Proxy Endpoint Virtualization for Mixed One-Way Two-Wireless Networks
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Solution Overview
Problem
Automated sensor data collection systems face challenges in efficiently managing mixed environments with both one-way and two-way endpoints, where one-way devices lack interoperability with two-way systems, leading to complexities in data reconciliation and system operations.
Innovation Solution
A proxy service-enabled endpoint system is introduced, where two-way endpoints act as proxies for one-way endpoints, enabling data communication through a two-way wireless protocol, and a remote endpoint virtualization module stores and transmits data from one-way endpoints as if they were two-way devices, facilitating centralized data collection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If one-way endpoints are deployed in a two-way wireless network, then the system can support legacy devices and maintain backward compatibility, but the endpoints lack interoperability with the two-way protocol and cannot be directly managed through command and control functionality
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a gateway device as an intermediary between one-way endpoints and the two-way network infrastructure. The gateway translates and forwards messages between the simple one-way protocol and the complex two-way protocol, enabling interoperability without modifying the legacy one-way endpoints. This mediator handles protocol conversion, message routing, and data reconciliation, allowing one-way devices to function within a two-way network architecture.
Solution Approach 2:
The gateway device performs multiple functions: it acts as a protocol translator, a message router, a data reconciler, and a virtual endpoint manager. By consolidating these diverse functions into a single multi-functional component, the system can support both one-way and two-way endpoints through a unified management interface, improving ease of operation while maintaining adaptability to different device types.
2Productivity
If centralized data reconciliation is implemented for one-way endpoints, then data from multiple endpoints can be collected and processed, but the system operations become complex and require extensive data management overhead
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the data reconciliation function by creating virtual endpoints that represent groups of one-way endpoints. Instead of managing individual one-way endpoint data streams separately at the central system, the gateway consolidates data from multiple one-way endpoints into virtual endpoint representations, reducing the complexity of centralized reconciliation while maintaining comprehensive data collection capabilities.
Solution Approach 2:
The gateway creates virtual copies of one-way endpoints as virtual endpoints in the two-way network. These virtual endpoints replicate the data and characteristics of the physical one-way devices, allowing the central system to interact with simplified representations rather than raw data streams from numerous individual devices, thereby reducing operational complexity.
3Productivity
If one-way endpoints transmit data repeatedly in bubble-up cycles, then data can be collected from distributed endpoints, but the system requires handling of massively duplicated data transmissions
Solution Approach 1:
The gateway merges data transmissions from multiple one-way endpoints by consolidating duplicate or redundant data before forwarding to the central system. When multiple one-way endpoints transmit the same or similar data in their bubble-up cycles, the gateway identifies and combines these transmissions, significantly reducing the volume of duplicated data that reaches the central reconciliation system while maintaining complete data collection from all endpoints.
Data Source
AI summary
A sensor data collection system includes a plurality of sensors operatively coupled to a corresponding set of endpoints, the endpoints configured to communicate sensor data to a central data collection point via a data communication protocol. A proxy service-enabled endpoint facilitates interoperability with the data collection system for the benefit of endpoints that are otherwise incompatible with the data communication protocol. The endpoint includes a remote endpoint interface module configured to receive communications from at least one of the incompatible endpoints containing incompatible endpoint sensor data. A remote endpoint virtualization module operatively coupled to the remote endpoint interface module and associated with the at least one of the incompatible endpoints. The remote endpoint virtualization module is uniquely addressable according to a corresponding virtual endpoint address, and configured to store the incompatible endpoint sensor data and to communicate that data to the central data collection point via the data communication protocol.