Hybrid Elevator Network Management Across Multi-Protocol Devices
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Solution Overview
Problem
Hybrid elevator environments, where devices from different manufacturers with varying network management protocols and device management tools, face difficulties in interoperability, leading to separate device managements or lack thereof, making network management challenging.
Innovation Solution
An elevator system with a hybrid network architecture that includes device management equipment, converters, and data storage to manage devices using multiple protocols, enabling conversion between protocols and maintaining network information for integrated device management.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If proprietary devices use the same manufacturer-specific network management protocol, then device management is simplified and reliable, but the system lacks adaptability to devices from different manufacturers
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a protocol converter as an intermediary device between proprietary elevator devices and devices from other manufacturers. The converter translates network management protocols between different standards, enabling devices from different manufacturers to communicate through a unified management interface while maintaining their original proprietary protocols
Solution Approach 2:
The device management system is designed with universal capability to handle multiple protocol types simultaneously. The system can manage both proprietary devices using manufacturer-specific protocols and standard devices using common protocols like SNMP, providing a unified management interface that works across diverse device types
2Adaptability or versatility
If hybrid elevator environments use devices from different manufacturers with different protocols, then adaptability and device selection flexibility improve, but device management complexity increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The protocol converter acts as a mediator that handles protocol translation transparently. It receives management commands in one protocol format, translates them to the appropriate format for the target device, and returns responses in a unified format, thereby hiding the protocol diversity complexity from the management system
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges multiple protocol handling capabilities into a single unified device management interface. The system combines support for proprietary manufacturer-specific protocols and standard protocols (such as SNMP) through a common management architecture, allowing single-point control over diverse devices
3Ease of manufacture
If separate device managements are implemented for different device types, then each device type can be managed optimally, but overall system integration and centralized control are lost
Solution Approach 1:
The device management system provides universal functionality to manage different device types through a single interface. It maintains the ability to execute device-specific management operations while presenting a unified control mechanism that works across all device types regardless of their native protocols
Data Source
AI summary
To have an integrated device management for a hybrid elevator environment, at least one converter for converting device management messages according to a second protocol used by one or more peripheral devices to be according to a first protocol, which is used by the device management of the elevator environment, is added to the elevator environment. Further, the device management is configured to update, in response to receiving a device management message containing, as device information, at least an identifier of a peripheral device, network information to contain the device information in the device management message.