Communication Device for Multi-Protocol Home Appliance Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Users face difficulties in controlling multiple home electric appliances with different data communication specifications, as they need to recognize and send specific control data to each device compliant with various protocols like ECHONET Lite, Z-Wave, and ZigBee, which complicates the process and requires resource-intensive and complex configurations.
Innovation Solution
A communication system and method that identifies the target device, determines the appropriate control command based on its communication specification, and sends the command using a router equipped with multiple communication interfaces for ECHONET Lite, Z-Wave, and ZigBee protocols, allowing unified control of devices without needing users to recognize individual specifications.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If users directly control multiple target devices with different data communication specifications, then device control functionality is achieved, but user operation complexity increases and ease of operation deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The communication device serves as an intermediary between the request device and multiple target devices with different communication specifications. It receives control requests, identifies the appropriate target device, determines the required communication specification, and transmits commands in the correct format. This mediator approach shields users from complexity while enabling control of diverse devices.
Solution Approach 2:
The communication device is designed with multi-functionality to handle various data communication specifications (ECHONET Lite, Z-Wave, ZigBee, etc.). It can adapt to different communication protocols and device types, providing a universal control interface that works across multiple device ecosystems without requiring users to learn separate control methods for each protocol.
2Adaptability or versatility
If communication device supports multiple data communication specifications, then adaptability to different devices improves, but device complexity and resource requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The communication device dynamically adapts its behavior based on the target device being controlled. Rather than maintaining fixed configurations for each protocol, it flexibly adjusts communication parameters, command formats, and transmission methods according to the identified target device and its specification, reducing the need for rigid structural complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes communication parameters (protocol type, data format, transmission mode) based on the identified target device. By dynamically adjusting these parameters rather than maintaining separate hardware configurations, the device achieves high adaptability with reduced structural complexity.
3Ease of operation
If communication device automatically identifies target device and command content, then ease of operation improves, but processing time and productivity requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The communication device performs preliminary actions by maintaining ready-access information about multiple target devices and their communication specifications. When a control request arrives, it can quickly match the request to the appropriate device without time-consuming identification processes, reducing the time penalty for automated identification.
Data Source
AI summary
A communication device that communicates with a plurality of different target devices compliant with different specifications of data communication. The communication device receives request data to control operations of the plurality of different target devices; identifies a specific target device for which operation is to be controlled among the plurality of different target devices; identifies command content to be performed by the specific target device according to the received request data; identifies a specification of data communication employed by the specific target device; identifies an operation command corresponding to the identified command content based on the identified specification of data communication employed by the specific target device; and sends the operation command to the specific target device.