Classifications

• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04L—TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION
  • H04L43/00—Arrangements for monitoring or testing data switching networks
  • H04L43/10—Active monitoring, e.g. heartbeat, ping or trace-route
  • H04L43/106—Active monitoring, e.g. heartbeat, ping or trace-route using time related information in packets, e.g. by adding timestamps
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04J—MULTIPLEX COMMUNICATION
  • H04J3/00—Time-division multiplex systems
  • H04J3/02—Details
  • H04J3/06—Synchronising arrangements
  • H04J3/0635—Clock or time synchronisation in a network
  • H04J3/0638—Clock or time synchronisation among nodes; Internode synchronisation
  • H04J3/0658—Clock or time synchronisation among packet nodes
  • H04J3/0661—Clock or time synchronisation among packet nodes using timestamps
  • H04J3/0667—Bidirectional timestamps, e.g. NTP or PTP for compensation of clock drift and for compensation of propagation delays
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04L—TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION
  • H04L43/00—Arrangements for monitoring or testing data switching networks
  • H04L43/08—Monitoring or testing based on specific metrics, e.g. QoS, energy consumption or environmental parameters
  • H04L43/0852—Delays
  • H04L43/0858—One way delays
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04L—TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION
  • H04L9/00—Cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for secret or secure communications; Network security protocols
  • H04L9/32—Cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for secret or secure communications; Network security protocols including means for verifying the identity or authority of a user of the system or for message authentication, e.g. authorization, entity authentication, data integrity or data verification, non-repudiation, key authentication or verification of credentials
  • H04L9/3297—Cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for secret or secure communications; Network security protocols including means for verifying the identity or authority of a user of the system or for message authentication, e.g. authorization, entity authentication, data integrity or data verification, non-repudiation, key authentication or verification of credentials involving time stamps, e.g. generation of time stamps

Definitions

• the invention relates to a timestamping method making it possible to timestamp messages in a network.
• a challenge for telecommunications operators is not only to meet the expected performances on the technical chain for which they are responsible but also to be able to provide proof of the achievement of these performances.
• a communication device comprising - a first interface with a first network for communicating with a first terminal equipment
• processors configured together or separately for:
• the present disclosure advantageously makes it possible to have, in an access gateway, timestamp information relating to messages transmitted by a terminal to another terminal through this access gateway via the second network.
• This timestamp information can for example allow the gateway, or a terminal connected to the gateway, to monitor the transfer times in the second network or the chronology of the messages transferred.
• This can advantageously allow the gateway to provide a timestamping service to a terminal connected to the gateway which uses the services of a communications network to transfer messages.
• the present disclosure makes it possible to check the latency time in the second network, for each message, and possibly to report an alarm to the network operator when the latency time is greater than a latency time that the operator had guaranteed to the terminal or to the service subscribed to by the terminal.
• the device is configured to determine a transfer time in said second network from said first timestamp information and said second timestamp information.
• the timestamp information can make it possible to determine a transfer time in the second network, for example cellular, to which the gateway is connected.
• This information relating to the transfer time can advantageously be compared to a guaranteed transfer time (or guaranteed latency time) by the operator of the second network at the first terminal and if this measured transfer time is greater, to raise an alarm to the operator and/or to the first terminal or service subscribed to by this first terminal.
• this alarm it may be considered to modify or intervene on one or more network devices to once again guarantee the operation of this subscribed service.
• the device is configured to associate at least one first quality information with said first timestamp information and
• this quality information can make it possible to indicate the quality of the timestamp information.
• this quality information may be information relating to the quality of the first or second reference temporal information, or even linked to the devices which distribute this reference temporal information.
• this quality information may be a precision class of these terminals which distribute reference temporal information.
• the device is configured to transmit to a timestamp base at least one or the other or several of:
• the device is configured to transmit to said first client terminal
• the client terminal it is possible for the client terminal to have access to the timestamp information of the messages that it transmits through the second network and to ensure that the communications operator it uses can guarantee a message transfer time in the network while respecting a latency time that suits it.
• the device is configured to receive said at least one second time stamping information and said at least one second associated quality information either from said at least one second device or from said timestamping base.
• the device is configured to obtain said first reference time information from the reception and transmission of one or more messages with a first timestamp server of said second network.
• said second time reference information is obtained from the reception and transmission of one or more messages between a second timestamp server and said at least one second device, said first server timestamp and said second timestamp server being synchronized to the same time reference.
• the first terminal equipment is a teleaction device for monitoring an electrical network, said first message being a message characterizing said electrical network such as a fault alert message from said electrical network or a normal operating message from said electrical network.
• the transfer time of messages in a network is sometimes critical.
• message transfer times so as not to exceed thresholds which would be critical in terms of transfer time. Guaranteeing transfer time when networks are cellular can sometimes be more complex and teleaction services may need a guarantee that the networks used to transfer teleaction messages can at all times meet this need.
• the provision of message timestamping information in the network can advantageously allow such services or terminals using such services to verify that the transfer times conform to those expected.
• the device is configured to
• the timestamp information may be made available for certain services only, for example terminals having subscribed to such a service with the communications operator of the second network or terminals from a supplier of services having subscribed to a teleaction service with the operator. This also makes it possible to limit the number of messages transmitted on the network and therefore the load induced.
• the present invention relates to a communication method implemented in an access gateway, said access gateway comprising
• the present invention relates to a computer program comprising instructions for executing the steps of the method according to the invention when said program is executed by a computer.
• the present invention relates to a recording medium readable by a computer on which is recorded a computer program comprising instructions for executing the steps of the method according to the invention.
• Figure 1 represents a first example of network architecture capable of implementing embodiments of the present invention
• Figure 2 represents a second example of network architecture capable of implementing embodiments of the present invention
• Figure 3 represents a third example of network architecture capable of implementing embodiments of the present invention
• Figure 4a represents a schematic view of the architecture of Figure 1 involving a single telecommunications operator
• Figure 4b represents a schematic view of the architecture of Figure 1 involving two telecommunications operators
• Figure 5 represents a first embodiment of the present invention
• Figure 6 represents a second embodiment of the present invention
• Figure 7 represents a third embodiment of the present invention
• Figure 8 represents a fourth embodiment of the present invention
• Figure 9 represents a fifth embodiment of the present invention.
• the present description refers, by way of illustration, to cellular networks and more particularly to networks conforming to the standardized 5G system, but this only constitutes an example of an embodiment and cannot be limited to the use of such networks. and associated protocols.
• Teleaction applications are used in particular to control the ingestion of electricity from an energy producer to the distribution network of an energy distributor.
• the energy distributor continuously monitors the quality of the energy producer's electrical connection line.
• the distributor therefore sends at regular intervals, from a teleaction box, a message with two possible values, one indicating that there is no fault observed on the line and the other indicating that there is a fault observed.
• the frequency of sending these messages can depend on several factors, typically it can be 5ms.
• the energy producer's box receives several consecutive messages indicating that there is a fault noted, the energy producer is disconnected from the electrical distribution network as long as the electrical fault is noted.
• One of the objectives of the present disclosure is therefore to enable the telecommunications operator to measure the transfer time in its end-to-end network and to be able to provide proof, to the user services of its network, that it has respected or not the transfer times that it undertakes to guarantee.
• Figure 1 represents a first example of network architecture capable of implementing embodiments of the present invention.
• Figure 1 represents an embodiment based on a 5G type cellular telecommunications network but could be applied to other communication networks, compatible with other communication architectures, and in particular future type architectures. 6G and subsequent generations.
• Figure 1 more particularly illustrates the interconnection of two remote terminals, terminal Tl and terminal T2, connected via the telecommunications operator's network.
• the two terminals Tl and T2 are for example electronic devices, such as computers, servers or loT (Internet of Things) modules, or even smartphones.
• the terminal Tl is connected to a PI access gateway provided by the telecommunications operator.
• This connection can be made for example via an Ethernet, wired or wireless network, such as a WiFi network, Bluetooth or other network.
• the PI gateway is an access gateway, one of the characteristics of which is to be able to interconnect on the one hand to the local network to which the terminal Tl is connected, for example via a first network interface and on the other shares in the telecommunications operator's network via a second network interface.
• the terminal T2 is connected to an access gateway P2 provided by the telecommunications operator.
• This connection can be made for example via an Ethernet, wired or wireless network, such as a WiFi network, Bluetooth or other network.
• the gateway P2 is an access gateway, one of the characteristics of which is to be able to interconnect on the one hand to the local network to which the terminal T2 is connected, for example via a first network interface and on the other shares in the telecommunications operator's network via a second network interface.
• the local networks to which the terminals Tl and T2 are connected may be different from each other.
• the terminals Tl and T2 can be teleaction devices.
• the second interface of the gateways PI and P2 allows them to communicate with each other by using this system through the network of the operator.
• the gateways PI and P2 are configured to implement a timestamping method as proposed by the present disclosure and as described with reference to Figures 5 to 9. As such the gateways PI and P2 can be called gateways timestamp.
• the telecommunications operator's network includes a plurality of network equipment, only some of which are shown in Figure 1 and in Figures 2 to 4b.
• the network includes in particular equipment present in the access and transport network part of the operator's network. Among this equipment we can find one or more antennas compatible with the communication system used in the network, here for example 5G, as well as one or more SHI, SH2 timestamp servers, etc.
• the timestamping server(s) SHI, SH2 are configured to communicate with the access gateways PI and P2.
• a single server can communicate with both gateways or two servers can each communicate with a gateway.
• both timestamp servers are synchronized to the same time reference.
• Timestamp servers are configured to transmit information or timestamp streams to the PI and P2 gateways, for example using messages of the MIP type (English acronym for “Master Information Block”) or SIB (English acronym “System Information Block”). Timestamping servers are, for example, synchronization servers present in 5G communication networks to which timestamping functionalities are added.
• the timestamping gateways PI and P2 can be synchronized on the same time scale.
• the communication network may also include a 5G core network which may include a UPF server (English acronym for “User Plane Function”) and an information system which may include a timestamp base.
• the timestamp base can advantageously record timestamp information on messages exchanged between the gateways PI and P2 or between the terminals Tl and T2, in the context of the present disclosure. This information will be described later with reference to Figures 5 to 9.
• Figure 2 represents a second example of network architecture capable of implementing embodiments of the present invention.
• the terminal Tl and the gateway PI are a single terminal as are the terminal T2 and the gateway P2.
• the other elements of Figure 2 are identical to those bearing the same references in Figure 1 and will not be described in more detail here.
• the terminal Tl and the gateway PI can be confused while the terminal T2 and the gateway P2 are not or vice versa.
• the terminal Tl and the access gateway PI form a single device
• the terminal Tl is then configured to implement a method as described by the present disclosure, and does not require additional timestamping gateways.
• the terminal Tl (or the terminal T2) is configured to timestamp the messages, for example teleaction messages, based on information provided by the timestamp server(s).
• FIG. 3 represents a third example of network architecture capable of implementing embodiments of the present invention.
• two teleaction devices device-teleaction_l and device teleaction_2, are connected respectively to the gateways PI and P2.
• the gateway PI can for example interface the energy distributor to the communications network and the gateway P2 interfaces the energy producer to the communications network.
• a third terminal, metering device is also located in the domain of the energy producer and connected to the gateway P2. This third terminal can provide metering services for energy supplied by the energy producer to the energy distributor.
• an information system connected to the operator's network, may include a counting base for exchanging data and messages with the energy producer's counting device. The counting device may also benefit from timestamping services provided by the timestamping server(s).
• flexibility services such as clipping applied by the energy distributor to the energy consumer, can be provided.
• the timestamping gateways can be used by other services implemented in the networks connected to the operator's network via these gateways. Among these services, the synchronization of robots or industrial processes within factories can be considered.
• FIGs 4a and 4b schematically illustrate two embodiments comprising respectively a single telecommunications operator and two telecommunications operators.
• Figure 4a corresponds to another representation of the environment described with reference to Figures 1 to 3 in which the access gateways PI and P2 are connected to each other by a single telecommunications operator.
• Figure 4b illustrates an embodiment in which the gateways PI and P2 are replaced respectively by gateways P1A and P2A which are also timestamping gateways like the gateways PI and P2.
• the gateway P1A interfaces the terminal Tl to the network of a first telecom operator and the gateway P2A interfaces the network of a second telecom operator to the terminal T2.
• This embodiment can be implemented when the energy supplier and the energy distributor have not taken out a subscription with the same telecommunications operator or more generally when the holder of the terminal Tl and the holder of the terminal T2 n have not taken out a subscription with the same telecommunications operator.
• the two networks are interconnected with each other via two PIB and P2B gateways connected respectively to the first network and to the second P2B gateway and on the other hand to the second network and to the first PIB gateway.
• two timestamp servers SHA and SHB located respectively within the network of the first operator and the second operator can be synchronized to the same UTC time reference (English acronym for "Universal Time").
• the two timestamping bases BH1 and BH2 can be shared in the sense that they can each record time-stamped data relating to at least each of the two telecommunications operators.
• the two databases are dedicated to each operator in the sense that they only record time-stamped data relating to the telecommunications network to which they are connected.
• the timestamp information relating to the same message can be reconciled using, for example, a message identifier, for example a message sequence identifier or another message header that can identify it and differentiate it from other messages. , or a unique identifier for the message.
• Figure 5 represents an embodiment of a method according to the present disclosure and which can for example be implemented by one or other of the architectural examples given in the preceding figures. The steps of this process are implemented within the PI gateway, but could quite easily be implemented in the same way, within the P2 gateway.
• FIGS. 5 to 9 show two timestamp servers SH1 and SH2. These two timestamp servers are then synchronized to the same UTC time reference.
• the two servers SH1 and SH2 can be replaced by a single timestamp server.
• the gateways PI and P2 exchange messages respectively with the timestamp servers SH1 and SH2. These messages can be exchanged periodically between gateways and timestamp servers. Periodically means regularly or not, at regular intervals or not. This is about guaranteeing synchronization and the more regular the messages, the finer the synchronization.
• These messages contain reference time information, i.e. a precise indication of time, for example UTC time, allowing the internal clock of the gateway to be updated and HRE timestamp information to be determined for the gateway PI and HTR for gateway T2, determined from their internal clock.
• a first reference time information is obtained by the gateway PI and a second reference time information is obtained by the gateway P2.
• this first reference time information and this second reference time information may be identical and may be the UTC time reference. In other embodiments, these two temporal information are different and synchronized.
• these messages include, in addition to this precise indication of time, quality information associated with this precise indication of time, for example an associated precision class.
• the precision classes can be defined and standardized. This is for example the case of the ITU-T G8275.1 standard. used in telecommunications networks for the needs of 5G which the equipment can obey according to certain embodiments.
• the previously mentioned temporal information can also be transmitted in messages compatible with time setting protocols, such as for example the PTP protocol (English acronym for “precision time protocol”) of the IEEE-1588 standard. .
• PTP protocol English acronym for “precision time protocol”
• the PTP protocol used is defined by the ITU-T under the reference G.8275.1.
• Updating the internal clock of the gateways PI and P2 from the reference time information obtained respectively from the timestamp servers SH1 and SH2 can also take into account the propagation time between the timestamp servers and the gateways.
• the propagation time can be calculated by the gateways PI and P2 from the exchange of bidirectional messages with their respective servers SH1 or SH2.
• the propagation time can be determined by measuring the round trip transfer time between a gateway and the timestamping server and dividing this time by two, without taking into account the asymmetry which may exist between the forward transfer time and return transfer time.
• This propagation time can for example be added to the reference time information to obtain the internal clock of the gateway.
• the terminal Tl sends a message MES_1 to one or more devices on the network, step SI.
• the message is intended for terminal T2.
• the terminal Tl and the gateway PI are confused, just as the terminal T2 and the gateway P2 may or may not be confused.
• the step SI does not exist, the message MES_1 is transmitted to the terminal T2 from the gateway PI.
• the gateway PI timestamps the message MES_1 using at least its internal clock, set to the time from at least one first reference temporal information obtained during the step S0.
• This reference time information can be obtained from one or more devices of the second network and in particular from the timestamping server SH1
• the timestamp of the message MES_1 includes the association, or insertion, of timestamp information, HRE, with the message MES_1.
• the HRE timestamp information corresponds to the time of reception of the message MES_1 in the PI gateway.
• HRE can correspond to the time of transmission of the message MES_1 by the gateway PI on the communication network.
• step S3 the message MES_1 is transmitted to gateway P2.
• the message MES_1 can then be transmitted to terminal T2 when addressed to it (or to several terminals such as terminal T2 or terminals located behind gateways identical to gateway P2), step S3'.
• the message MES_1 transmitted to the gateway P2 or to the terminal T2 is not necessarily transmitted with the first timestamp information before being transmitted. In such an embodiment, steps S3 and S3' can be carried out before step S2.
• the gateway PI receives, step S4, a second timestamp information, HTR from the second gateway P2 relating to the message MES_1.
• the gateway P2 generates the HTR timestamp information using its internal clock, set to the time from the reference time information exchanged via Mhref type messages.
• the internal clocks of the gateway PI and the gateway P2 are advantageously updated regularly or periodically. As indicated previously, by periodic we mean on a regular basis or not, regular interval or not. This is about guaranteeing synchronization and the more regular the messages, the finer the synchronization.
• the second timestamp information can be received in different formats or in different messages.
• the second timestamp information is associated with the message MES_1 by being inserted in the message MES_1 which is retransmitted to the gateway PI by the gateway P2.
• the second timestamp information is transmitted to the PI gateway in another message, different from the MES_1 message in which is also inserted an identifier of the MES_1 message allowing the PI gateway to associate the second timestamp information received at message MES_1.
• the second timestamp information can also be associated with a second quality information, clockclass_HTR, for example a precision class.
• the timestamp information HTR corresponds to the time of reception of the message MES_1 in the gateway P2 if the message is intended for the gateway P2 or the time of retransmission of the message MES_1 to the terminal T2 when the message is sent to it. is intended and that the terminal T2 is disjoint from the gateway P2.
• the PI gateway has the first HRE timestamp information and the second HTR timestamp information, as well as, when transmitted or determined, quality information such as the precision class.
• the PI gateway can therefore determine the transfer time of the MES_1 message in the communication network. This determination may for example consist of making the difference between HTR and HRE.
• the gateways PI and P2 advantageously include timestamping functions which can be used by one or more applications which need them, in particular information relating to transfer times in the network.
• Figure 6 represents a second embodiment in which the steps SO, SI, S2, S3, S3' and S4 are repeated and are not described here.
• Figure 6 illustrates more particularly the use of a timestamp base allowing the recording of timestamp data, in particular the first and second timestamp data, namely HRE and HTR, but also the information of associated quality.
• the method comprises the transmission, step S5, of the first timestamp information HRE to the timestamp base.
• the associated quality information, clockclass_HRE can also be transmitted to the timestamp base.
• Step S5 can advantageously be replaced by a step S5' in which in addition to the first timestamp information, the second timestamp information can also be transmitted as well as the first and second quality information, clockclass_HRE and clockclass_HTR.
• the timestamp base can associate the at least two timestamp information with the message MES_1 or with an identifier, for example a sequence identifier, relating to the message MES_1.
• Step S5 can also be followed, or preceded by a step S6 or simultaneous with a step S6 in which the second timestamp information HTR is transmitted by the gateway P2 to the timestamp base. It can be transmitted with the second quality information, clockclass_HTR.
• step S4 can be replaced by a step S4', consecutive either to step S5' or to step S6.
• the second timestamp information, HTR, and possibly the second quality information clockclass_HTR is transmitted to the gateway PI by the timestamp base.
• step S4 in steps S4', S5, S5', S6, the second timestamp information HTR and the first timestamp information HRE (and possibly the associated quality information clockclass_HRE and clockclass_HTR) can be transmitted to the PI gateway or to the timestamp base, in another message different from the MES_1 message in which is also inserted an identifier of the MES_1 message allowing the PI gateway to associate the second information of timestamp received in message MES_1.
• Figure 7 represents another embodiment in which the gateway PI transmits the timestamp information to the terminal Tl, step S9.
• This step S9 can advantageously allow the terminal Tl to have information relating to the packet transfer time in the communication network that it uses. The terminal Tl can thus ensure that the transfer conditions guaranteed by the communication network comply with the requirements that it would have towards the communication network. Likewise, this can advantageously allow the communication network to provide information relating to the packet transfer time in the network.
• the information transmitted during step S9 is temporal information determined from the timestamp information.
• the gateway PI can determine, for each or some of the messages MES_1, its transfer time in the network, and transfer this information during step S9 to the terminal Tl.
• This information can be transmitted in the retransmitted message MES_1 or in other messages, the determined temporal information being able to be associated with a message identifier so as to be able to be associated with the message MES_1 by the terminal Tl.
• Figure 8 represents another embodiment in which the client terminal Tl requests from the gateway PI, step S7, the timestamp information associated with one or more messages MES_1. This embodiment differs from that of Figure 7 due to the fact that the gateway PI only transmits the temporal information relating to the messages transmitted by the terminal Tl to the terminal T2 on request from the terminal Tl.
• the timestamping gateway PI can check the access rights of the terminal Tl based on an identifier of the terminal Tl, identifiers of the messages concerned and any security information associated with the communications network.
• this verification of access rights may consist of verifying that the terminal Tl is subscribed to a teleaction service and that, therefore, it can verify the transfer times of teleaction messages in the communications network. [0103] In certain embodiments, this verification of access rights can be the verification that the request made by the terminal Tl complies with a frequency of requests subscribed for the service. If this is not the case, the request is rejected.
• the gateway PI transfers the timestamp information or information relating to this timestamp information (for example example the transfer time calculated by the gateway) at the terminal Tl, step S9.
• Figure 8 shows the transmission of a MES_1 message as well as timestamp information HRE, HTR, Clockclass_HRE and Clockclass_HTR.
• the transmission of timestamp information and associated quality information can be executed in a message different from the message MES_1, by being associated with an identifier of the message MES_1 so that the terminal Tl can associate the timestamp information received at message MES_1.
• Figure 9 represents another embodiment in which, following step S7, the request from the client terminal is transmitted to the timestamp base, step S7'.
• This can be particularly advantageous to prevent the PI gateway from retaining all the timestamp information, the timestamp base having sufficient capacity to record it and distribute it to one or more client terminals.
• This step can also be implemented when the request sent by the terminal Tl relates to old messages for which the gateway PI has not retained the associated timestamp information.
• the control of access rights to the timestamp information can be carried out by the timestamp base, step S8,' which replaces step S8 of the embodiment of Figure 8.
• the timestamp base transfers the timestamp information to the terminal Tl, step S9'.
• the information transmitted during step S9' is temporal information determined from the timestamp information.
• the gateway PI can determine, for each or some of the messages MES_1, its transfer time in the network, and transfer this information during step S9 to the terminal Tl.
• This information can be transmitted in the retransmitted message MES_1 or in others messages, the determined temporal information being able to be associated with a message identifier so as to be able to be associated with the message MES_1 by the terminal Tl.
• the terminal Tl can be a teleaction device present at an energy distributor, the terminal T2 being a teleaction terminal present at the energy supplier.
• the MES_1 messages can be teleaction messages, that is to say messages which characterize the electrical network such as a fault alert message or a message indicating normal operation of the electrical network.
• Teleaction messages are particularly important and therefore require reliability in their delivery.
• One of the challenges for the telecommunications network is to be able to guarantee the requested transfer time.
• a teleaction terminal Tl can transmit a request to the PI gateway in order to obtain information relating to the transfer time of teleaction messages in the network.
• the network can monitor the transfer time of a message in the network and observe the evolution of this transfer time over time. This can advantageously allow the network to detect an anomaly in the network, a congestion problem, a network equipment problem.
• the network operator can prove if necessary, to a network user, that it has guaranteed a message transfer time consistent with its commitment when it commits to transmitting packets with guaranteed maximum latency.
• the quality parameters used may depend on protocols used in the communication network.
• the IEEE1588-2019 and ITU-TG.8275 standards can for example propose the following quality parameter for the clockclass_HRE or clockclass_HTR parameter:
• quality information such as clockClass
• PTP protocol Physical Transport Protocol
• the present disclosure therefore concerns a communication device, for example a modem or an access gateway between a first network, local network, and a second network, cellular network, comprising
• the terminal equipment being able to implement at least one service, and for example a teleaction service for monitoring an electrical network,
• processors configured together or separately for:
• the service present in the first terminal is for example an electrical network management service.
• the terminal Tl can implement the teleaction service and, as such, subscribe from the telecommunications operator, a service for transporting teleaction messages through the communication network of the operator.
• the terminal Tl requests the guarantee that the teleaction messages are transmitted while respecting a certain maximum latency time in the network and can ask to verify that the network can guarantee this latency time for the teleaction messages transmitted.
• the access gateway can provide a timestamping service for the messages exchanged between the two terminals Tl and T2 managing an electrical network.
• the teleaction messages exchanged for which the transfer time must be particularly monitored, inform the remote terminal that there is, for example, a fault at the energy producer.
• the present disclosure allows the verification of this latency time by the terminal Tl following the sending of timestamp information or information relating to this timestamp or transfer time information obtained from these timestamp information, via the PI gateway. It also allows the telecommunications operator to provide proof that it is respecting this latency time for each or more teleaction messages.
• the terminal Tl can compare the temporal information transmitted by the gateway PI to maximum latency information (or a range of acceptable transfer time values) that it desired for the transport of messages in the network, and signal to the network operator by sending a message through the PI gateway, that this transfer time is not respected.
• This maximum latency information in the network represents the maximum switching time of a teleaction packet in the network to guarantee operation of the teleaction service.
• the gateway PI which verifies that the effective switching time of a teleaction packet in the network is less than or equal to the switching time guaranteeing the operation of the teleaction service.
• the verification consists of comparing for one or more messages MES_1, the effective time, obtained for example by making the difference between HTR and HRE, and the time determined by the teleaction service to guarantee the operation of the teleaction service.
• a message can be transmitted to the operator of the telecommunications network, and to the teleaction service, or to the energy distributor.
• an alarm can be generated towards the first terminal and/or towards the network operator and the network operator can intervene on one or more network equipment to make it possible to once again guarantee the operation of this service.
• the alarm transmitted to the operator of the telecommunications network can trigger a notification to the supervision system of this operator to trigger the necessary investigations and thus return to nominal operation.
• the alarm transmitted to the energy distributor can trigger an emergency mode for the terminal Tl. There is also a notification, via this terminal Tl, to the supervision system of the energy distributor to possibly modify the policy of distribution for the geographical plate concerned during this abnormal operation.
• the access gateways PI and P2 can support messages conforming to the PTP protocol to update their internal clock from the time information transmitted by the timestamp server(s).
• the PI and P2 gateways can also transmit messages conforming to the “GOOSE” protocol (English acronym for “Generic Object-Oriented Substation Events”). according to the international standard IEC 61850.
• the MES_1 messages described above can therefore be GOOSE messages transmitted between the terminal Tl and the gateway PI on an Ethernet network and then transmitted, in an encapsulated manner, on a cellular communication network, for example 5G.
• GOOSE messages can, for example, be transmitted using the UDP protocol in the 5G network.
• the teleaction messages usually exchanged on Ethernet networks can be encapsulated in UDP messages on the communication network between the two gateways PI and P2.
• the present disclosure can make it possible to control the transfer time of these messages in the communication network, and to provide information to the terminal Tl that this transfer time is respected or not if the operator of the telecommunications network has made relative commitments. at this transfer time.
• the method described also applies to services other than teleaction services, such as the industry of the future, mobility services, supply chains.
• a timestamping function in the network interface advantageously allows several areas of responsibility to be interconnected.
• the example given in Figure 4b showing the interconnection of several networks can be generalized to a plurality of actors. Concretely, in the field of industry and supply chains, it can be a timestamping mechanism for the entire transformation chain of a manufactured product. This product may therefore have to pass between networks of different nature such as outdoor cellular networks for pre-assembly, then a private cellular network inside the factory walls for its machining, then sent for delivery outside the factory.

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• 2022
  • 2022-12-15 FR FR2213449A patent/FR3143919A1/fr not_active Ceased
• 2023
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