Network Subsystem Address Assignment via Physical Location Derivation
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
In complex communication systems, such as those in the transportation industry, determining the physical location and logical addresses of communication devices is challenging due to excessive dedicated wiring and increased communication requirements, especially in environments like aircraft where precise location identification is necessary for effective device communication.
Innovation Solution
A method and apparatus that utilize network subsystems with head-ends and storage to assign logical addresses based on physical locations, where devices with unknown locations can derive their locations from devices with known locations through point-to-point connections, allowing communication without initial logical addresses, and subsequently receive their logical addresses from the head-end.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If dedicated wiring is used to connect all communication devices, then reliable communication is achieved, but the amount of wiring becomes excessively large, increasing space requirements and installation cost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical wiring system with a wireless communication system. Network devices communicate through wireless signals transmitted via access points, eliminating the need for physical cable connections between devices. This substitution maintains communication reliability while dramatically reducing wiring complexity and installation requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a universal wireless communication infrastructure where access points serve multiple devices simultaneously. Instead of dedicated point-to-point wiring for each device pair, a single wireless network infrastructure supports communication among numerous devices, enhancing system scalability and reducing overall wiring requirements.
2Reliability
If physical locations of all devices are known and assigned logical addresses, then effective communication is achieved, but the process becomes complex and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements self-service address assignment where network devices automatically obtain logical addresses through the DHCP protocol without manual configuration. Devices autonomously request and receive IP addresses from servers, eliminating the need for administrators to manually track and assign addresses based on physical locations, thereby reducing time consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs feedback mechanisms where devices broadcast their presence and status information, and the network responds with assigned addresses and configuration data. This automated feedback loop enables rapid address assignment without requiring pre-known physical location data, accelerating the communication setup process.
3Device complexity
If devices communicate without knowing each other's physical locations, then wiring requirements are reduced, but communication effectiveness may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces access points and network servers as intermediary components that mediate communication between devices. These intermediaries maintain network topology information and routing data, enabling devices to communicate effectively without directly knowing each other's physical locations. The intermediaries handle location-aware routing and data transmission, preserving communication effectiveness while simplifying device-level operations.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
A system is provided that includes first- and second-network subsystems (102a, 102b). The first-network subsystem includes a first-network device (104a) with knowledge of its physical location and assigned logical address within the first-network subsystem. The second-network subsystem includes a second-network device (104b) initially without knowledge of its physical location and assigned logical address within the second-network subsystem. The second-network device has a known spatial relationship with the first-network device. The first-network device is configured to communicate its physical location to the second-network device, which is configured to derive at least partially its physical location based on the physical location of the first-network device, and the known spatial relationship between the first- and second-network devices. The second-network device is further configured to receive an assignment of its logical address within the second-network subsystem using its derived physical location.