Building management system network with power conservation via adaptive use of network protocols
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Solution Overview
Problem
Building management systems (BMS) face challenges with wireless sensor networks (WSN) due to complexity, reliability, and battery maintenance issues, particularly in remote locations where battery replacement is costly and tedious.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a system that adaptively switches between multiple medium access control (MAC) protocols, such as carrier-sense multiple access (CSMA) and X-MAC, to reduce power consumption and improve performance in wireless sensor networks, allowing for a low duty cycle and reliable data delivery.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a wireless sensor network is implemented in a BMS, then the system can provide monitoring and control functionality without physical connections, but battery maintenance becomes tedious and costly especially in remote locations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the power consumption parameter by implementing adaptive duty cycling that adjusts the radio's active time based on network conditions and data priority, significantly extending battery life and reducing maintenance needs in remote wireless sensor networks
2Area of stationary object
If battery-powered wireless sensor nodes are dispersed throughout remote locations, then network coverage is improved, but battery replacement becomes tedious and costly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements adaptive duty cycling that dynamically adjusts the radio's active time parameter based on network conditions, data priority, and battery status, significantly extending battery life from months to years and making remote node maintenance feasible without physical access
3Device complexity
If a single MAC protocol is used in the wireless sensor network, then the system is simpler to implement, but power consumption cannot be optimized for different operational phases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic protocol switching where the MAC layer adapts its behavior based on the current operational phase (contention period vs. data collection period), using CSMA/CA during contention and a simplified scheduled access protocol during data collection, optimizing power consumption for each phase
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the transmission period into distinct phases (contention period and data collection period) with different MAC protocol behaviors, allowing optimized power consumption strategies for each phase while maintaining overall system simplicity
4Quantity of substance
If the network size is increased to improve monitoring coverage, then more areas are monitored, but power consumption increases and battery life decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements selective data transmission where not all nodes transmit at full power or frequency - only nodes with significant changes or high-priority data transmit, while others use minimal power modes, allowing network expansion without proportional power consumption increases
Data Source
AI summary
One implementation of the present disclosure is a system including a data network, a source device, and a target device. The data network is configured to wirelessly communicate data, the source device is configured to wirelessly communicate data, and the target device is configured to wirelessly communicate data. The target device and the source device utilize a first medium access control (MAC) protocol during a first time interval of a duty cycle and a second MAC protocol during a second time interval of the duty cycle.