Wireless Access Point Relocation Management for Construction Sites

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Solution Overview

Problem

In locations with severe changes in wireless communication environments, such as construction sites, maintaining communication quality is challenging due to physical environment changes, and existing techniques do not effectively manage location changes of wireless communication apparatuses to ensure stable communication.

Innovation Solution

A location change managing device that generates new location candidates for wireless communication apparatuses based on environmental changes, estimates communication quality, calculates location change costs, and selects optimal locations that balance quality and cost using a genetic algorithm and evaluation criteria.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If wireless communication apparatuses are relocated to maintain communication quality in changing environments, then communication reliability is improved, but installation and relocation costs increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecommunication qualityVSAvoidinstallation cost

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary actions by predicting future communication environments based on physical environment change data (such as construction progress) and proactively determining optimal apparatus locations before communication quality deteriorates. This allows planned relocation rather than reactive moves, reducing emergency installation costs.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system establishes a feedback loop where communication quality data and physical environment data are continuously monitored, fed into the prediction model, and used to generate relocation recommendations. This closed-loop control ensures communication quality is maintained while optimizing relocation timing to minimize costs.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

2Stability of the object's composition

If wireless communication apparatuses are frequently relocated to adapt to environment changes, then communication stability is improved, but time and labor costs increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecommunication stabilityVSAvoidrelocation time

Core Design Contradiction:

Stability of the object's compositionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The prediction model performs preliminary analysis of environment changes (such as construction schedules) to forecast communication quality trends. By determining optimal locations in advance, the system minimizes the frequency and timing of relocations, reducing time and labor costs while maintaining communication stability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system changes the parameter of relocation timing from reactive (after quality degradation) to proactive (before degradation occurs). This parameter change optimizes the balance between communication stability and relocation overhead by moving apparatuses at strategically optimal times rather than frequently.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Reliability

If access points are reinstalled frequently in construction sites, then communication quality is maintained, but construction efficiency is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecommunication qualityVSAvoidconstruction efficiency

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The system integrates with construction management systems to obtain schedules and predict communication quality changes based on upcoming construction activities. By planning access point relocations in advance alongside construction schedules, the system minimizes disruptions to construction workflows and maintains efficiency while ensuring communication quality.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system dynamically adjusts relocation plans based on real-time construction progress and environment changes. Rather than following a fixed relocation schedule, it adapts to actual construction conditions, optimizing the balance between communication quality maintenance and construction productivity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentUS11463890B2Location change managing device, location change managing method, and recording medium in which location change managing program is stored

Publication Date: 2022.10.04 NEC CORP

AI summary

A location change managing device includes: a generation unit that, when a communication environment by wireless communication apparatuses changes from a first state to a second state, generates location candidates for the wireless communication apparatuses in the second state so as to be different from locations of the wireless communication apparatuses in the first state; an estimation unit that estimates communication quality pertaining to the location candidates by the wireless communication apparatuses in the first state; a calculation unit that calculates, with respect to the location candidates, a location change cost required for changing the locations of the wireless communication apparatuses from the locations in the first state to the location candidates; and a selection unit for selecting a specific location candidate, from among the location candidates, that satisfies criteria, the selection being made based on the communication quality pertaining to the location candidates and the location change cost.