Bluetooth Mesh Gateway Agent Selection for Traffic Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
In Bluetooth Mesh networks, the existing method of message transmission between gateways and sub-devices by flooding leads to increased message traffic and resource consumption, affecting the success rate of message transmission and impacting the 2.4G wireless environment, as control instructions and reply messages are sent to multiple gateways and forwarded redundantly.
Innovation Solution
A method where only one gateway acts as the agent for a sub-device, processing interactions between the server and the sub-device, by determining and designating an agent gateway and forbidding other gateways from doing so, thereby reducing message traffic and resource consumption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If message transmission by flooding is used in Bluetooth Mesh networks, then all gateways can receive and forward messages to sub-devices, but message traffic and resource consumption increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the message forwarding function from all gateways and concentrates it in a single designated gateway. The server identifies one specific gateway to handle message forwarding for each sub-device, removing the redundant forwarding capability from other gateways. This extraction eliminates unnecessary message traffic while preserving the essential message delivery function.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of having all gateways actively receive and forward messages (flooding approach), the patent inverts the approach by having only one gateway designated to forward messages while other gateways remain passive. The server controls which gateway acts as the agent, reversing the traditional flooding paradigm to reduce network traffic.
2Reliability
If control instructions are sent to multiple gateways, then message delivery coverage is ensured, but network traffic and server resource consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the message forwarding task from multiple gateways and assigns it to a single designated gateway. The server determines one agent gateway per sub-device and sends control instructions only to that specific gateway, removing redundant message copies sent to other gateways while ensuring complete message delivery coverage.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of sending messages to all gateways (excessive action), the patent sends messages to only the necessary minimum - one designated gateway per sub-device. This partial action is sufficient to ensure message delivery while significantly reducing the quantity of messages in the network.
3Reliability
If multiple gateways forward the same message, then message delivery is redundant, but network stability is affected
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the redundant message forwarding function from multiple gateways and concentrates it in one designated gateway. By removing duplicate forwarding actions, the network experiences reduced traffic congestion and fewer conflicts, thereby improving overall network stability while maintaining reliable message delivery.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent inverts the traditional flooding approach by preventing multiple gateways from forwarding messages. Instead of allowing redundant forwarding, the server designates one agent gateway to handle all forwarding for each sub-device, eliminating the instability caused by multiple simultaneous forwarding actions.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for controlling a gateway, and a system for controlling a gateway implementing the method, comprises: determining a gateway for acting as an agent of a sub-device from at least one gateway as an agent gateway, controlling the agent gateway to act as the agent of the sub-device by sending a first control instruction to the agent gateway and forbidding at least one other gateway to act as the agent of the sub-device by sending a second control instruction to the at least one other gateway.