Building automation system with smart communications controller for building equipment

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10567219-B2
Application number	US-201815945260-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 4, 2018
Priority date	Jun 10, 2015
Publication date	Feb 18, 2020
Grant date	Feb 18, 2020

Abstract

A smart communications controller for building equipment includes an equipment port and a processing circuit including a plurality of autoconfiguration objects. Each of the autoconfiguration objects corresponds to a different communications protocol and is configured to perform a protocol testing process. The protocol testing process includes sending a request message to the building equipment using the corresponding communications protocol. The request message includes a request for an equipment ID. The protocol testing process includes receiving a response message from the building equipment in response to the request message and identifying the corresponding communications protocol as being used by the building equipment in response to the response message including the requested equipment ID. The processing circuit includes an equipment controller configured to use the identified communications protocol to generate protocol-specific control signals for the building equipment and operate the building equipment to affect a variable state or condition within the building.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A smart communications controller for building equipment, the smart communications controller comprising:
an equipment port connected to the building equipment; and
a processing circuit comprising a plurality of autoconfiguration objects, each of the autoconfiguration objects corresponding to a different communications protocol and configured to perform a protocol testing process, wherein the processing circuit is configured to select a protocol identification technique based on whether a tested communications protocol supports sending a request for an equipment ID to the building equipment and wherein the protocol identification technique comprises:
sending a request message to the building equipment using the corresponding communications protocol, the request message comprising the request for the equipment ID;
if a response message including the requested equipment ID is received, identifying the corresponding communications protocol as being used by the building equipment; and
if either (1) the response message from the building equipment is not received or (2) the response message from the building equipment that does not include the requested equipment ID is received, identifying the corresponding communications protocol as not being used by the building equipment;

the processing circuit comprising an equipment controller configured to use the identified communications protocol to generate protocol-specific control signals for the building equipment and operate the building equipment to affect a variable state or condition within a building.

2. The smart communications controller of claim 1 , wherein:
the plurality of autoconfiguration objects are configured to perform an equipment identification process after the communications protocol used by the building equipment is identified; and
the equipment identification process uses the identified communications protocol to identify the building equipment connected to the equipment port.

3. The smart communications controller of claim 2 , the processing circuit further comprising an equipment model manager configured to receive an identity of the building equipment from the autoconfiguration objects and to use the identity of the building equipment to select an equipment model for the building equipment.

4. The smart communications controller of claim 1 , the processing circuit comprising an autoconfiguration manager configured to cause the autoconfiguration objects to iteratively perform their protocol testing processes until the communications protocol used by the building equipment is identified.

5. The smart communications controller of claim 4 , wherein:
each of the plurality of autoconfiguration objects is configured to report a result of the protocol testing process to the autoconfiguration manager;
the autoconfiguration manager is configured to terminate a first protocol testing process performed by a first autoconfiguration object in response to the first autoconfiguration object reporting a successful result of the first protocol testing process; and
the autoconfiguration manager is configured to cause a second autoconfiguration object to initiate a second protocol testing process in response to the first autoconfiguration object reporting an unsuccessful result of the first protocol testing process.

6. The smart communications controller of claim 4 , wherein the autoconfiguration manager is configured to:
maintain a list of the autoconfiguration objects;
determine whether a currently-active autoconfiguration object is a last autoconfiguration object in the list;
if the currently-active autoconfiguration object is not the last autoconfiguration object in the list, cause a next autoconfiguration object in the list to initiate a next protocol testing process in response to the currently-active autoconfiguration object reporting an unsuccessful result of the protocol testing process; and
if the currently-active autoconfiguration object is the last autoconfiguration object in the list, cause a first autoconfiguration object in the list to initiate a first protocol testing process in response to the currently-active autoconfiguration object reporting the unsuccessful result of the protocol testing process.

7. The smart communications controller of claim 4 , wherein the autoconfiguration manager is configured to:
determine which of the autoconfiguration objects most recently reported a successful result of the protocol testing process;
prior to a device reboot, store an indication of the autoconfiguration object that most recently reported the successful result; and
after the device reboot, cause the autoconfiguration object that most recently reported the successful result to initiate its protocol testing process.

8. A smart communications controller for building equipment, the smart communications controller comprising:
an equipment port connected to the building equipment; and
a processing circuit configured to perform a protocol testing process comprising selecting a protocol identification technique based on whether a tested communications protocol supports sending a request for an equipment ID to the building equipment and wherein the protocol identification technique comprises:
receiving a message from the building equipment, the message comprising a plurality of equipment attributes;
comparing the plurality of equipment attributes to a set of protocol-specific equipment attribute mappings, each protocol-specific attribute mapping corresponding to a different communications protocol;
if the plurality of equipment attributes match the protocol-specific attribute mapping corresponding to the communications protocol, identifying a communications protocol used by the building equipment and reporting a successful result of the protocol testing process; and
if the plurality of equipment attributes do not match any of the protocol-specific attribute mappings, reporting an unsuccessful result of the protocol testing process;

the processing circuit comprising an equipment controller configured to use the identified communications protocol to generate protocol-specific control signals for the building equipment and operate the building equipment to affect a variable state or condition within a building.

9. The smart communications controller of claim 8 , wherein:
the processing circuit is configured to perform an equipment identification process after the communications protocol used by the building equipment is identified; and
the equipment identification process uses the identified communications protocol to identify the building equipment connected to the equipment port.

10. The smart communications controller of claim 9 , the processing circuit further comprising an equipment model manager configured to use an identity of the building equipment determined by the equipment identification process to select an equipment model for the building equipment.

11. The smart communications controller of claim 8 , the processing circuit comprising a plurality of autoconfiguration objects, each of the autoconfiguration objects corresponding to a different communications protocol and configured to perform the protocol testing process for the corresponding communications protocol.

12. The smart communications controller of claim 11 , the processing circuit comprising an autoconfiguration manager configured to cause the autoconfiguration objects to iteratively perform their protocol testing processes until the communications protocol used by the building equipment is identified.

13. The smart communications controller of claim 12 , wherein:
each of the plurality

Assignees

• Johnson Controls Tech Co

Inventors

• Hamber Eric W
• Gupta Vivek V
• Galchenko Sergey A
• Leising Daniel F

Classifications

• G05B2219/2642

  Domotique, domestic, home control, automation, smart house · CPC title

• H04L41/0866

  Checking the configuration · CPC title

• G05B23/02 Primary

  Electric testing or monitoring · CPC title

• G05B15/02 Primary

  electric · CPC title

• H04L12/28

  characterised by path configuration, e.g. LAN [Local Area Networks] or WAN [Wide Area Networks] (wireless communication networks H04W {; arrangements for dividing the transmission path H04W40/00}) · CPC title