Hierarchical Home Automation Network for Scalable Low-Latency Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing home automation systems face challenges with complexity and inflexibility in installation, limited scalability, and high latency due to centralized control architectures, making it difficult to manage a large number of equipment effectively and efficiently.
Innovation Solution
A hierarchical communication network architecture is introduced, featuring a main network and multiple subnets connected by gateways or routers, allowing each equipment to configure its information diffusion scope and using the IP protocol, particularly IPv6, to enable flexible and scalable management of home automation equipment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a centralized control system with common data bus is used, then all equipment can be managed through a single network, but the system complexity increases and requires specialized installers for configuration
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the building into multiple zones, each with its own control unit that operates semi-independently. This segmentation allows local autonomy while maintaining overall system coordination, reducing the complexity of centralized configuration and installation.
2Manufacturing precision
If manual configuration of each equipment is required for network setup, then precise control is achieved, but installation time and cost increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The control units are designed to automatically discover and configure themselves on the network without requiring manual setup. This self-service capability eliminates the time-consuming manual configuration process while maintaining precise control through automated parameter assignment.
3Device complexity
If RS485 multipoint bus is used for connection, then cabling is simplified, but the maximum number of devices is limited to 255
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from a single-dimensional bus architecture to a multi-dimensional hierarchical network structure with multiple control units operating in parallel. This dimensional change allows the system to scale beyond the 255-device limit of RS485 by distributing devices across multiple network segments.
4Adaptability or versatility
If centralized control architecture is used, then unified management is achieved, but communication latency increases due to relay requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements local quality by enabling control units to operate autonomously within their zones, making decisions locally rather than requiring all communications to pass through a central point. This reduces latency for local operations while maintaining unified management capabilities.
Data Source
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AI summary
This home-automation system for a building comprises: - home-automation equipment (6, 8, 10), distributed within areas (Z1, Z2) of the building, and - a communication network (14), to which the home-automation equipment is connected, and authorizing an inter-communication of the home-automation equipment according to a predefined communication protocol. The communication network (14) is a hard-wired hierarchical network comprising: - a first network (B, SN1, SN2) of rank n, - a plurality of sub-networks (SN1, SN2, SSN1, SSN2) of lower hierarchical rank n-1, connected to the first network, each sub-network being associated with an area and containing at least one of the home-automation equipment items (6, 8, 10); each sub-network of lower hierarchical rank n-1 being hooked up to the first network of rank n by a network equipment item (22, 24).