Redundant Subscriber Addressing in Communication Networks
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing communication networks face challenges in managing redundancy for communication units, where either a single address is provided for redundant units or multiple addresses are needed, making it difficult to uniquely address and maintain individual components, especially during failures and diagnostics.
Innovation Solution
A system where each redundant subscriber is assigned a unique first physical address and a group of redundant subscribers shares a second unique physical address that can be activated and deactivated by a higher-order unit, allowing for individual and group addressing, with the higher-order unit monitoring communication links and switching addresses as needed.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a single address is provided for redundant units, then device complexity is reduced, but the ability to uniquely address and diagnose individual components during failures is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The address space is segmented into two types: permanent addresses assigned to individual redundant subscribers and temporary group addresses assigned to groups of redundant subscribers. This segmentation allows the system to distinguish between individual component identification (using permanent addresses) and redundancy management (using group addresses), thereby resolving the contradiction between simplicity and identifiability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a second dimension of addressing by assigning group addresses in addition to permanent individual addresses. This dimensional expansion allows the system to simultaneously support both simplified addressing (through group addresses) and unique identification (through permanent addresses), eliminating the trade-off between complexity and detectability.
2Difficulty of detecting and measuring
If multiple addresses are assigned to redundant units for unique identification, then component diagnosability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The addressing system is segmented into permanent addresses for individual identification and temporary group addresses for redundancy management. This segmentation allows multiple addresses to be assigned to redundant units without uniformly increasing complexity throughout the entire system, as group addresses simplify communication between redundant components.
Solution Approach 2:
Different addressing qualities are applied locally: permanent addresses are used where unique identification is required (e.g., diagnostics), while group addresses are used where redundancy management is needed. This local differentiation allows the system to achieve component diagnosability without uniformly increasing addressing complexity across all communication scenarios.
3Ease of operation
If redundancy is hidden for certain functions, then ease of operation is improved, but the ability to perform individual diagnostics and maintenance is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The addressing system segments communication into two modes: group-based communication where redundancy is hidden (improving ease of operation) and individual-based communication using permanent addresses (enabling diagnostics and maintenance). This segmentation allows the system to provide both simplified operation and individual component support simultaneously.
Solution Approach 2:
The permanent addresses serve multiple functions: they enable unique identification for diagnostics, allow individual component maintenance, and can be used for communication when needed. This multi-functionality of permanent addresses ensures that redundancy hiding does not compromise the ability to perform individual diagnostics and maintenance.
4Reliability
If address switching is implemented for redundancy, then communication availability is improved, but control complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Address management is segmented into static permanent addresses (simplifying control) and dynamic group addresses (enabling availability). The higher-order unit automatically manages group address assignment and deactivation, reducing the control burden on individual components while maintaining high communication availability through seamless address switching.
Data Source
AI summary
A system and a method are provided for addressing at least two subscribers that are redundant in respect of each other in a communication network. The subscribers are each permanently assigned a unique address which is different for each subscriber. The subscribers form a group such that the subscribers in the group are redundant in respect to each other. The group of subscribers is assigned a unique group address which is only activate for one of the subscribers in the group and de-active for each of the remaining subscribers in the group. At least one higher-order unit is provided for the activation and deactivation.