Peripheral Manager Simulator for Airport Communication Reliability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Airport communication systems face challenges in establishing reliable communication between peripheral devices and central servers due to non-static IP addresses, multiple addressing schemes, and the need to traverse heterogeneous networks, including public and private addressing schemes, which complicates security, firewalls, and routing configurations.
Innovation Solution
A virtualized communications protocol is implemented using a server peripheral manager simulator and client peripheral manager simulator to establish a bi-directional virtual channel for managing communication between remote central servers and peripheral devices across heterogeneous networks, enabling seamless data transfer and application control regardless of network types.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If non-static IP addresses and IP address translation are used to enable communication across heterogeneous networks, then network adaptability is improved, but communication reliability and security management deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a peripheral manager simulator as an intermediary component that runs on the server and emulates the peripheral manager functionality. This simulator acts as a mediator between the application emulator and the actual peripheral devices, providing a stable communication interface that does not depend on network addressing changes. The simulator maintains persistent connections and handles IP address translation transparently, thereby improving communication reliability while preserving network adaptability.
2Stability of the object's composition
If adaptation of client applications and print emulators to target remote hostnames with fixed IP addresses is implemented, then communication stability is improved, but device complexity and routing configuration complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The peripheral manager simulator serves as an intermediary that abstracts away the complexity of routing configurations and fixed IP address management. Instead of requiring client applications to be adapted to target specific hostnames and manage routing, the simulator handles all communication routing centrally on the server side, simplifying the overall system architecture.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of adapting client applications to communicate with fixed IP addresses and remote hostnames, the patent inverts the approach by having the server-side simulator initiate and manage the communication connections. The application emulator communicates with the simulator using simplified addressing, while the simulator handles the complex routing to actual peripheral devices, thereby reducing device complexity.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple stakeholders provide different elements of communications across public and private networks, then network versatility is improved, but security management and firewall complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The peripheral manager simulator acts as a centralized intermediary that consolidates communication management across multiple networks and stakeholders. Instead of configuring firewalls and security policies at multiple distributed points, all communication passes through the simulator on the server, which can be secured with a single firewall configuration. This maintains network versatility while dramatically simplifying security management.
4Adaptability or versatility
If peripheral emulation is implemented in the host computer to connect to unknown communication networks, then network adaptability is improved, but interface complexity and transcoding requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements peripheral emulation in the server (host computer) where the peripheral manager simulator emulates the peripheral manager interface. This centralizes the transcoding and protocol conversion functions in one location rather than requiring interface complexity at both client and server ends. The application emulator uses a simplified interface while the simulator handles all the complex transcoding to communicate with unknown network types and peripheral devices.
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention relates to a system (300) and method for managing communication between a server (100') and peripheral devices (250, 260, 270, 280) associated with at least one client (200) deployed with an airport environment so that a virtualised application (130') running on the server (100') can be connected with at least one of the peripheral devices (250, 260, 270, 280). A communications link (310) is established between the server (100') and the client (200) associated with the peripheral devices (250, 260, 270, 280) and the application (130') is directed to one of the peripheral devices (250, 260, 270, 280) via a virtual channel (320) established between a server peripheral manager simulator component (160) and a client peripheral manager simulator component (245) and passing through the communications link (310). The client peripheral manager simulator (245) is associated with a peripheral manager (240) in the client (200) which controls the peripheral devices (250, 260, 270, 280).