Communication method, wireless transmission unit, radio unit and communication system

Abstract

The application discloses a communication method, a wireless transmission unit, a radio unit and a communication system. The communication method comprises the following steps: a master RTU determines a master radio unit and a standby radio unit, and controls the master radio unit to enter a data mode; the master RTU sends a data mode data frame to the master radio unit at a preset first communication cycle, and sends an instruction mode data frame to the standby radio unit at a preset second communication cycle; the master RTU receives the data mode data frame sent by the master radio unit at the preset first communication cycle, and receives the instruction mode data frame sent by the standby radio unit at the preset second communication cycle; wherein the data mode data frame is any one of a first data frame and a third data frame; the instruction mode data frame is any one of a second data frame and the third data frame; the first data frame has a first frame format, the second data frame has a second frame format, and the third data frame has a third frame format.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of communication technology, and in particular to a communication method, a wireless transmission unit, a radio unit, and a communication system. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, the dual-redundant Radio Transmission Unit (RTU) in the Automatic Train Operation (ATO) system of high-speed railways uses interface hardware interlocking to communicate wirelessly with the Temporary Speed ​​Limiting Server (TSRS) via a GSM-R radio unit. However, while the RTU has a redundant architecture, the GSM-R onboard radio lacks redundancy. Although the dual-redundant RTU improves the reliability of the RTU, it does not significantly improve the overall system reliability. Without redundancy in the GSM-R onboard radio, the system's reliability is limited by the GSM-R radio's own reliability. Furthermore, the redundancy in the RTU without a significant improvement in system reliability leads to resource waste. Therefore, the system's resource utilization is low when the RTU has dual redundancy but the radio unit lacks redundancy. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The main objective of this application is to provide a communication method, a wireless transmission unit, a radio unit, and a communication system, which solves the technical problems of the inability to significantly improve system reliability and low resource utilization in the prior art, and can greatly improve system reliability and enhance system resource utilization.

[0004] This application provides a communication method applied to a wireless transmission unit (RTU), wherein the RTU is a determined master RTU, and the communication method includes:

[0005] The main RTU determines the primary radio unit and the backup radio unit, and controls the primary radio unit to enter data mode;

[0006] The primary RTU sends data mode data frames to the primary radio unit at a preset first communication cycle, and the backup radio unit sends command mode data frames at a preset second communication cycle.

[0007] The primary RTU receives the data mode data frame sent by the primary radio unit in the preset first communication cycle, and receives the command mode data frame sent by the backup radio unit in the preset second communication cycle.

[0008] Wherein, the data mode data frame is either a first data frame or a third data frame; the instruction mode data frame is either a second data frame or a third data frame; the first data frame has a first frame format, the second data frame has a second frame format, and the third data frame has a third frame format.

[0009] In one exemplary embodiment, the first frame format includes data and a level control signal; the second frame format includes instructions and the level control signal; and the third frame format includes the level control signal.

[0010] In an exemplary embodiment, the primary RTU sending the data mode data frame to the primary radio unit in the preset first communication period includes: when the primary RTU has data to be sent within the preset first communication period, the primary RTU sends the first data frame to the primary radio unit in the preset first communication period;

[0011] When the master RTU has no data to send within the preset first communication period, the master RTU sends the third data frame to the master radio unit within the preset first communication period.

[0012] In an exemplary embodiment, the primary RTU sending the command mode data frame to the backup radio unit during the preset second communication cycle includes:

[0013] The primary RTU sends the second data frame to the backup radio unit at the preset second communication cycle to query the registration status of the backup radio unit.

[0014] In an exemplary embodiment, the primary RTU is connected to the primary radio unit via a first RS422 interface, and the primary RTU is connected to the backup radio unit via a second RS422 interface, wherein the first RS422 interface is a single RS422 interface and the second RS422 interface is a single RS422 interface.

[0015] In one exemplary embodiment, the communication method further includes:

[0016] If the primary RTU does not receive any data frame of the data mode from the primary radio unit within a preset time, the primary RTU deactivates the primary radio unit and activates the backup radio unit, switching the deactivated primary radio unit to a new backup radio unit, and switching the activated backup radio unit to a new primary radio unit; or,

[0017] If the primary RTU finds that the status of the primary radio unit is deactivated, the primary RTU will switch the primary radio unit to a new backup radio unit, activate the backup radio unit, and then switch the activated backup radio unit to the new primary radio unit.

[0018] In an exemplary embodiment, the primary RTU determines the primary radio unit and the backup radio unit by:

[0019] The master RTU interacts with the two radio units in the command state through polling, controls the two radio units to attach to the wireless network, queries the network registration results of the two radio units, determines the radio unit that registers to the wireless network first as the primary radio unit, and determines the other radio unit as the backup radio unit.

[0020] In one exemplary embodiment, the preset first communication period and the preset second communication period are the same, both being 250ms.

[0021] In one exemplary embodiment, the preset first communication period is different from the preset second communication period.

[0022] In an exemplary embodiment, the primary RTU sends the data mode data frame to the primary radio unit at a preset first communication cycle via polling, and sends the command mode data frame to the backup radio unit at a preset second communication cycle.

[0023] In one exemplary embodiment, the primary RTU connects to the data interface of the primary radio unit and the backup radio unit, and is interlocked with the corresponding backup RTU connecting to the data interface of the primary radio unit and the backup radio unit.

[0024] In one exemplary embodiment, the method further includes:

[0025] If a master-slave switch occurs between the master RTU and the corresponding backup RTU, the new master RTU re-determines the master radio unit and the backup radio unit; wherein the method used by the new master RTU to re-determine the master radio unit and the backup radio unit is the same as the method used by the master RTU to determine the master radio unit and the backup radio unit.

[0026] This application provides a wireless transmission unit (RTU), which is designated as a master RTU, comprising: a processor and a memory; the memory is used to store a program for performing a communication method, and the processor is used to read and execute the program for performing the communication method, and execute the communication method as described in any of the above embodiments.

[0027] This application provides a communication method applied to a radio unit, wherein the radio unit is determined to be a primary radio unit, and the communication method includes:

[0028] After the primary radio unit enters data mode, the primary radio unit receives data mode data frames sent by the primary wireless transmission unit (RTU) in a preset first communication cycle; the primary radio unit sends the data mode data frames to the primary RTU in the preset first communication cycle.

[0029] The data frame is either a first data frame or a third data frame; the first data frame has a first frame format, and the third data frame has a third frame format.

[0030] In one exemplary embodiment, the first frame format includes data and a level control signal; the third frame format includes the level control signal.

[0031] In an exemplary embodiment, the primary radio unit sending the data mode data frame to the primary RTU during the preset first communication cycle includes:

[0032] When the primary radio unit has no data to transmit within the preset first communication period, the primary radio unit transmits the third data frame to the primary RTU within the preset first communication period.

[0033] In an exemplary embodiment, the primary radio unit is connected to the primary RTU via a first RS422 interface, and the primary radio unit is connected to the backup RTU corresponding to the primary RTU via a third RS422 interface, wherein the first RS422 interface is a single RS422 interface and the third RS422 interface is a single RS422 interface.

[0034] This application provides a radio unit, which is designated as a main radio unit, comprising: a processor and a memory; the memory is used to store a program for performing a communication method, and the processor is used to read and execute the program for performing the communication method, and execute the communication method as described in any of the embodiments of the radio unit above.

[0035] This application provides a communication method applied to a radio unit, wherein the radio unit is designated as a backup radio unit, and the communication method includes:

[0036] The backup radio unit receives instruction mode data frames sent by the primary wireless transmission unit (RTU) in a preset second communication cycle; the backup radio unit sends the instruction mode data frames to the primary RTU in the preset second communication cycle.

[0037] The instruction mode data frame is either a second data frame or a third data frame; the second data frame has a second frame format, and the third data frame has a third frame format.

[0038] In one exemplary embodiment, the second frame format includes instructions and level control signals; the third frame format includes the level control signals.

[0039] In an exemplary embodiment, the backup radio unit is connected to the primary RTU via a second RS422 interface, and the backup radio unit is connected to the backup RTU corresponding to the primary RTU via a fourth RS422 interface, wherein the second RS422 interface is a single RS422 interface and the fourth RS422 interface is a single RS422 interface.

[0040] This application provides a radio unit, which is designated as a backup radio unit, comprising: a processor and a memory; the memory is used to store a program for performing a communication method, and the processor is used to read and execute the program for performing the communication method, and execute the communication method as described in any of the embodiments of the radio unit above.

[0041] This application provides a communication system, including: a primary wireless transmission unit (RTU), a backup RTU, a primary radio unit, and a standby radio unit; wherein the primary RTU is the primary RTU as described in any of the above embodiments, the primary radio unit is the primary radio unit as described in any of the above embodiments, and the standby radio unit is the standby radio unit as described in any of the above embodiments.

[0042] In summary, the communication method, wireless transmission unit, radio unit, and communication system proposed in the embodiments of this application achieve redundant design of the radio unit and realize communication between the redundantly designed RTU unit and the redundantly designed radio unit, thereby improving system reliability, increasing system resource utilization, and solving the technical problems existing in the prior art. Furthermore, compared with related technologies, the communication method according to the embodiments of this application saves interface resources between the RTU unit and the radio unit, further improving system resource utilization.

[0043] Other features and advantages of this application will be set forth in the following description, and will be apparent in part from the description, or may be learned by practicing the application. Other advantages of this application can be realized and obtained by means of the solutions described in the description and the accompanying drawings. Attached Figure Description

[0044] The accompanying drawings are used to provide an understanding of the technical solutions of this application and constitute a part of the specification. They are used together with the embodiments of this application to explain the technical solutions of this application and do not constitute a limitation on the technical solutions of this application.

[0045] Figure 1 This is a logical connection structure diagram of the wireless transmission unit and the GSM-R radio unit in related technologies.

[0046] Figure 2 This is a schematic flowchart of a communication method according to an embodiment of this application.

[0047] Figure 3 This is a logical connection diagram of an example of an RTU and GSM-R radio unit according to an embodiment of this application.

[0048] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the wireless transmission unit (RTU) according to an embodiment of this application.

[0049] Figure 5 This is a schematic flowchart of a communication method according to an embodiment of this application.

[0050] Figure 6 This is a schematic flowchart illustrating another communication method according to an embodiment of this application.

[0051] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a radio unit according to an embodiment of this application.

[0052] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the process of a wireless transmission unit controlling a GSM-R radio unit, serving as an application example of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0053] This application describes several embodiments, but these descriptions are exemplary and not restrictive, and it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that many more embodiments and implementations are possible within the scope of the embodiments described herein. Although many possible combinations of features are shown in the drawings and discussed in the detailed description, many other combinations of the disclosed features are also possible. Unless specifically limited, any feature or element of any embodiment may be used in combination with, or may replace, any feature or element of any other embodiment.

[0054] This application includes and contemplates combinations of features and elements known to those skilled in the art. The embodiments, features, and elements disclosed in this application may also be combined with any conventional features or elements to form a unique inventive scheme as defined by the claims. Any feature or element of any embodiment may also be combined with features or elements from other inventive schemes to form another unique inventive scheme as defined by the claims. Therefore, it should be understood that any feature shown and / or discussed in this application may be implemented individually or in any suitable combination. Therefore, the embodiments are not limited except by the limitations imposed by the appended claims and their equivalents. Furthermore, various modifications and changes may be made within the scope of the appended claims.

[0055] Furthermore, in describing representative embodiments, the specification may have presented methods and / or processes as a specific sequence of steps. However, the method or process should not be limited to a specific order of steps to the extent that it does not depend on this specific order. As will be understood by those skilled in the art, other sequences of steps are also possible. Therefore, the specific order of steps set forth in the specification should not be construed as a limitation of the claims. Moreover, the claims relating to the method and / or process should not be limited to the steps performed in the order written, and those skilled in the art will readily understand that these orders can be varied and still remain within the spirit and scope of the embodiments of this application.

[0056] In related technologies, the interface between the wireless transmission unit and the GSM-R vehicle radio unit consists of three RS422 sets. The first RS422 set is used to transmit wireless data (including transmitted and received data), the second RS422 set is used to transmit control level signals, and the third RS422 set is used to transmit additional control level signals. Figure 1 This is a logical connection diagram of the wireless transmission unit and the GSM-R mobile radio unit in related technologies. Figure 1 In this design, the RTU is redundant, consisting of a primary RTU and a backup RTU. The RS422 interfaces of the primary and backup RTUs are interlocked. The GSM-R radio unit includes a GSM-R communication module and a mobile terminal (MT). The GSM-R communication module is connected to the MT via TTL. The GSM-R radio unit itself lacks redundancy. In the event of a GSM-R radio unit failure, wireless communication becomes unavailable, severely limiting system reliability. Furthermore, the interface between the RTU unit and the GSM-R radio unit requires three RS422 ports, resulting in wasted interface resources.

[0057] Figure 2 This is a schematic flowchart illustrating a communication method according to an embodiment of this application. According to... Figure 2 The flowchart shows that the communication method in this embodiment includes steps S11-S13.

[0058] Step S11: The main RTU determines the primary radio unit and the backup radio unit, and controls the primary radio unit to enter data mode.

[0059] Step S12: The main RTU sends a data mode data frame to the primary radio unit at a preset first communication cycle, and sends a command mode data frame to the backup radio unit at a preset second communication cycle.

[0060] Step S13: The main RTU receives data mode data frames sent by the main radio unit in a preset first communication cycle, and receives command mode data frames sent by the backup radio unit in a preset second communication cycle.

[0061] In the above steps, the data mode data frame is either the first data frame or the third data frame; the instruction mode data frame is either the second data frame or the third data frame; the first data frame has a first frame format, the second data frame has a second frame format, and the third data frame has a third frame format.

[0062] In an exemplary embodiment, the primary RTU sending a data mode data frame to the primary radio unit at a preset first communication period includes: when the primary RTU has data to be sent within the preset first communication period, the primary RTU sends a first data frame to the primary radio unit at the preset first communication period; when the primary RTU has no data to be sent within the preset first communication period, the primary RTU sends a third data frame to the primary radio unit at the preset first communication period.

[0063] In one exemplary embodiment, the first frame format includes data and level control signals; the second frame format includes instructions and level control signals; and the third frame format includes level control signals.

[0064] In an exemplary embodiment, the first frame format, the second frame format, and the third frame format all include a frame header field, a length field, a level control signal field, a CRC field, and a frame tail field.

[0065] In one exemplary embodiment, the frame header field is 2 bytes in size, the length field is 2 bytes in size, the level control signal field is 1 byte in size, the CRC field is 4 bytes in length, and the frame tail field is 2 bytes in length.

[0066] In one exemplary embodiment, the size of the instruction or data field is N bytes, where N is less than 65534.

[0067] In one exemplary embodiment, the instruction or data field is an AT instruction or data field.

[0068] In one exemplary embodiment, the value of the frame header field is fixed at 0x3CC3, and the value of the frame tail field is fixed at 0x5AA5.

[0069] An example of the first frame format is shown in Table 1 below.

[0070] Table 1. Structure of the first frame format

[0071]

[0072]

[0073] An example of the second frame format is shown in Table 2 below.

[0074] Table 2 Structure of the Second Frame Format

[0075]

[0076] One example of the third frame format is shown in Table 3 below.

[0077] Table 3 Structure of the Third Frame Format

[0078]

[0079]

[0080] From Tables 1 to 3 above, it can be seen that the structure of the third frame format does not include data fields or instruction fields. In the structures of Tables 1 to 3, the CRC field uses CRC32. The embodiments of this application do not specifically limit the CRC algorithm used for the CRC field. Furthermore, the size of the CRC field and the CRC algorithm used in Tables 1 to 3 can be different; the embodiments of this application do not specifically limit this.

[0081] The level control signal fields in Tables 1 to 3 are all 1 byte in size, with the high bits (bits 3-7) reserved and the low bits (bits 0-3) representing the DCD, CTS, DTR, and RTS signals, respectively. The DCD signal, or Data Channel Receive Link Detector signal, indicates that the radio unit is online when it is ON and offline when it is OFF. The CTS signal, or Ready to Transmit signal, indicates that the radio unit's MT is ready to receive data (including command and communication data) when it is ON and not available when it is OFF. The DTR signal, or Data Terminal Ready signal, indicates that the RTU is ready to communicate when it is ON and disconnected when it is OFF. The RTS signal, or Request to Transmit signal, indicates that the RTU can receive data (including command and communication data) when it is ON and not available when it is OFF. It should be noted that the format of the level control signals shown in Tables 1 to 3 is only illustrative. Besides the four signals shown in Tables 1 to 3: RTS, DTR, CTS, and DCD, other level signals may also be included, and the embodiments of this application do not specifically limit this. Furthermore, the four signals shown in Tables 1 to 3: RTS, DTR, CTS, and DCD can also be arranged in other ways, such as bits 0 to 3 being other arrangements of CTS, DCD, RTS, and DTR, etc., and the embodiments of this application do not specifically limit this.

[0082] In an exemplary embodiment, the primary RTU sending command mode data frames to the backup radio unit at a preset second communication cycle includes:

[0083] The main RTU sends a second data frame to the backup radio unit at a preset second communication cycle to query the registration status of the backup radio unit.

[0084] In an exemplary embodiment, the primary RTU is connected to the primary radio unit via a first RS422 interface, and the primary RTU is connected to the backup radio unit via a second RS422 interface, wherein the first RS422 interface is a single RS422 interface and the second RS422 interface is a single RS422 interface.

[0085] In one exemplary embodiment, the first RS422 interface can be a 3-channel RS422 interface, and the second RS422 interface can be a 3-channel RS422 interface. Of course, the first RS422 interface and the second RS422 interface can also be RS422 interfaces with other numbers of channels. The embodiments of this application do not specifically limit this.

[0086] Figure 3 This is a logical connection diagram of an example of an RTU and GSM-R radio unit according to an embodiment of this application. Figure 3 In this design, both the RTU and GSM-R radio units are redundant. RTU_A and RTU_B each use one RS422 port to connect to the primary and backup GSM-R radio units respectively. The primary RTU connects to the RS422 ports of both the primary and backup radio units, and is interlocked with the corresponding backup RTU's RS422 connections to both units. When communicating between the wireless transmission unit and the GSM-R communication module, the wireless data and control signals to be transmitted are combined into a data frame and transmitted via one RS422 port. Upon receiving the data frame from the other party, the wireless data and control levels are parsed and then used.

[0087] In one exemplary embodiment, the communication method further includes:

[0088] If the primary RTU does not receive any data frames in data mode from the primary radio unit within a preset time, the primary RTU deactivates the primary radio unit and activates the backup radio unit, switching the deactivated primary radio unit to the new backup radio unit, and switching the activated backup radio unit to the new primary radio unit; or,

[0089] If the primary RTU finds that the primary radio unit is deactivated, the primary RTU will switch the primary radio unit to a new standby radio unit, activate the standby radio unit, and then switch the activated standby radio unit to the new primary radio unit.

[0090] In one exemplary embodiment, the preset time can be 3 seconds, but it can also be other values. The value can be set by the user according to actual needs, and the embodiments of this application do not have specific limitations on this.

[0091] In an exemplary embodiment, the primary RTU determines the primary radio unit and the backup radio unit by:

[0092] The master RTU interacts with the two radio units in command state through polling, controls the two radio units to attach to the wireless network, queries the network registration results of the two radio units, and determines the radio unit that registers to the wireless network first as the primary radio unit and the other radio unit as the backup radio unit.

[0093] In one exemplary embodiment, the preset first communication period and the preset second communication period are the same, both being 250ms. In another exemplary embodiment, the preset first communication period and the preset second communication period may be other values, and the embodiments of this application do not specifically limit them.

[0094] In one exemplary embodiment, the preset first communication period and the preset second communication period may be different.

[0095] In an exemplary embodiment, the primary RTU sends data mode data frames to the primary radio unit at a preset first communication cycle and command mode data frames to the backup radio unit at a preset second communication cycle via polling.

[0096] In one exemplary embodiment, the data interface connecting the primary RTU to the primary radio unit and the backup radio unit is interlocked with the data interface connecting the corresponding backup RTU to the primary radio unit and the backup radio unit.

[0097] In one exemplary embodiment, the communication method further includes:

[0098] If a master RTU and its corresponding backup RTU switchover occurs, the new master RTU will re-determine the primary and backup radio units. The method used by the new master RTU to re-determine the primary and backup radio units is the same as the method used by the master RTU.

[0099] In summary, the communication method proposed in this application achieves communication between redundantly designed RTU units and redundantly designed radio units, improving system reliability and resource utilization, and solving the technical problems existing in the prior art. Furthermore, compared with related technologies, the communication method according to this application saves interface resources between the RTU unit and the radio unit, further improving system resource utilization.

[0100] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the wireless transmission unit (RTU) according to an embodiment of this application. Figure 4 The schematic diagram shown illustrates that the wireless transmission unit (RTU) in this embodiment is designated as the master RTU, including a memory 100 and a processor 200. Wherein:

[0101] Memory 100 is used to store programs for communication methods;

[0102] Processor 200 is used to read and execute programs for communication methods, and to perform the following operations:

[0103] The main RTU determines the primary and backup radio units and controls the primary radio unit to enter data mode.

[0104] The main RTU sends data mode data frames to the primary radio unit in a preset first communication cycle, and sends command mode data frames to the backup radio unit in a preset second communication cycle.

[0105] The main RTU receives data frames in data mode sent by the primary radio unit in a preset first communication cycle, and receives command-mode data frames sent by the backup radio unit in a preset second communication cycle.

[0106] Among them, the data mode data frame is either the first data frame or the third data frame; the instruction mode data frame is either the second data frame or the third data frame; the first data frame has a first frame format, the second data frame has a second frame format, and the third data frame has a third frame format.

[0107] In one exemplary embodiment, the first frame format includes data and level control signals; the second frame format includes instructions and level control signals; and the third frame format includes level control signals.

[0108] In an exemplary embodiment, the primary RTU sending a data mode data frame to the primary radio unit at a preset first communication cycle includes:

[0109] When the main RTU has data to be transmitted within the preset first communication cycle, the main RTU transmits the first data frame to the main radio unit within the preset first communication cycle.

[0110] When the master RTU has no data to send within the preset first communication cycle, the master RTU sends a third data frame to the master radio unit within the preset first communication cycle.

[0111] In an exemplary embodiment, the primary RTU sending instruction mode data frames to the backup radio unit at a preset second communication cycle includes: the primary RTU sending a second data frame to the backup radio unit at a preset second communication cycle to query the registration status of the backup radio unit.

[0112] In an exemplary embodiment, the primary RTU is connected to the primary radio unit via a first RS422 interface, and the primary RTU is connected to the backup radio unit via a second RS422 interface, wherein the first RS422 interface is a single RS422 interface and the second RS422 interface is a single RS422 interface.

[0113] In one exemplary embodiment, the processor 200 reads and executes a program for performing a communication method, and also performs the following operations:

[0114] If the primary RTU does not receive any data frames in data mode from the primary radio unit within a preset time, the primary RTU deactivates the primary radio unit and activates the backup radio unit, switching the deactivated primary radio unit to the new backup radio unit, and switching the activated backup radio unit to the new primary radio unit; or,

[0115] If the primary RTU finds that the primary radio unit is deactivated, the primary RTU will switch the primary radio unit to a new standby radio unit, activate the standby radio unit, and then switch the activated standby radio unit to the new primary radio unit.

[0116] In an exemplary embodiment, the primary RTU determines the primary radio unit and the backup radio unit by:

[0117] The master RTU interacts with the two radio units in command state through polling, controls the two radio units to attach to the wireless network, queries the network registration results of the two radio units, and determines the radio unit that registers to the wireless network first as the primary radio unit and the other radio unit as the backup radio unit.

[0118] In one exemplary embodiment, the preset first communication period and the preset second communication period are the same, both being 250ms.

[0119] In one exemplary embodiment, the preset first communication period and the preset second communication period may be different.

[0120] In an exemplary embodiment, the primary RTU sends data mode data frames to the primary radio unit at a preset first communication cycle and command mode data frames to the backup radio unit at a preset second communication cycle via polling.

[0121] In one exemplary embodiment, the data interface connecting the primary RTU to the primary radio unit and the backup radio unit is interlocked with the data interface connecting the corresponding backup RTU to the primary radio unit and the backup radio unit.

[0122] In one exemplary embodiment, the processor 200 reads and executes a program for performing a communication method, and also performs the following operations:

[0123] If a master RTU and its corresponding backup RTU switchover occurs, the new master RTU will re-determine the primary and backup radio units. The method used by the new master RTU to re-determine the primary and backup radio units is the same as the method used by the master RTU.

[0124] Those skilled in the art will understand that, for the sake of convenience and brevity, the specific working process of the wireless transmission unit RTU described above can be referred to the corresponding process in the foregoing method embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0125] Figure 5 This is a schematic flowchart illustrating a communication method according to an embodiment of this application. According to... Figure 5The flowchart shows that the communication method in this embodiment includes step S21.

[0126] Step S21: After the master radio unit enters the data mode, the master radio unit receives the data mode data frame sent by the master wireless transmission unit RTU in a preset first communication cycle; the master radio unit sends the data mode data frame to the master RTU in a preset first communication cycle.

[0127] The data mode data frame in step S21 above is either a first data frame or a third data frame; the first data frame has a first frame format and the third data frame has a third frame format.

[0128] In one exemplary embodiment, the first frame format includes data and level control signals; the third frame format includes level control signals.

[0129] In one exemplary embodiment, the primary radio unit transmits data mode data frames to the primary RTU at a preset first communication cycle, including:

[0130] When the master radio unit has no data to send within the preset first communication cycle, the master radio unit sends a third data frame to the master RTU within the preset first communication cycle.

[0131] In one exemplary embodiment, the primary radio unit sending data mode data frames to the primary RTU at a preset first communication cycle further includes:

[0132] When the master radio unit has data to be transmitted within the preset first communication cycle, the master radio unit sends the first data frame to the master RTU in real time.

[0133] In one exemplary embodiment, the primary radio unit connects to the primary RTU via a first RS422 interface, and the primary radio unit connects to the backup RTU corresponding to the primary RTU via a third RS422 interface, wherein the first RS422 interface is a single RS422 interface and the third RS422 interface is a single RS422 interface.

[0134] Figure 6 This is a schematic flowchart illustrating another communication method according to an embodiment of this application. According to... Figure 6 The flowchart shows that the communication method in this embodiment includes step S31.

[0135] Step S31: The backup radio unit receives the instruction mode data frame sent by the main radio transmission unit RTU in a preset second communication cycle; the backup radio unit sends the instruction mode data frame to the main RTU in a preset second communication cycle.

[0136] The instruction mode data frame in step S31 above is either a second data frame or a third data frame; the second data frame has a second frame format and the third data frame has a third frame format.

[0137] In one exemplary embodiment, the second frame format includes instructions and level control signals; the third frame format includes level control signals.

[0138] In one exemplary embodiment, the backup radio unit connects to the primary RTU via a second RS422 interface, and the backup radio unit connects to the backup RTU corresponding to the primary RTU via a fourth RS422 interface, wherein the second RS422 interface is a single RS422 interface and the fourth RS422 interface is a single RS422 interface.

[0139] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a radio unit according to an embodiment of this application. Figure 7 The radio unit shown includes a memory 300 and a processor 400. If the radio unit of this embodiment is determined to be the primary radio unit, then:

[0140] The memory 300 is used to store the program for the communication method of the main radio unit;

[0141] Processor 400 is used to read the program that executes the communication method and perform the following operations:

[0142] After the primary radio unit enters data mode, it receives data mode data frames sent by the primary wireless transmission unit (RTU) in a preset first communication cycle; the primary radio unit then sends data mode data frames to the primary RTU in a preset first communication cycle.

[0143] The aforementioned data mode data frame is either a first data frame or a third data frame; the first data frame has a first frame format, and the third data frame has a third frame format.

[0144] If the radio unit in this embodiment is determined to be a backup radio unit, then

[0145] The memory 300 is used to store the program for the communication method of the main radio unit;

[0146] Processor 400 is used to read the program that executes the communication method and perform the following operations:

[0147] The backup radio unit receives instruction mode data frames sent by the main radio transmission unit (RTU) in a preset second communication cycle; the backup radio unit sends instruction mode data frames to the main RTU in a preset second communication cycle.

[0148] The instruction mode data frame is either the second data frame or the third data frame; the second data frame has the second frame format, and the third data frame has the third frame format.

[0149] Those skilled in the art will understand that, for the sake of convenience and brevity, the specific working process of the radio unit described above can be referred to the corresponding process in the foregoing method embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0150] The embodiments of this application also propose a communication system, including: a primary wireless transmission unit (RTU), a backup RTU, a primary radio unit, and a standby radio unit; wherein the primary RTU is the primary RTU as described in the foregoing embodiments, the primary radio unit is the primary radio unit as described in the foregoing embodiments, and the standby radio unit is the primary radio unit as described in the foregoing embodiments.

[0151] In one exemplary embodiment, the primary RTU is connected to the primary radio unit and the backup radio unit respectively via data interfaces; the backup RTU is connected to the primary radio unit and the backup radio unit respectively via data interfaces. The data interfaces of the primary RTU connecting to the primary radio unit and the backup radio unit are interlocked with the data interfaces of the corresponding backup RTU connecting to the primary radio unit and the backup radio unit.

[0152] The communication system according to the embodiments of this application realizes independent redundancy automatic switching between the wireless transmission unit and the radio unit, which improves the reliability of the system and also improves the resource utilization of the system.

[0153] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the process of a wireless transmission unit controlling a GSM-R radio unit, serving as an application example of this application. Figure 8 In this example, we will use a GSM-R radio unit with a dual-unit redundant architecture as an example. Figure 8 The wireless transmission unit in the system is the main RTU, which is activated after the system is powered on. Figure 8The wireless transmission unit is autonomously designated as the master RTU. At this time, both GSM-R radio unit 1 and GSM-R radio unit 2 are in AT command state. Subsequently, the master RTU begins polling GSM-R radio unit 1 and GSM-R radio unit 2, exchanging AT commands to control GSM-R radio unit 1 and GSM-R radio unit 2 to attach to the GSM-R network. Afterward, the master RTU polls to check the network registration results of GSM-R radio unit 1 and GSM-R radio unit 2. Whichever GSM-R radio unit registers to the network first, the master RTU sends the command "AT+CGDATA="PPP", 1" to that GSM-R radio unit, controlling it to enter data mode. This radio unit will then become the master radio unit. The other GSM-R radio unit is in auxiliary state and continues to periodically check its registration status in AT command state. In this application example (… Figure 8 In the process, GSM-R radio unit 1 registers successfully first, so GSM-R radio unit 1 is controlled by the master RTU to enter data mode and is designated as the primary radio unit, communicating with the master RTU; GSM-R radio unit 2 registers successfully later, so GSM-R radio unit 2 is designated as the backup radio unit by the master RTU, and continues to send the second data frame to the master RTU in the predetermined second communication cycle in AT command mode, waiting to be promoted to primary.

[0154] It will be understood by those skilled in the art that all or some of the steps, systems, or apparatuses disclosed above, and their functional modules / units, can be implemented as software, firmware, hardware, or suitable combinations thereof. In hardware implementations, the division between functional modules / units mentioned above does not necessarily correspond to the division of physical components; for example, a physical component may have multiple functions, or a function or step may be performed collaboratively by several physical components. Some or all components may be implemented as software executed by a processor, such as a digital signal processor or microprocessor, or as hardware, or as an integrated circuit, such as an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC). Such software may be distributed on a computer-readable medium, which may include computer storage media (or non-transitory media) and communication media (or transient media). As is known to those skilled in the art, the term computer storage media includes volatile and non-volatile, removable and non-removable media implemented in any method or technology for storing information (such as computer-readable instructions, data structures, program modules, or other data). Computer storage media include, but are not limited to, RAM, ROM, EEPROM, flash memory or other memory technologies, CD-ROM, digital versatile disc (DVD) or other optical disc storage, magnetic cartridges, magnetic tape, disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium that can be used to store desired information and can be accessed by a computer. Furthermore, it is well known to those skilled in the art that communication media typically contain computer-readable instructions, data structures, program modules, or other data in modulated data signals such as carrier waves or other transmission mechanisms, and may include any information delivery medium.

[0155] The above are merely optional embodiments of this application. Of course, this application may have other various embodiments. Without departing from the spirit and essence of this application, those skilled in the art can make various corresponding changes and modifications based on this application, but these corresponding changes and modifications should all fall within the protection scope of the appended claims.

[0156] It will be understood by those skilled in the art that all or some of the steps, systems, or apparatuses disclosed above, and their functional modules / units, can be implemented as software, firmware, hardware, or suitable combinations thereof. In hardware implementations, the division between functional modules / units mentioned above does not necessarily correspond to the division of physical components; for example, a physical component may have multiple functions, or a function or step may be performed collaboratively by several physical components. Some or all components may be implemented as software executed by a processor, such as a digital signal processor or microprocessor, or as hardware, or as an integrated circuit, such as an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC). Such software may be distributed on a computer-readable medium, which may include computer storage media (or non-transitory media) and communication media (or transient media). As is known to those skilled in the art, the term computer storage media includes volatile and non-volatile, removable and non-removable media implemented in any method or technology for storing information (such as computer-readable instructions, data structures, program modules, or other data). Computer storage media include, but are not limited to, RAM, ROM, EEPROM, flash memory or other memory technologies, CD-ROM, digital versatile disc (DVD) or other optical disc storage, magnetic cartridges, magnetic tape, disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium that can be used to store desired information and can be accessed by a computer. Furthermore, it is well known to those skilled in the art that communication media typically contain computer-readable instructions, data structures, program modules, or other data in modulated data signals such as carrier waves or other transmission mechanisms, and may include any information delivery medium.

Claims

1. A communication method applied to a radio transmission unit (RTU), wherein the RTU is determined as a master RTU, and the communication method comprises: the master RTU determines a primary radio station unit and a backup radio station unit, and controls the primary radio station unit to enter a data mode; the master RTU sends a data mode data frame to the primary radio station unit at a preset first communication cycle, and sends an instruction mode data frame to the backup radio station unit at a preset second communication cycle; the master RTU receives the data mode data frame sent by the primary radio station unit at the preset first communication cycle, and receives the instruction mode data frame sent by the backup radio station unit at the preset second communication cycle; wherein the data mode data frame is any one of a first data frame and a third data frame; the instruction mode data frame is any one of a second data frame and the third data frame; the first data frame has a first frame format, the second data frame has a second frame format, and the third data frame has a third frame format; the first frame format comprises data and a level control signal; the second frame format comprises an instruction and the level control signal; and the third frame format comprises the level control signal; the master RTU sending the data mode data frame to the primary radio station unit at the preset first communication cycle comprises: when the master RTU has data to send at the preset first communication cycle, the master RTU sends the first data frame to the primary radio station unit at the preset first communication cycle; when the master RTU has no data to send at the preset first communication cycle, the master RTU sends the third data frame to the primary radio station unit at the preset first communication cycle; the master RTU sending the instruction mode data frame to the backup radio station unit at the preset second communication cycle comprises: the master RTU sends the second data frame to the backup radio station unit at the preset second communication cycle to query a registration state of the backup radio station unit.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein, the master RTU connects the primary radio station unit by a first RS422 interface, and connects the backup radio station unit by a second RS422 interface, wherein the first RS422 interface is a 1-way RS422 interface, and the second RS422 interface is a 1-way RS422 interface.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein, Further comprising: if the master RTU does not receive any data mode data frame from the primary radio station unit within a preset time, the master RTU deactivates the primary radio station unit and activates the backup radio station unit, switches the deactivated primary radio station unit to a new backup radio station unit, and switches the activated backup radio station unit to a new primary radio station unit; or If the master RTU finds that the state of the primary radio unit is deactivated, the master RTU switches the primary radio unit to a new backup radio unit, activates the backup radio unit, and switches the activated backup radio unit to a new primary radio unit.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein, The master RTU determines the primary radio unit and the backup radio unit by: The master RTU interacts with the two radio units in the instruction state through polling, controls the two radio units to attach to a wireless network, and queries the network registration results of the two radio units. The radio unit that registers to the wireless network first is determined as the primary radio unit, and the other radio unit is determined as the backup radio unit.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein, The preset first communication period and the preset second communication period are the same, both being 250 ms.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein, The preset first communication period and the preset second communication period are different.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein, The master RTU sends the data mode data frame to the primary radio unit in the preset first communication period and sends the instruction mode data frame to the backup radio unit in the preset second communication period through polling.

8. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that, The master RTU interlocks the data interfaces of the primary radio unit and the backup radio unit with the data interfaces of the primary radio unit and the backup radio unit connected by the corresponding backup RTU.

9. The method of claim 1 or 4, wherein, The method further comprises: If the master RTU and the corresponding backup RTU have undergone master-backup system switching, the new master RTU re-determines the primary radio unit and the backup radio unit. The way in which the new master RTU re-determines the primary radio unit and the backup radio unit is the same as the way in which the master RTU determines the primary radio unit and the backup radio unit.

10. A radio transmission unit (RTU) determined as a master RTU, comprising: A processor and a memory; characterized in that: The memory is used to save a program for performing a communication method, and the processor is used to read and execute the program for performing the communication method to perform the communication method according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

11. A communication method applied to a radio unit, the radio unit being determined as a primary radio unit, the communication method comprising: After the primary radio unit enters the data mode, the primary radio unit receives a data mode data frame sent by a master wireless transmission unit (RTU) in a preset first communication period; The primary radio unit sends the data mode data frame to the master RTU in the preset first communication period; The data mode data frame is any one of a first data frame and a third data frame; the first data frame has a first frame format, and the third data frame has a third frame format; the first frame format comprises data and a level control signal; the third frame format comprises the level control signal; The master RTU sends the data mode data frame to the primary radio unit in the preset first communication period, comprising: When the master RTU has data to send in the preset first communication period, the master RTU sends the first data frame to the master radio unit in the preset first communication period. When the master RTU has no data to send in the preset first communication period, the master RTU sends the third data frame to the master radio unit in the preset first communication period.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein, The master radio unit sends the data mode data frame to the master RTU in the preset first communication period, including: When the master radio unit has no data to send in the preset first communication period, the master radio unit sends the third data frame to the master RTU in the preset first communication period.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein, The master radio unit connects the master RTU through a first RS422 interface, and the master radio unit connects a backup RTU corresponding to the master RTU through a third RS422 interface, wherein the first RS422 interface is a one-way RS422 interface, and the third RS422 interface is a one-way RS422 interface.

14. A radio unit determined to be a master radio unit, comprising: A processor and a memory; characterized in that: The memory is used to save a program for performing a communication method, and the processor is used to read and execute the program for performing the communication method to execute the communication method according to any one of claims 11 to 13.

15. A communication method applied to a radio unit, the radio unit being determined as a backup radio unit, the communication method comprising: The backup radio unit receives an instruction mode data frame sent by a master RTU in a preset second communication period; The backup radio unit sends the instruction mode data frame to the master RTU in the preset second communication period; The instruction mode data frame is any one of a second data frame and a third data frame; the second data frame has a second frame format, and the third data frame has a third frame format; the second frame format comprises an instruction and a level control signal; the third frame format comprises the level control signal; The master RTU sends the instruction mode data frame to the backup radio unit in the preset second communication period, including: The master RTU sends the second data frame to the backup radio unit in the preset second communication period to query the registration state of the backup radio unit.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein, The backup radio unit connects the master RTU through a second RS422 interface, and the backup radio unit connects a backup RTU corresponding to the master RTU through a fourth RS422 interface, wherein the second RS422 interface is a one-way RS422 interface, and the fourth RS422 interface is a one-way RS422 interface.

17. A radio unit determined to be a backup radio unit, comprising: A processor and a memory; characterized in that: The memory is used to save a program for performing a communication method, and the processor is used to read and execute the program for performing the communication method to execute the communication method according to any one of claims 15 to 16.

18. A communication system comprising: A master RTU, a backup RTU, a master radio unit, and a backup radio unit; The master RTU is the master RTU as claimed in claim 10, the master radio unit is the master radio unit as claimed in claim 14, and the standby radio unit is the standby radio unit as claimed in claim 17. The master RTU is the master RTU as claimed in claim 10, the master radio unit is the master radio unit as claimed in claim 14, and the standby radio unit is the standby radio unit as claimed in claim 17.

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