5G EtherCAT Packet Exchange via Centralized Controller
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional deployments in 5G systems experience increased latency due to the need for Ethernet frames to pass through every UE in a ring topology for EtherCAT networks, and configuring UE topology for packet exchange is inefficient.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a configuration delivery management entity and translation function within the 5G system to manage EtherCAT packet exchange, determining the order of packet forwarding and which datagrams each UE receives based on configuration information, thereby optimizing network topology and reducing latency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If Ethernet frames pass through every UE in a ring topology for EtherCAT networks, then network connectivity is maintained, but latency increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the packet forwarding function from the ring topology approach and implements it through a centralized controller that manages packet routing. Instead of having frames pass through every UE in a ring, the controller selectively forwards packets only to required UEs based on configuration information, thereby eliminating unnecessary transmissions and reducing latency while maintaining network connectivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a centralized controller as an intermediary between the EtherCAT master and slave UEs. This controller receives configuration information, determines packet forwarding orders, and manages the packet exchange process. The intermediary approach replaces the distributed ring topology with a controlled intermediary that optimizes packet routing and reduces latency.
2Reliability
If all UEs process all EtherCAT datagrams, then complete data exchange is ensured, but processing efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by having each UE process only the specific datagrams intended for it rather than all datagrams. The centralized controller uses configuration information to determine which datagrams each UE needs and forwards packets selectively. This ensures data exchange completeness for each UE while significantly improving processing efficiency by eliminating unnecessary processing of irrelevant datagrams.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the packet processing function by separating the packet forwarding decision (made by the centralized controller) from the actual data processing (done by individual UEs). Each UE processes only its assigned segment of datagrams, ensuring complete data exchange while improving overall processing efficiency through parallelization and reducing unnecessary processing workload.
3Device complexity
If configuration information is not centrally managed, then system simplicity is maintained, but topology configuration efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a centralized controller as an intermediary that manages configuration information for all UEs. This controller receives configuration information, determines packet forwarding orders, and manages the packet exchange process. The intermediary approach centralizes configuration management to improve efficiency while the controller's intelligent packet routing maintains system simplicity by avoiding the need for complex distributed configuration protocols.
Data Source
AI summary
Apparatuses, methods, and systems are disclosed for ethernet-based fieldbus packet exchange within a mobile wireless communication network. One apparatus (700) includes a transceiver (725) in communication with a first node in an ethernet-based fieldbus system and a plurality of user equipment (“UE”) devices via a mobile wireless communication network. The apparatus includes a processor (705) that determines configuration information that comprises a mapping defining which datagrams of a packet each of the plurality of UE devices within the mobile wireless communication network receives and a sequence in which each UE device receives the datagrams. The processor (705) further receives a packet comprising a plurality of datagrams. The processor (705) further determines which datagrams of the plurality of datagrams are for each UE device according to the configuration information and sends to each UE device, in order of the sequence defined by the configuration information, a packet comprising the datagrams.