Aircraft Sensor Network Control With Master-Follower Redundancy
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing sensor group management systems fail to maintain control over multiple sensors when the management device experiences a failure, leading to a loss of group control.
Innovation Solution
A group sensor control system is implemented, where each aircraft is equipped with sensors, sensor control units, and communication units that form a network, allowing multiple sensor control units to share setting information and instruction policies between a master and follower aircraft, ensuring continuous control even if one aircraft leaves the network.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a sensor group management device manages multiple sensors, then group control capability is achieved, but system reliability deteriorates when the management device fails
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the centralized sensor management function into distributed sensor control units, each capable of independent operation. Each sensor control unit manages its associated sensors autonomously while participating in group control through communication with other control units, eliminating the single point of failure in centralized management.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent establishes a predetermined master-follower relationship between sensor control units before failure occurs. The master sensor control unit is pre-designated to coordinate group control policies, and follower units are pre-configured to receive and execute instructions, enabling seamless takeover if the master unit fails.
2Device complexity
If centralized management is used, then control coordination is simplified, but redundancy is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the centralized management function into multiple distributed sensor control units, each maintaining local control capabilities while participating in coordinated group management through communication networks, thereby achieving both simplified coordination and improved redundancy.
Solution Approach 2:
The communication network acts as an intermediary between sensor control units, enabling coordinated control without requiring a single centralized management device. This allows control units to share information and synchronize operations while maintaining independence and redundancy.
Data Source
AI summary
A sensor can be mounted in an aircraft to detect an object to be detected. A sensor control part is mounted in the aircraft and controls the sensor, and a communication part is mounted in the aircraft. The communication part can communicate with a communication part of another aircraft to form a communication network. The plurality of sensor control parts share, via the communication network, setting information of a master aircraft of the plurality of aircrafts, and of a follower aircraft which is a follower of the master aircraft. The sensor control part of the master aircraft transmits, via the communication network, instruction information for instructing a control policy of a group sensor to the sensor control part of the follower aircraft, and the sensor control part of the follower aircraft carries out a control of the sensor based on the instruction information.