Self-Forming Network Commissioning via Intermediary Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Self-forming communication networks often experience inefficiencies due to overlapping communication ranges of node and coordinator devices, leading to poorly grouped networks and prolonged firmware updates, which can result in weak signals and extended downtime.
Innovation Solution
A control commissioner device manages network formation by identifying and assigning node devices to specific networks through a system coordinator, ensuring efficient grouping and facilitating simultaneous firmware updates by creating an intermediate commissioning state and utilizing an upgrade coordinator to manage bandwidth and upgrade processes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If node devices automatically form networks without external interaction, then network formation is simplified and faster, but node devices may join wrong networks due to overlapping communication ranges
Solution Approach 1:
A commissioning device is introduced as an intermediary that coordinates network formation. The commissioning device receives node device information, determines appropriate networks for each node, and controls which nodes can join which networks. This mediator resolves the conflict between fast automatic formation and accurate grouping by centralizing the decision-making process.
2Reliability
If firmware updates are performed on all node devices simultaneously, then all devices are updated uniformly, but the update process takes significantly longer and prevents network operation
Solution Approach 1:
The firmware update process is segmented by network. Instead of updating all node devices simultaneously across the entire system, updates are performed separately for each network group. The commissioning device controls firmware distribution to nodes within specific networks, allowing parallel update operations across multiple networks and reducing total downtime while maintaining update completeness.
Data Source
AI summary
A network system comprising node devices configured to be distributed in a structure and to self-form separate network groups; and a control commissioner device having a system coordinator device that is configured to communicatively couple with the node devices, the system coordinator device also configured to control formation of the separate network groups of different groups of the node devices by restricting which of the node devices can communicatively couple with different local coordinator devices, wherein the node devices of each of the separate network groups are configured to communicate with the local coordinator device associated with the network group.