Bus Participant Configuration Elements for Control Adaptability

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing systems for controlling bus-networked electrical devices require frequent adaptation and replacement of control mechanisms with changes in configuration or participant numbers, leading to inefficiencies and increased complexity.

Innovation Solution

A system with a processing unit and configuration elements that recognize and simulate replaced participants via unique identifiers, allowing the system to maintain a consistent controller configuration across different expansion stages without needing individual control adjustments.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If the control system is adapted for each expansion stage by exchanging or adapting individual control, then the system can be tailored to specific configurations, but the device complexity and time required for setup increase significantly

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesystem configuration adaptabilityVSAvoidcontrol adaptation complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent uses placeholder participants that copy the data transmission characteristics of absent participants without implementing their actual functions. Each placeholder maintains the same data length and transmission format as the participant it replaces, allowing the control system to operate uniformly regardless of which participants are actually present in the network.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

Solution Approach 2:

The control system is designed to universally handle both real participants and placeholder participants through a unified communication protocol. The same control unit and programming can manage any combination of participants without requiring separate control mechanisms for different expansion stages.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Adaptability or versatility

If individual controls are exchanged or adapted for each subsequent configuration change, then the system can accommodate different expansion stages, but the loss of time for reconfiguration increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveexpansion stage compatibilityVSAvoidcontrol reconfiguration time
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

Placeholder participants are pre-configured with the same data formats and communication protocols as real participants. This preliminary setup allows them to immediately assume the role of absent participants without requiring any reconfiguration when added to the network, eliminating reconfiguration time for expansion stages.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Reliability

If the data length sent by configuration elements varies, then the data transmission can reflect actual participant presence, but the device complexity and processing requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedata transmission accuracyVSAvoiddata handling complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

All participants including placeholders transmit data of uniform length and format. This homogeneity simplifies the control system's data handling, as the same processing logic applies regardless of whether a participant is real or placeholder, without requiring variable-length data processing or special case handling.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #33Homogeneity

Data Source

PatentEP2641210B1Control of networked bus participants
Publication Date: 2020.01.01 EATON INTELLIGENT POWER LTD
  • EP2641210B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP2641210B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4

AI summary

System for controlling bus-linked subscribers, wherein a processing unit 8 has an interface to a data bus 4 for controlling and/or testing the subscribers ID1 to IDn, configuration element 1 for use in such a system for controlling bus-linked subscribers, and method for controlling bus-linked subscribers using a processing unit 8 with an interface to a data bus 4 via which the subscribers are controlled and/or tested.