Outdoor Lighting Network Contingency Connectivity Infrastructure
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Solution Overview
Problem
Smart city systems face communication disruptions during emergencies, as primary networks may fail, and reliance on singular communication lines can be problematic, especially in outdoor lighting networks that lack redundancy.
Innovation Solution
The outdoor lighting network (OLN) is converted into a device-to-device (D2D) network upon primary communication failure, allowing light points to switch from standard protocols to D2D mode, enabling data relay and communication between smart city system field devices and the central manager, thereby providing a contingency connectivity infrastructure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If outdoor lighting networks use standard communication protocols for centralized control, then system management and monitoring are enabled, but communication redundancy and resilience during network failures are insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The outdoor lighting network devices are designed to perform multiple communication functions by supporting both standard centralized control protocols and device-to-device communication protocols. This multi-functionality enables the same hardware infrastructure to serve dual purposes: normal operation mode with centralized management and contingency mode with peer-to-peer communication, thereby achieving communication redundancy without requiring separate dedicated backup infrastructure
Solution Approach 2:
The communication protocol configuration of the lighting network devices is made dynamic rather than static. The system can automatically switch between different communication modes (standard centralized protocol and D2D protocol) based on the operational state of the primary communication network. This dynamic adaptability allows the network to respond to failures by transitioning to alternative communication pathways, enhancing reliability while maintaining manageable complexity through automated protocol selection
2Reliability
If outdoor lighting networks rely on singular communication lines for centralized control, then system simplicity is maintained, but communication disruption occurs during emergencies when primary networks fail
Solution Approach 1:
The outdoor lighting network devices are pre-configured with device-to-device communication capabilities and protocols during manufacturing and initial setup. This preliminary preparation of alternative communication pathways ensures that when primary network failures occur during emergencies, the system can immediately switch to backup D2D communication without requiring complex real-time configuration or manual intervention, thus maintaining both communication continuity and operational simplicity
Solution Approach 2:
The lighting network system implements self-service functionality by automatically detecting primary network failures and initiating switch to alternative D2D communication pathways without external intervention. The system monitors its own communication state and autonomously reconfigures routing decisions, eliminating the need for manual network administration during crises and preserving ease of operation while ensuring continuous communication through emergency situations
3Adaptability or versatility
If outdoor lighting networks are integrated into smart city systems, then multiple communication functions are unified, but dependency on primary communication networks increases vulnerability during failures
Solution Approach 1:
The device-to-device communication protocol acts as an intermediary layer between smart city system components and the primary centralized communication network. When the primary network is functional, standard protocols handle centralized control and data management. When failures occur, the D2D protocol serves as a mediator that enables direct peer-to-peer communication, allowing smart city functions to continue operating independently of the compromised primary infrastructure, thus enhancing system resilience while preserving integrated functionality
Data Source
AI summary
An outdoor lighting network (OLN) is disclosed as a supplementary or contingency communications infrastructure for smart city systems. The OLN may integrate light points within the network as receivers which are switched from a standard OLN communication protocol to a D2D based protocol upon disruption of a primary smart city systems communications network, wherein each communication protocol includes a respective message prioritization method. Aspects of the disclosure additionally includes methods and apparatus for implementing an outdoor lighting network which can act, in cases of primary communication failure, as a D2D network in order to pass messages from smart city system field devices, through the converted D2D OLN network and to a smart city system central manager for proper handling and distribution of the smart city system field device communications.