Systems, methods, and apparatuses for providing communications between climate control devices in a recreational vehicle
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Recreational vehicles face inefficiencies in climate control due to the inability of climate control devices to communicate effectively with central control devices, often resulting in unregulated areas and mismanaged power conservation.
Innovation Solution
A gateway device is introduced to convert network signals from central control devices into command signals compatible with climate control devices, allowing for uniform climate control across zones by processing temperature set points and providing feedback to the control device.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If climate control devices use different communication protocols, then device compatibility and communication uniformity deteriorate, but device versatility and adaptability improve
Solution Approach 1:
The gateway device serves as an intermediary between the central control device and climate control devices with different communication protocols. It receives commands from the central control device via one protocol (e.g., RV-C), translates them, and transmits translated commands to climate control devices via their native protocols (e.g., BACnet, LonWorks, KNX), enabling communication uniformity without sacrificing device versatility
Solution Approach 2:
The gateway device dynamically changes communication protocol parameters based on the target device type. It detects which climate control device is being addressed and adjusts the output protocol parameters accordingly, allowing a single gateway to support multiple protocol types and maintain both compatibility and uniformity
2Productivity
If communication cables are routed throughout the recreational vehicle, then climate control coverage improves, but installation complexity and infrastructure cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The gateway device provides multi-functionality by supporting multiple communication protocols and serving multiple climate control devices through a single installation point. This eliminates the need for separate cable routing to each device, achieving comprehensive climate control coverage while reducing infrastructure complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The gateway acts as a central intermediary that consolidates communication connections. Instead of routing cables from the central control device to each individual climate control device, all communications pass through the gateway, which then distributes commands to the appropriate devices, significantly reducing cable routing requirements
3Device complexity
If climate control devices operate independently without communication, then device simplicity improves, but power conservation and operational efficiency deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The gateway device enables feedback loops between the central control device and climate control devices. Temperature sensors in each zone provide feedback to the central control device via the gateway, allowing the system to monitor actual conditions and adjust operations for optimal power conservation while maintaining coordinated control across all devices
Solution Approach 2:
The gateway combines the communication functions of multiple climate control devices into a single coordinated system. By merging device operations under centralized control, the system achieves power conservation efficiency through coordinated scheduling and load management while keeping individual device designs simple
Data Source
AI summary
Methods, apparatus, systems, and computer-readable media are provided for enabling one or more climate control devices to communicate with a central control device of a recreational vehicle. Specifically, a gateway device is set forth for processing network signals from the control device and converting the network signals into command signals that can be transmitted to various climate control devices associated with the gateway device. For example, the control device can communicate with existing climate control devices according to a particular communication protocol that is not recognized by certain climate control devices. In order to allow the control device to communicate with those certain climate control devices, the gateway device can operate to translate the network signal into command signals that are recognizable, or otherwise able to be processed by, the certain climate control devices.