Smart gateway devices, systems and methods for providing communication between HVAC system networks

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11637720-B2
Application number	US-202117365124-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 1, 2021
Priority date	Sep 9, 2016
Publication date	Apr 25, 2023
Grant date	Apr 25, 2023

Abstract

A smart gateway device for a first network associated with a building management system (BMS) is configured to discover a physical device and generate a new virtual device responsive to a determination that a device identifier of the physical device does not match any device identifiers in a virtual device registry. The virtual device registry provides mapping between the new virtual device and the physical device. One or more data points of the new virtual device correspond to one or more data points of the physical device. The smart gateway device is configured to receive data values for the one or more data points of the physical device and update the one or more data points of the new virtual device with the data values for the one or more data points of the physical device. The virtual device is configured to represent the physical device on the first network.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A smart gateway device for a first network associated with a building management system (BMS), the smart gateway device comprising:
one or more processing circuits configured to:
discover a physical device;
generate a new virtual device responsive to a determination that a device identifier of the physical device does not match any device identifiers in a virtual device registry, the virtual device registry providing mapping between the new virtual device and the physical device, one or more data points of the new virtual device corresponding to one or more data points of the physical device;
receive data values for the one or more data points of the physical device; and
update the one or more data points of the new virtual device with the data values for the one or more data points of the physical device, the new virtual device configured to represent the physical device on the first network.

2. The smart gateway device of claim 1 , wherein:
the data values for the one or more data points of the physical device are received via a second network on which the physical device is located; and
the one or more processing circuits are configured to transmit the data values for the one or more data points of the physical device via the first network as data values for the one or more data points of the new virtual device.

3. The smart gateway device of claim 1 , wherein:
the data values for the one or more data points of the physical device are received via the first network as data values for the one or more data points of the new virtual device; and
the one or more processing circuits are configured to transmit the data values for the one or more data points of the physical device via a second network on which the physical device is located as the data values for the one or more data points of the physical device.

4. The smart gateway device of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processing circuits are configured to poll the physical device to receive data comprising the device identifier from the physical device.

5. The smart gateway device of claim 1 , wherein the physical device is on a second network and the one or more processing circuits are configured to provide communication between the first network and the second network via the new virtual device.

6. The smart gateway device of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processing circuits are configured update a status of the new virtual device on the first network responsive to at least one of:
receiving updated data values for the one or more data points of the physical device via a second network on which the physical device is located; or
receiving a device status update for the physical device via the second network.

7. The smart gateway device of claim 1 , wherein the first network comprises a BACnet network and the physical device is located on a second network comprising a non-BACnet network.

8. A method for providing virtual devices on a first network associated with a building management system (BMS), the method comprising:
discovering a physical device;
generating a new virtual device responsive to a determination that a device identifier of the physical device does not match any device identifiers in a virtual device registry, the virtual device registry providing mapping between the new virtual device and the physical device, one or more data points of the new virtual device corresponding to one or more data points of the physical device;
receiving data values for the one or more data points of the physical device; and
updating the one or more data points of the new virtual device with the data values for the one or more data points of the physical device, the new virtual device configured to represent the physical device on the first network.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the data values for the one or more data points of the physical device are received via a second network on which the physical device is located;
the method comprising transmitting the data values for the one or more data points of the physical device via the first network as data values for the one or more data points of the new virtual device.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the data values for the one or more data points of the physical device are received via the first network as data values for the one or more data points of the new virtual device;
the method comprising transmitting the data values for the one or more data points of the physical device via a second network on which the physical device is located as the data values for the one or more data points of the physical device.

11. The method of claim 8 , comprising polling the physical device to receive data comprising the device identifier from the physical device.

12. The method of claim 8 , wherein the physical device is on a second network and the method comprises providing communication between the first network and the second network via the new virtual device.

13. The method of claim 8 , comprising updating a status of the new virtual device on the first network responsive to at least one of:
receiving updated data values for the one or more data points of the physical device via a second network on which the physical device is located; or
receiving a device status update for the physical device via the second network.

14. The method claim 8 , wherein the first network comprises a BACnet network and the physical device is located on a second network comprising a non-BACnet network.

15. One or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:
discovering a physical device;
generating a new virtual device on a first network associated with a building management system (BMS) responsive to a determination that a device identifier of the physical device does not match any device identifiers in a virtual device registry, the virtual device registry providing mapping between the new virtual device and the physical device, one or more data points of the new virtual device corresponding to one or more data points of the physical device;
receiving data values for the one or more data points of the physical device; and
updating the one or more data points of the new virtual device with the data values for the one or more data points of the physical device, the new virtual device configured to represent the physical device on the first network.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 15 , wherein the data values for the one or more data points of the physical device are received via a second network on which the physical device is located;
the operations comprising transmitting the data values for the one or more data points of the physical device via the first network as data values for the one or more data points of the new virtual device.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 15 , wherein the data values for the one or more data points of the physical device are received via the first network as data values for the one or more data points of the new virtual device;
the operations comprising transmitting the data values for the one or more data points of the physical device via a second network on which the physical device is located as data values for the one or more data points of the physical device.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 15 , the operations comprising polling the

Assignees

• Johnson Controls Tyco IP Holdings LLP

Inventors

• Schubert Shawn D
• Gottschalk Donald A
• Curtis Daniel M

Classifications

• H04L67/53

  using third party service providers · CPC title

• H04L12/66 Primary

  Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways · CPC title

• H04L12/2832 Primary

  Interconnection of the control functionalities between home networks (single bridge functionality H04L12/4625) · CPC title

• H04L12/2816

  Controlling appliance services of a home automation network by calling their functionalities (arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station; in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom H04Q9/00) · CPC title

• H04L67/12

  specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks · CPC title