Method for automatic configuration of sematic-based projects in building automation systems

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11038706-B2
Application number	US-201916293668-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 6, 2019
Priority date	Mar 7, 2018
Publication date	Jun 15, 2021
Grant date	Jun 15, 2021

Abstract

A computer-implemented method for semantic-based planning, engineering, and commissioning a project in a building or home automation system, using multiple technologies/protocols of devices including sensors, actuators and control devices, the method being based on a semantic based model having an automatic configuration generation for specific technologies/protocols from a function-based device specification, the method including the following multiple transformation steps: calculating/creating a configuration for a specific protocol/technology using a mapping complex or structure of rules or processing instructions that takes into account the semantic-based model, technology models, heuristics, and/or technology constraints of the devices; generating an internal model of the building automation system with communication objects as an output of the automatic created configuration calculation; transforming the internal model, depending on a targeted technology/protocol, in order to create either application programming interface (API) calls or a format for a mandatory tool, and downloading the created configuration into the building automation devices.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A computer-implemented method for semantic-based planning, engineering, and commissioning a project in a building or home automation system, using multiple technologies/protocols of devices including sensors, actuators and control devices, the method being based on a semantic-based model comprising an automatic configuration generation for specific technologies/protocols from a function-based device specification, the method comprising the following multiple transformation steps:
calculating/creating a configuration for a specific protocol/technology using a mapping complex or structure of rules or processing instructions that takes into account the semantic-based model, technology models, heuristics, and/or technology constraints of the devices, wherein an output of the automatically created configuration calculation comprises a respective address assigned to each device based on a line associated with an area within the building or the home automation system where the respective device is located, wherein the line is used to connect the devices that are adjacent to each other;
generating an internal model of the building or the home automation system with communication objects based on the output of the automatically created configuration calculation;
transforming the internal model, depending on a targeted technology/protocol, in order to create either application programming interface (API) calls or a format for a mandatory tool, and downloading the created configuration into the building automation devices via the mandatory tool, or transforming the internal model, depending on a targeted technology/protocol, in order to create communication objects to be directly communicated to the devices, and downloading the created configuration directly to the devices; and
creating a running building automation system, which is configured to achieve a building automation system using multiple technologies/protocols by translating between the sensors, actuators, and control devices.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein a device description for the devices is provided such information, then is used for mapping of semantic elements to the devices, for generation of the device and/or communication addresses, and/or for configuration of the devices.

3. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the devices comprise KNX communication objects.

4. The method according to claim 3 , wherein according to KNX specifications, the communication is based on a maximum of one group address to send a signal and multiple group addresses to receive signals, the method further comprising checking, according to the KNX specifications or a processing instruction, whether a communication object is a source or target of communication in function blocks, and accordingly assigning the group address.

5. The method according to claim 4 , wherein communication objects without data point types derive data point type communication objects from a data type of VDI 3813 function block ports.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the technology models describe a certain building automation technology/protocol, and wherein the semantic based model is based on a German national standard VDI 3813.

7. The method according to claim 6 , wherein the certain building automation technology/protocol comprises KNX, BACnet, and/or ZigBee.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the configuration is downloaded into the building automation devices via the mandatory tool or directly to the devices.

9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the tool or the objects communicate directly to the devices of the building or the home automation system using ZigBee profiles or BACnet communication objects.

10. The method according to claim 1 , wherein a configuration for a gateway, controller, or network hub is created in order to perform translation between devices of different technologies in the running building automation system.

11. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the semantic based model comprises a VDI 3813 based semantic model to a running KNX-based building automation system via the mandatory tool executed as an engineering tool software.

12. A processing system comprising one or more hardware processors configured for semantic-based planning, engineering, and commissioning a project in a building or home automation system, using multiple technologies/protocols of devices includes sensors, actuators, and control devices, the system being based on a semantic based model comprising an automatic configuration generation for specific technologies/protocols from a function-based device specification, wherein the one or more hardware processors are configured to:
calculate/create a configuration for a specific protocol/technology, using a mapping complex or structure of rules or processing instructions that takes into account the semantic-based model, technology models, heuristics, and/or technology constraints of the sensors, actuators, and control devices, wherein an output of the automatically created configuration calculation comprises a respective address assigned to each device based on a line associated with an area within the building or the home automation system where the respective device is located, wherein the line is used to connect the devices that are adjacent to each other;
generate an internal model of the building or the home automation system with communication objects based on the output of the automatic created configuration calculation;
transform the internal model, depending on a targeted technology/protocol, in order to create either application programming interface (API) calls or a format for a mandatory tool;
download the created configuration into building automation devices via the mandatory tool, or transform the internal model, depending on a targeted technology/protocol in order to create communication objects to be directly communicated to the devices, the created configuration being directly downloaded to the devices, and
create a running building automation system, which is configured to achieve a building automation system using multiple technologies/protocols by translating between the sensors, actuators, and control devices.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising code that when loaded into a memory of a computer and executed by at least one processor of the computer is configured to perform the steps of the computer-implemented method according to claim 1 .

Assignees

• Abb Schweiz Ag

Inventors

• Malakuti Somayeh
• Schmitt Johannes
• Gamer Thomas

Classifications

• H04L69/08 Primary

  Protocols for interworking; Protocol conversion · CPC title

• H04L12/2814 Primary

  Exchanging control software or macros for controlling appliance services in a home automation network (arrangements for maintenance or administration involving configuration of the network and network elements H04L41/08) · CPC title

• H04L12/281

  indicating a format for calling an appliance service function in a home automation network (for remote control or remote monitoring of applications H04L67/025) · CPC title

• G05B2219/25011

  Domotique, I-O bus, home automation, building automation · CPC title

• H04L12/2807

  Exchanging configuration information on appliance services in a home automation network (arrangements for maintenance or administration involving network analysis for automatically determining the actual topology of a network H04L41/12; hardware or software tools for network management using graphical user interfaces H04L41/22; address allocation H04L61/50) · CPC title