Protocol Manager for Unified Communications Network
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current unified communications systems face challenges in integrating diverse communication devices across multiple systems, lacking a protocol to facilitate seamless communication between devices like personal computers, Bluetooth devices, and Wi-Fi devices without translation, leading to incomplete network unity and high administrative overhead.
Innovation Solution
A computerized network with a protocol manager that coordinates communications by translating device-specific commands into a common protocol, enabling devices to forward messages and commands intended for other devices within the network, thus establishing a unified communications system that connects a virtually unlimited number of devices in a tiered tree-style network.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a protocol manager translates device-specific commands into a common protocol, then device interconnection simplicity is improved, but administrative overhead is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a protocol manager as an intermediary device that translates between device-specific commands and a common protocol. This mediator handles the complexity of protocol conversion centrally, allowing individual devices to remain simple while achieving unified communication across diverse device types without requiring each device to understand every other device's protocol
Solution Approach 2:
The protocol manager implements a universal interface that can translate to and from multiple different device-specific protocols and a common protocol simultaneously. This multi-functional translation capability allows a single device to manage communications across heterogeneous device types, reducing the need for device-specific integration logic and lowering administrative overhead
2Productivity
If devices maintain complete network topology information, then communication routing is improved, but memory requirements and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the network into hierarchical levels where the protocol manager maintains topology information for the entire network, while individual devices only maintain information about their immediate neighbors. This segmentation allows efficient routing decisions at the device level without requiring complete network topology in each device, reducing memory requirements while maintaining routing effectiveness
Solution Approach 2:
The protocol manager acts as an intermediary that maintains complete network topology information centrally. When routing is needed, the protocol manager provides topology information or routing instructions to devices, eliminating the need for each device to store and process complete network topology data independently, thus reducing memory requirements across the system
3Adaptability or versatility
If new commands are added to the system, then functionality is improved, but updates to all devices are required
Solution Approach 1:
The protocol manager serves as an intermediary that absorbs the complexity of supporting multiple device-specific protocols and new commands. When new functionality is added, only the protocol manager needs to be updated with new translation rules, while existing devices continue to operate with their original protocols. This centralized update approach maintains high adaptability while minimizing update complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The protocol manager implements a universal translation layer that can accommodate new device-specific commands and protocols without requiring changes to individual devices. The protocol manager's multi-functional capability to translate between the common protocol and various device-specific protocols allows new functionality to be added centrally, improving adaptability while avoiding the need to update all devices
Data Source
AI summary
A common communications protocol is described among devices in a unified communications network. Native devices receive upstream commands and forward them to downstream devices without interpreting the commands. The native devices reformat commands intended for mapped devices in the unified communications network. The common communications protocol calls for left shifting address fields for transmitted commands until the command arrives at its intended destination.