Single point communication scheme for a transport refrigeration system
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Solution Overview
Problem
Transport refrigeration systems lack an efficient single-point communication scheme to transfer data and files between user devices and various components, requiring each component to have hardware and software for commercial-grade communication links, which is impractical and difficult to retrofit in existing systems.
Innovation Solution
A single point communication scheme where a programmable TRS controller acts as a coordinator, receiving messages from user devices via commercial-grade links, processing them, and relaying them to TRS components via rugged industrial-grade links, eliminating the need for each component to support commercial-grade communication.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If each TRS component is equipped with hardware and software for commercial-grade communication links, then communication capability between user devices and TRS components is improved, but device complexity and manufacturing cost increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a single point access coordinator as an intermediary device that handles all commercial-grade communication links. This coordinator receives messages from user devices, processes them, and relays them to the appropriate TRS components via industrial-grade communication links. This eliminates the need for each component to have commercial-grade communication hardware and software, thereby reducing device complexity while maintaining communication capability.
2Ease of operation
If commercial-grade communication hardware and software are installed in each TRS component, then ease of operation for external communication is improved, but ease of manufacture and retrofitting become difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The single point access coordinator serves as a universal interface for all external communication needs. It handles communication with multiple user devices and multiple TRS components through a single point of contact. This multi-functional approach maintains ease of operation for external communication while simplifying manufacture and retrofitting, as only the coordinator needs to be updated rather than every individual component.
Data Source
AI summary
The embodiments described herein allow a user device to communicate with one or more components within a TRS via a single point communication scheme. That is, a single point access coordinator of a TRS can be configured to receive a message from a user device via a commercial grade communication link, process the message (e.g., determine which TRS component the message is intended for, determine whether the message is a proper message, unpack the message from a commercial grade communication protocol, repack the message into a rugged industrial grade communication protocol, etc.) and relay that message to one or more components of the TRS via a rugged industrial grade communication link within the TRS.