Gateway Address Mapping Between Wired and Wireless Building Networks
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing building automation systems face challenges in integrating wired and wireless networks due to limited address spaces and the high cost of adding routers, leading to inefficient coordination and increased expenses.
Innovation Solution
A gateway node is introduced to facilitate communication between wired and wireless networks by mapping and forwarding messages, allowing wireless nodes to emulate virtual nodes in the wired network, thus optimizing address allocation and maintaining network operation without significant hardware changes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If more routers are added to expand the wired network address space, then the network can accommodate more devices, but the system cost increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
A gateway device is introduced as an intermediary between the wired DALI network and wireless lighting networks. The gateway translates messages between different network protocols and address formats, enabling wireless devices to communicate over the wired network without requiring additional routers. This mediator approach resolves the contradiction by allowing address space expansion through protocol translation rather than hardware proliferation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs virtual addressing where wireless devices are assigned virtual addresses that map to their physical identities. The gateway maintains address translation tables that copy and translate addresses between wireless and wired network formats. This copying mechanism allows the wired network to address wireless devices without requiring physical router expansion, thus increasing addressable devices while controlling system cost.
2Adaptability or versatility
If wireless and wired networks are integrated directly, then network coordination improves, but address space limitations prevent seamless communication
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an additional addressing dimension by implementing hierarchical address structures. Wireless device addresses are mapped to wired network addresses through multiple levels of translation (group addresses, device addresses, and virtual addresses). This dimensional approach to addressing allows the system to overcome single-dimension address space limitations while maintaining network coordination.
Solution Approach 2:
The address translation process is segmented into multiple stages: wireless device addresses are first translated to wireless network group addresses, then to wired network virtual addresses, and finally to actual wired device addresses. This segmentation of the addressing process allows complex multi-network coordination while managing address space constraints at each translation stage.
3Adaptability or versatility
If additional hardware components are deployed to enable network integration, then communication capability improves, but installation complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The gateway device is designed with multi-functionality, serving as a protocol translator, address mapper, and network coordinator simultaneously. By consolidating multiple functions into a single device rather than deploying separate hardware components for each function, the system achieves enhanced communication capability while reducing installation complexity and hardware deployment requirements.
Data Source
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AI summary
A first network (301) is a wired, addressed building automation network. A second network (302) is a wireless, addressed building automation network. A linking functionality (403) receives and stores a plurality of addresses of an addressing scheme used in said first network (301) to identify nodes of said first network (301). It performs mapping and forwarding of communications between said first and second networks (301, 302) so that, with respect to communications and in accordance with a stored set of rules, it makes selectively none, one or more nodes of said second network (302) emulate a respective virtual node of said first network (301) to which virtual node said linking functionality (403) has associated one of said stored plurality of addresses.