Smart Lighting Self-Healing Network via Router Redundancy
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Solution Overview
Problem
In smart home environments, lighting devices connected via WI-FI networks can become disconnected and lose control when the wireless router experiences instability or malfunctions, leading to disruptions in lighting and user experience.
Innovation Solution
A network self-healing method and system where lighting devices equipped with a WI-FI module and wireless access point function scan for connectivity issues, activate their AP function, and select one device to act as a new router, allowing other devices to connect to it, thereby re-establishing the network connection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If lighting devices are connected to a wireless router in a smart home environment, then network coverage and control capability are improved, but network stability deteriorates when the router malfunctions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a mediator device (another lighting device or wireless router) that takes over network routing functions when the original router fails. The mediator establishes a new wireless access point that other lighting devices can connect to, maintaining network connectivity without requiring direct connection to the original router.
Solution Approach 2:
The lighting devices are equipped with dual functionality - they can operate as both wireless clients and wireless access points. When network failure is detected, the system automatically selects one device to become the new router, enabling the network to self-heal without external intervention or manual reconfiguration.
2Ease of manufacture
If a wireless router is used to connect lighting devices, then network setup is simplified, but network resilience to router failures deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The lighting devices are designed with multi-functionality, capable of operating in both wireless client mode and wireless access point mode. This universal design allows any lighting device to potentially serve as a router, providing network resilience while maintaining simple initial setup through the original router.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary configuration by embedding router capabilities within each lighting device during manufacturing. This preliminary action ensures that when failure occurs, the devices are already prepared to take over routing functions without requiring complex field reconfiguration or additional hardware.
3Reliability
If lighting devices have dual wireless functionality (client and AP mode), then network self-healing capability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the wireless client and wireless access point functionalities into a single integrated lighting device. By combining these functions in one device, the system achieves network self-healing capability without requiring separate dedicated router hardware, thereby limiting the increase in complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements automatic role assignment and switching mechanisms that eliminate the need for manual configuration. When network failure occurs, devices automatically detect the failure, select a new router from among themselves, and reconfigure connections without user intervention, making the complexity management transparent to users.
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention provides a network self-healing method and system using lighting devices each including a WI-FI module with a wireless access point (AP) function. The lighting devices are wirelessly connected to a wireless router. The lighting devices scan a service set identifier (SSID) of the wireless router to confirm that the wireless router is not able to be connected to and to switch to a self-healing networking mode. The wireless AP function of each lighting device is activated according to a self-healing networking rule. One lighting device is selected from the lighting devices and is used as a first lighting device router. The wireless AP function of each of other non-selected lighting devices remaining in the plurality of lighting devices is deactivated, and wirelessly connected to the first lighting device router respectively.