Multi-Hop Communication Proxy Base Unit Selection for Network Reconstruction

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Solution Overview

Problem

In multi-hop communication networks, when the base unit fails or leaves the network due to reasons like power outage, reconstructing the network becomes challenging, especially when a slave unit with a high hop count becomes the base unit, leading to some slave units being unable to rejoin the network due to maximum hop count constraints.

Innovation Solution

A communication apparatus and method that includes a detector to identify when the base unit is non-functional and a determiner to select a proxy base unit based on the position of slave units in the relay route, allowing a slave unit at the first hop to become the proxy base unit, ensuring all nodes can rejoin the network without exceeding the maximum hop count.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a slave unit with high hop count becomes the base unit during network reconstruction, then the network can be reestablished, but some slave units cannot rejoin the network due to maximum hop count constraints

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvenetwork reconstruction capabilityVSAvoidslave unit rejoining capability

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by having the base unit pre-assign proxy base unit candidates from among slave units before failure occurs. These candidates are selected based on their positions in the relay route, ensuring that when reconstruction is needed, a suitable candidate (with low hop count) is already designated to become the new base unit, preventing the maximum hop count constraint issue

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces proxy base units as intermediaries between the original base unit and slave units. When the base unit fails, these pre-designated proxy base units (which are slave units with low hop counts) take over to maintain network connectivity, ensuring that slave units can still rejoin within the maximum hop count limit

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Adaptability or versatility

If any slave unit can become the base unit during failure, then network reconstruction is flexible, but slave units far from the new base unit may exceed maximum hop count

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvebase unit selection flexibilityVSAvoidcommunication reachability

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by making different slave units have different capabilities and roles based on their positions in the relay route. Slave units closer to the original base unit position are designated as proxy base unit candidates, while those farther away are not, creating localized quality differences that ensure reconstruction reliability

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentUS20250227059A1Communication apparatus, communication control method, and communication system

Publication Date: 2025.07.10 PANASONIC HOLDINGS CORP

AI summary

A communication apparatus according to one exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure is a communication apparatus in a communication system in which multi-hop communication is performed, the communication apparatus including: a detector that detects that a base unit in the communication system is in a state in which communication is not possible; and a determiner that determines whether the communication apparatus becomes a proxy base unit, the determining being performed based on a position of the communication apparatus in a relay route in the communication system when the base unit is in the state in which communication is not possible.