US 12,140,932 B2
Industrial device supporting multiple time synchronization protocols
Ravish Kumar, Bangalore (IN); Johan Akerberg, Västerås (SE); and Jorgen Gade, Västmanland (SE)
Assigned to ABB Schweiz AG, Baden (CH)
Filed by ABB Schweiz AG, Baden (CH)
Filed on Jan. 7, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/570,823.
Application 17/570,823 is a continuation of application No. PCT/IB2020/056403, filed on Jul. 8, 2020.
Claims priority of application No. 201941027273 (IN), filed on Jul. 8, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2022/0128977 A1, Apr. 28, 2022
Int. Cl. G06F 1/12 (2006.01); G05B 19/418 (2006.01)
CPC G05B 19/4185 (2013.01) [G05B 19/4183 (2013.01); G05B 19/4188 (2013.01); G06F 1/12 (2013.01)] 9 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A nodal industrial device for time synchronization in an industrial network, wherein the nodal industrial device is one of a first set of industrial devices and is connected to a second device from amongst a second set of industrial devices, with the first set of industrial devices supporting a primary time synchronization protocol, and the second set of industrial devices supporting at least one other time synchronization protocol, which is different from the primary time synchronization protocol and with the nodal industrial device supporting the primary time synchronization protocol and the other time synchronization protocol, the nodal industrial device comprising:
a processor configured to:
couple the nodal industrial device with a first time master corresponding to the primary time synchronization protocol and a second time master corresponding to the second time synchronization protocol;
obtain a plurality of time references, wherein the plurality of time references are obtained from one of the first time master and any one of the devices from amongst the first set of industrial devices, and from at least the second time master;
select a principal time reference from amongst the obtained plurality of time references;
correlate the plurality of time references based on the principal time reference; and
control communication related to time synchronization with the second time master based on correlation between the principal time reference and the other time references,
wherein the processor configured for synchronization related communication with the second time master is further configured to:
translate time reference obtained from the second time master based on the correlation of the principal time reference to obtain a translated reference;
provide the translated reference to an industrial device within the second set of industrial devices for time-related synchronization; and
further disable synchronization related communication with the second time master in response to obtaining the translated reference.