Transcoding Module for Non-Compliant Personal Health Device Interoperability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Many personal health devices do not comply with the IEEE 11073 standard, which poses a challenge for connecting non-compliant devices to IEEE 11073 managers due to ultra-low power requirements and limited processing power, making it difficult to facilitate data transmission and reception effectively.
Innovation Solution
A transcoding module is implemented within the manager device to facilitate communication between non-IEEE 11073-compliant personal health devices and IEEE 11073 managers by redirecting communications through the stack, emulating IEEE 11073 protocols, and performing transcoding of data, allowing the manager device to interact with non-compliant devices as if they were compliant, thereby enabling interoperability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If non-IEEE 11073 personal health devices are connected to IEEE 11073 managers, then interoperability is improved, but the processing burden on the manager device increases due to protocol translation and transcoding requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a transcoding module as an intermediary component within the manager device that translates between IEEE 11073 protocols and proprietary protocols of non-compliant devices. This mediator handles the protocol translation burden, allowing the manager to maintain a simplified IEEE 11073 interface while communicating with diverse non-compliant devices through the transcoding layer.
Solution Approach 2:
The communication stack is segmented into distinct layers: the IEEE 11073-compliant manager layer, the transcoding module layer, and the device-specific protocol layer. This segmentation isolates the complexity of protocol translation within the transcoding module, allowing the manager device to maintain a clean, standardized interface while the transcoding layer handles the variability of non-compliant devices.
2Reliability
If IEEE 11073 protocols are implemented fully, then communication reliability is improved, but the power consumption increases making it unsuitable for ultra-low power personal health devices
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies partial action by implementing only the essential IEEE 11073 protocol requirements needed for basic communication between manager and device, while omitting more complex and power-intensive features. The transcoding module handles protocol translation selectively, maintaining communication reliability for the most critical functions while reducing overall power consumption by avoiding full IEEE 11073 stack implementation on power-constrained devices.
3Ease of manufacture
If non-IEEE 11073 devices with limited processing power are used, then device simplicity and battery life are improved, but the ability to perform data transmission and reception effectively deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The transcoding module serves as an intermediary that compensates for the limited processing capabilities of non-IEEE 11073 devices. By handling complex protocol translation and data formatting in the manager device rather than requiring the simple device to implement full IEEE 11073 compliance, the system enables effective data transmission and reception despite the device's limited processing power.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the operational parameters by shifting the complexity burden from the device side to the manager side. The simple device maintains its ultra-low power design and minimal processing requirements, while the manager device adapts by implementing the transcoding module that handles protocol translation, effectively changing where the processing complexity is located in the system.
Data Source
AI summary
In embodiments, devices, computer-readable media, and methods for personal health device transcoding may be described. A transcoding module may serve as an interface between a manager device implementing an IEEE 11073-20601 (“IEEE 11073”) standard and a personal health device that does not implement the standard. The transcoding module may be configured to interact with one or more models of an IEEE 11073 stack implemented by the manager device. The transcoding device may be configured to redirect requests from the models and emulate responses from the personal health device such that the personal health device appears, to the manager device, to implement the IEEE 11073 standard. The transcoding module may perform the emulation asynchronously, through transcoding of communications with the personal health device, or may synchronously generate responses on behalf of the personal health device. Other embodiments may be described.