Node Device Group Sensor Data Acquisition Network

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Solution Overview

Problem

In existing network systems, the data processing server spends time specifying multiple sensor terminals to acquire sensor data, and adding new sensor terminals requires updating information in the server, making the process cumbersome and time-consuming.

Innovation Solution

A network system where the computer apparatus can make information acquisition requests directly to node devices without specifying each sensor terminal, using a node device with a sensor data search section to locate and transmit sensor data, and incorporating load leveling and fault detection mechanisms to distribute load and ensure fault-tolerance.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If the data processing server specifies each sensor terminal to acquire sensor data, then the server can obtain the required sensor data, but the process becomes time-consuming and cumbersome

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesensor data acquisition accuracyVSAvoiddata acquisition time
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a sensor terminal ID storage section in the data processing server that stores the mapping between sensor terminal IDs and node device IDs. This intermediary storage mechanism allows the server to quickly identify the correct node device without manually specifying each sensor terminal, thereby reducing data acquisition time while maintaining accuracy.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements preliminary action by pre-storing the correspondence relationships between sensor terminals and node devices in the server's storage section. This advance preparation eliminates the need for real-time specification of each sensor terminal during data acquisition, significantly reducing the time required while ensuring accurate data retrieval.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Reliability

If the data processing server updates information about sensor terminals when new terminals are added, then the system maintains up-to-date information, but the process becomes troublesome and complex

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveinformation accuracyVSAvoidsystem maintenance complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements self-service by enabling sensor terminals to automatically register themselves with the data processing server upon joining the network. The terminal autonomously provides its identification information to the server, which then automatically updates the correspondence relationships in the storage section. This eliminates the need for manual information updates by system administrators, greatly simplifying operations while maintaining information accuracy.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

3Device complexity

If the system uses a conventional network architecture with direct server-to-sensor-terminal connections, then the system structure is simple, but the system cannot scale efficiently and becomes cumbersome when adding new terminals

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvenetwork structure simplicityVSAvoidsystem scalability
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies segmentation by dividing the network into two layers: sensor terminals that generate data and node devices that aggregate and manage data from multiple sensors. This segmentation allows the system to scale efficiently as new sensor terminals can be grouped under existing node devices without increasing overall system complexity, thereby improving adaptability while maintaining structural simplicity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentEP2775665B1Node device group, network system and method for transmitting and receiving sensor data
Publication Date: 2019.07.31 OMRON CORP
  • EP2775665B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2775665B1 patent drawingFigure 2~3
  • EP2775665B1 patent drawingFigure 4

AI summary

A computer apparatus makes an information acquisition request to any of multiple node devices. Each node device (20) has a sensor data search section (51) for searching a sensor data storage sections of the multiple node devices for a sensor data according to the information acquisition request and acquiring the sensor data and an information transmission section for transmitting the sensor data acquired by the sensor data search section (51) or calculation result data acquired on the basis of the sensor data to the computer apparatus.