Home Appliance Monitoring System Load Management

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing home appliance monitoring systems face increased loads on central servers as the system scale expands, requiring costly upgrades or additional servers to manage the increased number of central managing devices.

Innovation Solution

A home appliance monitoring system that dynamically adjusts the communication status of central managing devices between activated and deactivated states based on server load, allowing monitoring information to be stored locally and sent to the center server only when the status is activated, thereby reducing the load on the central server.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Area of stationary object

If the number of central managing devices is increased to expand system scale, then the monitoring coverage is improved, but the load on the center server increases requiring costly upgrades

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesystem scaleVSAvoidserver load
Core Design Contradiction:
Area of stationary objectVSPower

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the centralized server architecture into a distributed hierarchy with multiple center servers. Each center server manages a specific region or group of central managing devices, dividing the overall system load into smaller, manageable segments. This allows system expansion without proportionally increasing the load on a single server.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces a hierarchical dimension to the system architecture, adding intermediate management layers between individual central managing devices and the ultimate central server. This hierarchical structure distributes load across multiple levels, preventing any single server from becoming a bottleneck as the system expands.

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

2Power

If additional center servers are added to reduce server load, then the load distribution is improved, but the system cost increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveload distributionVSAvoidnumber of servers
Core Design Contradiction:
PowerVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements dynamic load adjustment mechanisms where the operational status of center servers can be flexibly changed based on current system conditions. Servers can be activated or deactivated dynamically, allowing the system to optimize server utilization and avoid the need for continuously running additional servers that would increase costs.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the operational parameters of existing servers by adjusting their activation status rather than simply adding more servers. By modifying the operational state (active/inactive) of existing center servers based on load conditions, the system achieves better load distribution without necessarily increasing the total number of physical servers required.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Device complexity

If the center server processes all monitoring information centrally, then the data collection is simplified, but the server performance requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedata collection processVSAvoidserver performance
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the data collection and processing functions across multiple center servers in a hierarchical structure. Instead of one central server handling all data, the system divides data collection responsibilities among multiple servers that each handle specific regions or device groups, simplifying the processing burden on each individual server while maintaining comprehensive data collection.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentEP2432208B1Home appliance monitoring system
Publication Date: 2019.12.18 PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO LTD
  • EP2432208B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2432208B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2432208B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A home appliance monitoring system includes: a plurality of home systems respectively including a central managing device configured to collect monitoring information from a home appliance; and a center server connected to the central managing device of each home system. The center server calculates the current load amount, and sends an activating instruction signal or a deactivating instruction signal to each central managing device on the basis of the current load amount. The central managing device sets its communication status to an activated status in response to receiving the activating instruction signal, and sets its communication status to a deactivated status in response to receiving the deactivating instruction signal. The home system stores the monitoring information while the communication status is the deactivated status. The home system sends the stored monitoring information to the center server when the communication status is switched from the deactivated status to the activated status. The home system sends the monitoring information to the center server while the communication status is the activated status. The center server stores the monitoring information received from the home system.