Wireless Management Controller Drive Communication Gateway

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Solution Overview

Problem

Traditional methods for transferring management data to hard drives are limited by high costs, inefficient space usage, and significant heat generation.

Innovation Solution

A computer program and method that establish a wireless communication connection between hard drives and a management controller using a wireless communications gateway, enabling the transfer of monitoring and control data, which reduces the need for physical wiring and minimizes heat generation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If traditional wired methods are used for transferring management data to hard drives, then reliable data transfer is achieved, but manufacturing cost increases and heat generation becomes significant

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedata transfer reliabilityVSAvoidheat generation

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces the mechanical wired connection system with a wireless communication system. The management controller and hard drives communicate through wireless signals (e.g., radio frequency) instead of physical electrical connections, eliminating the need for wired infrastructure while maintaining data transfer reliability. This substitution directly reduces heat generation associated with wired connections and manufacturing costs of wiring infrastructure.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Reliability

If wired connections are used for management data transfer, then stable communication is achieved, but infrastructure cost increases with higher drive count

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecommunication stabilityVSAvoidmanufacturing cost

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The patent eliminates the need for physical wiring infrastructure by implementing wireless communication between the management controller and hard drives. This removes the cost of wiring, connectors, and associated installation complexity, allowing the system to scale to higher drive counts without proportionally increasing infrastructure costs.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

3Ease of manufacture

If wireless communication is implemented between management controller and drives, then manufacturing cost decreases and heat generation is reduced, but connection stability may be affected

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemanufacturing costVSAvoidconnection stability

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a wireless communication gateway as an intermediary component that facilitates stable wireless communication between the management controller and hard drives. This gateway handles signal processing, error correction, and protocol management to ensure reliable data transfer over the wireless medium, thereby maintaining connection stability while benefiting from the cost and heat advantages of wireless communication.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentUS10448438B2Wireless communication between a management controller and one or more drives

Publication Date: 2019.10.15 LENOVO GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES SWITZERLAND INTERNATIONAL GMBH

AI summary

According to one embodiment, a computer program embodied on a tangible computer readable medium includes computer code for identifying a wireless communications gateway in communication with a management controller, computer code for establishing a wireless communications connection between one or more drives and the management controller, utilizing the wireless communications gateway, and computer code for communicating one or more of monitoring data and control data between the management controller and the one or more drives, utilizing the wireless communications connection.