Data Management Profiles for Cross-Device Fabric Network Access
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Solution Overview
Problem
Smart home networks face challenges in efficiently managing and accessing data across devices, requiring a standardized communication protocol to enable seamless data exchange and device coordination without extensive setup or technical expertise.
Innovation Solution
A fabric network system that uses multiple logical networks and data management profiles to facilitate communication between devices, employing a message format with a payload that includes a header indicating the specific profile or protocol, allowing devices to send and request information in an understood format, and supporting IPv6 communication with unique local addresses for efficient data management.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If devices store and manage their own data locally without standardized access protocols, then each device maintains data independence and security, but other devices in the network cannot efficiently access or manage data stored on remote devices
Solution Approach 1:
The Data Management Profile serves as a universal interface that enables any device in the network to access and manage data on any other device regardless of the underlying storage implementation. The profile defines standardized commands (read, write, delete, notify) that work across different device types and network configurations, making the data access mechanism universally applicable throughout the smart home network.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary data management layer that sits between the application layer and the physical data storage. This intermediary profile translates high-level data access requests into device-specific operations, mediating between the need for standardized access and the diversity of device implementations. The profile acts as a mediator that handles the complexity of cross-device data management while presenting a simple interface to applications.
2Adaptability or versatility
If smart home networks use multiple network types and protocols for device communication, then the system supports diverse devices and communication requirements, but devices face difficulty understanding communications from devices on different logical networks
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies homogeneity by standardizing the message format and data representation across all network types. All devices use the same data model structure, path conventions, and command formats regardless of whether they communicate over Thread, Wi-Fi, or other networks. This homogeneous approach ensures that messages maintain their meaning and structure across heterogeneous network infrastructures.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the communication system into distinct layers: the network transport layer handles the diversity of physical networks, while the Data Management Profile layer provides a unified data access interface. This segmentation allows each layer to handle its specific concerns independently—the transport layer manages network-specific protocols while the profile layer ensures consistent data semantics across all networks.
3Reliability
If devices in a smart home network require extensive setup and technical expertise to access and manage data across devices, then data security and proper configuration are maintained, but user convenience and ease of operation are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The Data Management Profile enables devices to self-configure and self-describe their data capabilities. Devices automatically publish their data models, attributes, and supported operations through standardized cluster definitions. Other devices can automatically discover and interact with these capabilities without manual configuration. This self-service approach maintains security through standardized authentication while eliminating the need for user intervention in data access setup.
Data Source
AI summary
Method and systems for controlling data remotely that includes connecting to a remote device within a fabric of smart devices. The remote device stores data locally. Controlling the data includes remotely controlling the data stored in the remote device from another device connected to the fabric by transmitting a message to the remote device. Moreover, the transmitted message includes a profile identifier that causes a data management entity of the remote device to perform an indicated data management action. Furthermore, the profile identifier identifies a data management profile, and the message includes a command tag that indicates the data management action to be performed.