System, method and apparatus for virtual building management

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11825547-B2
Application number	US-202217962931-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 10, 2022
Priority date	May 13, 2014
Publication date	Nov 21, 2023
Grant date	Nov 21, 2023

Abstract

A system, method and apparatus for integrated building operations management. Nodes in the sensor network can be configured to interface with a building control system to exchange sensor-related information.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system, comprising
an interface device installed in a building having a control system device, the interface device configured to retrieve a time based series of sensor data from the control system device using a BACnet communication protocol, the interface device configured to generate periodic requests to obtain sensor data from the control system device;
an operation center having one or more servers at a location remote from the building, the one or more servers configured to receive the time based series of sensor data, to determine a control action based on analysis of the time based series of sensor data, and to transmit a control message that indicates the control action to the building via an Internet connection; and
an actuator device in the building, the actuator device configured to execute the control action indicated by the control message, wherein the execution of the control action by the actuator device adjusts a physical condition in the building.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the control system device is a building management system device.

3. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a gateway device that receives the time based series of sensor data from the interface device and forwards the time based series of sensor data to the one or more servers.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more servers are configured to determine the control action based on analysis of a plurality of time based series of sensor data, the plurality of time based series of sensor data retrieved from the control system device by the interface device.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more servers transmits the control message to a gateway device that forwards the control message to the actuator device.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the actuator device is a wireless device.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the actuator device is a Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) device.

8. A method, comprising
receiving, by one or more servers in an operation center at a location remote from a building, a time based series of sensor data that has been retrieved by an interface device from a control system device installed in the building using a BACnet communication protocol, the interface device configured to generate periodic requests to obtain sensor data from the control system device;
determining, by the one or more servers, a control action based on analysis of the time based series of sensor data;
transmitting, by the one or more servers, a control message that indicates the control action to the building via an Internet connection; and
executing, by an actuator device in the building, the control action indicated by the control message, wherein the execution of the control action adjusts a physical condition in the building.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the control system device is a building management system device.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the receiving comprises receiving from a gateway device that receives the time based series of sensor data from the interface device.

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein the determining comprises determining based on analysis of a plurality of time based series of sensor data, the plurality of time based series of sensor data retrieved from the control system device by the interface device.

12. The method of claim 8 , wherein the transmitting comprises transmitting to a gateway device that forwards the control message to the actuator device.

13. The method of claim 8 , wherein the actuator device is a wireless device.

14. The method of claim 8 , wherein the actuator device is a Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) device.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having an actuator tool stored thereon for use by one or more servers, the actuator tool including:
a first section that when executed, causes the actuator tool to receive a plurality of time based series of sensor data that has been retrieved by an interface device from a control system device installed in a building using a BACnet communication protocol;
a second section that when executed, causes the actuator tool to determine a control action based on analysis of the plurality of time based series of sensor data; and
a third section that when executed, causes the actuator tool to transmit a control message that indicates the control action to the building via an Internet connection, the control message enabling an actuator device in the building to implement the control action to adjust a physical condition in the building.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the control system device is a building management system device.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the actuator device is a wireless device.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the actuator device is a Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) device.

Assignees

• Senseware Inc

Inventors

• Stamatakis Julien G
• Hoffmann Thomas
• Sacks Nathan A

Classifications

• H04W8/005 Primary

  Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals · 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

• H04L41/0806

  for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play · CPC title

• H04L67/10

  in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network (software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46) · CPC title

• H04L67/12 Primary

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