Remote Discovery of Building Management System Metadata

Abstract

A method for remotely obtaining metadata from a building management system at a building site is disclosed. The method includes using an intelligent gateway disposed at the building site and operatively coupled to the building management system. A request for the intelligent gateway to obtain metadata from the building management system is received at the intelligent gateway, and the intelligent gateway applies the metadata request to individual components of the building management system. The intelligent gateway receives the requested metadata from the individual components of the building management system and converts the received metadata into a predetermined format. The intelligent gateway transmits the converted metadata to a remote server.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure generally relates to building management systems. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to cloud-based building management systems. Background Art

[0002] Building management systems can be used to control the operation of various different building management system components. In many cases, a building management system includes a centralized monitoring building management system controller for controlling the entire building management system at a building site. Configuring and / or managing such a system from a remote site can be a challenge. What is desired is a cloud-based building management system that is more easily configured and / or managed from a remote location. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The present disclosure generally relates to cloud-based building management systems. In one example, a method for remotely obtaining metadata from a building management system at a building site includes using an intelligent gateway disposed at the building site and operatively coupled to the building management system. A request for the intelligent gateway to obtain metadata from the building management system is received at the intelligent gateway, and the intelligent gateway applies the metadata request to individual components of the building management system. The intelligent gateway receives the requested metadata from individual components of the building management system and converts the received metadata into a predetermined format for use by a remote server. The intelligent gateway transmits the converted metadata to the remote server.

[0004] In another example, a method for remotely configuring a building management system at a building site is disclosed. The building management system is operatively coupled to an intelligent gateway disposed at the building site, and the intelligent gateway itself is operatively coupled to a network. The intelligent gateway interrogates one or more components of the building management system to obtain metadata from the one or more components of the building management system, and converts the received metadata into a predetermined format for use by a remote server. The intelligent gateway transmits the converted metadata to the remote server. In some cases, the intelligent gateway receives configuration information for the building management system from the remote server, where the configuration information is at least partially based on the converted metadata transmitted to the remote server.

[0005] In another example, a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium stores executable instructions thereon. When the executable instructions are executed by one or more processors of a smart gateway, the one or more processors of the smart gateway are caused to receive, from a remote server, a request for metadata for the smart gateway to obtain a request from a building management system, and to send one or more metadata requests to separate components of the building management system. The one or more processors of the smart gateway receive the requested metadata from the separate components of the building management system, convert the received metadata into a predetermined format for use by the remote server, and transmit the converted metadata to the remote server.

[0006] The foregoing Summary is provided to facilitate an understanding of some of the innovative features particular to this disclosure and is not intended to be a complete description. A full understanding of the disclosure may be obtained by considering the entire specification, claims, drawings, and abstract as a whole. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0007] The present disclosure may be more fully understood in connection with the following description of various examples, in the drawings:

[0008] Figure 1 is a schematic block diagram of an exemplary system;

[0009] Figure 2 is a schematic block diagram showing Figure 1 features of the exemplary system;

[0010] Figure 3 is a flowchart of an exemplary method that may be performed using Figure 1 the exemplary system;

[0011] Figure 4 is a flowchart of an exemplary method that may be performed using Figure 1 the exemplary system; and

[0012] Figure 5 is a flowchart of an exemplary method that may be performed using Figure 1 the exemplary system.

[0013] Although the present disclosure is subject to various modifications and alternative forms, details thereof have been shown by way of example in the drawings and will be described in detail. It should be understood, however, that the intention is not to limit the present disclosure to the particular examples described. On the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0014] The following description should be read with reference to the drawings, in which like elements in different drawings are numbered in the same manner. The drawings are not necessarily to scale and depict examples that are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. While examples of various elements are shown, those skilled in the art will recognize that many of the examples provided have suitable alternatives that can be utilized.

[0015] It is assumed herein that all numbers are modified by the term "about" unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. The recitation of numerical ranges by endpoints includes all numbers subsumed within that range (e.g., 1 to 5 includes 1, 1.5, 2, 2.75, 3, 3.80, 4, and 5).

[0016] As used in this specification and the appended claims, the singular forms "a," "an," and "the" include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. As used in this specification and the appended claims, the term "or" is generally employed in its sense including "and / or" unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.

[0017] It should be noted that the recitation of "one embodiment," "some embodiments," "other embodiments," etc. in the specification indicates that the described embodiments may include a particular feature, structure, or characteristic, but each embodiment may not necessarily include that particular feature, structure, or characteristic. Moreover, these phrases do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. Additionally, when a particular feature, structure, or characteristic is described in connection with an embodiment, it is contemplated that the feature, structure, or characteristic is described in connection with one embodiment and that, whether or not explicitly described, the feature, structure, or characteristic may be applied to other embodiments unless there is a clear contrary indication.

[0018] Figure 1Is a schematic block diagram of an exemplary building system 10. In its broadest terms, the exemplary building system 10 includes a building site 12 and a cloud-based server 14. The building site 12 can generally represent any building or a part of a building. In some cases, the building site 12 can be considered to represent a building or a part of a building that does not have a centralized local monitoring building management system separately. The building site 12 includes a plurality of building system components 16, which are respectively labeled 16a, 16b, and 16c. Although a total of three building system components 16 are shown, it should be understood that this is merely illustrative, as the building site 12 can include any number of building system components 16. The building system components 16 can represent individual components within a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system, such as, for example, a heating source, a cooling source, a ventilation source, a variable air volume box, an air damper, etc. Some of the building system components 16 can represent individual components within a security system, such as security sensors, control panels, etc. Some of the building system components 16 can represent individual components within a lighting system, such as individual lighting sources.

[0019] The building site 12 includes a plurality of local controllers 18, which are respectively labeled 18a, 18b, 18c. The local controllers 18 can be used, for example, to control the operation of the building system components 16. Although a total of three local controllers 18 are shown, it should be understood that this is merely illustrative, as the building site 12 can include any number of local controllers 18. Although shown as having a one-to-one relationship between individual building system components and the corresponding individual local controllers 18, this is not the case in all situations. For example, in some cases, a single local controller 18 can control the operation of two or more different building system components 16.

[0020] In the HVAC system, for example, a specific local controller 18 can control the operation of a variable air volume box represented by one of the building system components 16. The local controller 18 for this specific building system component 16 can control the relative damper position within the variable air volume box in order to achieve a desired air flow within the corresponding part of the building site 12, or possibly achieve a desired temperature set point. These are just examples.

[0021] Each local controller in the local controller 18 is operably coupled to the local network 20. The local network 20 can be, for example, a hardwired network, or in some cases can be a wireless network. The smart gateway 22 can be operably coupled to the local network 20 and, thus, can be operably coupled to each local controller in the local controller 18, which itself is operably coupled to the local network 20. In some cases, particularly where the building site 12 is relatively small, there may be no local network 20. In such cases, each local controller in the local controller 18 can instead be directly coupled to the smart gateway 22 via a wired or wireless connection. In some cases, particularly in the case of retrofitting an existing building site 12, each local controller in the local controller 18 can be operably coupled to a legacy controller or legacy gateway device 26. It should be understood that the building system components 16, the local controller 18, the local network 20, and the legacy gateway device 26 (if present) can be collectively referred to as the building management system 28 installed at the building site 12. In some cases, the local network 20 can operate according to network protocols such as BACNET, MODBUS, LONTALK, ENOCEAN, ZIGBEE, X10, and / or any other suitable network protocol.

[0022] In the example shown, the smart gateway 22 serves as middleware between the local controller 18 and the cloud-based server 14. For example, the smart gateway 22 can be configured to be able to interrogate any device it discovers to be operably coupled to the local network 20 and obtain information such as metadata from those devices, which helps the smart gateway 22 and / or the cloud-based server 14 identify those devices, including the building system components 16 and the local controller 18. The smart gateway 22 can also be configured to receive local configuration information from the cloud-based server 14 and provide an appropriate local configuration to each local controller in the local controller 18 such that each local controller in the local controller 18 can optimally control the operation of the building system components 16 for which they are responsible. In some cases, the smart gateway 22 can be configured to collect operation data initially collected by the local controller 18 regarding the operation of the building system components 16 and can be configured to provide the collected operation data to the cloud-based server 14. The smart gateway 22 can be operably coupled to the cloud-based server 14 via the network 24. The network 24 can represent a single network, or an assemblage of two or more different networks. The network 24 can include the Internet.

[0023] A cloud-based server 14, which can represent a single computer server or a collection of computer servers, can be used as a centralized building management system controller for a building management system. In some cases, the centralized building management system controller implemented by the cloud-based server 14 can be considered as an alternative to an on-site centralized building management system controller. Such a centralized building management system controller can provide some or all of the functions of an on-site centralized building management controller without the need for all of the hardware typically associated with an on-site centralized building management system controller, such as a server running centralized building management system software, a desktop computer, or other computer hardware.

[0024] Figure 2 Additional details regarding the functions provided by both the cloud-based server 14 and the smart gateway 22 are provided. As shown, the cloud-based server 14 includes an administrator portal 30, a model synchronization block 32, and a remote configuration block 34, each of which communicates with a server 36 and / or a cloud-based server 38. In some cases, both the server 36 and the cloud-based server 38 can be considered as part of a single cloud-based server and can also represent, individually or in combination, Figure 1 all or a portion of the network 24 shown. The administrator portal 30 allows a user to gain access to the smart gateway 22 such that the user can request to collect metadata from individual components of the building management system 28. It can be seen that the number "1" is shown within the arrow leaving the administrator portal 30.

[0025] When using the administrator portal 30, the user can gain access to a cloud connector block 40 shown within the smart gateway 22. The cloud connector block 40 can include, for example, a wired or wireless transceiver to transmit data through the cloud connector block 40. The data request flows (as indicated by the number "2" in the arrow) to a raw data discovery service block 42, which applies the data request to a device driver block 44, as indicated by the number "3" in the arrow. For example, if the building system component 16 is a BACNET device, the device driver block 44 itself can be a BACNET driver.

[0026] The requested metadata is provided back to the intelligent gateway 22 and stored within the database 46 before the data flows to the model synchronization block 48, where the metadata is converted into an appropriate predetermined format to be sent back to the cloud-based server 14. In some cases, the metadata received from devices operating according to protocols such as BACnet, OPC UA (OPC Unified Architecture), SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol), etc. includes the corresponding drivers operating in Niagara. For example, when point data is extracted into Niagara, it will be converted into the Niagara object model. For example, for BACnet, the object model or hierarchy is BacnetNetwork>BacnetDevices>BacnetPoints. Using a mechanism called tagging, relationships are established for each level of the hierarchy. Using our example again, BacknetNetwork–hasChildren>Devices–hasChildren>points, where hasChildren is the tag. The model synchronization block 48 can reference the tag dictionary 52 during metadata conversion. The tag dictionary 52 can provide additional information for tagging the received metadata with useful information such as and depending on the received metadata, data type, unit of measurement, source and / or destination of the metadata, point name associated with the metadata, and / or any other suitable information.

[0027] As indicated by the number "5" within the arrow, the converted metadata flows back through the cloud connector block 40 and upstream to the model synchronization block 32 within the cloud-based server 14. The model synchronization block 32 within the cloud-based server 14 can allow the remote or cloud-based server 14 to update the cloud-based model of the building management system, for example, periodically. The cloud-based model can be used for, for example, controlling, diagnosing, and / or otherwise operating the building management system. In some cases, building the model includes running iterators to obtain all components and devices and their relationships. For each device, points are obtained. The model data is pushed to the model synchronization block 32. In some cases, context discovery machine learning algorithms can be used to assign points and components to different devices.

[0028] In the example shown, the remote configuration block 34 can receive configuration settings from a user. In some cases, the remote configuration block 34 can use at least some of the requested metadata in the request from the smart gateway 22 to help determine and / or recommend appropriate configuration settings for devices within the building management system 28. In some cases, the remote configuration block 34 enables a remote or cloud-based server 14 to configure at least some of the individual components of the building management system 28 and download configuration data to at least some of the individual components of the building management system 28 via the smart gateway 22. These configuration settings are sent to the smart gateway 22 and to the remote configuration block 50 within the smart gateway 22. The remote configuration block 50 sends the configuration settings to the device driver block 44, which sends the configuration settings to the individual building system components 16.

[0029] Figure 3 A flowchart is provided showing an exemplary method 60 for remotely obtaining metadata from a building management system (such as building management system 28) at a building site (such as building site 12). The building management system is operatively coupled to a smart gateway (such as smart gateway 22) disposed at the building site, which in turn is operatively coupled to a network (such as local network 20). In some cases, during initial commissioning of the building site, the smart gateway 22 is first installed at the building site as shown at block 62, optionally operatively coupled to the building management system as shown at block 64, and operatively coupled to the Internet as shown at block 66. Once this is done, much or all of the remaining commissioning and / or operation of the building management system can be completed by the cloud-based server.

[0030] Once established, as shown at block 68, a request can be received at the smart gateway for the smart gateway to obtain metadata from the building management system. The request can be generated, for example, by a remote server or, in some cases, initiated at the Figure 2 administrator portal 30 shown. The smart gateway applies the metadata request to the individual components of the building management system as shown at block 70 and receives the requested metadata from the individual components of the building management system as shown at block 72. The smart gateway converts the received metadata into a predetermined format for use by the remote server as shown at block 74 and transmits the converted metadata to the remote server as shown at block 76. When converting the metadata, the smart gateway 22 can add tags and / or relationships to the received metadata. The remote or cloud-based server 14 can be configured to use the converted metadata to, for example, generate a cloud-based model of the building management system. In some cases, the remote or cloud-based server 14 can be configured to update the cloud-based model of the building management system over time using updated metadata.

[0031] In some cases, the smart gateway 22 can be configured to, upon receiving a request for metadata, query individual components of the building management system 28 to obtain the requested metadata. These requests can be in a format compatible with the individual components of the building management system 28. For example, the individual components of the building management system 28 can be connected to the smart gateway 22 via a network having a network protocol such as a BACNET network, and can use commands compatible with the network protocol such as BACNET commands for metadata requests. The smart gateway 22 stores the received metadata in the database 46 before converting the metadata and transmitting the converted metadata to the remote server 14. The smart gateway 22 can be configured to communicate directly with at least some of the individual components of the building management system 28. In some cases, the smart gateway 22 can be configured to communicate with at least some of the individual components of the building management system 28 via a legacy gateway device 26 operatively coupled between the smart gateway 22 and at least some of the individual components of the building management system 28.

[0032] Figure 4 FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing an exemplary method 80 of remotely configuring a building management system at a building site. The building management system can be operatively coupled to a smart gateway disposed at the building site, and the smart gateway itself can be operatively coupled to a network. As shown at block 82, the smart gateway queries one or more components of the building management system to obtain metadata from the one or more components of the building management system. Then, as shown at block 84, the smart gateway converts the received metadata into a predetermined format for use by the remote server. As shown at block 86, the smart gateway transmits the converted metadata to the remote server.

[0033] As shown at block 88, the smart gateway can also receive configuration information for the building management system from the remote server, where the configuration information is at least partially based on or derived from the converted metadata transmitted to the remote server. The configuration information received by the smart gateway can include, for example, operation instructions for the smart gateway and / or operation instructions for one or more local controllers that control the operation of one or more components of the building management system.

[0034] Figure 5FIG. 90 is a flow chart illustrating an exemplary method 90 of obtaining metadata. As shown at block 92, the smart gateway receives a request from a remote server for metadata that the smart gateway is to obtain from a building management system. As shown at block 94, one or more metadata requests are sent to separate components of the building management system. As shown at block 96, the requested metadata is received from the separate components of the building management system, and as shown at block 98, the requested metadata is converted into a predetermined format for use by the remote server. As shown at block 100, the converted metadata is transmitted to the remote server. In some cases, the smart gateway communicates directly with at least some of the separate components of the building management system. The smart gateway can communicate with at least some of the separate components of the building management system, for example, through a conventional gateway device that is operatively coupled between the smart gateway and at least some of the separate components of the building management system.

[0035] Although the foregoing disclosure has been described with respect to a building management system, it is contemplated that the present disclosure can be applied to other applications, such as industrial process control applications, aviation applications, and / or any other suitable applications. For example, in an industrial process control application, the system can be similar to the system shown in Figure 1 , except that the building system components can be replaced with industrial process control components. A smart gateway located in an industrial facility and operatively connected to the industrial process control components can communicate with a cloud-based server in the manner described. Similarly, in an aviation application, the system can be similar to the system shown in Figure 1 , except that the building system components can be replaced with aircraft control components. A smart gateway located in an aircraft and operatively connected to the aircraft control components can communicate with a cloud-based server in the manner described.

[0036] Although several illustrative embodiments of the present disclosure have been thus described, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that other embodiments can be made and used within the scope of the appended claims. However, it should be understood that the present disclosure is illustrative in many respects. Changes can be made to details, especially details related to the shape, size, arrangement of parts, and exclusion and order of steps, without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. Of course, the scope of the present disclosure is defined in the language of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A method for remotely obtaining metadata from a building management system at a building site, the building management system including a plurality of individual components being operatively coupled to an intelligent gateway disposed at the building site, the intelligent gateway itself being operatively coupled via a network to a remote server, the method comprising: Receiving, at the intelligent gateway, a request from the remote server for the intelligent gateway to obtain metadata from the building management system; In response to receiving the request, sending, at the intelligent gateway, a metadata request to one of the plurality of individual components via a device driver corresponding to the individual component, wherein the device driver facilitates communication with the individual component; In response to transmitting the metadata request to the individual component, the intelligent gateway receiving the requested metadata from the individual component of the building management system; The intelligent gateway converting the received metadata into a predetermined format based on a communication protocol associated with the individual component, wherein the conversion further includes tagging the received metadata using a tag dictionary having at least a data type and a unit of measurement, wherein the metadata in the predetermined format is used to construct and / or update a cloud-based model representative of the building management system; The intelligent gateway transmitting the converted metadata to the remote server; And Generating the cloud-based model of the building management system by using the converted metadata, wherein the cloud-based model is configured for at least one of: controlling, diagnosing, and / or operating the building management system.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the metadata request is generated by the remote server.

3. The method according to claim 2, including periodically updating the cloud-based model of the building management system.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising, upon receiving the request for metadata, interrogating individual components among the plurality of individual components of the building management system to obtain the requested metadata.

5. The method according to claim 4, further comprising storing the received metadata in a database before converting the metadata and transmitting the converted metadata to the remote server.

6. The method according to claim 4, including the intelligent gateway directly communicating with at least some of the individual components of the building management system.

7. The method according to claim 4, including the intelligent gateway communicating with at least some of the individual components of the building management system via a legacy gateway device operatively coupled between the intelligent gateway and at least some of the individual components of the building management system.

8. The method according to claim 1, including the remote server configuring at least some of the individual components of the building management system and downloading configuration data to at least some of the individual components of the building management system via the intelligent gateway.

9. The method according to claim 1 further comprises the following initial steps: Installing the intelligent gateway at the building site; Operably connecting the intelligent gateway to the building management system; And Operably connecting the intelligent gateway to the Internet.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the transformation further comprises adding tags to the received metadata and / or adding relationships to the received metadata.

11. The method according to claim 1 further comprises: At the intelligent gateway, receiving configuration information for the building management system from the remote server, wherein the configuration information is at least partially based on the transformed metadata transmitted to the remote server.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the configuration information received by the intelligent gateway includes operation instructions for the intelligent gateway.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having executable instructions stored thereon, the executable instructions, when executed by one or more processors of an intelligent gateway, cause the one or more processors of the intelligent gateway to: Receive from a remote server a request for the intelligent gateway to obtain metadata from a building management system comprising a plurality of individual components; In response to receiving the request, send one or more metadata requests to an individual component among the plurality of individual components via a device driver corresponding to the individual component, wherein the device driver facilitates communication with the individual component of the building management system; In response to transmitting the metadata request to the individual component, receive the requested metadata from the individual component of the building management system; Convert the received metadata into a predetermined format based on a communication protocol associated with the individual component, wherein the conversion further comprises using a tag dictionary having at least a data type and a measurement unit to label the received metadata, and wherein the metadata in the predetermined format is used to construct and / or update a cloud-based model representing the building management system; Transmit the transformed metadata to the remote server; And Generate the cloud-based model of the building management system by using the transformed metadata, wherein the cloud-based model is configured for at least one of: controlling, diagnosing, and / or operating the building management system.

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