on the non-response type control data message and the response time information, the response time of the node, the declaration response time and other information are determined, and the time of the node for transmitting the response type control data message and the time of updating the control time slice are determined.

Fig. 12 shows a flow chart of a method 1200 for response class messaging according to an embodiment of the invention. Method 1200 may be performed by any of the node devices shown in fig. 1 or fig. 2. It should be understood that method 1200 may also include additional steps not shown and/or that the steps shown may be omitted, as the scope of the invention is not limited in this respect.

In step 1202, if the node device determines that the response time arrives and that the current node device does not have a valid response class control data message, a delay response duration of the current node is determined.

In step 1204, the node device calculates an updated duration of the current control time slice based on the delayed response duration of the current node.

For example, referring to the communication scenario illustrated in fig. 14 to 18, the declaration response time period Δt1' is the delay response time period of the slave station 1.

In step 1206, if the node device determines that the updated duration of the current control time slice is less than or equal to the predetermined maximum duration threshold, the duration of the current control time slice and the response time of the current node are updated based on the delayed response time duration.

For example, referring to the communication scenario illustrated in fig. 14-18, the current control time slice is increased by td duration based on the preset control time slice, so as to satisfy that each responding node device sends a respective response class control data packet.

In step 1208, the node device sends a response time statement message to other node devices in the network, the response time statement message indicating at least a delay response duration.

In some embodiments, the node device updates at least the current communication period based on the response delay duration: the starting time of the non-periodic time slices, the starting time of the non-periodic time slices and the ending time of the current communication period are not started.

In some embodiments, if it is determined that the updated response time of the current node device has a time conflict with other response node devices when sending the response class control data message, the delay response time of the current node device is adjusted based on the response time of the other node devices having the time conflict, so that each response node does not have the time conflict when sending the response class control data message.

For example, referring to fig. 14 and 15, in the communication scenario illustrated in the foregoing, the slave station 1 transmits a response time declaration message, and declares the response time Δt1', that is, the delay response time is Δt1', and after the delay transmission, there is no time conflict between the slave station 1 and the slave station 2 when transmitting the response type message.

For example, referring to fig. 16 and 17, in the communication scenario illustrated in the foregoing, the slave station 1 sends a response time declaration message, and declares a response time Δt1', that is, a delay response time is Δt1', and after the delay sending, there is a time conflict between the slave station 1 and the slave station 2 when sending a response type message, and there is a time overlap when sending a response type control data message.

For example, referring to fig. 18, the adjusted delay response duration of the current node device is illustrated, for example, the declaration response duration Δt1″ of the slave station 1 in the scenario illustrated in fig. 16 or fig. 17, that is, the delay response duration is Δt1″ so that the adjusted transmission moments of the slave station 1 and the slave station 2 are respectively T3 and T2, and there is no time conflict when the response type control data packet is transmitted.

Therefore, when the response node in the network cannot timely send the response control message, the method can enable the declared response delay time to be met, and when the response node delays sending the response control data message, the response node does not generate time conflict with other response nodes in the network when sending the response control data message.

Fig. 13 shows a flowchart of a method 1300 for network communication time scheduling for non-responding nodes, according to an embodiment of the invention. Method 1300 may be performed by any of the node devices shown in fig. 1 or fig. 2. It should be understood that method 1300 may also include additional steps not shown and/or may omit steps shown, the scope of the present invention being not limited in this respect.

In step 1302, if the node device determines that the current node device is not a responding node device, the duration of the current control time slice is updated based on the received first response time declaration information.

For example, referring to fig. 5, the slave station 2 and the slave station 3 are not response nodes of the current communication macro period, and the slave station 2 and the slave station 3 increase the duration of the preset control time slice based on response time declaration information transmitted from the master station to update the duration of the current control time slice.

In step 1304, the node device continues to receive at least one of a response class control data message, a response time schedule message, and a timeout schedule message for a current control time slice.

In step 1306, if the node device receives a response time message in the current control time slice, a delay response time length is extracted from the response time message.

For example, referring to fig. 14 or fig. 15, in the communication scenario in which the slave station 3 is a non-responding node, the slave station 3 receives a response time statement message sent by the slave station 1, and extracts a declaration response time duration Δt1 'sent by the slave station 1, where Δt1' is a delay response time duration of the slave station 1. It should be understood that if the response node in the network sends a response time statement message for a plurality of times, the node receiving the response time statement message extracts the delay response time length based on each response time statement message so as to update the control time slice; in addition, the time slice duration is controlled, and the time slice duration is related to the sending time of the response time declaration message and the response time declaration message duration.

In step 1308, the node device updates the duration of the current control time slice based on the delay response duration.

Therefore, the method for scheduling communication time based on the deterministic network disclosed by the embodiment of the invention can enable any node equipment in the network to update the preset message sending time of each node, the starting and ending time of each time slice and the ending time of the current macro period in the current period based on the delay time by calculating the delay time and the mode of sending response time declaration messages if the effective response type control data messages can not be sent at the preset sending time when the node equipment is used as the response type control data message sending node.

In summary, the scheme provided by the invention can support each node device to adjust the duration of each control time slice of each macro period within the range of the maximum duration and the minimum duration of the control time slice according to the response time fluctuation of the control message of the node device, so as to realize the scheduling of each time slice and the scheduled sending time of each message in each communication period in the network, thereby meeting the communication requirements of various node devices and various data in a complex control system.

The scheme provided by the invention can greatly improve the network communication efficiency and save the bandwidth, does not need to reserve response time for each node in each communication period, only needs to reserve time required by transmitting the non-response type control data message in a control time slice, can determine the node needing to be responded as the response node through the transmitting node of the non-response type control data message, and then only needs to adjust the time required by meeting the response and transmitting the response type control data message for each response node in the communication macro period and adjusts the length of the control time slice according to the required time.

Therefore, the method for network communication scheduling provided by the embodiment of the invention not only can meet the requirement of quick request response about control data, but also can avoid overtime reply of response data, and can also effectively improve communication efficiency and reduce bandwidth waste.

Fig. 2 shows a schematic structural diagram of a node device suitable for implementing an embodiment of the invention. As shown in fig. 2, the node device may include a processor 200. Processor 200 controls the operation and function of the node device. For example, in some embodiments, the processor 200 may perform various operations by means of various instructions stored in a memory 240 coupled thereto. Memory 240 may be of any suitable type suitable to the local technical environment and may be implemented using any suitable data storage technology including, but not limited to, semiconductor-based memory devices, magnetic memory devices and systems, optical memory devices and systems. Although only one memory 240 is shown in fig. 2, those skilled in the art will appreciate that a node device may include more physically distinct memories 240.

Processor 200 may be of any suitable type suitable to the local technical environment and may include, but is not limited to, one or more of a general purpose computer, a special purpose computer, a microprocessor, a Digital Signal Processor (DSP), and a processor-based multi-core processor architecture. The node device may also include a plurality of processors 200. Processor 200 is coupled to transceiver 220, and transceiver 220 may enable the reception and transmission of information by means of a communication interface and/or other components.

When the node device performs the various test functions described above, the processor 200 and transceiver 220 may operate in concert under the control of instructions in the memory 240, and the node device may act as any of the node devices in the network 130 of fig. 1 to implement the method of deterministic network-based communication time scheduling of any of the methods 400, 800, 1100-1300 and embodiments described above with reference to fig. 4-18.

The present invention relates to methods, apparatus, systems, electronic devices, computer readable storage media and/or computer program products. The computer program product may include computer readable program instructions for carrying out aspects of the present invention.

The computer readable storage medium may be a tangible device that can hold and store instructions for use by an instruction execution device. The computer readable storage medium may be, for example, but not limited to, an electronic storage device, a magnetic storage device, an optical storage device, an electromagnetic storage device, a semiconductor storage device, or any suitable combination of the foregoing. More specific examples (a non-exhaustive list) of the computer-readable storage medium would include the following: portable computer disks, hard disks, random Access Memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), static Random Access Memory (SRAM), portable compact disk read-only memory (CD-ROM), digital Versatile Disks (DVD), memory sticks, floppy disks, mechanical coding devices, punch cards or in-groove structures such as punch cards or grooves having instructions stored thereon, and any suitable combination of the foregoing. Computer-readable storage media, as used herein, are not to be construed as transitory signals per se, such as radio waves or other freely propagating electromagnetic waves, electromagnetic waves propagating through waveguides or other transmission media (e.g., optical pulses through fiber optic cables), or electrical signals transmitted through wires.

The computer readable program instructions described herein may be downloaded from a computer readable storage medium to a respective computing/processing device or to an external computer or external storage device over a network, such as the internet, a local area network, a wide area network, and/or a wireless network. The network may include copper transmission cables, fiber optic transmissions, wireless transmissions, routers, firewalls, switches, gateway computers and/or edge computing devices. The network interface card or network interface in each computing/processing device receives computer readable program instructions from the network and forwards the computer readable program instructions for storage in a computer readable storage medium in the respective computing/processing device.

Computer program instructions for carrying out operations of the present invention may be assembly instructions, instruction Set Architecture (ISA) instructions, machine-related instructions, microcode, firmware instructions, state setting data, or source or object code written in any combination of one or more programming languages, including an object oriented programming language such as Smalltalk, c++ or the like and conventional procedural programming languages, such as the "C" programming language or similar programming languages. The computer readable program instructions may be executed entirely on the user's computer, partly on the user's computer, as a stand-alone software package, partly on the user's computer and partly on a remote computer or entirely on the remote computer or server. In the case of a remote computer, the remote computer may be connected to the user's computer through any kind of network, including a Local Area Network (LAN) or a Wide Area Network (WAN), or may be connected to an external computer (for example, through the Internet using an Internet service provider). In some embodiments, aspects of the present invention are implemented by personalizing electronic circuitry, such as programmable logic circuitry, field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs), or Programmable Logic Arrays (PLAs), with state information for computer readable program instructions, which can execute the computer readable program instructions.

Various aspects of the present invention are described herein with reference to flowchart illustrations and/or step diagrams of methods, apparatus (systems) and computer program products according to embodiments of the invention. It will be understood that each block of the flowchart illustrations and/or step diagrams, and combinations of blocks in the flowchart illustrations and/or step diagrams, can be implemented by computer-readable program instructions.

These computer readable program instructions may be provided to a processing unit of a general purpose computer, special purpose computer, or other programmable data processing apparatus to produce a machine, such that the instructions, which execute via the processing unit of the computer or other programmable data processing apparatus, create means for implementing the functions/acts specified in the flowchart and/or step diagram block or blocks. These computer-readable program instructions may also be stored in a computer-readable storage medium that can direct a computer, programmable data processing apparatus, and/or other devices to function in a particular manner, such that the computer-readable medium having the instructions stored therein includes an article of manufacture including instructions which implement the function/act specified in the flowchart and/or step diagram step or steps.

The computer readable program instructions may also be loaded onto a computer, other programmable data processing apparatus, or other devices to cause a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer, other programmable apparatus or other devices to produce a computer implemented process such that the instructions which execute on the computer, other programmable apparatus or other devices implement the functions/acts specified in the flowchart and/or step diagram block or blocks.

The flowcharts and step diagrams in the figures illustrate the architecture, functionality, and operation of possible implementations of systems, methods and computer program products according to various embodiments of the present invention. In this regard, each block of the flowchart or step diagrams may represent a module, segment, or portion of instructions, which comprises one or more executable instructions for implementing the specified logical function(s). In some alternative implementations, the functions noted in the steps may occur out of the order noted in the figures. For example, two consecutive steps may actually be performed substantially in parallel, and they may sometimes be performed in reverse order, depending on the function involved. It will also be noted that each step of the step diagrams and/or flowchart illustration, and combinations of steps in the step diagrams and/or flowchart illustration, can be implemented by special purpose hardware-based systems which perform the specified functions or acts, or combinations of special purpose hardware and computer instructions.

The foregoing description of embodiments of the invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description, and is not intended to be exhaustive or limited to the embodiments disclosed. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the various embodiments described. The terminology used herein was chosen in order to best explain the principles of the embodiments, the practical application, or the technical improvements in the marketplace, or to enable others of ordinary skill in the art to understand the embodiments disclosed herein.

Claims (12)

1. A method of deterministic network-based communication time scheduling, wherein the network comprises a plurality of node devices, each communication cycle of the network comprising a control time slice, a cycle time slice and a non-cycle time slice;

determining the type of the control data message to be transmitted in response to determining that the current node equipment needs to transmit the control data message in the current communication period;

responding to the type of the control data message required to be sent as a non-response type control data message, and determining response node equipment indicated by the non-response type control data message;

Determining response time information corresponding to the indicated response node equipment based on the indicated response node equipment so as to update the duration of the current control time slice; and

the determined response time information is transmitted to the other node device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining response time information corresponding to the indicated responding node device comprises:

determining a transmission time length required by the response node equipment to transmit the response class control data message based on the preset response time information of the response node equipment; and

and determining the response time length of the responding node equipment and/or the response time of the responding node equipment.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein determining response time information corresponding to the indicated responding node device further comprises:

responsive to determining that there are at least two indicated responding node devices in the non-responding class control data message, determining a response order between responding node devices based on any of:

a predetermined response time length or a predetermined response time of each responding node device; or alternatively

A predetermined response priority of each responding node device.

4. A method according to claim 3, characterized in that the method further comprises:

Based on the determined response order among the response node devices, the initial response time length and/or the initial response time of each response node device and the transmission time length required by each response node device for transmitting the response class control data message, checking whether time conflict exists when each response node device transmits the response class control data message;

determining that the time conflict check passes in response to determining that each response node device has no time conflict when transmitting the response type control data message; and

and generating response time information corresponding to the response node equipment based on response order among the response node equipment, initial response time and/or initial response time of each response node equipment and transmission time required by each response node equipment for transmitting the response type control data message when the time conflict verification passes.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the method further comprises:

responding to the fact that time conflict exists when each response node device sends a response type control data message, and determining that time conflict verification is not passed; and

and aiming at a plurality of response node devices with time conflict, adjusting the initial response time length and/or the initial response time of the response node devices with the following response order, so that each response node device does not have time conflict when sending the response type control data message, and checking through the time conflict.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1-5, further comprising:

the predetermined response time length of each responding node device is adjusted based on the response time length actually spent by each responding node device via a predetermined dynamic algorithm in a predetermined number of consecutive plurality of communication cycles.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1-5, further comprising:

in response to determining that the indicated responding node device does not exist in the non-responding control data message, determining that the duration of the current control time slice is not shorter than a preset minimum duration threshold, wherein the preset minimum duration threshold is determined based on the minimum sending duration requirement of the non-responding control data message.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

responsive to receiving a non-responsive class control data message, determining a responsive node device indicated by the non-responsive class control data message;

responding to the determination that the current node equipment is the responding node equipment, and at least determining the response time length and the response time corresponding to the current node equipment based on the received response time declaration information;

Updating the duration of the current control time slice based on the received response time declaration information; and

and in response to determining that the response time arrives, sending one of a response class control data message, a response time statement message and a timeout statement message to other node devices based on the response class control data message preparation state of the current node device.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the method further comprises:

determining a delay response time of the current node in response to determining that the response time arrives and that no valid response class control data message exists in the current node device;

calculating the updated time length of the current control time slice based on the delay response time length of the current node;

updating the duration of the current control time slice and the response time of the current node based on the delay response time in response to determining that the updated duration of the current control time slice is less than or equal to a predetermined maximum duration threshold; and

and sending response time statement messages to other node equipment in the network, wherein the response time statement messages at least indicate the delay response time length.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein determining the delay response duration of the current node comprises:

Responding to time conflict between updated response time of the current node equipment and other response node equipment when sending response type control data messages; and

and adjusting the delay response time length of the current node equipment based on the response time length of other node equipment with time conflict, so that each response node does not have time conflict when sending the response type control data message.

11. A computing device, comprising:

at least one processor; and a memory communicatively coupled to the at least one processor;

the memory stores instructions executable by the at least one processor to enable the at least one processor to perform the method of any one of claims 1-10.

12. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing computer instructions for causing the computer to perform the method of any one of claims 1-10.