Configuring A Common Automation System Controller

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017214541-A1
Application number	US-201415515430-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Sep 30, 2014
Priority date	Sep 30, 2014
Publication date	Jul 27, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

A common automation system controller configured using a graphical approach for use in a building automation system is provided. There is an increasing demand for flexible and adaptable room or building automation applications with an easy and intuitive way for application configuration. In pre-engineering as well as during installation and commissioning, the application configuration for preloaded or loadable device needs to be easily changeable and can be used for operating and/or monitoring.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method for configuring a common automation system controller, the method comprising:
providing a library of application types and application type parts wherein an application type and an application type part comprise a building automation object model and a graphical representation; selecting an application type from the library of application types; displaying the graphical representation of the selected application type on a graphical output device, wherein the graphical representation of the application type comprises user selectable elements of the respective application type parts of the application type for configuring the application type; and configuring the application type by configuring the respective application type parts of the application type by selecting graphical elements representing choice objects providing variants and options, wherein based on dependency rules only graphical elements of the application type parts that are compatible to the selected graphical elements are provided on the graphical output device.

2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
generating loadable configuration data by a configuration manager, wherein the configuration data comprises information regarding the selected choice objects represented by graphical elements.

3 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
generating a graphical user interface for at least one of operating or monitoring the common automation system controller, based on the building automation object model, the graphical representation of the application type and the selected choice objects represented by graphical elements.

4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the graphical elements for the graphical user interface are preloaded on the common automation system controller.

5 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the graphical elements for the graphical user interface are provided by a remote infrastructure.

6 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining if the selected application type employs static binding or dynamic binding; loading the application type in a memory of the common automation system controller by a processor if dynamic binding is determined, where the at least one application type has a plurality of functions including an application interface; binding the at least one application type resulting in an executable application stored in the memory, where the application interface is specific to the functions employed; and starting with the processor the executable application stored in the memory.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the dependency rules having logical expressions for determining if choice object variants or options represented by graphical elements are excluded, required or suggested.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the selectable graphical elements for configuring the application type comprise at least one of hardware elements or software elements.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the application type employs positive or negative variability.

10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein unnecessary structural parts of the plurality of structural parts are removed during binding.

11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the application type can be part of an application type library or pre-loaded on the common automation controller.

12 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising computer instructions for configuring a common automation system controller, the computer instructions being executable by a processor to:
provide a library of application types and application type parts wherein an application type and an application type part comprise a building automation object model and a graphical representation; select an application type from the library of application types; display the graphical representation of the selected application type on a graphical output device, wherein the graphical representation of the application type comprises user selectable elements of the respective application type parts of the application type for configuring the application type; and configure the application type by configuring the respective application type parts of the application type by selecting graphical elements representing choice objects providing variants and options, wherein based on dependency rules only graphical elements of the application type parts that are compatible to the selected graphical elements are provided on the graphical output device.

13 . (canceled)

14 . A common automation system controller, comprising:
a memory; an input/output interface; and a processor coupled to the memory and configured executing an application with an application type with functions for a building automation system, wherein the application type is represented by the compiled application by an executable instance comprising an application interface specific to the functions employed and the input/output of the instance is coupled to mechanical equipment, and wherein the executable instance automatically aligns in the building automation system, based on an application type configuration, wherein the configuration is based on dependency rules.

15 . The common automation system controller of claim 14 , further comprising:
a mechanism for generating a graphical user interface for at least one of operating or monitoring the common automation system controller based on the building automation object model, the graphical representation of the application type and the selected choice objects represented by graphical elements.

16 . The common automation system controller of claim 14 , wherein the application type is hierarchically configured with objects associated with the building automation system.

17 . The common automation system controller of claim 14 , further comprising:
an interface to a remote infrastructure for providing the building automation object model configuration for the remote infrastructure.

18 . The common automation system controller of claim 17 , wherein the remote infrastructure generates the graphical user interface for at least one of operation or monitoring for the common automation system controller.

19 . (canceled)

Assignees

• Siemens Schweiz Ag

Inventors

• Brun Gerhard
• Meier Heinrich
• Meier Herbert

Classifications

• G06F8/34

  Graphical or visual programming · CPC title

• H04L12/2803 Primary

  Home automation networks · CPC title

• G05B2219/23261

  Use control template library · CPC title

• G05B15/02

  electric · CPC title

• G05B19/0426 Primary

  Programming the control sequence · CPC title