Communication device, communication system, communication method and control program

Abstract

To achieve a communication device capable of suitably performing redundancy of communication.SOLUTION: A communication device includes: redundancy means for generating a first capsulation frame obtained by setting a MAC address of a first radio interface for performing radio communication with a first access point in a transmission destination MAC address by using a capsulated transmission frame, and generating a second capsulation frame obtained by setting a MAC address of a second radio interface for performing radio communication with a second access point in the transmission destination MAC address; and mirroring processing means for generating a third capsulation frame by adding mirroring header information associated with the first radio interface to the first capsulation frame, and generating a fourth capsulation frame obtained by adding mirroring header information associated with the second radio interface to the second capsulation frame.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a communication device, a communication system, a communication method, and a control program. [Background technology]

[0002] When controlling various devices within a factory using wireless communication, there are concerns about instability due to the wireless nature of the communication. Wireless communication technologies in use include Wi-Fi (registered trademark) (Wireless Fidelity), LTE (Long Term Evolution), Carrier 5G (fifth-generation mobile communication system), and local 5G. When using these wireless technologies, there are concerns about instability due to the fact that they are wireless rather than wired. One way to resolve this instability is to use a redundant communication path (mirroring) for transmitting data.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 listed below discloses a communication device (mobile transfer device) that encapsulates a transmission frame to be sent to a counterpart communication device (fixed transfer device) according to a predetermined encapsulation protocol, and uses the encapsulated transmission frame to generate a first encapsulated frame in which the MAC address of a first wireless LAN (Local Area Network) interface is set as the source MAC (Media Access Control) address, and a second encapsulated frame in which the MAC address of a second wireless LAN interface is set as the source MAC address.

[0004] Furthermore, Patent Document 1 discloses that the first wireless LAN interface wirelessly transmits a first wireless LAN frame including the generated first encapsulated frame to the first wireless LAN access point, and the second wireless LAN interface wirelessly transmits a second wireless LAN frame including the generated second encapsulated frame to the second wireless LAN access point. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] International Publication No. 2021 / 130985 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] In the technology described in Patent Document 1 above, in the case of downstream communication in which a transmission frame is sent from a fixed transfer device to a mobile transfer device, the destination is narrowed down to one direction (one way) by going through a router, and mirrored data is sent via the same wireless communication path, which may prevent communication redundancy.

[0007] The present disclosure has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and an exemplary purpose thereof is to provide a technique that can suitably perform communication redundancy. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] A communication device according to an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure includes a first interface means for communicating with a first access point that performs wireless communication via a router, a second interface means for communicating with a second access point that performs wireless communication via the router, an encapsulation means for encapsulating a transmission frame to be transmitted to a communication device of a wireless communication partner in accordance with a predetermined protocol, and an encapsulation means for using the encapsulated transmission frame to generate a first encapsulated frame in which a MAC address of a first wireless interface that performs wireless communication with the first access point is set as a destination MAC address, and an encapsulation means for using the encapsulated transmission frame to generate a first encapsulated frame in which a MAC address of a second wireless interface that performs wireless communication with the second access point is set as a destination MAC address. and a mirroring processing means for generating a third encapsulation frame by adding mirroring header information linked to the first wireless interface to the first encapsulation frame, and for generating a fourth encapsulation frame by adding mirroring header information linked to the second wireless interface to the second encapsulation frame, wherein the first interface means transmits a first frame including the third encapsulation frame to the first access point via the router, and the second interface means transmits a second frame including the fourth encapsulation frame to the second access point via the router.

[0009] A communication system according to an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure includes a first communication device, a router connected to the first communication device, a plurality of access points connected to the router, and a second communication device that performs wireless communication between the plurality of access points, wherein the first communication device includes a first interface means that communicates with the first access point via the router, a second interface means that communicates with a second access point via the router, an encapsulation means that encapsulates a transmission frame to be transmitted to the second communication device in accordance with a predetermined protocol, a redundancy means that uses the encapsulated transmission frame to generate a first encapsulated frame having a MAC address of a first wireless interface means that performs wireless communication with the first access point set as a destination MAC address, and a redundancy means that generates a second encapsulated frame having a MAC address of a second wireless interface means that performs wireless communication with the second access point set as a destination MAC address, and a redundancy means that generates a first encapsulated frame having a MAC address of a second wireless interface means that performs wireless communication with the second access point set as a destination MAC address, and a redundancy means that generates a second ... and a first mirroring processing means for generating a third encapsulated frame by adding mirroring header information linked to the second wireless interface means to the second encapsulated frame, and a fourth encapsulated frame by adding mirroring header information linked to the second wireless interface means to the second encapsulated frame, wherein the first interface means transmits a first frame including the third encapsulated frame to the first access point via the router, and the second interface means transmits a second frame including the fourth encapsulated frame to the second access point via the router, and the second communication device comprises the first wireless interface means for receiving the first frame from the first access point, the second wireless interface means for receiving the second frame from the second access point, second mirroring processing means for removing the mirroring header information from the first frame and the second frame, and decapsulation means for performing a decapsulation process on the first frame and the second frame from which the mirroring header information has been removed.

[0010] A communication method according to an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure includes: encapsulating a transmission frame to be transmitted to a communication device of a wireless communication partner in accordance with a predetermined protocol; using the encapsulated transmission frame to generate a first encapsulated frame having a destination MAC address set to a MAC address of a first wireless interface that performs wireless communication with a first access point, and generating a second encapsulated frame having a destination MAC address set to a MAC address of a second wireless interface that performs wireless communication with a second access point; generating a third encapsulated frame by adding mirroring header information associated with the first wireless interface to the first encapsulated frame, and generating a fourth encapsulated frame by adding mirroring header information associated with the second wireless interface to the second encapsulated frame; transmitting the first frame including the third encapsulated frame to the first wireless interface via a router and the first access point; and transmitting the second frame including the fourth encapsulated frame to the second wireless interface via the router and the second access point. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] According to an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, an exemplary effect is achieved in that communication redundancy can be suitably achieved. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration example of a communication device according to the present disclosure. [Figure 2] FIG. 10 is a flow diagram illustrating a processing procedure of a communication device according to the present disclosure. [Figure 3] 1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration example of a communication system according to the present disclosure. [Figure 4] 1 is a diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of a communication system according to the present disclosure. [Figure 5] 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of a communication device (fixed device) according to the present disclosure. [Figure 6]1 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of a communication device (mobile device) according to the present disclosure. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 illustrates an example of the configuration of a mirroring processing unit. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating upstream communication in a communication system according to the present disclosure. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating downstream communication in a communication system according to the present disclosure. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a sequence diagram illustrating a processing procedure of a communication system according to the present disclosure. [Figure 11] FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a computer that functions as a communication device according to the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] The following are examples of embodiments of the present invention. However, the present invention is not limited to the exemplary embodiments shown below, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the claims. For example, embodiments obtained by appropriately combining the technical means employed in the exemplary embodiments shown below may also be included in the scope of the present invention. Furthermore, embodiments obtained by appropriately omitting some of the technical means employed in the exemplary embodiments shown below may also be included in the scope of the present invention. Furthermore, the effects mentioned in the exemplary embodiments shown below are examples of effects expected in the exemplary embodiments, and do not define the scope of the present invention. In other words, embodiments that do not exhibit the effects mentioned in the exemplary embodiments shown below may also be included in the scope of the present invention.

[0014] First Exemplary Embodiment A first exemplary embodiment, which is one example of an embodiment of the present invention, will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. This exemplary embodiment is the basic form of each exemplary embodiment described later. Note that the scope of application of each technical means employed in this exemplary embodiment is not limited to this exemplary embodiment. That is, each technical means employed in this exemplary embodiment can also be employed in other exemplary embodiments included in the present disclosure to the extent that no particular technical obstacles arise. Furthermore, each technical means shown in the drawings referred to in describing this exemplary embodiment can also be employed in other exemplary embodiments included in the present disclosure to the extent that no particular technical obstacles arise.

[0015] (Configuration of communication device 1) The configuration of the communication device 1 will be described with reference to Fig. 1. Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing an example configuration of the communication device 1. As shown in Fig. 1, the communication device 1 includes a first interface unit 11, a second interface unit 12, an encapsulation unit 13, a redundancy unit 14, and a mirroring processing unit 15.

[0016] The first interface unit 11 communicates with the first access point 3-1, which performs wireless communication, via the router 2. The router 2 is a device that relays packets between the communication device 1 and the first access point 3-1 and second access point 3-2, and is a concept that includes a switch, a switching hub, and the like.

[0017] The first access point 3-1 and the second access point 3-2 are devices that perform wireless communication with a communication device on the other side, and are, for example, placed at a predetermined interval in a factory and perform a forwarding operation in bridge mode. The first access point 3-1 performs wireless communication with, for example, a first wireless interface provided in the communication device on the other side. The wireless interface is, for example, an interface such as wireless LAN, Wi-Fi (registered trademark), LTE, carrier 5G, or local 5G.

[0018] The second interface unit 12 communicates with a second access point 3-2 that performs wireless communication via the router 2. The second access point 3-2 performs wireless communication with, for example, a second wireless interface provided in a communication device of a communication partner.

[0019] The encapsulation unit 13 encapsulates a transmission frame to be transmitted to a communication device of a wireless communication partner in accordance with a predetermined protocol. The encapsulation unit 13 encapsulates a transmission frame to be transmitted to a communication device of a wireless communication partner in accordance with a predetermined encapsulation protocol, for example, by using Layer 2 tunneling.

[0020] The redundancy unit 14 uses the encapsulated transmission frame to generate a first encapsulated frame in which the MAC address of the first wireless interface that communicates wirelessly with the first access point 3-1 is set as the destination MAC address, and generates a second encapsulated frame in which the MAC address of the second wireless interface that communicates wirelessly with the second access point 3-2 is set as the destination MAC address.

[0021] The mirroring processing unit 15 generates a third encapsulation frame by adding mirroring header information linked to the first wireless interface to the first encapsulation frame, and generates a fourth encapsulation frame by adding mirroring header information linked to the second wireless interface to the second encapsulation frame.

[0022] The mirroring header information added to the third encapsulated frame includes information associated with the first wireless interface and may be any information that can identify the first wireless interface, such as an IP address of the first wireless interface.

[0023] The mirroring header information added to the fourth encapsulated frame includes information associated with the second wireless interface and may be any information that can identify the second wireless interface, such as an IP address of the second wireless interface.

[0024] The first interface unit 11 transmits the first frame including the third encapsulated frame to the first access point 3-1 via the router 2. Then, the first access point 3-1 transmits the first frame including the third encapsulated frame to the first wireless interface by wireless communication.

[0025] Furthermore, the second interface unit 12 transmits the second frame including the fourth encapsulated frame to the second access point 3-2 via the router 2. Then, the second access point 3-2 transmits the second frame including the fourth encapsulated frame to the second wireless interface by wireless communication.

[0026] Router 2 receives the first and second frames from first interface unit 11 and second interface unit 12 and transmits them to access point 3-1 or 3-2, ignoring the MAC address at this time. Therefore, if mirroring processing unit 15 transmits the first and second encapsulated frames to router 2 as is without adding mirroring header information to the first and second encapsulated frames, the frames will be transmitted to the IP addresses contained in the first and second encapsulated frames. For example, if the IP addresses contained in the headers of the first and second encapsulated frames are the same, the frames will be transmitted to the same wireless interface of the communication device at the other end of the wireless communication, preventing appropriate communication redundancy.

[0027] Therefore, mirroring processing unit 15 generates a third encapsulated frame by adding mirroring header information linked to the first wireless interface to the first encapsulated frame, and generates a fourth encapsulated frame by adding mirroring header information linked to the second wireless interface to the second encapsulated frame. As a result, the first frame including the third encapsulated frame is transmitted to the first wireless interface, and the second frame including the fourth encapsulated frame is transmitted to the fourth wireless interface, thereby achieving appropriate communication redundancy.

[0028] (Effects of communication device 1) As described above, in communication device 1, mirroring processing unit 15 generates a third encapsulated frame by adding mirroring header information associated with the first wireless interface to the first encapsulated frame, and generates a fourth encapsulated frame by adding mirroring header information associated with the second wireless interface to the second encapsulated frame. Therefore, the first frame including the third encapsulated frame is transmitted to the first wireless interface, and the second frame including the fourth encapsulated frame is transmitted to the second wireless interface, thereby enabling appropriate communication redundancy.

[0029] (Communication method flow) The flow of the communication method S1 will be described with reference to Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a flow diagram showing the flow of the communication method S1. As shown in Fig. 2, the communication method S1 includes steps S11 to S15.

[0030] First, the encapsulation unit 13 encapsulates a transmission frame to be transmitted to a communication device of a wireless communication partner in accordance with a predetermined protocol (S11). The encapsulation unit 13 encapsulates a transmission frame to be transmitted to a communication device of a wireless communication partner in accordance with a predetermined encapsulation protocol, for example, by using Layer 2 tunneling.

[0031] Next, the redundancy unit 14 uses the encapsulated transmission frame to generate a first encapsulated frame in which the MAC address of the first wireless interface that communicates wirelessly with the first access point 3-1 is set as the destination MAC address, and generates a second encapsulated frame in which the MAC address of the second wireless interface that communicates wirelessly with the second access point 3-2 is set as the destination MAC address (S12).

[0032] Next, the mirroring processing unit 15 generates a third encapsulation frame by adding mirroring header information linked to the first wireless interface to the first encapsulation frame, and generates a fourth encapsulation frame by adding mirroring header information linked to the second wireless interface to the second encapsulation frame (S13).

[0033] Next, the first interface unit 11 transmits the first frame including the third encapsulated frame to the first wireless interface via the router 2 and the first access point 3-1 (S14).

[0034] Finally, the second interface unit 12 transmits the second frame including the fourth encapsulated frame to the second wireless interface via the router 2 and the second access point 3-2 (S15).

[0035] (Effect of communication method S1) As described above, in communication method S1, mirroring processing unit 15 generates a third encapsulated frame by adding mirroring header information linked to the first wireless interface unit to the first encapsulated frame, and generates a fourth encapsulated frame by adding mirroring header information linked to the second wireless interface unit to the second encapsulated frame. Therefore, the first frame including the third encapsulated frame is transmitted to the first wireless interface, and the second frame including the fourth encapsulated frame is transmitted to the second wireless interface, thereby enabling appropriate communication redundancy.

[0036] (Configuration of communication system 100) The configuration of the communication system 100 will be described with reference to Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a block diagram showing an example configuration of the communication system 100. As shown in Fig. 3, the communication system 100 includes a communication device 1, a router 2 connected to the communication device 1, a plurality of access points 3-1 to 3-2 connected to the router 2, and a communication device 5 that performs wireless communication between the plurality of access points 3-1 to 3-2.

[0037] The communication device 1 includes a first interface unit 11, a second interface unit 12, an encapsulation unit 13, a redundancy unit 14, and a mirroring processing unit 15. The communication device 5 includes a first wireless interface unit 51, a second wireless interface unit 52, a mirroring processing unit 55, and a decapsulation unit 53.

[0038] The first interface unit 11 communicates with the first access point 3-1 via the router 2. The router 2 is a device that relays packets between the communication device 1 and the first access point 3-1 and second access point 3-2, and is a concept that includes a switch, a switching hub, etc. The first access point 3-1 performs wireless communication with, for example, a first wireless interface unit 51 provided in the communication device 5 of the communication partner.

[0039] The second interface unit 12 communicates with the second access point 3-2 via the router 2. The second access point 3-2 performs wireless communication with, for example, a second wireless interface unit 52 provided in the communication device 5 of the communication partner.

[0040] The encapsulation unit 13 encapsulates a transmission frame to be transmitted to the communication device 5 of the wireless communication partner in accordance with a predetermined protocol. The encapsulation unit 13 encapsulates a transmission frame to be transmitted to the communication device 5 of the wireless communication partner in accordance with a predetermined encapsulation protocol, for example, by using Layer 2 tunneling.

[0041] The redundancy unit 14 uses the encapsulated transmission frame to generate a first encapsulated frame in which the MAC address of the first wireless interface unit 51 that communicates wirelessly with the first access point 3-1 is set as the destination MAC address, and generates a second encapsulated frame in which the MAC address of the second wireless interface unit 52 that communicates wirelessly with the second access point 3-2 is set as the destination MAC address.

[0042] The mirroring processing unit 15 generates a third encapsulation frame by adding mirroring header information linked to the first wireless interface unit 51 to the first encapsulation frame, and generates a fourth encapsulation frame by adding mirroring header information linked to the second wireless interface unit 52 to the second encapsulation frame.

[0043] The first interface unit 11 transmits the first frame including the third encapsulated frame to the first access point 3-1 via the router 2. Then, the first access point 3-1 transmits the first frame including the third encapsulated frame to the first wireless interface unit 51 by wireless communication.

[0044] Furthermore, the second interface unit 12 transmits the second frame including the fourth encapsulated frame to the second access point 3-2 via the router 2. Then, the second access point 3-2 transmits the second frame including the fourth encapsulated frame to the second wireless interface unit 52 by wireless communication.

[0045] The first wireless interface unit 51 receives a first frame from the first access point 3-1, and the second wireless interface unit 52 receives a second frame from the second access point 3-2.

[0046] The mirroring processor 55 deletes the mirroring header information from the first and second frames.

[0047] The mirroring processing unit 55 performs a decapsulation process on the first frame (first encapsulated frame) and the second frame (second encapsulated frame) from which the mirroring header information has been deleted, thereby deleting either the first encapsulated frame or the second encapsulated frame and combining them into one.

[0048] (Effects of communication systems) As described above, in communication system 100, mirroring processing unit 15 generates a third encapsulated frame by adding mirroring header information linked to the first wireless interface unit to the first encapsulated frame, and generates a fourth encapsulated frame by adding mirroring header information linked to the second wireless interface unit to the second encapsulated frame. Therefore, the first frame including the third encapsulated frame is transmitted to first wireless interface unit 51, and the second frame including the fourth encapsulated frame is transmitted to second wireless interface unit 52, thereby enabling appropriate communication redundancy.

[0049] Second Exemplary Embodiment A second exemplary embodiment, which is one example of an embodiment of the present invention, will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Components having the same functions as those described in the above exemplary embodiment will be assigned the same reference numerals, and their description will be omitted as appropriate. The scope of application of each technical means employed in this exemplary embodiment is not limited to this exemplary embodiment. That is, each technical means employed in this exemplary embodiment can also be employed in other exemplary embodiments included in the present disclosure, to the extent that no particular technical obstacles arise. Furthermore, each technical means shown in each drawing referenced to explain this exemplary embodiment can also be employed in other exemplary embodiments included in the present disclosure, to the extent that no particular technical obstacles arise.

[0050] (Configuration of communication system 100A) The configuration of the communication system 100A will be described with reference to Fig. 4. Fig. 4 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the communication system 100A. The communication system 100A includes a communication device (fixed device) 1A, a router 2, access points 3-1 to 3-n, an external device 4, a communication device (mobile device) 5A, and an external device 6. The external device 4 is, for example, a fixed device such as a PC (Personal Computer) installed in a factory. The external device 6 is, for example, a mobile device such as a camera or an AGV (Automated Guided Vehicle).

[0051] The communication system 100A is a system that enables communication between an external device 4 and an external device 6. For example, the communication system 100A constitutes an in-factory network installed in a factory having manufacturing facilities, etc. Within the factory, devices are moved from time to time due to changes in the production line, etc. If devices are connected to each other using a wired network, it is time-consuming to change the wiring when the device is moved. To avoid such time-consuming work, part of the communication path between the external device 4 and the external device 6 is made into a wireless network using a wireless LAN, etc., thereby making it possible to accommodate the movement of the external device 6 within the factory.

[0052] However, wireless has some disadvantages, such as being prone to disconnections, being unstable, and having data loss. One way to prevent data loss, which is one of the disadvantages, is to send and receive data redundantly. Furthermore, there is a demand for remote control not only in local network environments (same network segment) but also via the Internet (different network segments).

[0053] In this exemplary embodiment, a communication system 100A is configured to realize stable communication by providing redundancy to wireless communication paths, and to suitably provide redundancy to wireless communication paths. Details of the communication system 100A according to this exemplary embodiment will be described below.

[0054] 5 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of a communication device (fixed device) 1A according to the present disclosure. The communication device 1A includes LAN interface units 11A and 12A, encapsulation units 13A-1 and 13A-2, a packet forwarding unit 14A, and a mirroring processing unit 15A. Although not shown, the communication device 1A also includes an interface for communicating with an external device 4.

[0055] The LAN interface unit 11A corresponds to the first interface unit 11 in exemplary embodiment 1. The LAN interface unit 12A corresponds to the second interface unit 12 in exemplary embodiment 1. The encapsulation units 13A-1 and 13A-2 correspond to the encapsulation unit 13 in exemplary embodiment 1. The packet forwarding unit 14A corresponds to the redundancy unit 14 in exemplary embodiment 1. The mirroring processing unit 15A corresponds to the mirroring processing unit 15 in exemplary embodiment 1.

[0056] The LAN interface unit 11A (hereinafter also referred to as eth0:0) is connected to the router 2 by wire or wirelessly so as to be able to communicate with the router 2, and communicates with the access points 3-1 to 3-n via the router 2.

[0057] The LAN interface unit 12A (hereinafter also referred to as eth0:1) is communicably connected to the router 2 by wire or wirelessly, and communicates with the access points 3-1 to 3-n via the router 2.

[0058] The multiple access points 3-1 to 3-n are placed at predetermined intervals in a factory, for example, and perform transfer operations in bridge mode. A different BSSID (Basic Service Set Identifier) ​​is set for each of the multiple access points 3-1 to 3-n, and wireless communication with any of the access points 3-1 to 3-n is possible by setting the BSSID of the access point in a wireless LAN frame. Each of the access points 3-1 to 3-n can perform wireless communication using any channel (any frequency band).

[0059] The encapsulation unit 13A-1 (hereinafter also referred to as GRE0 / 1) and the encapsulation unit 13A-2 (hereinafter also referred to as GRE2 / 3) use GRE (Generic Routing Encapsulation) encapsulation technology to encapsulate transmission frames to be transmitted to the communication device 5A in accordance with a predetermined protocol. The encapsulation units 13A-1 and 13A-2 then assign sequence numbers to the encapsulated frames. The encapsulation units 13A-1 and 13A-2 also decapsulate received frames received from the router 2.

[0060] The packet forwarding unit 14A duplicates the transmission frames encapsulated by the encapsulation units 13A-1 and 13A-2, and generates a first encapsulated frame in one of the transmission frames by setting, for example, the MAC address of the first wireless LAN interface unit 51A as the destination MAC address and the IP address of the first wireless LAN interface unit 51A as the destination IP address.

[0061] In addition, the packet forwarding unit 14A generates a second encapsulated frame in the other transmission frame, for example, by setting the MAC address of the second wireless LAN interface unit 52A as the destination MAC address and the IP address of the first wireless LAN interface unit 51A as the destination IP address.

[0062] Here, in order for communication device 5A to perform decapsulation appropriately, the destination IP address of the first encapsulated frame and the destination IP address of the second encapsulated frame must be the same IP address.

[0063] The mirroring processing unit 15A generates a third encapsulated frame by adding mirroring header information linked to the first wireless interface 51A to the first encapsulated frame, and generates a fourth encapsulated frame by adding mirroring header information linked to the second wireless interface 52A to the second encapsulated frame.

[0064] In addition, the mirroring processing unit 15A deletes the mirroring header information from the received frame received from the router 2, outputs the encapsulated frame after the mirroring header information has been deleted to the encapsulation unit 13A-1 or the encapsulation unit 13A-2, and causes the encapsulation unit 13A-1 or the encapsulation unit 13A-2 to decapsulate the frame.

[0065] The communication device 5A includes a first wireless LAN interface unit 51A, a second wireless LAN interface unit 52A, encapsulation units 53A-1 and 53A-2, a packet forwarding unit 54A, and a mirroring processing unit 55A. Although not shown, the communication device 5A also includes an interface for communicating with an external device 6.

[0066] The first wireless LAN interface unit 51A (hereinafter also referred to as wlan0) is configured to be able to wirelessly communicate with any of the access points 3-1 to 3-n. The first wireless LAN interface 51A may be, for example, an interface such as Wi-Fi (registered trademark), LTE, carrier 5G, or local 5G.

[0067] The second wireless LAN interface unit 52A (hereinafter also referred to as wlan1) is configured to be able to wirelessly communicate with any of the access points 3-1 to 3-n. The second wireless LAN interface 52A may be, for example, an interface such as Wi-Fi (registered trademark), LTE, carrier 5G, or local 5G.

[0068] The encapsulation unit 53A-1 (hereinafter also referred to as GRE0 / 1) and the encapsulation unit 53A-2 (hereinafter also referred to as GRE2 / 3) use the GRE encapsulation technology to encapsulate transmission frames to be transmitted to the communication device 1A in accordance with a predetermined protocol. In addition, the encapsulation unit 53A-1 and the encapsulation unit 53A-2 decapsulate received frames received from the access points 3-1 to 3-n.

[0069] The packet forwarding unit 54A duplicates the transmission frames encapsulated by the encapsulation units 53A-1 and 53A-2. Then, the packet forwarding unit 54A generates a first encapsulated frame in one of the transmission frames by setting, for example, the MAC address of the LAN interface unit 11A as the destination MAC address and the IP address of the external device 4 as the destination IP address.

[0070] In addition, the packet forwarding unit 54A generates a first encapsulated frame in which, for example, the MAC address of the LAN interface unit 12A is set as the destination MAC address and the IP address of the external device 4 is set as the destination IP address in the other transmission frame.

[0071] The mirroring processing unit 55A deletes the mirroring header information from the received frames received from the first wireless LAN interface unit 51A and the second wireless LAN interface unit 52A, outputs the encapsulated frame after the mirroring header information has been deleted to the encapsulation unit 53A-1 or the encapsulation unit 53A-2, and has the encapsulation unit 53A-1 or the encapsulation unit 53A-2 perform decapsulation.

[0072] 7 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the mirroring processing units 15 A and 55 A. The mirroring processing units 15 A and 55 A include a mirroring header information determination unit 151 and a mirroring header information processing unit 152.

[0073] The mirroring header information determination unit 151 determines mirroring header information to be added to the transmission frame (encapsulated frame). For example, as the mirroring header information, information is generated in which the MAC address associated with the wireless LAN interface unit is set as the destination MAC address and the IP address associated with the wireless LAN interface unit is set as the destination IP address.

[0074] The mirroring header information processing unit 152 adds the mirroring header information generated by the mirroring header information determination unit 151 to a transmission frame (encapsulated frame) and transmits the transmission frame. The mirroring header information processing unit 152 also deletes the mirroring header information from a received frame and causes the encapsulation unit 53A-1 or encapsulation unit 53A-2 to decapsulate the received frame (encapsulated frame).

[0075] 8 is a diagram illustrating upstream communication in a communication system 100A according to the present disclosure. First, an external device 6 (eth0) transmits a transmission frame to a communication device 5A. When an interface (eth0) (not shown) of the communication device 5A receives the transmission frame, an encapsulation unit 53A-1 (GRE0 / 1) uses GRE encapsulation technology to encapsulate the transmission frame to be transmitted to the communication device 1A in accordance with a predetermined protocol. At this time, the encapsulation unit 53A-1 (GRE0 / 1) assigns a sequence number (GRE Header) to the encapsulated transmission frame.

[0076] Although not shown in the figure, the source MAC address of the first encapsulated frame, which is the encapsulated transmission frame, is the MAC address of the first wireless LAN interface 51A (wlan0), and the source IP address is the IP address of the first wireless LAN interface 51A (wlan0).

[0077] The destination MAC address of the first encapsulated frame is set to the MAC address of the LAN interface unit 11A (eth0:0), and the destination IP address is set to the IP address of the external device 4 (eth0).

[0078] 8, the packet forwarding unit 54A copies the transmission frame encapsulated by the encapsulation unit 53A-1 to generate a second encapsulated frame. At this time, the encapsulation unit 53A-2 (GRE2 / 3) sets the source MAC address of the second wireless LAN interface 52A (wlan1) as the MAC address and the source IP address of the second wireless LAN interface 52A (wlan1) as the IP address.

[0079] The encapsulation unit 53A-2 (GRE2 / 3) also sets the destination MAC address of the second encapsulated frame to the MAC address of the LAN interface unit 12A (eth0:1) and the destination IP address to the IP address of the external device 4 (eth0).

[0080] First wireless LAN interface unit 51A transmits the first encapsulated frame to access point 3-1. Second wireless LAN interface unit 52A transmits the second encapsulated frame to access point 3-2. In uplink communication, communication redundancy (mirroring) can be performed, so as shown in FIG. 8, mirroring processing unit 55A does not need to perform mirroring processing, but may perform mirroring processing.

[0081] The LAN interface unit 11A (eth0:0) of the communication device 1A receives the first encapsulated frame via the router 2. The LAN interface unit 12A (eth0:1) receives the second encapsulated frame via the router 2.

[0082] The encapsulation units 13A-1 (GRE0 / 1) and 13A-2 (GRE2 / 3) decapsulate the first encapsulated frame and the second encapsulated frame. At this time, the encapsulation units 13A-1 and 13A-2 process the frames in the order of the sequence numbers, but delete received frames with duplicate sequence numbers.

[0083] Then, an interface (eth0) not shown transmits the decapsulated received frame to the external device 4.

[0084] 9 is a diagram illustrating downstream communication in a communication system 100A according to the present disclosure. First, an external device 4 (eth0) transmits a transmission frame to a communication device 1A. When an interface (eth0) (not shown) of the communication device 1A receives the transmission frame, an encapsulation unit 13A-1 (GRE0 / 1) uses GRE encapsulation technology to encapsulate the transmission frame to be transmitted to the communication device 5A in accordance with a predetermined protocol. At this time, the encapsulation unit 13A-1 (GRE0 / 1) assigns a sequence number (GRE Header) to the encapsulated transmission frame.

[0085] As shown in the left diagram of Figure 9, the source MAC address of the first encapsulated frame, which is the encapsulated transmission frame, is the MAC address of the LAN interface unit 11A (eth0:0), and the source IP address is the IP address of the LAN interface unit 11A (eth0:0).

[0086] The destination MAC address of the first encapsulated frame is set to the MAC address of the first wireless LAN interface unit 51A (wlan0), and the destination IP address is set to the IP address of the first wireless LAN interface unit 51A (wlan0).

[0087] 9, the packet forwarding unit 14A copies the transmission frame encapsulated by the encapsulation unit 13A-1 to generate a second encapsulated frame. At this time, the encapsulation unit 13A-2 (GRE2 / 3) sets the source MAC address of the second encapsulated frame to the MAC address of the LAN interface unit 12A (eth0:1) and the source IP address to the IP address of the LAN interface unit 12A (eth0:1).

[0088] The destination MAC address of the second encapsulated frame is set to the MAC address of the second wireless LAN interface unit 52A (wlan1), and the destination IP address is set to the IP address of the first wireless LAN interface unit 52A (wlan1).

[0089] The mirroring processor 15A performs mirroring processing on the first encapsulated frame and the second encapsulated frame by adding mirroring header information to the first encapsulated frame and the second encapsulated frame. At this time, the mirroring processor 15A assigns a sequence number (Mirror Header) to the mirrored transmission frame.

[0090] As shown in the left diagram of Figure 9, the mirroring header information to be added to the first encapsulated frame is such that the source MAC address is the MAC address of mirror0 (for example, the MAC address of LAN interface unit 11A (ether0:0)) and the source IP address is the IP address of mirror0 (for example, the IP address of LAN interface unit 11A (ether0:0)).

[0091] Furthermore, as mirroring header information to be added to the first encapsulated frame, the destination MAC address is set to the MAC address of mirror2 (for example, the MAC address of the first wireless LAN interface 51A (wlan0)) and the destination IP address is set to the IP address of mirror2 (for example, the IP address of the first wireless LAN interface 51A (wlan0)). The first encapsulated frame that has undergone mirroring processing is referred to as a third encapsulated frame.

[0092] As shown in the right diagram of Figure 9, the mirroring processing unit 15A adds the following mirroring header information to the second encapsulated frame: the source MAC address is the MAC address of mirror1 (for example, the MAC address of LAN interface unit 12A (ether0:1)), and the source IP address is the IP address of mirror0 (for example, the IP address of LAN interface unit 12A (ether0:0)).

[0093] The mirroring processor 15A adds, as mirroring header information to the second encapsulated frame, the destination MAC address to the MAC address of mirror3 (for example, the MAC address of the second wireless LAN interface 52A (wlan1)) and the destination IP address to the IP address of mirror2 (for example, the IP address of the first wireless LAN interface 51A (wlan0)).Then, the second encapsulated frame that has undergone mirroring processing is designated as a fourth encapsulated frame.

[0094] The LAN interface unit 11A transmits the third encapsulated frame to the access point 3-1 via the router 2. The LAN interface unit 12A transmits the fourth encapsulated frame to the access point 3-2 via the router 2.

[0095] The first wireless LAN interface unit 51A (wlan0) of the communication device 5A receives the third encapsulated frame from the access point 3-1, and the second wireless LAN interface unit 52A (wlan1) receives the fourth encapsulated frame from the access point 3-2.

[0096] Mirroring processing unit 55A deletes the mirroring header information from the third encapsulated frame and the fourth encapsulated frame, and causes encapsulation units 53A-1 and 53A-2 to decapsulate the received frames (first encapsulated frame and second encapsulated frame).

[0097] The encapsulation units 53A-1 (GRE0 / 1) and 53A-2 (GRE2 / 3) decapsulate the first encapsulated frame and the second encapsulated frame. At this time, the encapsulation units 53A-1 and 53A-2 process the frames in the order of the sequence numbers, but delete received frames with duplicate sequence numbers.

[0098] Then, an interface (eth0) not shown transmits the decapsulated received frame to the external device 6.

[0099] 10 is a sequence diagram illustrating a processing procedure of the communication system according to the present disclosure. First, when the external device 4 transmits a transmission frame (DATA) to the communication device 1A, the communication device 1A encapsulates and makes the transmission frame redundant (duplicates) and then adds mirroring header information to two communication paths (two encapsulated frames) (S21).

[0100] 9, the mirroring header information to be added to the first encapsulated frame sets the destination MAC address to the MAC address of mirror2 (for example, the MAC address of the first wireless LAN interface 51A (wlan0)) and the destination IP address to the IP address of mirror2 (for example, the IP address of the first wireless LAN interface 51A (wlan0)). The first encapsulated frame that has undergone mirroring processing is called a third encapsulated frame.

[0101] Furthermore, as mirroring header information to be added to the second encapsulated frame, the destination MAC address is set to the MAC address of mirror3 (for example, the MAC address of the second wireless LAN interface 52A (wlan1)) and the destination IP address is set to the IP address of mirror3 (for example, the IP address of the second wireless LAN interface 52A (wlan1)). The second encapsulated frame that has undergone mirroring processing is referred to as the fourth encapsulated frame.

[0102] Next, communication device 1A transmits the third encapsulated frame (DATA1) and the fourth encapsulated frame (DATA2) to router 2 (S23, S24). Router 2 transmits the third encapsulated frame (DATA1) to access point 3-1 and the fourth encapsulated frame (DATA2) to access point 3-2.

[0103] The access point 3-1 transmits the third encapsulated frame (DATA1) to the first wireless LAN interface unit 51A of the communication device 5A (S25). In addition, the access point 3-2 transmits the fourth encapsulated frame (DATA2) to the second wireless LAN interface unit 52A of the communication device 5A (S26). This enables mirroring (communication redundancy).

[0104] Next, the communication device 5A deletes the mirroring header information from the third encapsulated frame and the fourth encapsulated frame and performs decapsulation (S27).The communication device 5A then transmits the decapsulated transmission frame (DATA1 or DATA2) to the external device 6 (S28).

[0105] (Effects of communication device 1A and communication system 100A) As described above, in the communication device 1A, the IP address of the first wireless LAN interface unit 51A is set as the destination IP address in the first encapsulated frame, and the IP address of the first wireless LAN interface unit 52A is set as the destination IP address in the second encapsulated frame. Therefore, the encapsulated frame can be appropriately decapsulated in the destination communication device 5A.

[0106] Furthermore, in the communication device 1A, the mirroring header information added to the third encapsulated frame includes the IP address of the first wireless LAN interface block 51A, and the mirroring header information added to the fourth encapsulated frame includes the IP address of the second wireless LAN interface block 52A, thereby enabling communication redundancy to be preferably achieved.

[0107] [Software implementation example] Some or all of the functions of the communication devices 1, 1A, 5, and 5A may be realized by hardware such as an integrated circuit (IC chip), or may be realized by software.

[0108] In the latter case, the communication devices 1, 1A, 5, and 5A are realized by, for example, a computer that executes instructions of a program, which is software that realizes each function. An example of such a computer (hereinafter referred to as computer C) is shown in Fig. 11. Fig. 11 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of computer C that functions as the communication devices 1, 1A, 5, and 5A.

[0109] The computer C includes at least one processor C1 and at least one memory C2. The memory C2 stores a program P for causing the computer C to operate as each of the above systems. In the computer C, the processor C1 reads and executes the program P from the memory C2, thereby realizing the functions of the communication devices 1, 1A, 5, and 5A.

[0110] The processor C1 may be, for example, a central processing unit (CPU), a graphic processing unit (GPU), a digital signal processor (DSP), a micro processing unit (MPU), a floating point number processing unit (FPU), a physics processing unit (PPU), a tensor processing unit (TPU), a quantum processor, a microcontroller, or a combination thereof. The memory C2 may be, for example, a flash memory, a hard disk drive (HDD), a solid state drive (SSD), or a combination thereof.

[0111] The computer C may further include a RAM (Random Access Memory) for expanding the program P during execution and for temporarily storing various data. The computer C may also include a communication interface for transmitting and receiving data to and from other devices. The computer C may also include an input / output interface for connecting input / output devices such as a keyboard, mouse, display, and printer.

[0112] Furthermore, the program P can be recorded on a non-transitory tangible recording medium M that can be read by the computer C. Such a recording medium M can be, for example, a tape, a disk, a card, a semiconductor memory, or a programmable logic circuit. The computer C can acquire the program P via such a recording medium M. The program P can also be transmitted via a transmission medium. Such a transmission medium can be, for example, a communication network or broadcast waves. The computer C can also acquire the program P via such a transmission medium.

[0113] [Appendix 1] This disclosure includes the techniques described in the following appendices. However, the present invention is not limited to the techniques described in the following appendices, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the claims.

[0114] (Appendix 1) a first interface means for communicating with a first access point for wireless communication via a router; a second interface means for communicating with a second access point for wireless communication via the router; an encapsulation means for encapsulating a transmission frame to be transmitted to a communication device of a wireless communication partner in accordance with a predetermined protocol; a redundancy means for generating, using the encapsulated transmission frame, a first encapsulated frame having a destination MAC address set to a MAC address of a first wireless interface that performs wireless communication with the first access point, and for generating a second encapsulated frame having a destination MAC address set to a MAC address of a second wireless interface that performs wireless communication with the second access point; a mirroring processing means for generating a third encapsulated frame by adding mirroring header information associated with the first wireless interface to the first encapsulated frame, and for generating a fourth encapsulated frame by adding mirroring header information associated with the second wireless interface to the second encapsulated frame, the first interface means transmits a first frame including the third encapsulated frame to the first access point via the router; the second interface means transmits a second frame including the fourth encapsulated frame to the second access point via the router; Communication equipment.

[0115] (Appendix 2) the first encapsulated frame has an IP address of the first wireless interface set as a destination IP address, the second encapsulated frame has the IP address of the second wireless interface set as a destination IP address; 2. The communication device of claim 1.

[0116] (Appendix 3) the mirroring header information added to the third encapsulation frame includes an IP address of the first wireless interface; the mirroring header information added to the fourth encapsulation frame includes an IP address of the first wireless interface; 3. The communication device of claim 1 or 2.

[0117] (Appendix 4) A communication system comprising: a first communication device; a router connected to the first communication device; a plurality of access points connected to the router; and a second communication device that performs wireless communication with the plurality of access points, The first communication device a first interface means for communicating with a first access point via the router; a second interface means for communicating with a second access point via the router; an encapsulation means for encapsulating a transmission frame to be transmitted to the second communication device in accordance with a predetermined protocol; redundancy means for generating a first encapsulated frame using the encapsulated transmission frame, the first encapsulated frame having a destination MAC address set to a MAC address of a first wireless interface means that wirelessly communicates with the first access point, and for generating a second encapsulated frame having a destination MAC address set to a MAC address of a second wireless interface means that wirelessly communicates with the second access point; a first mirroring processing means for generating a third encapsulated frame by adding mirroring header information linked to the first wireless interface means to the first encapsulated frame, and for generating a fourth encapsulated frame by adding mirroring header information linked to the second wireless interface means to the second encapsulated frame, the first interface means transmits a first frame including the third encapsulated frame to the first access point via the router; the second interface means transmits a second frame including the fourth encapsulated frame to the second access point via the router; The second communication device the first wireless interface means for receiving the first frame from the first access point; the second wireless interface means for receiving the second frame from the second access point; a second mirroring processing means for deleting the mirroring header information from the first frame and the second frame; a decapsulation unit that performs a decapsulation process on the first frame and the second frame from which the mirroring header information has been deleted. Communication system.

[0118] (Appendix 5) the first encapsulated frame has the IP address of the first wireless interface means set as a destination IP address, the second encapsulated frame has the IP address of the second wireless interface means set as a destination IP address; 5. The communication system of claim 4.

[0119] (Appendix 6) the mirroring header information added to the third encapsulation frame includes an IP address of the first wireless interface means; the mirroring header information added to the fourth encapsulation frame includes an IP address of the second wireless interface means; 6. The communication system of claim 4 or 5.

[0120] (Appendix 7) encapsulating a transmission frame to be transmitted to a communication device of a wireless communication partner in accordance with a predetermined protocol; using the encapsulated transmission frame, generating a first encapsulated frame in which a MAC address of a first wireless interface that performs wireless communication with a first access point is set as a destination MAC address, and generating a second encapsulated frame in which a MAC address of a second wireless interface that performs wireless communication with a second access point is set as a destination MAC address; generating a third encapsulation frame by adding mirroring header information associated with the first wireless interface to the first encapsulation frame, and generating a fourth encapsulation frame by adding mirroring header information associated with the second wireless interface to the second encapsulation frame; transmitting a first frame including the third encapsulated frame to the first wireless interface via a router and the first access point; transmitting a second frame including the fourth encapsulated frame to the second wireless interface via the router and the second access point; Communication method.

[0121] (Appendix 8) the first encapsulated frame has an IP address of the first wireless interface set as a destination IP address, the second encapsulated frame has the IP address of the second wireless interface set as a destination IP address; 7. A communication method as described in Appendix 7.

[0122] (Appendix 9) the mirroring header information added to the third encapsulation frame includes an IP address of the first wireless interface; the mirroring header information added to the fourth encapsulation frame includes an IP address of the first wireless interface; 9. A communication method as set forth in claim 7 or 8.

[0123] (Appendix 10) A control program for causing a computer to operate as the communication device according to any one of Supplementary Notes 1 to 3, the control program causing the computer to function as each of the means. [Explanation of symbols]

[0124] 1,1A,5,5A communication equipment 2. Router 3-1~3-n Access Points 4,6 External equipment 11 First interface section 11A, 12A LAN interface section 12 Second interface section 13, 13A-1, 13A-2, 53A-1, 53A-2 Encapsulation section 14 Redundancy section 14A, 54A Packet forwarding unit 15, 15A, 55, 55A Mirroring processing unit 51 First wireless interface unit 51A First wireless LAN interface section 52 Second wireless interface unit 52A Second wireless LAN interface 53 Decapsulation Unit 100,100A communication system

Claims

1. a first interface means for communicating with a first access point for wireless communication via a router; a second interface means for communicating with a second access point that performs wireless communication via the router; an encapsulation means for encapsulating a transmission frame to be transmitted to a communication device of a wireless communication partner in accordance with a predetermined protocol; a redundancy means for generating, using the encapsulated transmission frame, a first encapsulated frame having a destination MAC address set to a MAC address of a first wireless interface that performs wireless communication with the first access point, and a second encapsulated frame having a destination MAC address set to a MAC address of a second wireless interface that performs wireless communication with the second access point; a mirroring processing means for generating a third encapsulated frame by adding mirroring header information associated with the first wireless interface to the first encapsulated frame, and for generating a fourth encapsulated frame by adding mirroring header information associated with the second wireless interface to the second encapsulated frame, the first interface means transmits a first frame including the third encapsulated frame to the first access point via the router; the second interface means transmits a second frame including the fourth encapsulated frame to the second access point via the router; Communication equipment.

2. the first encapsulated frame has an IP address of the first wireless interface set as a destination IP address, the second encapsulated frame has the IP address of the second wireless interface set as a destination IP address; The communication device according to claim 1 .

3. the mirroring header information added to the third encapsulation frame includes an IP address of the first wireless interface; the mirroring header information added to the fourth encapsulation frame includes an IP address of the first wireless interface; 3. The communication device according to claim 1 or 2.

4. A communication system comprising: a first communication device; a router connected to the first communication device; a plurality of access points connected to the router; and a second communication device that performs wireless communication between the plurality of access points, The first communication device a first interface means for communicating with a first access point via the router; a second interface means for communicating with a second access point via the router; an encapsulation means for encapsulating a transmission frame to be transmitted to the second communication device in accordance with a predetermined protocol; a redundancy means for generating a first encapsulated frame using the encapsulated transmission frame, the first encapsulated frame having a destination MAC address set to a MAC address of a first wireless interface means that performs wireless communication with the first access point, and a second encapsulated frame having a destination MAC address set to a MAC address of a second wireless interface means that performs wireless communication with the second access point; a first mirroring processing means for generating a third encapsulated frame by adding mirroring header information linked to the first wireless interface means to the first encapsulated frame, and for generating a fourth encapsulated frame by adding mirroring header information linked to the second wireless interface means to the second encapsulated frame, the first interface means transmits a first frame including the third encapsulated frame to the first access point via the router; the second interface means transmits a second frame including the fourth encapsulated frame to the second access point via the router; the second communication device, the first wireless interface means for receiving the first frame from the first access point; the second wireless interface means for receiving the second frame from the second access point; a second mirroring processing means for deleting the mirroring header information from the first frame and the second frame; a decapsulation unit that performs a decapsulation process on the first frame and the second frame from which the mirroring header information has been deleted. Communication system.

5. the first encapsulated frame has an IP address of the first wireless interface means set as a destination IP address, the second encapsulated frame has the IP address of the second wireless interface means set as a destination IP address; The communication system according to claim 4.

6. the mirroring header information added to the third encapsulation frame includes an IP address of the first wireless interface means; the mirroring header information added to the fourth encapsulation frame includes an IP address of the first wireless interface means; 6. A communication system according to claim 4 or 5.

7. encapsulating a transmission frame to be transmitted to a communication device of a wireless communication partner in accordance with a predetermined protocol; using the encapsulated transmission frame, generating a first encapsulated frame in which a MAC address of a first wireless interface that performs wireless communication with a first access point is set as a destination MAC address, and generating a second encapsulated frame in which a MAC address of a second wireless interface that performs wireless communication with a second access point is set as a destination MAC address; generating a third encapsulation frame by adding mirroring header information associated with the first wireless interface to the first encapsulation frame, and generating a fourth encapsulation frame by adding mirroring header information associated with the second wireless interface to the second encapsulation frame; transmitting a first frame including the third encapsulated frame to the first wireless interface via a router and the first access point; transmitting a second frame including the fourth encapsulated frame to the second wireless interface via the router and the second access point; Communication method.

8. the first encapsulated frame has an IP address of the first wireless interface set as a destination IP address, the second encapsulated frame has the IP address of the second wireless interface set as a destination IP address; The communication method according to claim 7.

9. the mirroring header information added to the third encapsulation frame includes an IP address of the first wireless interface; the mirroring header information added to the fourth encapsulation frame includes an IP address of the first wireless interface; 9. The communication method according to claim 7 or 8.

10. 3. A control program for causing a computer to operate as the communication device according to claim 1, wherein the control program causes the computer to function as each of the means.

Images