IP Library › Granted Patent US 11,757,608
Granted Patent B2
US 11,757,608 · App. 17/160,002 · Granted Sep 12, 2023

Communication apparatus, communication system, communication method, and computer readable medium

Inventor: Taichi Sakaue (Tokyo, JP)
Assignee: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
H04L7/0008
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,757,608
App. No.
17/160,002
Granted
Sep 12, 2023
Kind
B2
Abstract

A communication system ( 500 ) has a plurality of communication apparatuses ( 100 ). A management verification unit ( 110 ) verifies whether or not a communication apparatus ( 100 ) is a network management master. A grandmaster verification unit ( 120 ) verifies whether or not the communication apparatus ( 100 ) is a grandmaster. When the communication apparatus ( 100 ) is the network management master and the grandmaster, a setting unit ( 130 ) sets in an apparatus priority ( 21 ) a threshold ( 23 ) indicating that a priority is higher than a priority of a current grandmaster. When the communication apparatus ( 100 ) is the network management master and not the grandmaster, the setting unit ( 130 ) transmits a network setting message that includes the threshold ( 23 ) to be set for a priority of another communication apparatus that is the grandmaster.

Claims (35)

1. A communication apparatus included in a communication system, the communication system having a plurality of communication apparatuses, where any one of the plurality of communication apparatuses is set as a grandmaster that is to be a standard of time of the plurality of communication apparatuses, and any one of the plurality of communication apparatuses is set as a network management master that sets a priority of the grandmaster, the communication apparatus comprising:

processing circuitry to:

verify whether or not the communication apparatus is the network management master,

verify whether or not the communication apparatus is the grandmaster, and

when the communication apparatus is the network management master and the grandmaster, set in a priority of the communication apparatus a threshold indicating that a priority is higher than a priority of a current grandmaster, and when the communication apparatus is the network management master and not the grandmaster, transmit a network setting message that includes the threshold to be set for a priority of the grandmaster.

2. The communication apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the processing circuitry

when the network setting message is received from another one of the plurality of communication apparatuses of the communication system, verifies whether or not the communication apparatus is the grandmaster, and

when the communication apparatus is the grandmaster, sets the threshold included in the network setting message in the priority of the communication apparatus.

3. The communication apparatus according to claim 2 wherein the processing circuitry stores in a memory, the priority of the communication apparatus as an apparatus priority, and stores in the memory, the priority of the grandmaster as a grandmaster priority, and

wherein the processing circuitry, when the communication apparatus is the grandmaster, sets in the apparatus priority, the threshold included in the network setting message, and sets in the grandmaster priority, the threshold included in the network setting message.

4. The communication apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the processing circuitry when the communication apparatus is not the grandmaster, verifies whether or not to set in the grandmaster priority, the threshold included in the network setting message, and when verified that the threshold is to be set, sets in the grandmaster priority, the threshold included in the network setting message.

5. The communication apparatus according to claim 3 comprising:

processing circuitry to:

execute grandmaster mediation by transmitting and receiving a grandmaster mediation message for selecting the grandmaster, the grandmaster mediation message including a priority of a communication apparatus that is to be a candidate for the grandmaster, wherein the processing circuitry

when receiving the grandmaster mediation message, performs the grandmaster mediation by executing a grandmaster priority comparison process that compares the priority included in the grandmaster mediation message with the grandmaster priority.

6. The communication apparatus according to claim 4 comprising:

processing circuitry to:

execute grandmaster mediation by transmitting and receiving a grandmaster mediation message for selecting the grandmaster, the grandmaster mediation message including a priority of a communication apparatus that is to be a candidate for the grandmaster, wherein the processing circuitry

when receiving the grandmaster mediation message, performs the grandmaster mediation by executing a grandmaster priority comparison process that compares the priority included in the grandmaster mediation message with the grandmaster priority.

7. A communication system comprising:

a plurality of communication apparatuses, wherein

any one of the plurality of communication apparatuses is set as a grandmaster that is to be a standard of time of the plurality of communication apparatuses, and

any one of the plurality of communication apparatuses is set as a network management master that sets a priority of the grandmaster, wherein

each of the plurality of communication apparatuses includes processing circuitry

to verify whether or not the communication apparatus is the network management master,

to verify whether or not the communication apparatus is the grandmaster, and

when the communication apparatus is the network management master and the grandmaster, to set in a priority of the communication apparatus a threshold indicating that a priority is higher than a priority of a current grandmaster, and when the communication apparatus is the network management master and not the grandmaster, to transmit a network setting message that includes the threshold to be set for a priority of another communication apparatus that is the grandmaster.

8. A communication method of a communication apparatus included in a communication system, the communication system having a plurality of communication apparatuses, where any one of the plurality of communication apparatuses is set as a grandmaster that is to be a standard of time of the plurality of communication apparatuses, and any of the plurality of communication apparatuses is set as a network management master that sets a priority of the grandmaster, the communication method comprising:

verifying whether or not the communication apparatus is the network management master;

verifying whether or not the communication apparatus is the grandmaster; and

when the communication apparatus is the network management master and the grandmaster, setting in a priority of the communication apparatus a threshold indicating that a priority is higher than a priority of a current grandmaster, and when the communication apparatus is the network management master and not the grandmaster, transmitting a network setting message that includes the threshold to be set for a priority of the grandmaster.

9. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing a communication program of a communication apparatus included in a communication system, the communication system having a plurality of communication apparatuses, where any one of the plurality of communication apparatuses is set as a grandmaster that is to be a standard of time of the plurality of communication apparatuses, and any one of the plurality of communication apparatuses is set as a network management master that sets a priority of the grandmaster, the communication program causing the communication apparatus that is a computer to execute:

a management verification process to verify whether or not the communication apparatus is the network management master;

a grandmaster verification process to verify whether or not the communication apparatus is the grandmaster; and

a setting process, when the communication apparatus is the network management master and the grandmaster, to set in a priority of the communication apparatus a threshold indicating that a priority is higher than a priority of a current grandmaster, and when the communication apparatus is the network management master and not the grandmaster, to transmit a network setting message that includes the threshold to be set for a priority of the grandmaster.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 28, 2021
From: SAKAUE, TAICHI
To: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 055776/0098 →
Continuity (2)
Continuation PCTJP2018035173 · Sep 21, 2018
Related Publication 20210152323A1 · May 20, 2021