TSN Redundancy Control Across Geographically Distant Modules

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional redundant controllers in communication networks require co-location and dedicated hardware/links, making them vulnerable to damage and causing interruptions when geographically separated, and relocation is difficult due to shared mounting bases.

Innovation Solution

Implementing Time Sensitive Networking (TSN) to configure redundant modules at distant locations, enabling communication and redundancy information exchange without dedicated hardware or links, and triggering secondary modules to take over primary functions upon failure or loss of communication.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If redundant controllers are co-located to share a dedicated real time redundant link, then redundancy reliability is improved, but vulnerability to critical/hazardous situations increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveredundancy reliabilityVSAvoidvulnerability to fire, flood, chemicals

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the redundant controller system into spatially separated primary and secondary controllers located at different geographical positions. This segmentation allows the system to maintain redundancy reliability while eliminating the vulnerability of co-located controllers to critical/hazardous situations such as fire, flood, or chemical exposure at a single site.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces a communication network as an intermediary medium to connect the geographically separated primary and secondary controllers. This intermediary enables the controllers to exchange redundancy information and maintain seamless redundancy functionality without requiring a dedicated physical link between them, thus resolving the contradiction between reliability and vulnerability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Object-affected harmful factors

If redundant controllers are relocated to geographically distant locations, then vulnerability to critical/hazardous situations is reduced, but device complexity and difficulty of configuration increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvevulnerability to critical/hazardous situationsVSAvoidcomplexity of distant configuration

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies universality by enabling the communication network to serve multiple functions: it carries both normal operational traffic and redundancy information exchange between controllers. This eliminates the need for dedicated redundancy hardware or links, thereby reducing device complexity while maintaining the benefits of geographically distant configuration.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the operational parameters of the communication network by implementing Time Sensitive Networking (TSN) mechanisms that prioritize and guarantee bandwidth for redundancy information. This parameter change allows the existing network infrastructure to handle redundancy communication reliably without requiring dedicated hardware, thus reducing complexity while enabling distant locations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Reliability

If dedicated hardware and communication links are deployed to maintain seamless redundancy, then redundancy functionality is improved, but device complexity and cost increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveseamless redundancy functionalityVSAvoiddedicated hardware and links

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent makes the communication network universal by having it perform both standard data communication and redundancy information exchange functions. This eliminates the need for separate dedicated redundancy hardware and links, thereby reducing device complexity and cost while maintaining seamless redundancy functionality through the existing network infrastructure.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent uses the communication network as a copy carrier, where redundancy information is transmitted as data copies over the network rather than through dedicated physical links. This copying approach maintains the integrity and timing requirements of redundancy functionality while eliminating the need for specialized dedicated hardware infrastructure.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

Data Source

PatentUS12395446B2Method and system for controlling redundancy functionality in a communication network using time sensitive networking

Publication Date: 2025.08.19 ABB (SCHWEIZ) AG

AI summary

A system and method for controlling redundancy functionality by configuring distant located redundant modules in a communication network includes creating a redundant pair over the communication network having a TSN; defining a primary and a secondary module based on a transmission of a signal to a first and second module; causing the primary module and the secondary module to create a TSN stream configuration for communicating redundancy information between the primary and secondary module; enabling the primary module to communicate the redundancy information periodically over the TSN stream configuration to the secondary module; and triggering the secondary module to perform the function of the primary module in response to determining at least one event.