Transfer Control Device for Industrial Network Data Prioritization

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional technologies in industrial and in-vehicle networks fail to effectively control data transfer timings, leading to potential delays and collisions due to asynchronous DMA processing and varying priority levels, which can hinder real-time data transmission.

Innovation Solution

The implementation of a transfer control device with a control unit and determining unit that manages data transfer by using the IEEE 802.1Qbv standard's gate control list to prioritize data transmission, allowing only high-priority data to be transmitted during open gates and delaying or prohibiting low-priority data transfer during congestion, ensuring timely and efficient data transfer.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If data transfer is performed using conventional DMA processing without gate control, then transfer simplicity is maintained, but delay fluctuations and collisions occur due to asynchronous processing and varying priority levels

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvereal-time capabilityVSAvoidtransfer control complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The gate control list is configured in advance to define open and closed states for each transmission queue at specific time slots. This preliminary configuration enables the DMA controller to deterministically control data transfer timing, ensuring that high-priority data can be transmitted without delay while preventing collisions with lower-priority data, thus achieving reliable real-time performance.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The transmission queues are segmented into multiple priority levels (e.g., first through fourth queues), and the gate control list applies different control states to each queue based on priority. This segmentation allows the system to differentiate and control data transfer for each priority level independently, resolving the contradiction between maintaining transfer simplicity and achieving reliable real-time performance.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Reliability

If high-priority data transmission is ensured by controlling transfer timings, then real-time capability is improved, but low-priority data transfer may be delayed or prohibited during congestion

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvereal-time capabilityVSAvoidlow-priority data delay
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The gate control list implements periodic time slots for each transmission queue, where gates are opened and closed in a cyclic manner according to predetermined patterns. This periodic action ensures that high-priority data receives guaranteed transmission windows without delay, while low-priority data is systematically delayed only during periods when high-priority traffic requires bandwidth, balancing real-time performance with fair resource allocation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #19Periodic action

3Manufacturing precision

If gate control is implemented to prioritize data transmission, then delay fluctuations are reduced, but control complexity increases due to gate management

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetransfer timing precisionVSAvoidgate control complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The DMA controller is designed to automatically execute the gate control list without requiring external intervention for each transfer decision. The controller self-manages the opening and closing of gates based on the pre-configured time slots and priority levels, achieving precise transfer timing control while minimizing the operational complexity burden on external control systems.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Data Source

PatentEP3544247B1Transfer control device, transfer control method and computer-readable medium
Publication Date: 2023.05.24 KK TOSHIBA
  • EP3544247B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3544247B1 patent drawingFigure 2~3
  • EP3544247B1 patent drawingFigure 4

AI summary

According to an arrangement, a transfer control device (5) controls transfer of data stored in a communication device (10). The transfer control device (5) includes a control unit (51) and a determining unit (52). The control unit (51) performs control for transferring the data to a first transmission buffer. The determining unit (52) determines, depending on a state of the communication device, data to be restricted from being transferred. When transfer is to be restricted, the control unit delays transfer of data to be restricted from being transferred.