Patent Application
20230161307
Aspects of the embodiments relate to building control systems, and more specifically to a system and method for configuring and deploying a building control system.
Building automation and management are ever evolving to provide consumers with convenient and simple control and monitoring of various mechanical and electrical equipment within a building through building control systems, also known as building management systems and energy management systems. Building control systems provide comfort, convenience, simplicity and security, as well as lower energy costs. They generally utilize a network of sensors and control devices distributed throughout a residential or commercial building to control and provide information on the mechanical and electrical equipment within the building. The system can control and monitor heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC), lighting, shading, security, appliances, door locks, and audiovisual (AV) equipment, among others, for every room in each facility.
Building control systems are implemented in buildings of varying degrees of complexity. In large scale buildings there may be thousands of devices dispersed in hundreds of rooms. Building control systems utilize complicated software to configure the behavior of each controllable device within the building to setup all of their aspects and parameters, which includes naming devices, pairing devices, and setting presets, climate set points, lighting levels, lighting scenes, shade levels, optimized sensor settings, or the like. Often configuration of a building control system is a manual and time-consuming process that requires the programmer to walk into each room within the building and configure each device individually. In addition, the programming software to set up a building management system can be very confusing, difficult to interpret, and not intuitive to use.
Accordingly, a need has arisen for a building control system and method that allow a user to rapidly configure and deploy configurations to plurality of building control devices.
It is an object of the embodiments to substantially solve at least the problems and/or disadvantages discussed above, and to provide at least one or more of the advantages described below.
It is therefore a general aspect of the embodiments to provide a system, method, and modes for configuring and deploying a building control system.
Further features and advantages of the aspects of the embodiments, as well as the structure and operation of the various embodiments, are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. It is noted that the aspects of the embodiments are not limited to the specific embodiments described herein. Such embodiments are presented herein for illustrative purposes only. Additional embodiments will be apparent to persons skilled in the relevant art(s) based on the teachings contained herein.
According to one aspect of the embodiments, a building control system is provided for configuring and deploying electronic devices installed in a building. The system comprises a space control system adapted to be installed in a space located within the building comprising: a plurality of electronic devices; and a load controller adapted communicate with the plurality of electronic devices via a space network to control an operation of at least one load installed in the space, wherein for each of the electronic devices the load controller stores device data comprises a unique identifier that uniquely identifies the electronic device within the space control system. The system further comprises at least one memory that stores a plurality of templates each template comprising a plurality of template identifiers each associated with at least one setting; and at least one processor adapted to: associate each of a plurality of device identifiers with one of the unique identifiers of the plurality of electronic devices; compare the device identifiers with template identifiers of a template selected from the plurality of templates; and for a device identifier that matches a template identifier of the selected template, deploy the at least one setting associated with the matched template identifier to the space control system to control the electronic device associated with the matched device identifier according to the deployed setting.
According to an embodiment, the at least one processor is further adapted to receive the device data from the load controller. The at least one processor may be further adapted to receive a command to apply the selected template to the space control system. The command may be received from a user interface. According to another embodiment, the at least one processor is further adapted to transmit the deployed setting and the matched device identifier to the load controller. The load controller may associate the deployed setting with a unique identifier of an electronic device associated with the matched device identifier. According to an embodiment, the at least one processor associates the deployed setting with a unique identifier of an electronic device associated with the matched device identifier.
According to an embodiment, the device data further comprises a device type adapted to represent at least one capability of an electronic device, and wherein each template further comprises a device type associated with each template identifier, and wherein the at least one processor is further adapted to: compare the device types in the device data with the device types in the selected template; wherein the at least one processor compares the device identifiers with template identifiers of the selected template of only matched device types. According to an embodiment, each template further comprises at least one inter-device relationship associated with at least two device identifiers, and wherein the at least one processor is further adapted to: for at least two device identifiers that match two template identifiers, deploy the at least one inter-device relationship associated with the matched two device identifiers to the space control system.
According to an embodiment, controlling the operation of the at least one load installed in the space changes at least one environmental condition in the building. The load may comprise at least one of a lighting device, a power device, a heating device, a ventilation device, an air conditioning device, a motorized shading device, a security device, an appliance, a door lock, an audiovisual device, an industrial device, and any combinations thereof. The plurality of electronic devices may comprise at least one of a control device, a user interface, a touch screen, a keypad, a switch, a dimmer, a control panel, an occupancy sensor, a light sensor, a relay, and any combinations thereof.
According to an embodiment, the space network may comprise one of a wireless network, a wired network, and any combinations thereof. According to another embodiment, the building control system further comprises a plurality of the space control systems and a control processor adapted to communicate with the space control systems via a centralized network. The centralized network may comprise one of a wireless network, a wired network, and any combinations thereof. The at least one processor may be further adapted to create a template of the plurality of templates by retrieving template identifiers and associated settings from one of the space control systems. The at least one processor may be adapted to deploy one or more of the templates to one or more of the plurality of the space control systems. According to one embodiment, the control processor comprises the at least one processor. According to another embodiment, a remote server may comprise the at least one processor. According to yet another embodiment, a user communication device comprises the at least one processor and a building control application. The user communication device may be adapted to communicate with at least one of the space control system and the building control system via the building control application. The user communication device may be adapted to communicate with the load controller via a short range communication.
According to an embodiment, the at least one setting may be selected from at least one of a dimming level, a dimming curve, a timeout period, a lighting scene, a sensor sensitivity setting, an on/off operation, a switch parameter, a calibration data, a fade rate, a fade time, and any combinations thereof.
According to another aspect of the embodiments, a building control system is provided for configuring and deploying electronic devices installed in a building. The system comprises a plurality of space control systems installed in spaces located within the building, each space control system comprising: a plurality of electronic devices adapted to communicate via a space network to control an operation of at least one load installed in the space, wherein each electronic device is associated with a unique identification number that uniquely identifies the electronic device. The system further comprises at least one memory that stores a plurality of templates each template comprising a plurality of template identifiers each associated with at least one setting; and at least one processor, wherein for at least one of the space control systems the at least one processor is adapted to: associate each of a plurality of device identifiers with one of the unique identifiers of the plurality of electronic devices; compare the device identifiers with template identifiers of a template selected from the plurality of templates; and for a device identifier that matches a template identifier of the selected template, deploy the at least one setting associated with the matched template identifier to the at least one space control system to control the electronic device associated with the matched device identifier according to the deployed setting.
According to another aspect of the embodiments, a building control system is provided for configuring and deploying electronic devices installed in a building. The system comprises a plurality of space control systems installed in spaces located within the building, each space control system comprising: a plurality of electronic devices adapted to communicate via a space network to control at least one load installed in the space; and a memory that stores device data comprising a unique identifier that uniquely identifies the electronic device within the building control system associated with a device identifier that references the electronic device within the space control system. The system further comprises at least one processor adapted to: assign at least one setting to at least one device identifier of one of the space control systems; create a template comprising the device identifiers and associated settings of the one of the space control systems; and apply the template to another one of the space control systems by applying at least one of the settings in the template to electronic devices with matched device identifiers.
According to another aspect of the embodiments, a building control system is provided for configuring and deploying electronic devices installed in a building. The system comprises a plurality of space control systems installed in spaces located within the building, each space control system comprising: a plurality of electronic devices adapted to communicate via a space network to control at least one load installed in the space; and a memory that stores device data comprising a unique identifier that uniquely identifies the electronic device within the building control system associated with a device identifier that references the electronic device within the space control system. The system further comprises at least one processor adapted to: assign at least one inter-device relationship to at least two device identifiers of one of the space control systems; create a template comprising the device identifiers and associated at least one inter-device relationship of the one of the space control systems; and apply the template to another one of the space control systems by applying the at least one inter-device relationship in the template to electronic devices with matched device identifiers.
The above and other objects and features of the embodiments will become apparent and more readily appreciated from the following description of the embodiments with reference to the following figures. Different aspects of the embodiments are illustrated in reference figures of the drawings. It is intended that the embodiments and figures disclosed herein are to be considered to be illustrative rather than limiting. The components in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the aspects of the embodiments. In the drawings, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views.
The embodiments are described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which embodiments of the inventive concept are shown. In the drawings, the size and relative sizes of layers and regions may be exaggerated for clarity. Like numbers refer to like elements throughout. The embodiments may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the inventive concept to those skilled in the art. The scope of the embodiments is therefore defined by the appended claims. The detailed description that follows is written from the point of view of a control systems company, so it is to be understood that generally the concepts discussed herein are applicable to various subsystems and not limited to only a particular controlled device or class of devices.
Reference throughout the specification to “one embodiment” or “an embodiment” means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with an embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the embodiments. Thus, the appearance of the phrases “in one embodiment” on “in an embodiment” in various places throughout the specification is not necessarily referring to the same embodiment. Further, the particular feature, structures, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments.
The following is a list of the major elements in the drawings in numerical order.
The following is a list of the acronyms used in the specification in alphabetical order.
AC Alternating Current
ASIC Application Specific Integrated Circuit
AV Audiovisual
CCO Contact Closure Output
COM Communication Port
CPU Central Processing Unit
DC Direct Current
GPIO General-Purpose Input/Output
HVAC Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning
ID Identification Number
IP Internet Protocol
LAN Local Area Network
LED Light Emitting Diode
PAN Personal Area Network
PC Personal Computer
RAM Random-Access Memory
RF Radio Frequency
RISC Reduced Instruction Set
RJ Registered Jack
ROM Read-Only Memory
SPI Serial Peripheral Interface
UID Unique Identification Number
USB Universal Serial Bus
WPAN Wireless Personal Area Network
For 40 years Crestron Electronics, Inc. has been the world's leading manufacturer of advanced control and automation systems, innovating technology to simplify and enhance modern lifestyles and businesses. Crestron designs, manufactures, and offers for sale integrated solutions to control audio, video, computer, and environmental systems. In addition, the devices and systems offered by Crestron streamlines technology, improving the quality of life in commercial buildings, universities, hotels, hospitals, and homes, among other locations. Accordingly, the systems, methods, and modes of the aspects of the embodiments described herein can be manufactured by Crestron Electronics, Inc., located in Rockleigh, N.J.
The different aspects of the embodiments described herein pertain to the context of building control systems, but is not limited thereto, except as may be set forth expressly in the appended claims. The embodiments of the building control system can be used in small, mid, or large scale residential or commercial installations. While the embodiments are described herein as being implemented for commercial building management, they are not limited to such an implementation. The present embodiments may be employed in other type of venues or facilities, including in residential, retail, hospitality, or non-profit structures or venues. Additionally, while the building control system described herein as managing and controlling an entire building, it may be scaled up to manage an entire campus of buildings or scaled down to manage a floor or a section of a floor, such as a department, within a building. Furthermore, while the present embodiments are illustrated primarily with reference to lighting devices and lighting control, this illustration is exemplary and the building control system of the present embodiments can control and monitor numerous electronic devices or equipment, including but not limited to one or more of heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC), lighting, shading, security, appliances, door locks, and audiovisual (AV) equipment, among others.
Referring to
One or more control devices 103 may be installed in room 101. The control device 103 is configured to serve as a user interface to associated load controllers 102 in a space. In an illustrative embodiment, the control device 103 may be configured to receive control commands directly from a user and transmit the control commands to the load controller 102 electrically connected the lighting load 106 to control the lighting load 106 based on the control commands.
The control device 103 may be configured as a switch, a dimmer, a keypad, a control panel, a touch screen, or another type of device configured for receiving control commands from a user. A light switch can be used to control the on/off state of the lighting load 106. A dimmer may be configured to control the on/off state of the lighting load 106 as well as to control a dimming level of the load 106. A keypad, such as the control device 103 illustrated in
The control device 103 may comprise a user interface 204, such as a touch screen or one or more buttons 107 (
The control device 103 may also comprise at least one status light indicator 209, such as a multicolored light emitting diode (LED) 109 (
Each control device 103 can further comprise a processor 201, such as a central processing unit (CPU), one or more microprocessors, “general purpose” microprocessors, combination of general and special purpose microprocessors, application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), reduced instruction set (RISC) processors, video processors, or related chip sets. The processor 201 can provide processing capability to execute an operating system, run various applications, and/or provide processing for one or more of the techniques and functions described herein. Each control device 103 can further include a memory 207 communicably coupled to the processor 201, which can store data and executable code. Memory 207 can represent volatile memory such as random-access memory (RAM), and/or nonvolatile memory, such as read-only memory (ROM) or Flash memory. In buffering or caching data related to operations of the processor 201, memory 207 can store data associated with applications running on the processor 201. Memory 207 can store data files, software for implementing the functions on the processor 201, and network connection information to establish the room network 110. Each control device 103 may comprise a network interface 202, such as a wireless network interface configured for bidirectional wireless communication with other in-room devices, such as the load controller 102, on the wireless room network 110. According to an embodiment, the wireless network interface 202 may comprise a radio frequency (RF) transceiver configured for bidirectional wireless communication over a 2.4 GHz wireless network. Although according to another embodiment, in a wired implementation, network interface 202 may comprise a wired interface.
Referring back to
The control system 100 may further comprise one or more load or zone controllers 102 and 122 installed in the room 101, also sometimes referenced as units herein. Load controller 102 may receive control messages from in-room devices, such as the control device 103, occupancy sensor 104, and light sensor 105, in the room control system 100 to control its associated load, such as lighting load 106. Each load controller 102 may be grouped with particular control devices 103, occupancy sensors 104, and light sensors 105 located within room 101. Each load controller 102 may be mounted to a conventional four-inch junction box 115 in the ceiling via a conduit knockout and may comprise a plurality of wire leads 111 extending into the junction box 115. The load controller 102 may comprise a hot wire and a neutral wire connected via a voltage line 112 to an alternating current (AC) power source, such as an AC mains power source, to receive electric AC power. In an embodiment, the AC power source may comprise 120 Volt (V) 60 Hertz (Hz) AC mains residential power supply. In other embodiments, the AC power source may supply power at a different voltage and/or frequency. For example, in another embodiment, the AC power source may supply 220V 50 Hz AC mains power supply. The load controller 102 may be further connected to a lighting load 106 via load line 113 to control the lighting load 106 in response to messages received from in-room devices, such as the control device 103, occupancy sensor 104, and light sensor 105.
In an alternative embodiment, instead of using a hard wired configuration, the load controller 102 may comprise a plug-in configuration. The load controller 102 may comprise a plug for connection to a wall receptacle to receive electric AC power from an AC power source. Additionally, the load controller 102 may comprise a receptacle for receiving a plug from a lighting load 106.
In various embodiments, a load controller 102 may be connected to control the operation of other types of loads, including other types of lighting devices, including but not limited to lamps, ballasts, light emitting diode (LED) drivers; a power device, including but not limited to a receptacle, a charging device, a power string, or the like; HVAC devices, including but not limited to thermostats, air conditioning units, heating units, filtration systems, fans, humidifiers; shading devices including but not limited to motorized window treatments, dimmable windows; AV devices, including but not limited to content sources, content sinks, video recorders, cameras, VCR, DVD/DVR, CD player, audio receivers, audio system devices, speakers, telephones, video phones, projectors, projector screens, touch panels, cable television box, television such as plasma, liquid crystal display, light-emitting diode flat panel, and cathode ray tube television; security devices, including but not limited to security cameras, monitors and door locks; appliances including but not limited to refrigerators, ovens, blenders, microwaves; lighting control devices, including but not limited to switches, relays, current limiting devices; industrial devices including but not limited to motors, pumps, chillers, and air compressors.
For example, load controller 122, with similar configuration to load controller 102, may be electrically connected to a receptacle 108 via junction box 125 to power the receptacle 108 on or off. Certain building codes require certain percentage of receptacles to be switched off when the room is unoccupied. The load controller 122 connected to the receptacle 108 may turn off power to the receptacle 108 when the room 101 becomes vacant and turn back on when the room 101 becomes occupied, as reported by the occupancy sensor 104. Load controller 122 may transmit its status information to the network manager, such as load controller 102.
The load controller 102 may comprise a user interface 304, such one or more buttons, configured for commanding the load controller 102 to enter into a test mode, a setup mode, or the like. For example, the buttons may be used to command the load controller 102 to form the room network 110 or join an existing room network 110. The load controller 102 may further comprise a status light indicator 309, such as one or more LEDs, for use during setup, maintenance, troubleshooting, or the like. For example, the status light indicator 309 can indicate the current state of the lighting load 106.
The load controller 102 can further comprise a processor 301. Processor 301 can represent one or more microprocessors, “general purpose” microprocessors, a combination of general and special purpose microprocessors, or ASICs. Additionally, or alternatively, the processor 301 can include one or more microcontrollers, RISC processors, video processors, or related chip sets. The processor 301 can provide processing capability to execute an operating system, run various applications, and/or provide processing for one or more of the techniques and functions described herein. Processor 301 can process various commands and perform operations in response to messages received from in-room devices to control the associated load, such as the lighting load 106.
The load controller 102 can further include a memory 307 communicably coupled to the processor 301, which can store data and executable code. Memory 307 can represent volatile memory such as RAM, but can also include nonvolatile memory, such as ROM or Flash memory. In buffering or caching data related to operations of the processor 301, the memory 307 can store data associated with applications running on processor 301. Memory 307 can store data files, software for implementing the functions on processor 301, and network connection information to establish the room network 110.
The load controller 102 may further comprise a network interface 302, such as a wireless network interface configured for bidirectional wireless communication with other in-room electronic devices, such as the control devices 103 and light sensors 104, over the wireless room network 110. The wireless network interface 302 may comprise a radio frequency (RF) transceiver configured for bidirectional wireless communication over a 2.4 GHz wireless network. Although according to another embodiment, in a wired implementation, network interface 202 may comprise a wired interface.
The load controller 102 may be a switching load controller comprising a switch 313, such as a relay, configured for switching a connected lighting load 106, or other load type, on or off by providing a switched hot signal 318 to the load. In addition, or alternatively, the load controller 102 may comprise a dimmer 312 configured for providing a dimmed voltage output signal 317 to a connected lighting load 106. For example, the dimmer 312 of the load controller 102 may reduce its output based on sunlight levels reported by the light sensor 104. According to an embodiment, the dimmer 312 may comprise a solid-state dimmer for dimming different types of lighting loads 106, including incandescent, fluorescent, LED, or the like. According to an embodiment, the dimmer 312 may comprise a 0-10V DC dimmer to provide a dimmed voltage output to an LED lighting load, a fluorescent lighting load, or the like.
The load controller 102 may further comprise a port 315, such as a Serial Peripheral Interface (SPI) port, a Universal Serial Bus (USB) port, or the like. According to an embodiment, the port 315 may be used to connect the load controller 102 to other types of systems. The port 315 may comprise a general-purpose input/output (GPIO) generic pin 310. For example, the GPIO pin 310 may be used to connect the load controller 102 to a relay module, such as a Contact Closure Output (CCO) relay module. The relay module may be used to provide control commands to other type of building equipment, such as an HVAC controller. The relay module may provide an optional contact closure interface to inform other system of the state of the room 101, i.e., occupied or vacant. This may be used to enable or disable HVAC in the room. For example, the load controller 102 may drive the relay module on when it receives an occupied state and drive the relay module off when it receives a vacant state based on the reported occupancy sensor state.
In another embodiment, the GPIO pin 310 may be used to connect the load controller 102 to an audiovisual (AV) bridge to enable interactions between an AV system and the room control system 100. The AV bridge may comprise an interface for communication to an AV system, such as an RS-232 serial port. Through the GPIO pin 310 the load controller 102 may provide the state of the room 101, such as its vacancy/occupancy status, light levels, light scenes, or the like, to an AV system. Additionally, the load controller 102 may receive control commands from the AV system, for example, to recall a lighting scene, ignore sensor output for a defined period of time, raise or lower light levels, or the like.
Referring to
In an embodiment, the room network 110 of the room control system 100 is automatically formed upon installation during a network initialization process. The in-room devices can communicate directly with each other via a pairing process—e.g., tapping buttons on the load controllers 102/122, control device 103, occupancy sensor 104, and light sensor 105 links these devices together to form the in-room network 110. According to an embodiment, each load controller in room 101 may act as a router and can take the role of the network coordinator configured for forming the in-room network 110. In rooms with more than one load controller, one load controller, such as load controller 102, may be assigned to be the network coordinator or master controller. Acting as the network coordinator, the load controller 102 may pick the best channel and select a random personal area network (PAN) identification number (ID) that will be used for message exchange over the room network 110. The load controller 102 will then establish the room network 110 and may then permit the other in-room devices to join the network 110. To join the room based network 110, the other in-room devices can comprise dedicated buttons, or button combinations, configured for commanding the devices to join the network 110. In response, the devices will initiate a network scan to search for best available network. If a network is available and permits devices to join it, the in-room device will perform an association to that network, for example by sending a join request to the network coordinator and receiving a join confirmation message from the network coordinator. According to an embodiment, the in-room device will undergo a security procedure for authentication. If authentication is successful, the in-room device can start acting as an end device. Other load controllers in the room 101, such as load controller 122, may act as routers by routing messages between in-room devices, taking part in re-broadcasting messages, and notifying the network manager in cases of interference detection. Load controllers that are not network managers may discover and synchronize with the network manager and act as trust centers for newly joining devices.
After network formation, the room control system 100 can function as a standalone room based control system within a single room 101 such that the system 100 can respond to sunlight levels, occupancy, button presses, and any integration points through a corresponding load controller 102. The load controller 102 may maintain one or more room data files 330 (
During operation, the load controller 102 may keep track of the status of the room 101 as reported by the various in-room devices and record the status in the room data files 330. For example, the load controller 102 may record the status of the load (e.g., on/off and current level that may be expressed as an analog value), daylight status of the room 101 (e.g., illuminance measurement), occupancy status of the room 101 (e.g., occupied/vacant), the operating status of the in-room device (e.g., error, battery level, etc.), or the like. Sleepy devices in room 101 may periodically send check-in messages to the load controller 102 to inform the load controller 102 that the device is still alive and working, inform of its status, battery level, error reporting, or the like. For example, the load controller 102 can keep track of the occupancy and vacancy messages received from each occupancy sensor 104 in an occupancy table and maintain the current state of each occupancy sensor 104 (i.e., occupied or vacant). During operation, in response to receiving a room occupied signal, the load controller 102 may turn the lighting load 106 on. In response to receiving a room vacancy signal from all the occupancy sensors 104 that previously reported a room occupied state, the load controller 102 may turn its respective lighting load 106 off.
The room control system 100 shown in
Referring back to
The network bridge 120 further comprises a network interface 322 such as a wireless network interface configured for bidirectional wireless communication with a wireless centralized network. The wireless network interface 322 may comprise a radio frequency (RF) transceiver configured for bidirectional wireless communication over a 2.4 GHz wireless network. The network bridge 120 can further comprise a processor 321 (similar to processor 301) that can process various commands and perform operations in response to messages received from the processor 301 of the load controller 102 or from the building wide network through the wireless interface 322. The network bridge 120 can further include a memory 327 (similar to memory 307) communicably coupled to the processor 321, which can store data and executable code for implementing the functions on processor 321.
The network bridge 120 may further comprise a short range communication module, such as a Bluetooth module 326, configured for allowing connection with a user communication device 401a-n (
According to an alternate embodiment, instead of a two unit construction, the network bridge 120 may be integrated with the load controller 102 to form a single unit. In addition, the operation and components of the load controllers 102 or 122 may be integrated within the control devices 103.
Referring to
In a wireless implementation, the centralized network 410 may comprise one or more wireless personal area networks (WPANs). Communication protocols may govern the operation of centralized network 410 of the building control system 400 by governing network formation, communication, interferences, and other operational characteristics. A wireless centralized network 410 may comprise a 2-way 2.4 GHz radio frequency mesh network. Every wireless device on a wireless centralized network 410, including the network bridges 120 and wireless gateways 415 may act as an expander to relay wireless commands ensuring every command reaches its intended destination.
According to an embodiment, the room network 110 and the centralized network 410 may operate on different protocols, different power strengths, different channels, different latency, different bandwidth, or the like. According to an embodiment, the room networks 110 may comprise a low latency low bandwidth wireless network configured for real-time communication of data between in-room devices. Accordingly, messages between in-room devices may be transmitted quickly for near immediate control of the room 101. On the other hand, a wireless centralized network 410 may comprise a high latency high bandwidth wireless network configured for transmitting large amount of data over the wireless centralized network 410 to a plurality of rooms 101. Because of the modular architecture of the building control system 400, no real-time behavior is required by the wireless centralized network 410—enabling large amount of data to be transmitted over the wireless centralized network 410 to control the operation of the individual rooms 101 while not effecting the real-time operation of the in-room devices.
The plurality of network bridges 120 get rolled up into the centralized management platform that can run on one or more control processors 420, but could equally be implemented on a personal computer (PC). For example, a building may comprise a plurality of control processors 420, which may also be referred to as floor gateways or floor control hubs, with one or more control processors 420 located on each floor of the building for central floor control. Each control processor 420 may provide a single point of control for a plurality of room control systems 100.
Each control processor 420 may comprise a processor (similar to processor 301), a memory (similar to memory 307), and one or more network interfaces (similar to network interface 302). According to an embodiment, each control processor 420 can further include a wireless network interface configured for communication with one or more network bridges 120 over a wireless centralized network 410 to network, manage, and control a plurality of network bridges 120. According to another embodiment, the control processor 420 may include one or more communication network interfaces configured for communication over a control subnet 416 with one or more intermediate wireless gateway devices 415, which in turn communicate with one or more network bridges 120 over the wireless centralized network 410. The one or more communication network interfaces may be further configured for communication over a building or corporate network 421 and/or the Internet 417. According to an embodiment, the communication network interface may be an Ethernet interface for sending and receiving signals over an Internet Protocol (IP) based network.
The network bridges 120 operate on the wireless centralized network 410 by joining the network 410 and being acquired by the control processors 420 during a wireless network initialization. According to one embodiment, each control processor 420 may comprise a wireless network interface configured for directly connecting the network bridges 120 to the control processor 420 over the wireless centralized network 410. In another embodiment, the wireless centralized network 410 may comprise one or more intermediate devices, such as routers or wireless gateways 415 comprising wireless network interfaces that wirelessly connect to the network bridges 120 via the wireless centralized network 410. Each control processor 420 may be connected to one or more intermediate wireless gateways 415 via a control subnet 416, such as a local area network (LAN). In addition, wireless expanders can be added wherever needed to extend the wireless centralized network 410 by filling-in gaps between devices.
Each network bridge 120 may be configured in a “ready to join network mode” such that as soon as it is connected to and powered by the load controller 102, it will enter an acquire mode. Once a control processor 420 enters an acquire mode, the wireless centralized network 410 may form. To initiate the acquire mode, a commissioning agent may manually interact with the control processor 420 to form the wireless centralized network 410. The control processor 420 may broadcast an invitation message, and network bridges 120 within earshot may connect to the control processor 420. In the instance a network bridge 120 may be within earshot of two gateways 415 or control processors 420, the network bridge 120 may select a “best” gateway 415 or control processor 420 to join, for example based on network quality. As more network bridges 120 join the control processor 420, the control processor 420 may gradually increase the power of the transmitting messages. According to an embodiment, each network bridge 120 may comprise a unique identification number (UID), which it may report to uniquely identify itself to one or more of the control processors 420.
The control processors 420 provide centralized management for all connected rooms 101. Applications that can run on the control processors 420 can include, for example, software for initiating the wireless centralized network 410 and software for managing the operation of connected rooms 101. Each control processor 420 may comprise an astronomical time clock enabling the control processor 420 to schedule automated timed events; although each load controller 102 may also comprise a time clock for implementing automated event scheduling. Each control processor 420 may further aggregate information of all “network enabled” rooms and provide real-time status information to users.
As discussed above, the network bridge 120 may interface with the load controller 102 using a bridge interface 319, such as an SPI bus, a USB bus, or the like. The bridge interface 319 is used as a means to transfer data back and forth between the network bridge 120 and load controller 102. According to an embodiment, once connected, the network bridge 120 may act as a master communication controller for the bridge interface 319 and the load controller may act in a slave mode. However, the load controller 102 may be equipped with a host interrupt line to signal the network bridge 120 of asynchronous communication originated from the load controller 102. Requests or control commands can be initiated from any side (master or slave), however most of the time transactions may be initiated by the master.
Upon connecting to the load controller 102, the network bridge 120 may request the room data files 330, discussed above, including information about all the current in-room devices in room 101 connected to the load controller 102 over the wireless room network 110. The load controller 102 may transmit the room data files 330 as a series of device information frames, one for each reported device. The network bridge 120 may in turn transmit the room data files 330 to the control processor 420 during initiation, periodically, upon a device status change (i.e., room becomes occupied, an error is detected, a battery needs to be replaced, etc.), and/or as requested by the control processor 420. For example, in response to a request from a control processor 420, the network bridge 120 may request the load controller 102 for the last recalled room scene. The last scene may be stored on the load controller 102 in the room data files 330 or can be recalled by the load controller 102 from the control device 103. Accordingly, network bridge 120 aggregates information in the room 101 and exposes it to the control processor 420 as a summarized, higher level, interface to the room 101. According to an embodiment, interface to each room 101 is simplified and abstracted away from the details of what devices are present in the room. For example, no matter what control devices, sensors, or keypads are present in the room 101, the network bridge 120 exposes the same interface to the control processor 420, enabling it to operate at a higher level. The network bridge 120 may further receive various control commands from a control processor 420, for example, to recall a room scene. The room network 110 may also be managed through the control processor 420, for example to remove in-room devices from the room network 110.
The control processors 420 may further provide connection between the network bridges 120 and cloud service or server 418 via a corporate network 421 and/or the Internet 417 for central building control and aggregation of building information. Cloud services 418 may aggregate information from a plurality of control processors 420 into a centralized management and control platform for an entire building or campus. For example, the cloud service 418 may display a floorplan with status information of the building, provide historical data, reporting, notifications, or the like.
According to another embodiment, the centralized network 410 may comprise a wired network adapted for bidirectional wired communication over a wired protocol. For example, a wired centralized network 410 may comprise a local area network (LAN) which may be implemented using bus wiring and serial ports, for example an Ethernet port, a registered jack (RJ) port, a communication (COM) port, a universal serial bus (USB) port, a Cresnet® port, or the like. In such implementation, the load controller 102 or the network bridge 120 may comprise ports adapted to receive cable or wiring connection directly or indirectly to the control processor 420. The wired centralized network 410 may include one or more gateway devices to provide with an entrance to network 410, which may include software and/or hardware components to manage traffic entering and exiting network 410 and conversion between the communication protocols used by various communication devices. In addition, other network embodiments can be deployed with many variations in the number and type of devices, communication networks, communication protocols, system topologies, and myriad other details without departing from the spirit and scope of the present embodiments. The functionality of the network bridge 120 discussed above may be incorporated into the load controller 102. According to yet another embodiment, the building control system 400 may comprise a hybrid of wireless and wired networks. Some rooms 100 may be equipped with wireless load controllers 102 adapted to wirelessly communicate with room devices over a wireless room network 110 and wireless network bridges 120 adapted to wirelessly communicate with the control processors 420 via a wireless centralized network 410. However, other rooms may be alternatively or in addition equipped with wired load controllers 102 adapted to be wired to and communicated with in-room devices over a wired room network 110 and also to be wired to and communicate with the control processors 420 via a wired centralized network 410.
After the building control system 400 is installed in a building, the system 400 needs to get configured and deployed to function according to the system owner's or operator's requirements. The present aspects of the embodiments, allow a user to rapidly configure and deploy configurations to plurality of building control devices within the system 400 via one or more proprietary building control applications or apps. According to one embodiment, a building control application may reside on a user communication device 401a-n. The building control application may be further configured for connecting the user communication device 401a-n, such as a smartphone 401a, to the network bridge 120 via the Bluetooth module 326 or via alternative means as discussed above (or to other devices located within the room 101, such as the load controller 102). The building control application may provide a user interface on the user communication device 401a-n allowing a user to commission the room network 110 and configure or setup the in-room devices. For example, with the building control application, installers can set scenes, create scheduled events, and set up sensors. The network bridge 120 may query the load controller 102 for the room data files 330 stored on the memory 307 of the load controller 102 and deliver this information to the building control application via the Bluetooth module 326, which can be used for room monitoring, configuration, and control. The building control application running on the user communication device 401a-n is further adapted to communicate with the control processor 420 to transmit and receive information, such as commissioning and configuration data.
According to a further embodiment, a building control application may reside on the control processor 420 and each control processor 420 may provide a web interface allowing users of the system to access the building control application via a webpage and be exposed to all the functionally allowed by the control processor 420, for example to configure devices, time clock events, among other functions. According to an embodiment, the information entered into a building control application running on a user communication device 401a-n is transmitted to the control processor 420 and is accessible by the building control application residing on the control processor 420. According to another embodiment, the building control application may reside on a remote server such as cloud service 418 and a user communication device 401a-n may be provided with a link to access the remote building control application via website.
User communication devices 401a-n may be any computing device known in the art, including, but not limited to a desktop computer, a laptop 401b, a portable electronic device, a mobile computer, a smartphone 401a, a tablet, a personal digital assistant, or any other computing device configured for running an application and/or communicating with a remote server via a communication network through a web-browser or other similar application. Each user communication device 401a-n may comprise a processor, a user interface (e.g., display, keyboard, mouse, or the like), one of numerous forms of storage (e.g., solid-state memory (RAM, ROM, and the like), magnetic memory, such as disc drives, tape storage, and the like, and/or optical memory, such as DVD), and one or more network interfaces, as is known in the art. Using the network interfaces, each user communication device 401a-n can communicate with the load controller 102, the control processor 420, or a remote server 418 via a wired or wireless communication network.
Referring to
The one or more software engines 510 may include one or more data storage areas 501 operably associated with the memory and the processor of the computing device running the building control application 500. Data storage areas 501 may be leveraged to maintain data pertinent to the building control application 500. Software engines 510 may comprise a control engine 506 configured to send at least one command to control the load controllers 102. Control commands may comprise on-demand commands generated from user communication devices 401a-n. For example, one command may include a command to power on/off or dim a lighting device, control a touch panel, raise/lower the shades, power on/off or adjust the temperature of an HVAC system, enable/disable a security system, power on/off a sensor, power on/off a local computer, or the like. Depending upon implementation, other control commands are contemplated by the present embodiments. A building monitoring engine 507 may be further configured for monitoring the operation of the centralized building control system 400 and providing this information on a user communication device 401a-n. Building monitoring engine 507 may be employed to provide real-time or live status information of resources of the building, such as environmental resources and conference room devices. As such, status information may be transmitted to the building monitoring engine 507 on-demand.
Software engines 510 may further comprise a configuration engine 504 configured for allowing a user to preprogram and to deploy setting presets and scenes for each room of the building control system, as will be further described below. The software engines 510 of the building control application 500 may also include a user interface engine 503. The user interface engine 503 may be leveraged in association with one or more included software engines and data available in data storage areas to enable visual layout and presentation structure of the building control application 500. User interface engine 503 may be configured to present the visual layout on user communication devices 401a-n.
A user employs the building control application 500 to configure one or more rooms 101 located within a building. An office building, for example, may contain many similar types of rooms. As an example, it may contain a number of “small conference rooms”, “large conference rooms”, and “huddle rooms”. These types of rooms may contain similar equipment installed therein. For example, a small conference room may contain a single load controller, two lighting control keypads, and an occupancy sensor. A large conference may contain additional devices. According to the aspects of the present embodiments, instead of configuring each room individually and separately, a user can create a template for a particular room type using the building control application 500 and apply such template to similarly situated rooms. Room templates can be created for other types of rooms depending on the building, such as lobbies, hallways, staircases, common areas, conference rooms, private offices, open offices, bathrooms, etc., in a commercial building, or kitchen, living room, bedrooms, bathrooms, etc., in a residential building. A “Room Type” object may be used in the app 500 as a user chosen specification to identify rooms that are substantially identical in equipment and installation and can represent the potential uses for a room. The Room Type object can be extracted from the template name adopted by the user.
Referring to
The room configuration file may comprise a Map File (1004,
Returning to
Referring back to
Keypads button 806 will display a Keypad page (not shown) that can allow the user to apply logic to the different buttons of a keypad. For each keypad in the room 101, such as keypad 103, the app 500 may display the keypad name, keypad identified, button layout (number of buttons), tap-tap speed, and hold time. For each button on the keypad, the user can use the button configuration pages to specify which action will be taken based when the button is tapped, double-tapped or held. After selecting the button to be programmed, the user may be shown the keypad button configuration page on which the user can chose which button action they wish to configure, for example, by selecting an applicable scene for each button. Scenes button 805 may allow the user to define particular scenes.
Clicking on the Zones button 807 may display a Zones page that will allow a user to create a zone, input a zone name, specify the Device Types that the zone will contain, and select the collection of devices that are to be member of this particular zone. The above parameters for the in-room devices which may be configured by the user are just exemplary and other parameters or settings can be configured without departing from the scope of the current embodiments.
After finishing configuring the devices installed in room 101, the user may return to the Main page 600 in
The Map File 1004 is unique for each room 101 as it describes and identifies the physical devices or units installed in the room 101 and connected to the room's network 110. The Map File 1004 contains data regarding all the hardware components (i.e., units and devices) installed in a particular room 101, details of each of the hardware component, including the Device Identifier, Device Name, Device Type, Model, and a unique identifier that uniquely identifies the hardware components, such as the device's Serial Number, a UID, and the like. Particularly, referring to
The Logic File 1006 describes the functionality within the room 101 and defines the logical behavior of the devices installed in the room 101 as configured by the user as discussed above. A Logic File 1006 can be shared amongst rooms of the same type that are expected to behave substantially identically using templates as discussed below. Particularly, the Logic File 1006 defines the interactions of the various devices by defining their bindings and configuration or the actions each device needs to perform. Devices in the Logic File 1006 are referenced by their Device Identifiers 1017 such that the Logic File 1006 ties the Device Identifier 1017 to the logic to be executed by such a device. Accordingly, within the Logic File 1006, the Device Identifiers 1017 are used in defining inter-device relationships. Referring to
The Settings File 1008 contains the settings and action parameters for each device in the room as configured by the user as discussed above with reference to
Each file may utilize the following file naming convention:
“ConferenceRoomA.configuration.11223344556677889900aabbccddeeff.zdf”
Names of files within the Configuration File 1000 will adhere to the same naming convention, and for example may comprise the following names:
“ConferenceRoomA.manifest.fedcbafedcba09876543210987654321.json”
“ConferenceRoomA.settings.aabbccddeeff11223344556677889900.json”
“ConferenceRoomA.templatemanifest.bbaaccddeeff11223344556677889900.json”
If the user wishes to deploy the same configuration data to another similarly sized room with substantially the same type and number of devices, the user can save the configuration data as a template. Referring to
“SmallConferenceRoom.template.d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e.zdf”
The names of files within the Template File 1010 will adhere to the same naming convention. The Template File 1010 is saved by the app 500 on the user communication device 401a-n.
After the Template File 1010 is created, the Room Configuration File 1000 may be updated to include the Template Manifest File 1009, which may be sent to the room load controller 102 for informational purposes to identify which Template File 1010 is applicable to that room. In addition, the Room Type object in the Room Configuration File 1000 may be populated with the template name selected by the user for the template. According to an embodiment, the Current Template field 614 on the Main page 600 for the room 101 in
After creating the “Small Conference Room” Template, the user can then continue to configure other types of rooms in the same fashion as discussed above. For example, the user can configure and create a “Large Conference Room” Template and a “Huddle” Template. These templates may be transmitted to the control processor 420 and/or cloud service 418. The user communication device 401a-n, control processor 420, and/or cloud service 418 may store a plurality of Template Files. According to an embodiment, any given Logic File or Settings File may be referenced by multiple Templates Manifest Files. The contents of the Template Files may be modified using the building control application 500 running on the user communication device 401a-n, control processor 420, and/or cloud service 418.
The user then finalizes commissioning the rest of the rooms in the building by completing mapping assignments to develop complete Map Files 1004 for each room 101. The user may physically enter other rooms 101 in the building to update the room settings 604 (
According to the present embodiment, after creating applicable templates for the building and commissioning the Device Identifiers 1017 in the remainder of the building, the user may automatically deploy the templates to the same room types that have not yet been configured. For example, referring to
According to another embodiment, after creating the template, the user may access a building control application 500 running on the control processor 420 via a user communication device 401a-n, such as a laptop 401b. Although this example is illustrated by accessing the building control application 500 running on the control processor 420, the building control application 500 can be accessed via cloud service 418 or the like. Referring to
The user may edit the configuration data of any room by pressing on any of the edit action buttons 1211. Referring to
The user may manage templates using the Template Management tab 1201, shown in
Returning to
For rooms with unassigned templates, the data in the Room Configuration File 1000 may be blank, partially configured, set to default values, or may contain configuration data that the user may wish to change. To assign a template, the user can select one or more rooms and select a template from the Select a Template drop down menu 1203. For example, the user may select Room 0002, Room 0005, and Room 0007 as shown in
The user may access the room edit pop up window of any of the rooms to verify template information or to resolve conflicts. For example, the user may access the room edit popup window of Room 0002 by pressing its corresponding edit action button 1211. Referring to
If additional Device Identifiers 1017 (or Template Identifiers) exist in the Template File 1010, they would not be displayed next to matched devices in the room, but are shown as additional devices without matched in-room devices. If a Device Identifier 1017 does not match any of the Template Identifiers in the imported Template File 1010, the user can correct the issue by renaming the Device Identifier 1017, for example selecting a Device Identifier 1017 for the room device that matches an unassigned Device Identifier 1017 in the template. The same Device Identifier 1017 cannot be applied by the user for more than one device in the room. Referring to
Returning to
To solve the aforementioned problems, the aspects of the embodiments are directed towards a building control system and method that allow a user to rapidly configure and deploy configurations to plurality of building control devices. It should be understood that this description is not intended to limit the embodiments. On the contrary, the embodiments are intended to cover alternatives, modifications, and equivalents, which are included in the spirit and scope of the embodiments as defined by the appended claims. Further, in the detailed description of the embodiments, numerous specific details are set forth to provide a comprehensive understanding of the claimed embodiments. However, one skilled in the art would understand that various embodiments may be practiced without such specific details.
Although the features and elements of aspects of the embodiments are described being in particular combinations, each feature or element can be used alone, without the other features and elements of the embodiments, or in various combinations with or without other features and elements disclosed herein.
This written description uses examples of the subject matter disclosed to enable any person skilled in the art to practice the same, including making and using any devices or systems and performing any incorporated methods. The patentable scope of the subject matter is defined by the claims, and may include other examples that occur to those skilled in the art. Such other examples are intended to be within the scope of the claims.
The above-described embodiments are intended to be illustrative in all respects, rather than restrictive, of the embodiments. Thus the embodiments are capable of many variations in detailed implementation that can be derived from the description contained herein by a person skilled in the art. No element, act, or instruction used in the description of the present application should be construed as critical or essential to the embodiments unless explicitly described as such. Also, as used herein, the article “a” is intended to include one or more items.
In addition, the above disclosed methods are not meant to limit the aspects of the embodiments, or to suggest that the aspects of the embodiments should be implemented following the aforementioned methods. The purpose of the aforementioned methods is to facilitate the understanding of one or more aspects of the embodiments and to provide the reader with one or many possible implementations of the processed discussed herein. It should be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art that the steps of the aforementioned methods may be performed in a different order and that some steps may be eliminated or substituted.
All United States patents and applications, foreign patents, and publications discussed above are hereby incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.
Alternate embodiments may be devised without departing from the spirit or the scope of the different aspects of the embodiments.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63281769 | Nov 2021 | US |
