Patent Grant
10761706
The present disclosure relates to devices, methods, and systems for navigating an operational user interface for a building management system.
Building information modeling (BIM) can refer to the generation and/or management of data associated with a facility (e.g., building), including, for instance, data associated with the components, equipment, and/or properties of the facility. For example, BIM data can include architectural, mechanical, electrical, plumbing, sanitary, fire, and/or geometrical information associated with a facility.
BIM data associated with a facility can be used to generate an operational user interface for a building management system for the facility, which can be displayed to a user (e.g., operator) and used by the user to monitor and/or control the facility. For example, the user (e.g., operator) of a building management system can check and/or set the state of control components, equipment, devices, networks, areas, and/or spaces of the facility using the operational user interface for the building management system. The operational user interface can include, for example, the floor plan of the facility, with additional information about the facility, such as, for instance, information about a device(s) of the building, information about a control network(s) of the building, schematic graphics of the building, etc., overlaid on the floor plan.
The amount of BIM data and/or information associated with a facility, however, can be very large, especially if the facility has a large size and/or a large number of systems that need to be managed. Accordingly, a building management system may utilize a large amount of BIM data, which can make previous operational user interfaces for building management systems difficult for the operator to navigate, particularly during times of crisis when the operator has to respond quickly. For example, the large amount of data may make it difficult for the operator to seamlessly move between different types of content within previous operational user interfaces, such as, for instance, between related and non-related content, thereby increasing the amount of time it may take for the operator to navigate through the operational user interface in order to find what he or she is looking for, or even preventing the operator from finding it altogether. As such, the operator may not be able to obtain all the information he or she may need to make informed decisions when managing the facility, particularly during times of crisis when the operator has to respond quickly.
Devices, methods, and systems for navigating an operational user interface for a building management system are described herein. For example, one or more embodiments include a user interface, a memory, and a processor configured to execute executable instructions stored in the memory to display, on the user interface of the computing device, an operational user interface for a building management system, wherein the operational user interface includes a number of orthogonal navigation models for the building management system within a single navigation structure, and navigate between the number of orthogonal navigation models within the single navigation structure in the operational user interface.
Navigating operational user interfaces for building management systems in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure can be easier than navigating previous operational user interfaces, particularly during times of crisis when an operator has to respond quickly. For example, it may be easier for the operator to seamlessly move between different types of content, such as, for instance, between related and non-related content, while navigating operational user interfaces in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure, thereby decreasing the amount of time it may take for the operator to navigate through the operational user interface in order to find what he or she is looking for as compared with previous operational user interfaces. As such, the operator can quickly and efficiently navigate operational user interfaces for building management systems in accordance with the present disclosure to obtain all the information he or she may need to make informed decisions when managing a facility, particularly during times of crisis when the operator has to respond quickly.
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, electrical, and/or structural changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.
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.
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.
As used herein, “a” or “a number of” something can refer to one or more such things. For example, “a number of models” can refer to one or more models.
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Memory 104 can be volatile or nonvolatile memory. Memory 104 can also be removable (e.g., portable) memory, or non-removable (e.g., internal) memory. For example, memory 104 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-disk read-only memory (CD-ROM)), flash memory, a laser disk, a digital versatile disk (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 104 is illustrated as being located in computing device 100, embodiments of the present disclosure are not so limited. For example, memory 104 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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In some embodiments, user interface 106 can be a graphical user interface (GUI) that can include a display (e.g., a screen) that can provide and/or receive information to and/or from the user of computing device 100. The display can be, for instance, a touch-screen (e.g., the GUI can include touch-screen capabilities). As an additional example, user interface 106 can include a keyboard and/or mouse the user can use to input information into computing device 100. Embodiments of the present disclosure, however, are not limited to a particular type(s) of user interface.
As an example, in some embodiments, computing device 100 can generate an operational (e.g., graphical) user interface for a building management system, and the operational user interface can be displayed (e.g., to a user, such as, for instance, an operator or manager of the building management system) on user interface 106. As used herein, a “building management system” can refer to any type of system that can be used to monitor and/or control a facility or building. For example, a building management system can be used to check and/or set the state of control components, equipment, devices, networks, areas, and/or spaces of the facility or building. As an additional example, a building management system can be used to manage alarms and/or incidents, such as, for instance, security incidents, that may occur at the facility or building.
The operational user interface generated by computing device 100 can include a number of orthogonal navigation models for the building management system within a single navigation structure. The number of orthogonal navigation models can include, for example, a facility navigation model for the building management system (e.g. a model that can be used by the user to navigate through a facility or building of the building management system), an incident navigation model for the building management system (e.g., a model that can be used by the user to navigate through incidents occurring at the facility or building), and an alarm navigation model for the building management system (e.g., a model that can be used by the user to navigate through alarms occurring at the facility or building), among other types of navigation models. As such, the operational user interface can include, for instance, a facility navigation model, an incident navigation model, and an alarm navigation model within a single navigation structure.
Each orthogonal navigation model can include information that can be displayed within the single navigation structure in the operational user interface, as will be further described herein. For instance, the information in the facility navigation model can include floor plans of the levels (e.g., floors) of the facility or building of the building management system. The floor plans can include, for instance, a number of selectable icons, each representing a different security camera on that level. The information in the incident navigation model can include, for instance, information about incidents occurring at the facility or building of the building management system, such as, for instance, a workflow (e.g., steps) for managing each respective incident, information about activities occurring during each respective incident, and/or information about steps that have been taken to manage and/or control the incident. The information in the alarm navigation model can include, for instance, information about alarms occurring at the facility or building of the building management system.
As used herein, an incident can refer to an event that is occurring at a facility or building of the building management system, while an alarm can refer to (e.g., provide) an indication that the event is occurring. For example, a fire occurring at a facility or building can be an event, which can be indicated by fire alarms of the facility or building being activated. As an additional example, a security breach of a particular space or area of a facility or building of the building management system can be an event, which can be indicated by security alarms of that space or area being activated.
The operational user interface can be generated, for example, using ontology data associated with the building management system. The ontology data associated with the building management system can be and/or include, for instance, meta-data such as a naming convention of, attributes of, and/or relationships between the components, equipment, devices, networks, areas, and/or spaces of the facilities and/or buildings of the building management system. For example, the ontology data can define the name of a class or concept in the building management system, the properties and/or attributes of the class, and or its relationship with other classes in the building management system. The relationship may also have properties and/or attributes.
The ontology data associated with the building management system can be generated, for example, using building information modeling (BIM) data associated with the building management system. The BIM data associated with the building management system can include data associated with the components (e.g., control components), equipment, devices, networks (e.g., control networks), areas, spaces, and/or properties of the facilities and/or buildings of the building management system. For example, the BIM data can include architectural (e.g., floor plan), mechanical, electrical, plumbing, sanitary, fire, and/or geometrical information associated with the facilities and/or buildings of the building management system.
In some embodiments, the BIM data associated with the building management system can be stored in a BIM database that is located remotely from computing device 100 (e.g., in the cloud). In such embodiments, computing device 100 can receive the BIM data from the database via a network (not shown in
As used herein, a “network” can provide a communication system that directly or indirectly links two or more computers and/or peripheral devices and allows users to access resources on other computing devices and exchange messages with other users. A network can allow users to share resources on their own systems with other network users and to access information on centrally located systems or on systems that are located at remote locations.
A network may provide connections to the Internet and/or to the networks of other entities (e.g., organizations, institutions, etc.). Users may interact with network-enabled software applications to make a network request, such as to get a file or print on a network printer. Applications may also communicate with network management software, which can interact with network hardware to transmit information between devices on the network.
Because the operational user interface displayed by computing device 100 can include a number of orthogonal navigation models for the building management system within a single navigation structure, the user (e.g., the operator or manager of the building management system) can navigate (e.g., move) between the orthogonal navigation models within the single navigation structure in the operational user interface on the display. Because the user can navigate between the orthogonal navigation models within the single navigation structure, it may be easier for the user to navigate the operational interface than previous building management system operational user interfaces, as previously described herein.
For example, the operational user interface may display, within the single navigation structure, information from a first one of the number of orthogonal navigation models, and then may subsequently display information from a second (e.g., additional) one of the number of orthogonal navigation models. The information may be displayed, for instance, responsive to sequential selections of each respective navigation model being received from (e.g., made by) the user in the operational user interface. For instance, the information from the first model may be displayed responsive to an initial selection of the first model, and the information from the second model may then be displayed responsive to a subsequent selection of the second model.
The selections may be received from the user via user interface 106 of computing device 100. For example, the operational user interface may include a toolbar with icons representing each respective one of the number of orthogonal navigation models, and information from each respective model may be displayed within the single operational structure responsive to the user selecting that model's icon from the toolbar.
In some embodiments, the information from the first navigation model being displayed within the single navigation structure of the operational user interface may continue to be displayed along with the information from the second navigation model. For instance, the operational user interface may add (e.g., overlay or embed) the information from the second navigation model to the information displayed from the first navigation model responsive to the selection of the second model.
In some embodiments, the information from the first navigation model being displayed within the single navigation structure of the operational user interface may be replaced in the display by the information from the second navigation model in the operational user interface. For instance, the information from the first navigation model may be removed from the operational user interface display responsive to the selection of the second navigation model.
Continuing in the navigation example, the operational user interface may then subsequently display, within the single navigation structure, information from a third one of the number of orthogonal navigation models. The information from the third navigation model may be displayed, for example, responsive to a subsequent selection of that model being received from (e.g., made by) the user in the operational user interface, in a manner analogous to the selections of the first and second navigation models. The information from the first and/or second navigation models being displayed within the single navigation structure of the operational user interface may continue to be displayed along with the information from the third navigation model, or may be replaced in the display by the information from the third navigation model. The user may continue to navigate between the orthogonal navigation models within the single navigation structure in the operational user interface in an analogous manner.
In the navigation example described above, the first navigation model can be a facility navigation model, the second navigation model can be an incident navigation model, and the third navigation model can be an alarm navigation model. In such an example, the information from the facility navigation model may continue to be displayed within the single navigation structure of the operational user interface along with the information from the incident navigation model, and the subsequent information from the alarm navigation model may then replace the information from the incident navigation model such that the information from the alarm navigation model is displayed within the single navigation structure of the operational user interface along with the information from the facility navigation model. Such a navigation example will be further described herein (e.g., in connection with
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As such, the user can navigate the operational user interface to look at the building management system via different views, such as, for instance, a grid table (e.g., smart view) showing data points, a schematic showing equipment supply and demand relationships, an alarm detail page showing issues in the system, etc. These views can be changed, filtered, and/or navigated via different navigation mechanisms, such as, for instance, a location model tree, equipment tree model, alarm list, incident list, etc. Some navigation mechanisms, such as, for instance, global search and/or bookmarks, can allow the user to filter down to a specific set of items better and/or faster.
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.
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