Frequency Channel Switching for Mesh Network Reliability

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional POS terminal maintenance networks face challenges in efficiently transmitting maintenance information across a wireless mesh network, particularly in preventing interference between data packets and response signals, and ensuring reliable communication channel management.

Innovation Solution

The implementation of a wireless communication device that uses a first frequency channel for data packet transmission and switches to a second frequency channel for response signal communication, preventing interference and ensuring reliable data and response signal exchange through multi-hop communication in a wireless mesh network.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If broadcast communication is used on a single frequency channel for message transmission in a wireless mesh network, then communication simplicity is maintained, but interference between data packets and response signals occurs reducing reliability

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecommunication reliabilityVSAvoidchannel management complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The communication channel is segmented into multiple frequency channels (first frequency channel for data packets, second frequency channel for response signals). This segmentation prevents interference between data transmission and response signal transmission, thereby improving communication reliability while maintaining relatively simple channel management through predefined channel assignment rules.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Reliability

If channel switching is implemented for response signal communication, then data packet interference is prevented, but communication protocol complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesignal transmission reliabilityVSAvoidprotocol complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The communication protocol preliminarily designates different frequency channels for different communication purposes (first channel for data, second channel for responses). This preliminary arrangement prevents interference before it occurs and simplifies the switching logic, as nodes only need to follow predefined channel assignment rules rather than implementing complex dynamic negotiation protocols.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Area of stationary object

If multi-hop communication is used for message routing, then network coverage is extended, but message transmission time increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvenetwork coverage areaVSAvoidmessage transmission time
Core Design Contradiction:
Area of stationary objectVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The protocol implements periodic channel switching at predefined intervals and milestones (e.g., switching to the second frequency channel for response signals after receiving data on the first channel). This periodic action pattern optimizes the balance between multi-hop routing time and channel switching overhead, preventing unnecessary prolonged transmissions while maintaining extended network coverage.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #19Periodic action

Data Source

PatentEP3614788B1Routing of a message to a gateway in an ad hoc network
Publication Date: 2023.09.13 TOSHIBA TEC KK
  • EP3614788B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3614788B1 patent drawingFigure 2~3
  • EP3614788B1 patent drawingFigure 4(a)~4(c)

AI summary

In accordance with an embodiment, a wireless communication device constituting a wireless mesh network that transmits information through multi-hop communication comprises a communication section configured to transmit a message addressed to a wireless communication device different from its own wireless communication device through broadcast communication on a first frequency channel; and a control section configured to change a communication channel of the communication section from the first frequency channel to a second frequency channel for communication of a response signal responding to the message after the message is transmitted by the communication section.