Multi-Channel Announcements Build Outage-Resilient Connectivity Graphs
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Solution Overview
Problem
Endpoint devices in home security and monitoring systems cannot directly communicate over wireless networks and require gateway devices for communication, leading to potential connectivity outages and inefficiencies in routing communications.
Innovation Solution
Network devices transmit announcement messages over multiple channels to determine communication capabilities among themselves and send information to servers, which build a network connectivity graph to efficiently route communications even in the presence of outages.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If endpoint devices communicate through gateway network devices, then communication between different wireless protocols is enabled, but system complexity increases and direct communication efficiency is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a server as an intermediary that receives connectivity information from network devices and builds a network connectivity graph. This centralizes the complexity of managing multi-protocol communications, allowing network devices to simply relay messages without needing to understand multiple protocols themselves. The server acts as the mediator that handles the complexity of routing and protocol translation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the complexity of connectivity management from individual network devices and concentrates it in a centralized server. The server takes out the burden of building and maintaining the network connectivity graph, while network devices are simplified to only performing announcement message transmission and reception. This separation reduces device complexity while maintaining protocol adaptability.
2Reliability
If network devices transmit announcement messages on multiple channels, then connectivity information is gathered comprehensively, but communication time and energy consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements periodic announcement message transmissions at scheduled times rather than continuous transmissions. Network devices transmit announcements at specific intervals and at scheduled times when other devices are expected to be listening. This periodic approach ensures comprehensive connectivity detection across multiple channels while minimizing the total time spent transmitting and listening for announcements.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary connectivity detection by transmitting announcement messages before actual communication needs arise. The network connectivity graph is built in advance through these preliminary announcements, so when communication is actually needed, the routing paths are already known. This eliminates the need for real-time discovery and reduces communication delays.
3Productivity
If a centralized server builds the network connectivity graph, then routing optimization is achieved, but single point of failure risk increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary action by building the network connectivity graph in advance, storing connectivity information about which network devices can communicate with each other across different channels. This pre-computed graph enables efficient routing decisions during actual communication without requiring real-time server intervention. The routing efficiency is achieved through this preliminary structuring of connectivity information.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the connectivity management function by having individual network devices independently transmit and receive announcement messages, then report this information to the server. Each device maintains its own connectivity knowledge locally. This segmentation distributes the reliability burden across multiple independent devices while the server consolidates the routing optimization logic, reducing the single point of failure risk.
4Loss of information
If network devices listen on multiple channels for announcements, then complete network topology is discovered, but device energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses periodic action by scheduling announcement transmissions at specific times rather than continuously monitoring all channels. Network devices transmit announcements at scheduled intervals and listen only during these scheduled times. This ensures complete topology discovery occurs through the periodic exchanges while dramatically reducing the time devices spend in high-power listening states, thus lowering overall energy consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements self-service by having network devices independently transmit their own announcement messages and use the received announcements to build their local connectivity knowledge. Each device serves itself by actively participating in the discovery process rather than passively listening to all channels continuously. This active self-service approach reduces energy consumption compared to continuous passive monitoring.
Data Source
AI summary
A first network device wirelessly transmits announcement messages in quick succession over multiple channels that represent normal operating channels of other network devices. The other network devices receive one of the announcement messages over their respective operating channels, and then send a message to one or more servers indicating that one of the announcement messages has been received. Various parameters and information related to the received announcement message, such as RSSI, SNR, and the contents of the announcement message, are included in the message sent to the one or more servers by each of the other network devices. The one or more servers then incorporate information in the messages sent from the other network devices into a network connectivity graph or table.