Patent Application
20170038945
The present disclosure relates to methods, devices, and systems for creating domain visualizations.
At a facility, users may use one or more visualizations to install, maintain, and/or monitor facility systems and/or devices. Visualizations can include diagrams such as line, branching, Sankey, and/or flow diagrams, for instance, among other types of visualizations. The appearance and/or layout of a visualization may be governed by the domain to which it pertains. Users operating in the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) domain may desire one type of visualization, while users in an energy plant domain may desire another, different type of visualization. In some instances, the appearance and/or layout of a visualization for a particular domain may be standardized through tradition, custom, and/or formal adoption by a governing body.
In previous approaches, a visualization may be created individually by a user having knowledge of its domain. That is, one or more users may create and/or modify a visualization using a computerized drawing tool (e.g., diagramming software). Such approaches may be time-consuming, especially so in cases where the desired visualization is complex. In addition, previous approaches become obsolete in the face of change(s) such as when, for example, a device is installed or removed from the facility.
Devices, methods, and systems for creating domain visualizations are described herein. For example, one or more embodiments include receiving a selection of a particular visualization template from a plurality of visualization templates, receiving instance information associated with a domain specified by the template from an instance source, receiving operating information from at least one instance of the domain, and displaying a visualization of the domain using the template, the instance information, and the operating information.
Domain visualizations in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure can be created (e.g., created, edited, modified, etc.) using an interface that allows the display and/or editing of domain visualizations. Domain visualizations can be created with much less user input than previous approaches. The increased automation afforded by embodiments of the present disclosure can yield savings in time and monetary cost. In addition, embodiments of the present disclosure can create visualizations that depict more than one domain (it is noted that a “domain visualization” as used herein can refer to a visualization of a single domain and/or a visualization of more than one domain). Such visualizations can drive decision making at higher levels than previous approaches.
Further, visualizations in accordance with the present disclosure can be updated (e.g., in real time) to reflect current conditions in a facility or to mirror changes in the device(s) and/or system(s) represented in the visualization. For example, in some embodiments, real-time values for temperature set points can be included in an HVAC domain visualization. In another example, the addition of a variable air volume (VAV) device to an HVAC system represented by a visualization can be represented in the visualization without a user needing to redraw the visualization (as in previous approaches).
Users operating in a particular domain (e.g., an HVAC domain) may desire one type of visualization (e.g., a line drawing having left-to-right branching and circular flow), while users in an energy plant domain may desire another type of visualization (e.g., an operational view featuring real-time state(s) and/or value(s) associated with machines). A known and/or standardized manner of communicating information associated with a particular domain can be defined by an ontology associated with the domain. The ontology of a particular domain may be standardized through tradition, custom, and/or formal adoption by a governing body, for instance.
An “ontology,” as referred to herein, can be a naming, description, and/or definition of the types, properties, and/or interrelationships of the instances of a domain. An instance of a domain (herein referred to as “domain instance” or “instance”) is a component (e.g., subset) of a domain. For example, domain instances can include devices, machines, connections, parameters, entities, and/or combinations of domain components. In an example, instances in the HVAC domain can include dampers, chillers, cooling towers, pumps, valves, air handling units (AHUs), fans, etc. In some embodiments, each domain may be associated with a respective ontology. In some embodiments, each domain may be associated with aspects of other, additional ontologies.
Visualizations in accordance with the present disclosure can be created using one or more domain visualization templates (hereinafter “visualization templates” or “templates”). A template can include instructions executable to dictate the manner in which a domain is to be visualized (e.g., displayed, shown, depicted, etc.) in accordance with the domain's ontology. In the HVAC example, a template for the HVAC domain can dictate that circular flow through an HVAC system is to be visualized by air out on the bottom of the visualization and return air on the top of the visualization.
A user can select a particular template based on one or more desired domains of a facility to be visualized. Information associated with the facility can be received and used to enrich (e.g., customize) the template. In some embodiments, the information can be received from a database (e.g., an instance database), and may be stored in connection with configuration of devices in the facility. In some embodiments, the information can be real-time information received from facility devices themselves and/or a computing device (e.g., computing devices and/or controllers) associated with facility devices.
The template can be enriched with the information such that the user is provided with a visualization of the desired domain (or domains). As discussed further below, an interface can be provided that allows the user to modify aspects of the visualization, such as display elements, for instance.
In the following detailed description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings that form a part hereof. The drawings show by way of illustration how one or more embodiments of the disclosure may be practiced.
These embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable those of ordinary skill in the art to practice one or more embodiments of this disclosure. It is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and that process changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.
As will be appreciated, elements shown in the various embodiments herein can be added, exchanged, combined, and/or eliminated so as to provide a number of additional embodiments of the present disclosure. The proportion and the relative scale of the elements provided in the figures are intended to illustrate the embodiments of the present disclosure, and should not be taken in a limiting sense.
The figures herein follow a numbering convention in which the first digit or digits correspond to the drawing figure number and the remaining digits identify an element or component in the drawing. Similar elements or components between different figures may be identified by the use of similar digits.
The interface 114, which is further discussed below in connection with
One or more of the information sources 106-112 can be a database and/or an application program interface (API), for instance, though embodiments of the present disclosure are not so limited. In some embodiments, one or more of the information sources can be a facility device (e.g., a VAV device). In some embodiments, one or more of the sources can be a computing device and/or a controller associated with a facility device. Further, though four information sources 106-112 are illustrated in
The ontology source 110 can include one or more ontologies that define how to describe one or more domains. As previously discussed, an ontology can be a naming, description, and/or definition of the types, properties, and/or interrelationships of the valid instances of a domain. A validation can be performed to determine if instances are valid, for instance, against one or more composition rules in a template (discussed below). In short, the interface 114 can receive information from the ontology source 114 regarding the rules of how a particular domain (or domains) is to be shown in a visualization of that domain.
The template source 112 can store and/or provide templates used to create visualizations. The template source 112 can include a plurality of templates. In some embodiments, each of the plurality of templates can be associated with a particular domain. In some embodiments, a template can be associated with a plurality of domains. A template can dictate how a domain is to be visualized in accordance with the ontology of the domain. A template can be considered to be an encoding of the visualization rules defined by an ontology.
A template can include a plurality of symbols (e.g., a symbol library) that are relevant to a particular domain. For example, a template associated with an HVAC domain may contain standardized symbols that represent common devices in an HVAC system (e.g., fans, ducts, etc.), whereas a template associated with an electrical wiring domain may contain standardized symbols that represent common devices in an electrical system (e.g., resistors, voltage sources, transformers, etc.).
As discussed below, the user 102 can select a particular template from the plurality of templates. Embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited to a particular manner of making such a selection. For example, the template can be selected form a displayed list of templates. The selection can be based on the domain of which visualization is desired. The selected template can be displayed using the interface 114.
The instance source 106 can contain information associated with domain instances, which may be referred to as “instance information.” As previously discussed, domain instances are components of a domain. For example, domain instances can include devices, machines, connections, parameters, entities, and/or combinations of domain components. In an example, domain instances in the HVAC domain can include dampers, chillers, cooling towers, pumps, wiring, piping, sensors, actuators, valves, air handling units (AHUs), fans, etc. Instance information can include configuration information. Instance information can include information describing a particular device, how the device operates, how the device is connected to other devices, how the device interacts with other devices, configuration information associated with the device, a functional profile of the device, settings (e.g., communications settings) of the device, device interface definitions or reference, version number(s) of the device, device timing, etc.
The real-time values source 108 can contain information associated with the actual operation of specific domain instances. In some embodiments, the real-time values source 108 can be (or include) a facility device capable of communicating its operating information to the interface 114. In some embodiments, the real-time values source 108 can be (or include) a controller and/or computing device associated with (e.g., controlling operation of) a facility device capable of communicating operating information of the facility device to the interface 114.
Operating information, as referred to herein, includes real-time information describing one or more aspects of the operation of a facility device. Information that constitutes operating information may depend on the particular type of facility device. For example operating information can include temperature, speed (e.g., fan speed), status (e.g., on, off, open, closed, etc.), set point, condition (e.g., normal, abnormal, etc.), pressure, voltage, and/or flow rate, among others.
The interface 210 can allow the selection of a particular visualization template from a plurality of visualization templates. In some embodiments, the selection can be made by a user. In some embodiments the selection can be made without user input. For example, the template can be determined based on information received from one or more sources indicating a particular domain for visualization. The interface 210 can receive information from one or more sources. For instance, the interface 210 can receive information from the instance source 106, the real-time values source 108, the template source 112, and/or the ontology source 110.
When the template is selected, a domain specified by the template can be extracted from the received information. The interface 210 can constrain the expressivity of the visualization to valid concepts, relationships, and/or properties as defined in the corresponding ontology (or ontologies). In some embodiments, more than one domain can be extracted. Along with the domain, semantic information referenced in the information can be extracted. For example, the domain and referenced semantic information (e.g., “instance information”) can be extracted from the instance source 106 and/or the real-time values source 108. Operating information can be received from specific instances of the domain associated with the selected template. As previously discussed, the operating information can be received from the real-time values source 108.
Once received, the information can be integrated into the template automatically (e.g., without user input) and a visualization can be created using the template and the information. The visualization can be displayed using the visualization portion 216. The visualization portion 216 can display the visualization as a model, for instance, which may include the selected template enriched with the received information from the instance source 106 and/or the real-time data source 108. The visualization portion 216 can allow the user to view the visualization. The visualization portion 216 can allow the user to see the effect(s) that modifications made to the visualization (e.g., using the other portion(s) of the interface 210) are having as those modifications are made (e.g., in real time).
The display element selection portion (DES) 218 can provide a plurality of selectable display elements used to modify the visualization (e.g., instance information of the visualization). For example, the DESP 218 can be a “toolbox” providing a plurality of display elements, such as selectable domain classes and/or shape types (e.g., representing facility devices) for addition to the visualization. In some embodiments, the DESP 218 can include selectable relationships between shapes, connectors, and/or shape maps. As used herein, a shape map refers to a wire-framed boundary which limits the type(s) of entities that can be contained or “dropped” therein. A shape map can organize the relative relationships of instance types to one another.
Though embodiments of the present disclosure are not so limited, the user can select a desired display element of DESP 218 and can then select a desired location of that element in the visualization portion 216 (e.g., a particular “target” region) for it to be placed. In some embodiments, the template can include placement rules, relative placement indicators, and/or element priority. For example, a target region may accept only certain element types. In another example, one or more rules can be enforced causing elements to be moved appropriately with respect to other elements, while still permitting user relocation of elements within a region determined automatically.
The properties portion 220 can allow the user to modify non-displayed elements of the visualization. In some embodiments, the properties portion 220 can allow the addition of toolbox items to the visualization. In some embodiments, the properties portion 220 can allow the activation of a validation process associated with the visualization.
The display element modification portion (DEMP) 222 can allow the user to modify the display elements of the visualization (including display elements added to the visualization using the DESP 218). In some embodiments, the DEMP 222 can display properties of the display elements of the visualization. The properties can be modified such that the user can control how display elements are displayed, how display elements can be copied, and/or how display elements can be deleted. The DEMP 222 can allow the user to modify how the display elements of the visualization are displayed (e.g., size, color, modality, relative placement indication, priority, etc.).
In some embodiments, the display of the display elements (e.g., the operating information displayed using the display elements) can be user-defined. That is, a user-defined preference can be used to display the operating information. For example, a desired level of detail and/or a desired level of information context associated with the displayed operating information can be user-defined.
In some embodiments, the user-defined preference(s) can be determined based on a profile of the user, for instance. In some embodiments, the user-defined preference(s) can be determined based on a task identified by the user. In some embodiments, the user-defined preference(s) can be determined based on a workflow. A workflow, as referred to herein, describes a series of operations that must be performed in a certain order and verified to successfully complete a specified task. A workflow definition is a formal language that defines a workflow so it can be repeated with automatic and possible manual steps intermixed. A workflow language includes action steps, timing, data validation, and/or error processing. Using an ontology to model a workflow language and its interplay with service or automation interfaces, including human interface communications and response interpretation, allows the definition of full operational instance definitions in one place.
Thus, utilizing the DESP 218, the properties portion 220, and/or the DEM P 222, the user can modify various aspects of a visualization displayed by the visualization portion 216. The created (e.g., created and/or modified) visualization can be stored in memory, for instance.
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Memory 540 can be volatile or nonvolatile memory. Memory 540 can also be removable (e.g., portable) memory, or non-removable (e.g., internal) memory. For example, memory 540 can be random access memory (RAM) (e.g., dynamic random access memory (DRAM) and/or phase change random access memory (PCRAM)), read-only memory (ROM) (e.g., electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM) and/or compact-disc read-only memory (CD-ROM)), flash memory, a laser disc, a digital versatile disc (DVD) or other optical disk storage, and/or a magnetic medium such as magnetic cassettes, tapes, or disks, among other types of memory.
Further, although memory 540 is illustrated as being located in computing device 538, embodiments of the present disclosure are not so limited. For example, memory 540 can also be located internal to another computing resource (e.g., enabling computer readable instructions to be downloaded over the Internet or another wired or wireless connection).
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The display 544 can provide (e.g., display and/or present) information to a user of the computing device 538. For example, the display 544 can display the portions 104, 216, 218, 220, and/or 222 previously described in connection with
Although specific embodiments have been illustrated and described herein, those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that any arrangement calculated to achieve the same techniques can be substituted for the specific embodiments shown. This disclosure is intended to cover any and all adaptations or variations of various embodiments of the disclosure.
It is to be understood that the above description has been made in an illustrative fashion, and not a restrictive one. Combination of the above embodiments, and other embodiments not specifically described herein will be apparent to those of skill in the art upon reviewing the above description.
The scope of the various embodiments of the disclosure includes any other applications in which the above structures and methods are used. Therefore, the scope of various embodiments of the disclosure should be determined with reference to the appended claims, along with the full range of equivalents to which such claims are entitled.
In the foregoing Detailed Description, various features are grouped together in example embodiments illustrated in the figures for the purpose of streamlining the disclosure. This method of disclosure is not to be interpreted as reflecting an intention that the embodiments of the disclosure require more features than are expressly recited in each claim.
Rather, as the following claims reflect, inventive subject matter lies in less than all features of a single disclosed embodiment. Thus, the following claims are hereby incorporated into the Detailed Description, with each claim standing on its own as a separate embodiment.
