BUILDING AUTOMATION SYSTEM CONTROLLER

Abstract

A building control system is provided that receives information from devices of different subsystems. A trigger causes a zone controller to store the information in a database. The stored data is used to generate customized reports based on sequences or sets of related events. The information from multiple subsystems is consolidated, analyzed, and patterns of behavior are determined. The trigger also causes execution of control actions throughout the building spanning the multiple subsystems, devices, and areas based on the information. An access control subsystem and a non-access control subsystem of the building control system are linked using a common network such that a change in the state of an access control device can affect the state of a non-access control device and a change in the state of a non-access control device can affect the state of an access control device.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

FIG. 1 is a system diagram with a zone controller that monitors and controls actions associated with an area entrance of a building;

FIG. 2 illustrates an example of a binary input object;

FIG. 3 illustrates an example of a binary output object;

FIG. 4 illustrates an example of a command object;

FIG. 5 illustrates an example of a file object;

FIG. 6 illustrates an example of a data structure with an object sequence of different objects;

FIG. 7 illustrates another example of a data structure with an object sequence of different objects;

FIG. 8 is a system diagram illustrating a zone controller in communication with remote networked devices;

FIG. 9 is a system diagram illustrating exemplary rooms for a building;

FIG. 10A illustrates an example of an area object, subsystem object and controller object;

FIG. 10B illustrates another example of an area object, subsystem object and controller object;

FIG. 11 illustrates an example of a database configuration with point objects associated with area objects, system objects and controller objects;

FIG. 12 provides examples of power classification tables;

FIG. 13 is a front view of a processor module of an exemplary module assembly for a zone controller;

FIG. 14 is a front view of a four port switch module of an exemplary module assembly for a zone controller;

FIG. 15 is a front view of a memory expansion module of an exemplary module assembly for a zone controller;

FIG. 16 is a front view of an infrared data port module of an exemplary module assembly for a zone controller;

FIG. 17 is a front view of a wireless transceiver module of an exemplary module assembly for a zone controller;

FIG. 18 is a front view of an access control door module of an exemplary module assembly for a zone controller;

FIG. 19 is a front view of an access control reader module of an exemplary module assembly for a zone controller;

FIG. 20 is a front view of a lighting control module of an exemplary module assembly for a zone controller;

FIG. 21 is a front view of a utility meter module of an exemplary module assembly for a zone controller;

FIG. 22 is a front view of a solid state relay module of an exemplary module assembly for a zone controller;

FIG. 23 is a front view of a digital input module of an exemplary module assembly for a zone controller;

FIG. 24 is a front view of an analog input module of an exemplary module assembly for a zone controller;

FIG. 25 is a front view of an analog output module of an exemplary module assembly for a zone controller;

FIG. 26 is a partially-exploded view of a module assembly for a zone controller illustrating an example of module construction;

FIG. 27 is a front view of connected modules of an exemplary module assembly for a zone controller mounted on a DIN rail;

FIG. 28 illustrates the use of a side mounting plate;

FIG. 29 is a system diagram of a network management system;

FIG. 30 is a block diagram depicting an exemplary processor module of the zone controller; and

FIG. 31 illustrates an example of operational hierarchy for the processor module of the zone controller.

Claims

1. A building control system comprising: a plurality of subsystems including an access control subsystem containing a plurality of access control devices and a non-access control subsystem containing a plurality of non-access control devices, at least some of the access control devices and non-access control devices distributed on a common communication network;a plurality of zone controllers each having a central processing unit, a database, an embedded operating system, and a module assembly with a plurality of input/output (i/o) modules, each zone controller configurable via the common communication network, each zone controller operational as a local area controller; anda network management system configured to manage the zone controllers and the subsystems via the common communication network.

2. The building control system of claim 1, wherein each zone controller is configured to receive information from devices of multiple subsystems using different protocols through the i/o modules.

3. The building control system of claim 1, wherein the non-access control subsystem comprises a security subsystem, a lighting subsystem, a HVAC (heating, ventilating, and air conditioning) subsystem, a fire protection subsystem, and a utility metering subsystem, the non-access control devices comprising: HVAC equipment, fire protection equipment, intrusion control equipment, irrigation equipment, video surveillance equipment, audio intercommunication equipment, lighting equipment, utility metering and delivery equipment, or public address equipment.

4. The building control system of claim 1, wherein the access control subsystem comprises access control devices associated with different doors in different physical areas of a building, the building control system configured such that a state of an access control device associated with a first door is capable of affecting a state of an access control device associated with a second door, the state of the access control device associated with the first door is capable of affecting a state of a non-access control device associated with a physical area adjacent to the first door, and a state of a non-access control device associated with multiple physical areas is capable of affecting the state of the access control device associated with at least one of the first or second doors.

5. The building control system of claim 1, wherein each zone controller is configured to read in software objects sent via different protocols from third party devices and to process signals from sensors and actuators coupled with the i/o modules to affect measurement and control of a building environmental parameter including at least one of: temperature, humidity, light level, air quality, energy usage rate, smoke level, or physical access

6. The building control system of claim 1, wherein the communication network comprises an Ethernet network and at least one of the zone controllers is configured to receive power via a Power Over Ethernet (PoE) connection.

7. The building control system of claim 1, wherein the network management system is configured to interact with a user using web-based tools.

8. The building control system of claim 1, wherein the database comprises stored data, the zone controller configured to use the stored data to generate customized reports based on sequences or sets of related events.

9. The building control system of claim 1, wherein in response to a triggering event the zone controller is configured to at least one of: record a predetermined sequence of data or execute a control action sequence.

10. The building control system of claim 1, wherein modules of the zone controller comprise a processor module, a switch module, a memory expansion module, an infrared data port (IRDA) module, a transceiver module, an access control door module, an access control reader module, a lighting control module, a utility meter module, a digital input module, a digital output module, and an analog input module.

11. A method of event management in a building control system having multiple building control subsystems each including a plurality of devices, the building control system comprising a zone controller operating as a local area controller, the method comprising the zone controller: collecting data from the subsystems;storing the collected data;analyzing the stored data to determine patterns of behavior in the building and to generate customized reports based on sequences of related events.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising monitoring a plurality of zone controllers using a network management system connected to the zone controllers via a common communication network.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising supplying power to the zone controller via a Power Over Ethernet (PoE) connection.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein collecting the data comprises reading in software objects sent via different protocols from devices in the subsystems.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising the zone controller recording a grouped object sequence by: grouping software objects from the building control system into subsets, the grouping triggered by a predetermined criterion or a logically tested set of occurrences;indexing the subsets based on at least one of: relevance, relationship, or causal relationship to form indexed subsets;assigning a name, label, identification number, address, or equivalent for the indexed subsets to form a grouped object sequence; andstoring the grouped object sequence.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising executing a control action sequence in response to the predetermined criterion or the logically tested set of occurrences, the control action sequence comprising a predetermined sequence of control actions each of which affects a state of one of the devices.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the building control system comprises a plurality of point objects, the grouping of software objects comprising associating each point object with an area object, a system object, a controller object, and a subsystem object, the point objects able to undergo logical association with more than one area object, more than one system object, more than one controller object, and more than one subsystem object.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein the building control system comprises an access control subsystem having access control devices associated with different doors in a building and a non-access control subsystem having non-access control devices, the method comprising at least one of: affecting a state of an access control device associated with a first door when a state of an access control device associated with a second door is changed;affecting a state of a non-access control device associated at least one physical area adjacent to at least one of the first or second doors when the state of the access control device associated with the second door is changed; oraffecting a state of a non-access control device associated with multiple physical areas when the state of the access control device associated with at least one of the first or second doors is changed.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein collecting the data comprises receiving signals from sensors and actuators coupled with i/o modules of the zone controller, the method further comprising controlling a building environmental parameter in response to the signals, the building environmental parameter including at least one of: temperature, humidity, light level, air quality, energy usage rate, smoke level, or physical access

20. The method of claim 11, further comprising providing web-based tools to allow interaction between the building control system and a user.