Supervising Devices Detecting Missed Ping Messages
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing monitoring systems, such as fire or gas alarm systems, lack effective supervision mechanisms to detect device failures or missed messages within networks, which can lead to undetected malfunctions or missed alerts, and current solutions often increase complexity and cost.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a system where remote devices periodically transmit 'ping' messages with sequence identifiers to supervising devices at fixed intervals, allowing for detection of device malfunctions or missed messages, and enabling automatic supervision without significant added complexity or cost.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If monitoring systems are implemented to detect device failures and missed messages, then system reliability is improved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The monitoring system performs self-supervision by having each device periodically transmit its own status information to a central supervisor. The supervisor automatically detects failures and missed messages without requiring additional complex monitoring hardware at each device level. This self-service approach improves reliability while minimizing added complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback mechanisms where devices transmit periodic status messages to the supervisor, and the supervisor monitors for expected messages. When a device fails or a message is missed, the supervisor receives feedback about the abnormal condition and can trigger appropriate responses. This feedback loop enhances reliability without requiring complex real-time monitoring at each device.
2Reliability
If automatic supervision capabilities are incorporated to detect malfunctions, then system reliability is improved, but cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The supervisor device performs multiple functions: it receives periodic status messages from monitored devices, detects failures by analyzing message patterns, identifies missed messages, and triggers appropriate responses. This multi-functional approach consolidates supervision capabilities in a single device rather than requiring separate monitoring hardware at each location, reducing overall system cost while maintaining high reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses message sequence identifiers and timestamps as digital copies of device status information that can be transmitted and stored. The supervisor maintains copies of expected message sequences and compares actual received messages against these copies to detect failures. This copying approach enables reliable supervision using simple data structures rather than expensive real-time monitoring hardware.
Data Source
AI summary
A method of supervising a plurality of displaced devices includes having each device emit a supervisory signal that is detectable by a designated unit. Indicia can be included indicative that an intervening message has been sent from a respective device. The designated unit can respond to missing, expected supervisory signals as well as unreceived messages.