Portable Device Multiplex Gateway for Smart Home Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional smart home systems rely on fixed gateways, which are costly, prone to bottlenecks, and require high performance, leading to inconvenience when they malfunction, as they necessitate the purchase of additional equipment and can cause service disruptions during maintenance.
Innovation Solution
A smart home system with a multiplex gateway function integrated into portable devices, allowing for the selection of a master device based on IP address information to connect the home network with an external communication network, enabling remote monitoring and control of home appliances without the need for a separate gateway.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a fixed gateway is used to connect the home network with external networks, then the system provides stable network connectivity, but the device complexity and cost increase due to requiring separate gateway equipment
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the gateway function with the portable device by installing a gateway application on the portable device. This integration eliminates the need for a separate fixed gateway, reducing device complexity while maintaining network connectivity functionality through the portable device's network interface.
Solution Approach 2:
The portable device is designed to perform multiple functions including both user communication and gateway functions. The gateway application enables the portable device to act as a router, connecting home appliances to external networks, thereby making the portable device universal and eliminating the need for dedicated gateway hardware.
2Ease of operation
If a fixed gateway is used to perform all home network functions, then centralized control is achieved, but the gateway becomes a performance bottleneck requiring high specifications
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the gateway function from the portable device and distributes it to multiple home appliances. Each appliance can independently execute gateway-related tasks through the home network, eliminating the performance bottleneck at a single centralized gateway while maintaining coordinated control through network communication.
3Ease of operation
If a fixed gateway is used for smart home control, then network management is centralized, but service disruptions occur during gateway maintenance or malfunction
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a dynamic gateway system where the gateway function can be transferred between portable devices. When one portable device experiences issues, another can take over the gateway role, providing dynamic redundancy and ensuring service continuity while maintaining centralized network management through the portable devices.
4Reliability
If separate gateway equipment is purchased for smart home systems, then dedicated gateway functionality is provided, but the cost and ease of purchase become problematic in early market stages
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables the portable device to provide gateway services to itself and the home network without requiring external gateway equipment. The portable device's existing network capabilities and processing power are utilized to perform gateway functions, making the system self-sufficient and eliminating the need for separate gateway purchases.
Data Source
AI summary
A smart home system using a portable device in which a gateway function is installed in the portable device to provide a smart home service using a multiplex gateway, and a control method thereof is provided. The smart home system includes one or more portable devices and one or more home appliances located in a home, each of the one or more portable devices and one or more home appliances having a gateway, a home network to interconnect the one or more portable devices and the one or more home appliances, and a master device selected from among the one or more portable devices or the one or more home appliances, the master device activating the gateway thereof to connect the home network with an external communication network, wherein the master device transfers a home appliance control command to a corresponding one of the one or more home appliances.