Intercom Call Routing via Building Control Units
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Solution Overview
Problem
In housing complexes with multiple dwelling buildings, existing intercom systems cannot respond to calls from management office parent devices when no manager is available in the management office of each dwelling building.
Innovation Solution
An intercom system where each dwelling building has a dwelling parent device, a management office parent device, and a building control unit connected via an intercom line, with interconnected building control units across a network, allowing calls to be redirected to a centralized management office parent device or another dwelling building's management office parent device during specified time zones when the local management office is unresponsive.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a management office parent device is installed in each dwelling building's management office, then local management response is enabled, but calls cannot be answered when no manager is available
Solution Approach 1:
The building control unit serves as an intermediary device that receives calls from dwelling parent devices and automatically transfers them to alternative management office parent devices when the primary management office is unavailable. This mediator enables seamless call routing across multiple buildings without requiring manual intervention.
Solution Approach 2:
The system segments the call handling function across multiple dwelling buildings, allowing each building's management office parent device to handle calls independently when available, while the building control unit coordinates cross-building call transfer when needed. This segmentation distributes the response responsibility across the housing complex.
2Adaptability or versatility
If a centralized controller is installed in a centralized control building, then centralized management is achieved, but processing capacity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The control function is segmented between building-level building control units and a centralized control building. Each building control unit handles local call management and transfer operations independently, while the centralized control building provides overall coordination. This segmentation reduces the processing burden on the centralized controller.
Solution Approach 2:
Building control units autonomously handle call transfer decisions and executions without requiring centralized controller intervention for each call. The system enables self-service operation at the building level, reducing the complexity and processing requirements of the centralized management infrastructure.
3Reliability
If call transfer to other buildings is enabled, then call response availability improves, but intercom line usage increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system establishes predetermined call transfer routing rules and relationships between dwelling buildings in advance. When a call is transferred to another building, the building control unit uses these pre-configured routing instructions to efficiently direct the call without requiring extensive real-time decision-making or additional intercom line infrastructure.
Data Source
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Figure 2A
Figure 2B
AI summary
Each of a plurality of dwelling buildings includes a dwelling parent device 10, a management office parent device 20, and a building control unit 40 communicatively connected to each dwelling parent device in the host building and the management office parent device in the host building via an intercom line. The respective building control units 40 are interconnected via a network. The network is further connected with a management center, and the management center includes a centralized management office parent device 50 and a centralized control unit 70 connected to the centralized management office parent device via the intercom line. The building control unit 40 in each dwelling building can set a calling time zone in which it is possible to call the centralized management office parent device or the management office parent device of other building, in addition to the management office parent device in the host building. When there is a calling from the dwelling parent device in the set calling time zone, the management office parent device in the host building receives a calling signal from the dwelling parent device and the building control unit also receives the calling signal from the dwelling parent device and transmits the calling signal to the centralized management office parent device or the management office parent device of the other building.