Universal Middleware Bridge for Home Network Interoperability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing home network middleware systems lack interoperability between devices using different middleware technologies, leading to complexity in message transformation, increased network load, and lack of specifications for device connection, release, event registration, and monitoring.
Innovation Solution
A home-network universal middleware bridge system that includes a bridge core for establishing and releasing connections between different middleware adaptors and analyzing universal middleware messages, allowing devices to be recognized as part of a single network, enabling seamless operation and event handling without message transformation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a conventional gateway with multiple middleware agents is used to enable interoperability between devices using different middlewares, then device interoperability is achieved, but the device complexity and network load increase due to multiple agents and message transformation processes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies universality by creating a single universal gateway agent that can handle multiple middleware protocols (HAVI, UPnP, JINI, LonWorks) simultaneously, replacing the need for separate specialized agents for each middleware. This universal agent provides multi-functional capability to manage diverse device communications through one integrated component, reducing overall system complexity while maintaining interoperability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges multiple middleware-specific gateway agents into a single unified gateway agent that consolidates the functionality of HAVI agent, UPnP agent, JINI agent, and LonWorks agent. This combining approach integrates message transformation capabilities for different protocols into one agent, reducing the number of components and simplifying the gateway architecture while preserving support for multiple middlewares.
2Adaptability or versatility
If message transformation is performed through multiple middleware agents in a conventional gateway, then interoperability between different middlewares is enabled, but the network load increases due to repeated message analysis and transformation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the message transformation logic from multiple separate middleware agents and consolidates it into a single universal gateway agent. This extraction approach removes redundant transformation operations that would occur if multiple agents processed the same message sequentially, thereby reducing network load and energy consumption while maintaining the ability to transform messages between different middleware protocols.
3Reliability
If separate gateway agents are used for each middleware protocol, then specific protocol support is maintained, but the ease of operation and maintenance deteriorates due to multiple agents requiring individual management
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies universality by designing a single gateway agent that universally supports multiple middleware protocols (HAVI, UPnP, JINI, LonWorks) within one integrated component. This universal agent can be managed, configured, and monitored as a single entity rather than multiple separate agents, significantly improving ease of operation and maintenance while reliably supporting diverse protocol requirements through its multi-functional design.
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is a home-network UMB system and a method thereof for providing interoperability between devices connected one another through different types of middlewares in a home network. The home-network UMB system includes: a bridge core for establishing/releasing a connection between bridge adaptors of different types of middlewares and analyzing/transferring a universal middleware message in order to interoperate devices connected through different types of middlewares existed on a home network; and a plurality of bridge adaptor for connecting the bridge core to a corresponding middleware, and finding/releasing different types of devices, controlling/monitoring different types of devices and registering/creating an event for different types of devices through transforming a universal middleware bridge message to a local message of each middleware and vice versa.