Asynchronous Data Subscription Filtering for Real-Time Update Delivery

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Solution Overview

Problem

Traditional automation control and monitoring systems inefficiently manage data updates, leading to excessive communication and computational bandwidth usage, as they often require repeated queries to retrieve changed data after an initial query is submitted.

Innovation Solution

Implementing an asynchronous data querying mechanism that allows clients to subscribe to data updates via a server, which provides initial data sets and subsequent modifications through notifications, optimizing bandwidth usage and simplifying data management.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If traditional data querying methods are used where clients repeatedly query the server for data updates, then clients can obtain current data, but communication bandwidth and computational resources are excessively consumed

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedata update accuracyVSAvoidcommunication bandwidth consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of clients actively querying the server for data updates (traditional pull model), the server pushes data updates to clients automatically (push model). This inversion of the communication paradigm eliminates repeated client queries while ensuring clients receive all data changes, resolving the contradiction between data accuracy and bandwidth consumption.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

Solution Approach 2:

The server autonomously identifies and notifies clients about data changes without requiring client initiation. The server maintains subscription information and automatically pushes updates when criteria are met, making the system self-managing and eliminating wasteful repeated queries from clients.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

2Speed

If clients send frequent queries to retrieve changed data, then real-time monitoring is achieved, but system complexity and computational overhead increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedata update responsivenessVSAvoiddata management complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
SpeedVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

Clients register their data subscription criteria in advance with the server. The server stores these criteria and proactively evaluates incoming data against them, pushing updates only when matches occur. This preliminary setup eliminates the need for complex continuous querying logic while maintaining real-time responsiveness.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The server acts as an intermediary that manages the complex task of monitoring data changes and matching them against client criteria. Instead of clients managing complex query logic, the server handles the intermediary function of filtering and pushing relevant updates, simplifying client devices while maintaining responsiveness.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Loss of information

If traditional polling methods are used to check for data changes, then clients can detect updates, but communication efficiency and system performance deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedata change detectionVSAvoidsystem efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The server continuously monitors incoming data and maintains active subscription matching without interruption. This continuous background operation ensures no data changes are missed while eliminating the inefficiency of periodic polling, as the useful action of data change detection occurs continuously without wasted idle time between polls.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #20Continuity of useful action

Solution Approach 2:

The server provides immediate feedback to clients when data changes match their criteria through push notifications. This feedback mechanism ensures clients detect all updates reliably while dramatically improving efficiency compared to polling, as communication occurs only when necessary rather than on a fixed schedule.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentEP3623889B1Systems and methods for asynchronous searching and filtering of data
Publication Date: 2022.03.23 ROCKWELL AUTOMATION TECH INC
  • EP3623889B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3623889B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3623889B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

An automation control and monitoring system includes a server configured to receive a subscription request from a client component. The subscription request provides one or more criteria to the server. The server is configured to provide a set of data, via a first notification, to the client component based upon the one or more criteria in the subscription request. The server is configured to provide, via additional notifications based on the subscription request, additional sets of data, modifications to the set of data, or both, when additional data or modifications corresponding to the one or more criteria are available.