Home Automation Network Energy Optimization via ACK Message Integration

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current methods for optimizing energy consumption in home automation networks by measuring radiofrequency signal levels are inefficient due to high energy consumption and network overload, as they require separate requests and responses that lead to saturation and reduced availability.

Innovation Solution

Integrating radiofrequency level data into acknowledgment messages, allowing automatic and continuous monitoring by a diagnostic tool that adjusts energy levels without additional transmissions, thereby reducing network congestion and energy expenditure.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If separate request and response messages are used to collect RSSI information, then the network can obtain signal level data for energy optimization, but the energy consumption increases and the network becomes overloaded

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesignal level data collectionVSAvoidenergy consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines RSSI information collection with existing acknowledgment messages by integrating a radio level indicator field into the ACK message structure. This allows the diagnostic tool to obtain signal level data from all receivers simultaneously without sending separate request messages, thereby reducing energy consumption and network overload while maintaining measurement precision.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

2Measurement precision

If separate request and response messages are used to collect RSSI information, then the network can obtain signal level data for energy optimization, but the network availability decreases due to saturation

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesignal level data collectionVSAvoidnetwork availability
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges RSSI data collection into the existing acknowledgment message flow, allowing the diagnostic tool to monitor signal levels from all receivers simultaneously without creating additional traffic. This eliminates network saturation and maintains high availability while achieving comprehensive signal level measurement.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The receivers automatically include their radio level indicators in the acknowledgment messages they send to confirm receipt of commands. This self-service mechanism eliminates the need for separate interrogation commands, reducing network traffic and maintaining continuous network availability while collecting necessary measurement data.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

3Measurement precision

If complete radio frames are analyzed to obtain RSSI data, then accurate signal level information is obtained, but the data exploitation speed is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesignal level information accuracyVSAvoiddata exploitation speed
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts only the essential radio level indicator field from the acknowledgment messages for analysis by the diagnostic tool, rather than analyzing complete radio frames. This extraction approach maintains accurate signal level information while significantly reducing processing time and improving data exploitation speed.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

4Measurement precision

If all receivers respond simultaneously to a request, then all signal level data is collected, but the network efficiency is reduced due to collisions

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesignal level data collectionVSAvoidnetwork efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The receivers automatically include their radio level indicators in their acknowledgment messages sent in response to commands. Since these acknowledgments are part of the normal command-response protocol with built-in collision avoidance mechanisms, all receivers can contribute data simultaneously without causing network collisions, maintaining both complete data collection and high network efficiency.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Data Source

PatentEP2584846B1Method for optimising the operating energy of a plurality of devices operating as a group within a home-automation network.
Publication Date: 2016.05.25 HAGER CONTROLS
  • EP2584846B1 patent drawingFigure 1

AI summary

The method involves measuring energy levels of radio frequency (RF) signals received by several equipments (1-11, m) based on management data, where the management data is transmitted by each of the equipments in each message sent over a home automation network and analyzed by permanent scanning signals exchanged over the home automation network. The energy levels of the RF signals are adjusted for each equipment to correspond to a predetermined optimum energy level of signal reception by the equipment.