Multi-Ring Communication System for Robotic Networks
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing ring network communication systems face challenges in routing communication lines through narrow spaces and minimizing system impact from communication errors, particularly in robotic applications where failures can disrupt the entire network.
Innovation Solution
A communication system with multiple ring networks, each having a host node and switches with regular and redundant ports, where communication error detection triggers the connection of redundant ports between networks to bypass faulty nodes, reducing the need for redundant lines throughout the network and allowing easy routing in tight spaces.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If redundant communication lines are duplicated over the entirety of the ring network, then system reliability is improved, but routing difficulty increases and device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the ring network into multiple independent ring networks, each with its own communication lines. Instead of duplicating all communication lines throughout the entire network, each ring network has dedicated lines that can be independently managed and routed, reducing overall routing complexity while maintaining reliability through network segmentation
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces switches with redundant ports as intermediary devices that can connect different ring networks. These switches act as mediators that enable communication between rings without requiring direct redundant line connections between all nodes, thereby reducing routing complexity while maintaining system reliability
2Reliability
If redundant communication lines are passed through moving parts such as joints, then system reliability is improved, but the risk of simultaneous line breakage increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the communication infrastructure into multiple independent ring networks, so that communication lines in one ring do not all pass through the same moving parts. This distribution reduces the probability that all redundant lines will be simultaneously broken by mechanical stress or wear at a single joint
Solution Approach 2:
The patent distributes communication lines across multiple spatial dimensions by creating separate ring networks that can be routed through different physical paths. Instead of concentrating all redundant lines through the same narrow spaces and joints, the lines are spread across different spatial configurations, reducing correlated failure risks
3Reliability
If four communication lines are passed through each joint, then communication reliability is improved, but routing difficulty in narrow spaces increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the communication system into multiple ring networks, each requiring fewer lines per joint. Instead of routing all four communication lines (two directions × two redundant sets) through each joint, the segmentation allows different rings to share joints more efficiently, reducing the number of lines that must be manually routed through narrow spaces
Solution Approach 2:
The switches with redundant ports serve multiple functions: they provide regular communication ports, redundant communication ports, and the ability to connect different ring networks. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate dedicated lines for each function, thereby reducing the total number of lines that must be routed through joints
Data Source
AI summary
In a communication system including multiple ring networks, each ring network comprises: a host node serving as an upper controller for the other nodes in the own ring network, the host node being configured to be capable of communicating with another ring network; and a switch provided in the ring network and having multiple regular ports and multiple redundant ports, wherein the redundant communication ports of the switch in each ring network are connected to the redundant communication ports of the switch in the other ring network via redundant communication lines. When a communication error is detected in one ring network, the host node of the one ring network controls the switch of the own ring network and the switch of another ring network such that at least one node of the own ring network is incorporated in the other ring network via the switches and the redundant communication lines.