Keypad Lighting Control for Synchronized Group Dimming
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
In illumination systems controlled by keypads, the synchronization of illumination value changes across a group of devices is compromised due to variations in wireless communication delays, leading to disparate end illumination values among devices, which further diverge with successive button presses and releases.
Innovation Solution
A keypad computes and sends a start-change signal and an end illumination value command wirelessly to a group of illumination devices, allowing for a masking time to ensure all devices achieve a common end illumination value, stored as the new start value for subsequent changes, thereby maintaining synchronization.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If wireless communication is used to control illumination devices from a keypad, then ease of operation is improved, but synchronization of illumination value changes deteriorates due to communication delays
Solution Approach 1:
The keypad sends the end illumination value command before the button is released, anticipating that remote devices may still be processing the start-change signal. This preliminary action ensures that all devices receive the target value in advance, allowing them to synchronize their transitions even with varying communication delays.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements a feedback mechanism where the keypad monitors the button press duration and dynamically adjusts the end illumination value based on elapsed time. This feedback loop ensures that all devices converge to the same illumination value regardless of when they received the initial command, resolving the synchronization issue caused by wireless delays.
2Ease of operation
If button press duration determines illumination value change, then ease of operation is improved, but cumulative disparities among devices worsen with successive presses
Solution Approach 1:
The keypad calculates and sends the final target illumination value in advance, before the button release is registered. This preliminary determination of the end value ensures that all devices, regardless of their distance or processing speed, will converge to the same target, preventing cumulative disparities from building up across multiple button presses.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses feedback by continuously monitoring the button press state and adjusting the end illumination value based on the actual elapsed time. This real-time feedback ensures that each button press operation results in all devices reaching a consistent state, counteracting the cumulative effect of previous presses and maintaining illumination value consistency.
3Productivity
If illumination value changes are sent simultaneously to all devices, then productivity is improved, but synchronization deteriorates due to varying communication delays
Solution Approach 1:
The keypad sends the end illumination value command in advance, before the button release event is fully processed. This preliminary transmission ensures that all devices receive the target value simultaneously in terms of command reception, even though they may process and apply it at different times due to varying distances and processing speeds.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback by having the keypad monitor the actual button press duration and use this information to determine the appropriate end illumination value. This feedback mechanism ensures that all devices converge to the same final state, maintaining synchronization precision while allowing rapid simultaneous transmission of commands to all devices.
Data Source
AI summary
An illumination system and method are disclosed for maintaining a consistent change in illumination value among a group of illumination devices whenever a change command is manually sent from a keypad to those illumination devices. The consistent change results from maintaining a common start illumination value among not only the group, but also the keypad which controls the group. From the start illumination value, the keypad can then compute an end illumination value depending upon the amount of time that an increase or decrease in illumination value button is depressed and held. Since the change command can arrive at different illumination devices within the group depending upon where each illumination device is geographically located, a masking time is reserved after the button is released so that enough time is allocated for each of the illumination devices within that group to arrive at a common end illumination value.