Street Light Network Group Controller Latency Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing networks of street lights face challenges with high latency and control failures due to the large size of segment controllers, leading to inefficient communication and delayed transmission of high-priority events.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a method that uses multiple control modules with long-distance and short-distance communication modules, sensors, and a server to create a mesh network, allowing for improved communication stability and speed by dividing control modules into groups and using geocoordinates, sensor information, and multiplex-capable communication protocols.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a segment controller is used to control multiple lights via a short-distance communication module, then the control system can be established, but the latency in the network becomes comparatively high and high-priority events cannot be transmitted in time
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the network into multiple groups, with each group having its own group controller that can independently communicate with the server via long-distance communication modules. This segmentation allows parallel communication paths, reducing overall network latency while maintaining control stability through distributed architecture.
2Device complexity
If a segment controller is used to control multiple lights, then the control system can be established, but the failure of the segment controller leads to control failure of the light network
Solution Approach 1:
The network is divided into multiple groups with separate group controllers, so that a failure in one group does not affect other groups. This segmentation isolates failures and improves overall network reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements redundancy by allowing multiple control modules to serve as potential group controllers and by providing backup communication paths through both short-distance and long-distance communication modules, ensuring continuous operation even when primary controllers fail.
3Productivity
If multiple control modules are allocated to one group, then the communication load is reduced, but the latency increases and high-priority events cannot be transmitted in time
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces group controllers as intermediary nodes between control modules and the server. These group controllers aggregate communication tasks and provide a hierarchical structure that reduces overall network latency while maintaining efficient resource utilization.
Solution Approach 2:
By dividing the network into smaller groups with dedicated group controllers, the patent creates multiple parallel communication paths. This segmentation allows high-priority events to be transmitted through multiple simultaneous channels, reducing overall transmission delay.
Data Source
AI summary
Described herein is method for operating and controlling a network of lights comprising a plurality of lights arranged in a number of groups (A, B) using a short-distance network. Each light includes a control module (23, 28) for controlling its normal operation and for short-distance communication over the short-distance network with a designated group controller (23′, 28′, 31, 32) and other control modules within the group. Each designated group controller (23′, 28′, 31, 32) is also operable for long-distance communication with a central server and transmits its own specific information as a control module as well as information received from other control modules within the group. Information relevant to more than one group can quickly be exchanged between adjacent groups over a long-distance network via the group controller of the adjacent groups, by-passing the central server, or directly over the short-distance connection to a control module of an adjacent group. Failure of a group controller (23′, 28′, 31, 32) can be managed by designating another control module (23, 28) within the group as a new group controller and the flexible short-distance network is re-formed around the new group controller.