Repeater Address Mapping for Networked Air-Conditioning Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing networked air-conditioning systems face challenges in performing individual control of air-conditioning devices in lower-level networks from upper-level networks without modifying the specifications of either network, due to differences in communication methods and address systems.
Innovation Solution
A networked air-conditioning system that includes a repeater with components such as a lower-level information acquirer, database generator, address assigner, and table generator to assign upper-level addresses to lower-level devices, enabling communication and control without altering existing network specifications.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a converter with protocol conversion function is provided between upper-level and lower-level networks, then communication between different networks becomes possible, but the system complexity increases and existing network specifications must be modified
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a repeater as an intermediary device between the upper-level and lower-level networks. The repeater receives control commands from the upper-level network, converts them to the appropriate protocol for the lower-level network, and transmits them to the target air-conditioning device. This mediator approach enables communication between networks with different specifications without requiring modification of the existing networks, thereby resolving the technical contradiction between communication compatibility and system complexity.
2Ease of operation
If individual control of lower-level devices from upper-level system is implemented, then control functionality is improved, but address specification becomes problematic
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary action by pre-defining address conversion rules and maintaining an address mapping table that correlates upper-level addresses with lower-level addresses. When a control command is issued from the upper-level system, the repeater proactively translates the upper-level address to the corresponding lower-level address using the pre-established mapping, eliminating the need for real-time address resolution and ensuring seamless individual control without address specification issues.
3Ease of manufacture
If existing network specifications are modified to unify address systems, then address management becomes simpler, but system changes and reconfigurations are required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by implementing address conversion only at the repeater's location where the two networks interface. The upper-level network maintains its original address system for all devices it directly controls, while the lower-level network maintains its own address system. The repeater locally performs address translation only for commands crossing between networks, allowing simple address management without requiring changes to the overall network specifications or reconfiguration of existing devices.
Data Source
AI summary
The lower-level information acquirer searches a lower-level network, and acquires lower-level addresses for air-conditioning devices that are connected to the lower-level network. A database generator searches an upper-level network, and generates a database of upper-level addresses of air-conditioning devices that are connected to the upper-level network. An address assigner references the database generated by the database generator, and assigns vacant addresses existing among the upper-level addresses of the upper-level network to air-conditioning devices that are connected to the lower-level network. The table generator generates an address conversion table for converting the upper-level addresses assigned by the address assigner to lower-level addresses acquired by the lower-level information acquirer.