Multi-Path Wireless Control for Home Automation Devices
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing home automation systems face challenges in minimizing latency and avoiding duplicate commands when controlling appliances remotely, especially due to network limitations and the need for multiple communication protocols, which can result in suboptimal user experience and increased complexity.
Innovation Solution
A system that utilizes multiple communication protocols like MQTT, HTTP, and BLE concurrently, with a unique Message-ID mechanism to prevent duplication and implement a retry/re-transmission scheme to ensure message delivery, while automatically selecting the lowest latency protocol for efficient command execution.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If multiple communication protocols (MQTT, HTTP, BLE) are used concurrently for controlling home automation devices, then reliability and coverage are improved, but device complexity and difficulty of detecting and measuring increase
Solution Approach 1:
The communication system is segmented into multiple independent protocols (MQTT, HTTP, BLE), each handling specific communication paths. The controller manages these segmented paths through a unified architecture that processes messages from each protocol separately while maintaining overall coordination, reducing the complexity burden on any single protocol.
Solution Approach 2:
A message-ID mechanism serves as an intermediary tracking system that monitors which messages have been successfully transmitted across which protocols. This intermediary layer simplifies the complexity by providing a centralized reference for tracking message delivery status across multiple protocols without requiring complex inter-protocol coordination.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple communication protocols are used concurrently, then adaptability to network conditions is improved, but latency increases due to message duplication and processing overhead
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by assigning unique Message-IDs to messages before transmission and pre-configuring the controller to track which messages have been sent via which protocols. This preliminary tracking setup enables rapid identification and filtering of duplicate messages during processing, reducing latency.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback mechanisms where the controller receives acknowledgment messages from home automation devices and uses this feedback to determine which protocols successfully delivered messages. This feedback loop allows the system to adapt protocol usage dynamically while minimizing redundant processing and reducing overall latency.
3Reliability
If duplicate message detection mechanisms are implemented, then reliability is improved, but device complexity and processing overhead increase
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of creating complex duplicate detection algorithms, the system uses a simplified copying approach where the unique Message-ID is copied and tracked across all protocol messages. This simple copy-based tracking mechanism identifies duplicates by comparing Message-IDs rather than analyzing complex message contents, significantly reducing processing complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the parameter used for message identification from complex message payloads to simple unique Message-IDs. This parameter change simplifies the duplicate detection process from analyzing comprehensive message data to comparing lightweight identifiers, reducing processing overhead while maintaining reliable duplicate prevention.
4Reliability
If retry/re-transmission schemes are implemented for message delivery, then reliability is improved, but loss of time and energy consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The retry/re-transmission scheme is made dynamic by adjusting retransmission behavior based on real-time feedback about message delivery success. The system monitors acknowledgment messages and dynamically decides whether to retry failed transmissions or proceed with alternative protocols, optimizing time and energy usage by avoiding unnecessary retransmissions when alternatives are available.
Data Source
AI summary
System, device, and method of controlling a Ceiling Fan via multi-path wireless communication. A method includes: constructing in an electronic device of a user, a control message indicating a user command intended to be performed by a Home Automation Device (HAD) of the user; wherein the constructing includes inserting into the control message a unique Message-Identifier. The method then transmits the control message, from the electronic device of the user to the HAD, concurrently via at least two different wireless communications channels which include at least: (i) a first wireless communication channel that includes passage of traffic through the Internet, and (ii) a second wireless communication channel in which no traffic passes through the Internet.