IoT Configuration Management via MQTT Grouping for Massive Device Networks

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Solution Overview

Problem

The efficiency of publishing application messages by a control device to massive network access devices is low, affecting device management and Quality of Service due to slow message sending speeds.

Innovation Solution

A configuration management method and apparatus that groups network access devices to improve message sending efficiency by using the MQTT protocol, where the control device sends messages to gateways which then forward them to the appropriate devices, allowing for efficient message delivery and flexible subscription mechanisms.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If the control device sends configuration update messages to a plurality of network access devices individually, then each device can receive the message, but the message sending speed is slow and configuration update efficiency is low

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveconfiguration update efficiencyVSAvoidmessage sending speed
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSSpeed

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the network access devices into multiple groups based on their characteristics or connectivity patterns. The control device then sends configuration update messages to these groups simultaneously through different communication paths, rather than individually to each device. This segmentation enables parallel message delivery, significantly improving both message sending speed and configuration update efficiency.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Ease of operation

If the control device manages massive network access devices individually, then detailed device management is achieved, but the management complexity and time consumption increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedevice management capabilityVSAvoidmanagement system complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges multiple network access devices into groups that share common management characteristics. The control device manages these groups as unified entities, applying configuration updates and monitoring operations to multiple devices simultaneously. This merging approach maintains detailed management capability while reducing the complexity and time consumption of individual device management operations.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

3Adaptability or versatility

If the control device publishes application messages to massive network access devices, then service coverage is expanded, but the publishing efficiency decreases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveservice coverageVSAvoidmessage publishing efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a group-based dimension for message publishing, transitioning from individual device-level publishing to group-level publishing. By organizing devices into groups and publishing messages to these groups simultaneously through multiple communication paths, the system expands service coverage to massive numbers of devices while maintaining high publishing efficiency through parallel processing.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

Data Source

PatentEP3654192B1Configuration management method, apparatus and device
Publication Date: 2023.11.22 HUAWEI TECH CO LTD
  • EP3654192B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3654192B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3654192B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

Embodiments of the present invention disclose a configuration management method and apparatus, and a device. The method includes: determining that an application message needs to be published to a target logical group; obtaining an identifier of the target logical group, where the target logical group includes at least one target terminal; querying, according to a gateway mapping table and the identifier of the target logical group, a gateway connected to each of the at least one target terminal, to obtain at least one target gateway; generating, based on the application message, a Message Queuing Telemetry Transport MQTT publish packet; and sending the MQTT publish packet to the at least one target gateway, where the MQTT publish packet is used to instruct a target gateway that receives the MQTT publish packet to send a corresponding application message to each target terminal that is connected to the target gateway and that belongs to the target logical group. The embodiments of the present invention can improve efficiency of publishing an application message by a control device to massive network access devices.