Apartment Intercom Network With Distributed Building Call Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional intercommunication systems for apartment complexes require high-performance control apparatuses that increase costs as the number of residential buildings grows, and are inflexible to changes in system configuration, leading to unnecessary redesign and cost increments.
Innovation Solution
The system distributes signal processing across each residential building, using conversion units to adapt between intercom line signals and general-purpose network protocols, allowing new buildings to connect without requiring a high-performance control apparatus, and stores call tables locally, enabling calls across the network without a centralized high-performance control unit.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a centralized control apparatus manages call signals from all residential buildings, then communication management is centralized, but the processing ability and cost increase according to the number of residential buildings
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the centralized control function into distributed building control units, where each unit independently manages call signals for its own residential building. This segmentation eliminates the need for a single high-performance control apparatus and distributes the processing load across multiple independent units, thereby reducing overall system complexity and cost while maintaining reliable communication management.
2Adaptability or versatility
If a high-performance control apparatus is designed to accommodate future expansion, then adaptability is improved, but initial cost and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a dynamic system where new residential buildings can be easily added by simply connecting them to the existing network through standard communication protocols. The distributed architecture allows the system to adapt to expansion needs without requiring redesign of the control apparatus, as each new building brings its own building control unit that integrates seamlessly with the network.
3Ease of operation
If signal processing is centralized, then system control is simplified, but the system becomes inflexible to configuration changes
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the signal processing function into independent building control units, each unit maintains simple local control while the distributed network provides overall system coordination. This segmentation enables flexible configuration changes, as individual buildings can be added, removed, or modified without affecting the control architecture of other buildings.
4Reliability
If a centralized control apparatus is used, then call table management is centralized, but repair and maintenance become more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent distributes call table management to individual building control units, where each unit maintains its own call table locally. This segmentation means that if a call table needs repair or updates, only the affected building's control unit needs to be accessed, rather than requiring system-wide shutdown or complex centralized maintenance procedures.
Data Source
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AI summary
An intercommunication system used in an apartment complex comprising plural residential buildings. Each residential building includes room parent devices (30) installed in respective rooms; a collective entrance device (10) having a call unit which enables a call manipulation for calling a visit destination room parent device (30); a storage unit which is stored with a call table in which room numbers of the rooms are correlated with pieces of room parent device IDs for identification of the room parent devices (30) of the rooms, respectively; a processing unit which performs processing of converting a signal that is input to the call unit into the room parent device ID of a call target room parent device (30) on the basis of the call table; and a transmission unit which transmits the room parent device ID to the room parent devices (30) in the building where the terminal device is installed; and a building control unit (40) which connects the collective entrance device (10) to the room parent devices(30) of the rooms of the building where the building control unit (40) is installed, by an intercom line. The plural residential buildings are connected to each other by a network N in which a communication is performed according to a general-purpose protocol.