Method for data communication in a network

Abstract

A method and system is provided for data communication in a network, with one or more nodal for data transfer between a plurality of data-providing transmitters and a receiver receiving the data provided by the plurality of transmitters via a stream with which, to establish the stream, the receiver issues a listener advertise message for the stream, that comprises a stream description, and the listener advertise message is transmitted to at least one nodal point in the network.

1 . A method for data communication in a network, the method comprising:
 establishing a stream for data transfer between a plurality of data providing transmitters and a receiver, the establishing of the stream comprising:
 issuing, by the receiver, a listener advertise message for the stream; and 
 transmitting the listener advertise message to at least one nodal point in the network. 
   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the listener advertise message comprises a stream description. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the network is an industrial network, the industrial network comprising one or more nodal points, the one or more nodal points comprising the at least one nodal point. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , further comprising:
 propagating the listener advertise message to all nodal points of the one or more nodal points in the network.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein transmitting the listener advertise message comprises transmitting the listener advertise message to the plurality of data providing transmitters, and
 wherein the transmission of the listener advertise message to a respective transmitter of the plurality of data providing transmitters is via a nodal point or nodal points lying on a network path connecting the respective transmitter and the receiver.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising sending, by at least one transmitter of the plurality of data providing transmitters that wishes to transmit data to the receiver via the stream, a talker join message, the sending of the talker join message comprising making a talker join reservation at nodal points on a network path between the at least one transmitter and the receiver. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the at least one transmitter comprises a number of transmitters, and
 wherein sending the talker join message comprises sending, by each of the number of transmitters, each wishing to transmit data to the receiver via the stream, a respective talker join message and making a respective talker join reservation at the nodal points on the network path between the respective transmitter and the receiver.   
     
     
         8 . The method as claimed in  claim 6 , wherein the talker join message comprises a stream ID, a reservation status, or the stream ID and the reservation status. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the network is an industrial network for an industrial automation plant. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 merging, at the at least one nodal point, a reservation status of a first port in a direction of one or more transmitters of the plurality of data providing transmitters and a reservation status of a second port in a direction of one or more further transmitters of the plurality of data providing transmitters.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising routing the merged reservation status via a port in a direction of the receiver 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein a nodal point located closest to the receiver routes the merged reservation status for all transmitters of the one or more transmitters and the one or more further transmitters to the receiver, and
 wherein the reservation status arriving at the receiver comprises information that a reservation of transmitter-side ports of all the nodal points on the network paths connecting the transmitters and the receiver was successful or that the reservation of the transmitter-side ports of all the nodal points on the network paths connecting the transmitters and the receiver was unsuccessful or that the reservation of at least one transmitter-side port of at least one nodal point on the network paths connecting the transmitters and the receiver was unsuccessful and the reservation of at least one transmitter-side port of at least one nodal point on the network paths connecting the transmitters and the receiver was successful.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the reservation of resources at one or more nodal points, at least one reservation protocol that is extended by at least one data object is used, and
 wherein at least one of the listener advertise message, the talker join message, and the talker join reservation represent data objects expanding the at least one reservation protocol.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 determining, by a Rapid Spanning Tree Protocol, a network tree formed by network paths connecting the receiver to the at least one transmitter that wishes to send data to the receiver via the stream and from which in each case a talker join message was sent.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the network tree determined represents a data object expanding the reservation protocol. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the listener advertise message comprises a stream description specifying a stream type, and
 wherein the stream type is specified as an accumulated stream or a multiplexed stream.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the receiver is a PLC of an industrial automation plant or a vehicle, and the plurality of data providing transmitters are one or more sensors in the industrial plant or the vehicle, and
 wherein the industrial technical process or vehicle is controlled based on the transmitted data.   
     
     
         18 . A network comprising
 at least one nodal point;   at least one terminal configured as a transmitter; and   a device configured as a receiver, the device configured to issue a listener advertise message to the at least one nodal point in the network,   wherein the stream is established for transmission of data between the at least one terminal and the device via the at least one nodal point, and   wherein the data is transferred by the at least one nodal point between the at least one terminal and device.   
     
     
         19 . A control system for an industrial technical process, the control system comprising:
 a controller; and   an industrial network with one or more bridges for data transfer between a plurality of sensors;   wherein the controller is configured to receive the data provided by the plurality of sensors via a stream with which, to establish the stream, the controller is configured to issue a listener advertise message for the stream,   wherein the listener advertise message comprises a stream description, and   wherein the listener advertise message is transmittable to the one or more bridges of the network.