Method for operating a wireless industrial edge cloud system comprising one or more base stations, as well as orchestration module, base station, and terminal device

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for operating a wireless industrial edge cloud system comprising a base infrastructure having at least one first base radio station, in which method the base infrastructure is moved along a path, and a communication link is established to at least one terminal device that is located along the path and is stationary relative to the path, and the at least one terminal device is used as an additional second base radio station.

Description

[0001] Description

[0002] Method for operating a wireless industrial edge cloud system with one or more base radio stations, as well as orchestration module, base radio station and terminal device

[0003] The invention relates to a method for operating a wireless industrial edge cloud system with one or more base radio stations. The invention also relates to an orchestration module, a base radio station, and a terminal device.

[0004] In many industrial use cases, edge cloud systems do not require completely continuous communication but can also operate with intermittent communication. Particularly when large infrastructures or wide-area environments are involved, communication processes often only take place in subregions of an industrial edge cloud system and do not affect the entire edge cloud system. Typical applications include IT or OT components for monitoring production or logistics environments, particularly railway infrastructure or an agricultural environment. Other applications can include components for environmental or hazard monitoring over large areas.Continuous connectivity is difficult to achieve and very costly to maintain in such use cases, especially in rural areas or in areas where fixed or wired communication systems are vulnerable to tampering, theft, or destruction.

[0005] There is therefore a need to enable device operations or monitoring as well as software updates and error handling and management also in the previously explained use cases.

[0006] Against this background of the prior art, it is therefore an object of the invention to provide an improved method for operating a wireless industrial edge cloud system with one or more base radio stations. It is also an object of the invention to provide an improved base radio station and an improved terminal device.

[0007] This object of the invention is achieved with a method for operating a wireless industrial edge cloud system with one or more base radio stations having the features specified in claim 1, as well as with an orchestration module having the features specified in claim 11, as well as with a base radio station having the features specified in claim 12, and with a terminal having the features specified in claim 14. Preferred developments of the invention are specified in the associated subclaims, the following description, and the drawing.

[0008] In the method according to the invention for operating a wireless industrial edge cloud system with a base infrastructure having at least one first base radio station, the base infrastructure with the base radio station is moved along a path and a communication connection is established to at least one terminal located along the path and essentially stationary relative to the path, and the at least one terminal is used as at least one additional second base radio station.

[0009] Essentially stationary within the meaning of the present invention advantageously and preferably means that the relative speed during the communication link between the first base radio station and the track is greater than the relative speed between the terminal device and the track. Preferably, "essentially stationary" means that the relative speed between the first base radio station and the track is at least three times as high, and particularly preferably at least ten times as high, as the relative speed between the terminal device and the track.Alternatively and likewise preferably, "essentially stationary" can mean that the movement space, for example a movement radius, of the terminal device during the communication connection is, in its largest dimension, smaller than ten times the dimension of the basic infrastructure along the path, particularly preferably smaller than three times the dimension of the basic infrastructure along the path and most preferably smaller than the dimension of the basic infrastructure along the path.

[0010] In the method according to the invention, a base infrastructure is moved, in particular in or on or with a vehicle, and connects to essentially stationary terminals, thereby reversing typical communication paradigms in which the base station is stationary and the terminals move. By reversing the traditional communication paradigm, i.e. by using base radio stations that cover a fixed area and connect mobile units, edge cloud systems for stationary terminals can be operated flexibly, at lower cost and without the negative impacts of damage to large fixed infrastructures. Furthermore, this approach can also support energy efficiency, since communication infrastructure that is not currently in use along the operational path of the mobile base station can be put into sleep mode.It is understood that the second base radio station is used in the method according to the invention for essentially stationary terminals.

[0011] The core idea of ​​this invention is to make the basic infrastructure for wireless communication, particularly using 5G and / or 6G, completely and permanently mobile in edge cloud systems. Even during operation, the method according to the invention enables terminal devices to be connected to a fixed communications infrastructure, even in areas without a fixed communications infrastructure.

[0012] The method according to the invention therefore reverses the typical paradigm whereby base radio stations are fixed in place during terminal operation, and terminals equipped with connectivity can move relative to the base radio stations. According to the invention, however, base radio stations can be used as mobile base radio stations, which move relative to terminals, which can then be used as stationary base radio stations on a case-by-case basis.

[0013] Preferred applications of the method according to the invention are mobility applications, in particular in vehicles, such as preferably trains. In these applications, the basic infrastructure for setting up a basic infrastructure, for example for 5G and / or 6G, can be provided by providing the power for operating the system via the vehicle. The basic infrastructure is expediently connected to a cloud via a non-terrestrial network. Such a non-terrestrial network can be provided, in particular, via satellites.

[0014] Particularly in a train, a basic infrastructure often comprises several base radio stations which enable physical access to the mobile radio network for terminals within the coverage area of ​​the base radio stations. Since a train is usually very long, additional base radio stations can also be distributed along the train in order to increase the spatial coverage and the duration of the communication link for essentially stationary terminals. Additional terminals which can be used as second base radio stations can be distributed along a track in the form of a track close to this track, in particular in a track infrastructure, and are activated when the mobile first at least one base radio station approaches and establishes a communication link to these terminals to establish second base radio stations.The first base radio stations then provide connectivity to the terminals used as second base radio stations and the corresponding fixed infrastructure when the train arrives as a mobile base station. This time window for existing connectivity can then be used to implement all types of use cases as described above, such as sensor data exchange, actuator control, or other use cases.

[0015] Expediently, the term “using an additional second base radio station” means that the terminal device can communicate with other terminal devices as an additional second base radio station. Particularly preferably, in the method according to the invention, the second base radio station is configured such that it does not request and / or demand any different or additional access credentials and / or authentication information or login information from terminal devices for using the second base radio station than the first base radio station. For other terminal devices, communication with the second base radio station is therefore no different from communication with the first base radio station of the industrial edge cloud system.

[0016] Alternatively or additionally, and also particularly preferably, the terminal device is used and configured as a second base radio station in such a way that it uses one or more different communication channels for communication with other terminal devices than for communication with the first base radio station. In this development, other terminal devices for communication with the second base radio station do not have to share the communication channel that the second base radio station uses for communication with the first base radio station, but can use their own undivided and thus unrestricted communication channel.

[0017] In the method according to the invention, a plurality of terminal devices are expediently located along the track and arranged stationary relative to the track, and a communication connection is then established with the plurality of terminal devices when the base infrastructure is moving, and the respective terminal device is used as a second base radio station when the base infrastructure is within radio range of the respective terminal device.

[0018] In the method according to the invention, one or more of the terminals are suitably eliminated as a second base radio station if the base infrastructure is no longer within radio range of the respective terminal. This means that in the method according to the invention, these terminals are no longer used as second base radio stations.

[0019] In an advantageous development of the method according to the invention, the time window in which the basic infrastructure is within radio range of the respective terminal is preferably determined by means of the basic infrastructure, the basic infrastructure preferably calculating in advance the time window in which the basic infrastructure is within radio range of the respective terminal. Particularly preferably, the movement of the basic infrastructure along the track and / or the positioning of the respective terminal on the track and / or a communication requirement of the respective terminal are taken into account. In this development of the invention, when the basic infrastructure is within radio range of the respective terminal, the terminal is set up as a second base radio station and the relevant communication is carried out.By calculating the respective time window in advance, the communication required to set up the terminal as a second basic function can be planned and prepared, in particular calculated in advance.

[0020] In the method according to the invention, the terminal is preferably used as a second base radio station configured for communication using two or more communication protocols. In this development, the second base radio station is not used solely for the application of a single communication protocol; rather, the additional second base radio station can fully assume the functions of conventional base radio stations.

[0021] Ideally, in the method according to the invention, the at least one first base radio station is designed for communication according to a mobile radio standard and / or 5G standard and / or eG standard, in particular the 3GPP standard.

[0022] In the method according to the invention, the additional second base radio station is expediently designed to mediate communication connections between two or more terminals. In this way, the second base radio station not only forms an uplink for additional terminals, but also acts as a comprehensive provider for all communication connections of other terminals.

[0023] In an advantageous development of the method according to the invention, the additional second base radio station is designed to mediate communication connections between at least one terminal device and a cloud of the edge cloud system. In this development of the invention, the additional terminal devices connected to the second base station can easily connect to the cloud via the second base radio station, thus forming an edge cloud system.

[0024] In the method according to the invention, the wireless industrial edge cloud system is suitably a manufacturing system and / or a maintenance system and / or a logistics system. The flexibility and low-cost expandability provided by the method according to the invention are particularly advantageous in the aforementioned industrial applications.

[0025] Particularly preferred in the process according to the invention is

[0026] The terminal device is used as a second base radio station in such a way that the second base radio station itself sets up its own radio cell.

[0027] Preferably, in a further development of the method according to the invention, the second base radio station provides at least one of its own frequencies for communication with further terminals, which frequency differs from the frequency or frequencies with which the second base radio station is in communication connection with the first base radio station.

[0028] Preferably, in the method according to the invention, the terminal is used as a second base radio station in such a way that the second base radio station uses at least one further channel access method for communication with further terminals, which is different from the channel access methods which use communication connections between the first base radio station and the second base radio station and communication connections between the first base radio station and further terminals.

[0029] Preferably, in the method according to the invention, the terminal device is used as a second base radio station in such a way that the second base radio station uses at least one further authentication method for communication with further terminal devices, which is different from the authentication methods which use communication connections between the first base radio station and the second base radio station and communication connections between the first base radio station and further terminal devices.

[0030] Particularly expediently, the method according to the invention utilizes the slicing established in 5G and / or 6G to separate communication connections between the first base radio station and the second base radio station, on the one hand, and the second base radio station and other terminal devices, on the other. By means of the aforementioned developments of the invention, mutual interference with communication between the first base radio station and the second base radio station, on the one hand, and the second base radio station and other terminal devices, on the other hand, can be minimized.

[0031] Particularly expediently, in the method according to the invention, the terminal device, which is used as a second base radio station, continues to be used as a terminal device. In this further development of the invention, the terminal device not only assumes the function of the second base radio station, but continues to function as a terminal device with functions that differ from those of the second base radio station.

[0032] In the method according to the invention, the terminal is preferably used as a second base radio station in such a way that the second base radio station uses core functionalities of the first base radio station, in particular the SMO function(s) and / or the CORE function(s).

[0033] In the method according to the invention, the configuration of the terminal is preferably determined by means of, in particular, the first base radio station, while this terminal is used as the second base radio station.

[0034] In the method according to the invention, the communication connection between the first base radio station and the second base radio station is expediently kept transparent for those terminals which connect to the second base radio station.

[0035] The orchestration module according to the invention is designed to participate in a method according to the invention as described above. The orchestration module according to the invention is expediently designed to determine the time window in which the base infrastructure is within radio range of the respective terminal device, the orchestration module taking into account the movement of the base infrastructure along the track and / or the positioning of the respective terminal device on the track and / or a communication requirement of the respective terminal device. In this way, both the anticipated movement of the base infrastructure along the track and the communication requirement of the respective terminal devices can be coordinated with one another in advance, and the coordination effort required for this, for example in the form of coordinating communication between terminal devices and the first base radio station, can be planned in advance.

[0036] The base radio station according to the invention is designed to participate as a first base radio station in a method according to the invention as described above. The base station according to the invention is designed to establish a communication connection to a substantially stationary terminal and to use and configure the terminal as an additional second base radio station.

[0037] Preferably, the base radio station according to the invention is designed to use the communication connection to mediate communication connections between the second base radio station and the cloud.

[0038] The terminal device according to the invention is expediently designed to participate in a method according to the invention as described above. The method according to the invention is configured for communication with a first base station of a wireless industrial edge cloud system and is designed to assume a function as an additional second base radio station and to transmit further communication connections of this function via the communication connection with the first base station of the wireless industrial edge cloud system.

[0039] In the terminal device according to the invention, the communication connection of the function preferably comprises a communication connection to a cloud of the wireless industrial edge cloud system. Preferably, the terminal device according to the invention is or comprises a manufacturing device and / or a maintenance device and / or a logistics device.

[0040] The terminal device according to the invention is expediently configured such that, when assuming the function as a second base radio station, it does not query and / or request any different or additional access credentials and / or authentication information or login information from other terminal devices than the first base radio station. For other terminal devices, communication with the second base radio station is therefore no different from communication with the first base radio station of the industrial edge cloud system.

[0041] Alternatively or additionally, and also particularly preferably, the terminal according to the invention is configured such that it uses one or more different communication channels for communication with other terminals than for communication with the first base radio station. In this development, other terminals for communication with the second base radio station do not have to share the communication channel that the second base radio station uses for communication with the first base radio station, but can use their own undivided and thus unrestricted communication channel.

[0042] The invention is explained in more detail below with reference to an embodiment shown in the drawing.

[0043] The sole drawing figure 1 shows schematically in a principle sketch an embodiment of a wireless industrial edge cloud system with a basic infrastructure with at least one first base radio station, in which the basic infrastructure is moved along a path for carrying out a method according to the invention, wherein the edge cloud system comprises an orchestration module according to the invention and a base radio station according to the invention as well as a terminal according to the invention.

[0044] In the embodiment shown in Fig. 1, a wireless industrial edge cloud system is operated. This industrial edge cloud system is a manufacturing system in the illustrated embodiment. In other embodiments not specifically shown, the industrial edge cloud system can also be a maintenance system or a logistics system.

[0045] In principle, in other embodiments not specifically shown, the communication technology can also be 6G technology or another mobile communication technology.

[0046] To implement the method according to the invention, the illustrated embodiment utilizes a mobile infrastructure in the form of a mobile standard 5G system infrastructure LEGS and a new system component in the form of an infrastructure terminal IUE. In addition, another new system component in the form of an orchestration module is utilized.

[0047] The industrial edge cloud system presented here includes a mobile standard 5G system infrastructure (LEGS) and complies with the 3GPP standard. The standard 5G system infrastructure (LEGS) can also be referred to as a basic 5G system and supports defined resource allocations, including quality of service guarantees, such as for slices in 5G systems. It is configured for communication with end devices (AUE) and the infrastructure end devices (IUE) explained below.

[0048] In the illustrated embodiment, the standard 5G system infrastructure LEGS is part of the on-board equipment of a vehicle traveling along a pre-planned route. In the illustrated embodiment, the vehicle is a rail vehicle in the form of a train. In further, not specifically illustrated embodiments, the vehicle can also be another land vehicle or an aircraft, for example, an airplane or an unmanned aerial vehicle, such as a drone, or a marine vessel, such as a ship.

[0049] The industrial edge cloud system is configured to enable communication connections to infrastructure components of the standard 5G system infrastructure LEGS, for example by means of so-called "slicings", with a number of defined quality criteria. Such infrastructure components comprise, in a conventional manner, service management / orchestration facilities SMO, basic core facilities CORE, as well as centralized units and distributed units, so-called "decentralized units". These infrastructure components can also be referred to as backbone components. The infrastructure components represent the internal radio access network components of the standard 5G system infrastructure LEGS.

[0050] Furthermore, the standard 5G system infrastructure LEGS includes base radio stations (RU), which are directly connected to the standard 5G system infrastructure LEGS and enable the infrastructure components to communicate with each other, as well as with end devices (AEU) not belonging to the standard 5G system infrastructure LEGS, and with the cloud (CLOUD). The base radio stations (RU) are motion-coupled to the rest of the standard 5G system infrastructure and, in this case, are rigidly attached to the moving vehicle.

[0051] On the other hand, these base radio stations (RU) also enable AUE terminals within the vehicle's radio range, which are not infrastructure components of the standard 5G system infrastructure (LEGS), to establish communication links with each other and, via the standard 5G system infrastructure (LEGS), with the CLOUD cloud. These base radio stations (RU) can use different frequencies for communication with AUE terminals and the infrastructure terminals (IUE) described below.

[0052] However, the industrial edge cloud system presented here includes not only the end devices (AUE) and the standard SG system infrastructure (LEGS). A special group of end devices is also included, which are referred to as infrastructure end devices (IUE).

[0053] These infrastructure terminals IUE are designed and configured to establish communication links to the standard SG system infrastructure LEGS in such a way that the infrastructure terminals IUE provide backbone communication links to other terminals AUE.

[0054] The infrastructure end devices IUE communicate with the standard SG system infrastructure LEGS, i.e. the local SG communication system, via a defined resource allocation, for example using 5G slices, in order to connect the infrastructure end devices IUE with the local standard 5G system infrastructure LEGS.

[0055] The infrastructure end devices (IUE) themselves also have infrastructure components such as distributed units (rDUs) of the infrastructure device (IUE). In addition, the infrastructure end devices (IUE) each include at least one of their own remote radio modules (rRU). The distributed units (rDUs) of the infrastructure end devices (IUE) manage and operate the remote radio modules (rRUs) of the infrastructure end devices (IUE).

[0056] The infrastructure end devices (IUE) connect themselves to the core components of the standard 5G system infrastructure (LEGS) via their own remote radio modules (rRU), thereby establishing backbone communication links for user traffic, signaling, and management for other end devices (AUE). Based on this backbone communication with the standard SG system infrastructure (LEGS), the infrastructure end devices (IUE) use their own remote radio modules (rRU) to provide additional communication links to other end devices (AUE) that are not normally within the coverage area of ​​the base radio stations (RU) connected to the standard SG system infrastructure (LEGS).

[0057] The additional end devices (AUE) represent conventional "normal" end devices, for example, an industrial handheld device or an industrial 5G router. They are used for communication between user application endpoints on other UEs or in a backend system. These additional end devices (AUE) include, for example, sensors, sensor systems, actuators, or industrial 5G routers. Such additional end devices (AUE) typically host applications such as the infrastructure applications (INAP) explained below and generate or collect data to be transmitted to the backend system. They can also forward actuator and command data received from the backend system to, for example, actuators for execution.

[0058] The remote radio modules rRU of the infrastructure terminals IUE provide radio access to other terminals AUE without accidentally disrupting their own communication connection to the standard SG system infrastructure LEGS.

[0059] This makes it possible to extend the range of local communication through efficient reuse of existing (same) communication technology - without the need for seamless integration of different technologies.

[0060] In the illustrated embodiment, the standard SG system infrastructure LEGS also comprises software components that form infrastructure applications INAP, as well as an orchestration module ORMO. The orchestration module ORMO plans the communication connections between the base radio stations of the standard SG system infrastructure LEGS and the infrastructure end devices IUE. To do this, the orchestration module ORMO uses route planning as well as navigation tasks and a vehicle position. The orchestration module ORMO also includes a database of available infrastructure end devices and their current locations. In addition, the orchestration module ORMO stores the requirements of the infrastructure end devices IUE for their use as mobile radio stations. The orchestration module ORMO also has access to the tasks of the infrastructure applications INAP and their requirements for the communication capabilities of the infrastructure end devices IUE.Based on the aforementioned information, communication topologies can be pre-planned and a connectivity schedule created. As soon as remote infrastructure end devices IUE come close enough to the vehicle to establish communication, i.e. as soon as the infrastructure end devices IUE are within radio range FRW of the standard SG system infrastructure LEGS, the infrastructure end devices IUE are configured to set them up as stationary base radio stations relative to the vehicle's trajectory, and the information exchange required for operation as stationary base radio stations is carried out. Additional tasks of the orchestration module include updating the configuration of the infrastructure end devices IUE, managing application-tenant networks, and decommissioning infrastructure end devices IUE via infrastructure end device management interfaces.In addition, if infrastructure end devices are expected to enter an area AFRW outside the radio range of the standard SG system infrastructure LEGS according to the connectivity schedule, they are reconfigured by the standard SG system infrastructure LEGS as normal end devices AUE and are no longer considered as base radio stations. Infrastructure applications INAPS are applications for performing tasks of the respective use case. In the illustrated example, infrastructure applications INAPS process data collected by end devices AUE that are not infrastructure end devices IUE and send commands to the actuator via application UEs. Infrastructure applications typically use an application-tenant network.

[0061] The infrastructure units IUE also have local data storage and data processing functions LSS, which can be used as long as there is no communication connection to the cloud.

[0062] The standard 5G system infrastructure LECS is connected to the cloud via a non-terrestrial radio access, in the example shown via a satellite-based radio access.

Claims

Patent claims 1. Method for operating a wireless industrial edge cloud system with a basic infrastructure (LEGS) with at least one first base radio station (RU), in which the basic infrastructure (LEGS) is moved along a path and a communication connection is established to at least one terminal device (IUE) located along the path and stationary relative to the path, and the at least one terminal device (IUE) is used as an additional second base radio station (rRU).

2. Method according to the preceding claim, wherein the second base radio station is set up in such a way that it does not query and / or request any different or additional access credentials and / or authentication information or login information from terminal devices for using the second base radio station than the first base radio station queries and / or requests.

3. Method according to one of the preceding claims, in which a plurality of terminals (IUE) are located along the track and are arranged stationary relative to the track and a communication connection is then established with the plurality of terminals (IUE) when the base infrastructure (LEGS) moves and the respective terminal (IUE) is used as a second base radio station (rRU) when the base infrastructure is within radio range (FRW) of the respective terminal (IUE).

4. Method according to one of the preceding claims, in which one or more of the terminals (IUE) are eliminated as a second base radio station (rRU) if the base infrastructure (LEGS) is no longer (AFRW) within radio range (FRW) of the respective terminal.

5. Method according to one of the preceding claims, in which the basic infrastructure (LEGS) is used to determine in which time window the basic infrastructure (LEGS) is Radio range (FRW) of the respective terminal device (IUE), preferably taking into account the movement of the basic infrastructure (LEGS) along the track and / or the positioning of the respective terminal device (IUE) on the track and / or a communication requirement of the respective terminal device (IUE).

6. Method according to one of the preceding claims, in which the terminal (IUE) as such a second base radio station (rRU), which is configured to communicate using two or more communication protocols.

7. Method according to one of the preceding claims, in which the at least one first base radio station (RU) is designed for communication according to a mobile radio standard and / or 5G standard and / or 6G standard, in particular according to the 3GPP standard.

8. Method according to one of the preceding claims, in which the additional second base radio station (rRU) is designed to switch communication connections between two or more terminals (AUE).

9. Method according to one of the preceding claims, in which the additional second base radio station (rRU) is designed to switch communication connections of at least one terminal (AUE) with a cloud (CLOUD) of the edge cloud system.

10. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the wireless industrial edge cloud system is a manufacturing system and / or a maintenance system and / or a logistics system.

11. Orchestration module, designed to participate in a method according to one of the preceding claims, which is designed to determine in which time window the basic infrastructure (LEGS) is within radio range of the respective terminal equipment (TUE), whereby the orchestration module (ORMO) takes into account the movement of the basic infrastructure (LEOS) along the track and / or the positioning of the respective terminal equipment (IUE) on the track and / or a communication requirement of the respective terminal equipment (IUE).

12. Base radio station, designed to participate as a first base station (RU) in a method according to one of the preceding claims, which is designed to establish a communication connection to a terminal (IUE) and to use and set up the terminal (IUE) as an additional second base radio station (rRU).

13. Base radio station according to the preceding claim, which is designed to use the communication connection to mediate communication connections between the second base radio station (rRU) and the cloud (CLOUD).

14. Terminal device configured to participate in a method according to one of the preceding claims, which is configured to establish a communication connection with a first base station (RU) of a wireless industrial edge cloud system and which is configured to assume a function as an additional second base radio station (rRU) and to switch further communication connections of this function via the communication connection with the first base station (RU) of the wireless industrial edge cloud system.

15. Terminal according to the preceding claim, wherein the communication connection of the function comprises a communication connection to a cloud (CLOUD) of the wireless industrial edge cloud system.

16. Terminal according to one of the preceding claims, which is or comprises a manufacturing device and / or a maintenance device and / or a logistics device.

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