Digital Control Manager With Protocol Conversion and Distributed Data
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current building automation systems (BAS) lack an efficient digital control manager and database management method that can effectively integrate wired and wireless communication links, manage local databases, and provide intelligent control over end devices in a scalable and cost-effective manner.
Innovation Solution
A digital control manager system with an Ethernet interface for wired communication and WiFi/EnOcean transceivers for wireless communication, along with a distributed database architecture, enables data exchange between digital control managers and end devices, using a sharing kernel for data sharing and protocol conversion, and an embedded software interface for configuration and monitoring.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a building automation system integrates multiple communication protocols (wired Ethernet and wireless WiFi/EnOcean) to improve interoperability and scalability, then the system's adaptability and coverage are enhanced, but the device complexity and difficulty of managing diverse protocols increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a protocol conversion mechanism where the digital control manager acts as an intermediary that receives data from end devices using different protocols (EnOcean wireless, Ethernet wired) and converts them into a unified internal data format. This mediator approach allows diverse protocols to coexist without requiring each device to understand all protocols, thus improving adaptability while managing complexity through centralized conversion logic.
Solution Approach 2:
The digital control manager is designed with multi-functionality to handle multiple communication protocols simultaneously. It can receive data via wired Ethernet connections, wireless WiFi connections, and wireless EnOcean connections, converting all these diverse input formats into a universal internal representation. This universal handler approach enables the system to work with various protocols without requiring separate processing paths for each.
2Reliability
If a distributed database architecture is implemented across multiple digital control managers to improve system scalability and reliability, then the system can expand more easily and maintain operation during failures, but the difficulty of detecting and measuring data consistency across nodes increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where each digital control manager continuously monitors its local database for changes and compares them with the expected state based on received data from other nodes. When inconsistencies are detected, the system generates feedback signals to trigger synchronization operations. This continuous feedback loop maintains data consistency across the distributed database while enabling automatic detection and correction of inconsistencies without requiring complex external monitoring.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary synchronization actions before potential conflicts arise. When a digital control manager detects that it has new or updated data, it proactively pushes this data to other nodes in the network before they might attempt to access or modify the same data. This preliminary action prevents consistency issues by ensuring all nodes have the latest information before operations occur, simplifying the detection and measurement of data consistency.
3Speed
If local databases are maintained at each digital control manager node to improve real-time performance and autonomy, then response time is reduced and nodes can operate independently, but the loss of information increases due to potential data duplication and synchronization overhead
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the overall database into segmented local databases distributed across multiple digital control manager nodes. Each node maintains a local copy of only the data relevant to its specific function and location, rather than duplicating the entire database. This segmentation reduces redundant data storage while enabling each node to access its required data locally for fast response times. The system uses object-oriented data structures where data is divided into manageable segments that can be independently stored and accessed.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements selective copying where each digital control manager creates local copies only of the specific data objects it needs for its operations, rather than copying entire databases. When data changes occur at one node, the system intelligently determines which other nodes require copies of the changed data and transmits only those specific copies. This selective copying approach maintains the speed benefits of local data access while minimizing data duplication and the associated synchronization overhead.
4Productivity
If a sharing kernel is implemented to enable data sharing and protocol conversion between different components, then the system's adaptability and data exchange efficiency are improved, but the device complexity increases due to the additional software layer
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple previously separate functions into a unified sharing kernel that handles protocol conversion, data formatting, and communication management simultaneously. Instead of having separate software modules for each protocol and separate modules for data management, the sharing kernel combines these functions into an integrated layer that processes all communication through a single cohesive mechanism. This merging reduces the overall software architecture complexity while maintaining high data exchange efficiency through the unified approach.
Data Source
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AI summary
Embodiments of the invention provide a digital control manager comprising a first transceiver configured to provide one or more wireless communication links to one or more energy autonomous end devices; a second transceiver configured to provide one or more wireless communication links to one or more digital control managers and one or more end devices; a local database; an intellectualize function module configured to execute a computer program to provide intelligence to the digital control manager and to end devices in communication therewith. A digital control manager system comprises a network of communication links between the digital control managers to enable data exchange between the digital control managers; a plurality of end devices, wherein each end device is in communication with at least one digital control manager by a communication link to enable data exchange between the end device and the at least one digital control manager; and at least one distributed database comprising a copy of the objects of the local databases of at least some of the digital control managers.