Underground Vehicle Data Transmission Prioritization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Underground vehicles face challenges in data monitoring due to limited wireless network connectivity in underground environments, requiring a store-and-forward system that can prioritize and seamlessly transmit data across multiple communication channels while maintaining clock synchronization.
Innovation Solution
A computer-implemented method using multiple communication channels with a prioritization mechanism, where sensor readings are standardized and transmitted based on dynamic priority criteria, with a transmission agent providing a unified API for seamless integration of new protocols and channels, and temporary storage for data when channels are unavailable, ensuring clock synchronization.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a single communication channel is used for data transmission, then the system complexity is reduced, but the reliability of data transmission deteriorates due to limited connectivity availability
Solution Approach 1:
The communication system is segmented into multiple independent communication channels (e.g., Wi-Fi, cellular, satellite, mesh networks) that operate in parallel. Each channel is managed by a separate transmission agent that attempts to send data independently, thereby improving overall transmission reliability without requiring a single complex unified system.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically changes communication parameters such as bandwidth allocation, transmission power, and protocol selection based on the availability and performance of different communication channels. This allows the system to adapt to varying connectivity conditions and maintain reliable data transmission across diverse underground environments.
2Loss of information
If data is transmitted in real-time without prioritization, then the transmission speed is maximized, but the loss of critical information increases when connectivity is limited
Solution Approach 1:
Data is pre-prioritized into different categories (critical, important, normal, low priority) before transmission attempts. Critical data such as safety alarms and emergency signals are marked for immediate transmission with highest priority, ensuring that even when connectivity is limited, the most important information is transmitted first and preserved from loss.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts transmission priorities and bandwidth allocation based on current connectivity conditions, data type, and operational context. When connectivity is available, higher bandwidth is allocated to non-critical data; when connectivity is limited, the system dynamically shifts focus to transmitting only critical data, optimizing both information preservation and transmission efficiency.
3Reliability
If multiple communication channels are implemented with prioritization mechanism, then the reliability and information preservation are improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
A unified transmission agent architecture is implemented that can handle multiple communication channels and protocols through a common interface and prioritization mechanism. This universal design allows the system to support diverse communication technologies (Wi-Fi, cellular, satellite, mesh) while maintaining a consistent level of complexity through standardized data structures and transmission logic.
Solution Approach 2:
The transmission agent acts as an intermediary layer between the data generation sources and multiple communication channels. It consolidates data from various sensors, applies prioritization rules, and manages transmission across different channels, thereby simplifying the overall system architecture by centralizing complexity in a single manageable component rather than distributing it across multiple independent systems.
4Loss of information
If data is stored temporarily for later transmission, then the data completeness is improved, but the loss of time increases
Solution Approach 1:
Data is pre-prioritized and buffered in memory with associated timestamps and priority markers before transmission attempts. This preliminary organization allows the system to quickly retrieve and transmit the most critical data first when connectivity becomes available, minimizing delays for important information while still maintaining complete data storage for less urgent transmissions.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts the balance between immediate transmission and temporary storage based on data priority, connectivity availability, and buffer status. Critical data is transmitted immediately when possible with minimal storage delay, while non-critical data is stored and transmitted during periods of available connectivity, thereby optimizing both data completeness and time sensitivity across different data types.
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure provides a system which collects data from a set of sensors installed on underground vehicles which is then transferred to a remote data collection node through multiple communication protocol/channels according to priority calculations. Data priority is defined based on the evaluation of individual criteria and a set of weights. Priorities, weights and criteria can be dynamically adjusted depending on environmental factors. The protocol, channel and transfer order will depend upon calculated priorities.