Cloud Gateway for Electrochromic Device Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional systems for controlling electrochromic devices are inefficient due to the need for local computers to manage multiple networks, leading to increased processor overhead, energy consumption, and limited user control permissions, as well as restricted data analytics capabilities that do not account for data from other local computers or devices.
Innovation Solution
A cloud-based system with a gateway and server device that processes and transmits data streams from electrochromic devices, allowing for centralized control and analytics, reducing bandwidth and cost by prioritizing relevant data transmission and using cloud-based permissions for user access, and enabling data aggregation from multiple systems.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If local computers are used to control electrochromic devices via multiple local networks, then device control capability is provided, but processor overhead and energy consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
A cloud-based server acts as an intermediary between users and electrochromic devices. The server receives control requests from users via a network interface and translates them into device-specific commands, eliminating the need for local computers to directly manage multiple device networks. This mediator approach reduces local processor overhead while maintaining full device control capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system transitions from a distributed local control architecture to a centralized cloud-based architecture. By moving control functions to a remote server dimension, the system reduces local computational requirements while enabling centralized management of multiple devices through a single network interface.
2Reliability
If separate VLANs are configured for each user to limit access control, then user permission security is improved, but system complexity and troubleshooting difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
Access control functionality is extracted from the network infrastructure layer and relocated to the application layer on the cloud server. Instead of implementing VLANs at the network level, the system uses software-based permission management where the server authenticates users and enforces access controls through application logic, significantly reducing network configuration complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The cloud server provides a universal access control mechanism that serves all users and devices through a single platform. Rather than requiring separate network configurations for each user, the system uses a unified authentication and authorization framework that manages permissions centrally, simplifying both deployment and maintenance.
3Loss of information
If local computers collect and process data from local devices, then local data analytics are provided, but processor overhead increases and responsiveness decreases
Solution Approach 1:
Data collection, processing, and analytics functions are merged into a single cloud-based server platform. Instead of duplicating these functions across multiple local computers, the system consolidates data handling operations centrally, reducing redundant processing and improving overall system responsiveness while maintaining comprehensive analytics capability.
4Ease of operation
If local computers control electrochromic devices, then local control functionality is provided, but bandwidth and cost are not optimized
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements selective data transmission where only relevant control commands and essential status updates are transmitted over the network. Rather than continuously exchanging all device data, the cloud server requests specific information as needed and sends targeted control commands, optimizing bandwidth utilization while maintaining full control functionality.
Data Source
AI summary
A system includes a gateway having a memory, and a processing device coupled to the memory. The processing device is to identify a first subset of a data stream associated with a smart window system. The first subset of the data stream includes sensor data that has changed more than a threshold amount. Responsive to identifying the first subset of the data stream, the processing device is to transmit the first subset of the data stream to a server device. The server device is to generate one or more instructions based on the first subset of the data stream. Responsive to receiving the one or more instructions from the server device, the processing device is to cause one or more electrochromic devices to be controlled based on the one or more instructions.