ANALYSIS METHODS FOR BUILDING MANAGEMENT

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to an analysis method for building management (facility management). An analysis method according to the preamble of claim 1 is known, for example, from GB 2 559 157 A.

[0002] The present invention aims to create a way to provide the planning information necessary for inventory and building diagnosis in as much detail as possible.

[0003] To solve this problem, the present invention provides an analysis method with the features of claim 1. In this analysis method, data on the structure of components (e.g., walls, ceilings, columns, etc.) are acquired, analyzed, and prepared for display together with interface data of the components. The display is performed at least on a screen. The method according to the invention is carried out with a processor that has at least one interface for inputting the interface data and the structural data. The interface data are those data that are assigned to the interfaces that bound the space, i.e., that define them with respect to their spatial extent. The space can also be bounded by a component whose internal structure is analyzed by the method.Insofar as the following description refers to the boundary surfaces defining the space, this also means that it can refer to the boundary surfaces of a specific component within the wall assembly or a component freestanding in the space. For a cross-section at floor level, this data indicates the visually perceived floor plan. The structural data specifies details within one or more of these boundary surfaces, such as the thickness of successive layers, any structural elements or components present in wall surfaces or floors, such as load-bearing structures, insulation, cladding, and / or pipes – in other words, details of the internal structure behind the boundary surfaces.

[0004] In the method according to the invention, both data sets—namely, the data set for the structure and the data set that specifies the optically perceptible interface of the space or a component—are assigned to each other, so that a spatial division of the structure data across the dimensions of the interface is possible. The method according to the invention is already implemented when assigning structure data to a single wall or floor surface or component surface. Preferably, all interfaces are specified by the method according to the invention in the manner defined above, with the specification being stored in a memory and typically prepared for display.

[0005] The present invention therefore offers the possibility of automated, digital inventory and building diagnostics that considers not only the visible interfaces, i.e., the surfaces of the building component, but also the underlying structure and thus the structure, quality, and strength or load-bearing capacity of the wall and, consequently, of the building surrounding the room. The method according to the invention is generally a computer-aided process. The ceiling and floor of a room are also to be considered walls within the meaning of the invention.

[0006] The present invention aims in particular to facilitate detailed data acquisition in existing structures. For this purpose, interface data is typically acquired using an image- and / or laser-based method (e.g., RGB camera, laser scanner) and stored in memory, then assigned to the structural data. The present invention aims in particular to provide data and also to allow digital processing in a 3D model, especially in a BIM (Building Information Modeling) data structure. The data on the internal structure generated by the method are preferably output in a BIM format and displayed in BIM software or further processed for display.This procedure is guided by the consideration that, ideally, interface data should be acquired together with the setup data in a unified analysis process. This simplifies the spatial (and temporal) referencing of the two datasets and thus enables a consistent and automated assignment of the setup data to the interface data. For example, during data acquisition, reference points can be projected onto the wall, ceiling, or floor surface forming the interface. These reference points are also captured during the acquisition of the setup data and used as reference points to align both measurements within a unified coordinate system. The measurement of the visible surfaces and / or the acquisition of the reference points is preferably performed using laser and / or image measurement technology.The data obtained in this process are assigned to the structure and can be output in a uniform, spatially resolved representation of the wall and its structure.

[0007] The inventive method makes it possible to create a kind of cross-sectional view of the respective wall, which allows at least a visual analysis of the existing structure even behind the visible surface. For example, the wall surfaces that define a room are often projecting wall surfaces, such as those created by furniture or enclosures, or the result of a room renovation. Therefore, the boundary surfaces defining the room are not necessarily those that structurally define the room's boundaries. However, these surfaces are generally crucial when planning within an existing building, for example, to develop a new design concept for a room in an existing property or to determine the true net floor area.

[0008] The present invention utilizes "non-destructive material testing." The data representing the structure are acquired through a non-destructive method based on electromagnetic waves in a frequency spectrum between 100 MHz and 15 GHz, the reflected signal of which is used to deduce the internal structure of the component. The present invention can therefore be considered an ultra-wideband radar (UWB) with a low signal strength that does not interfere with local radio communications.

[0009] The present invention aims in particular to specify the structure as precisely as possible with regard to its properties and / or material composition, at least semi-automatically, with minimal manual intervention. The operation of the hardware for interface data acquisition and the assembly can be performed manually, while the interface data evaluation and the assembly are analyzed and interpreted at least semi-automatically using algorithms. This means that a complete analysis of the structure of a component requires substantial data acquisition. In light of this, a preferred embodiment of the present invention proposes that the assembly data be generated by radar measurements at discrete locations on the component surface. These discrete locations typically have a considerable transverse spacing.It is understood that this transverse spacing can be provided in the horizontal and / or vertical direction. Typically, a grid is placed or projected onto the interface to be measured, and at each grid point, an analysis of the surface is carried out with regard to its internal structure.

[0010] Typically, a reference point with a measurement direction (horizontal or vertical) is placed or projected onto the interface to be measured. An analysis of the cross-sectional area's internal structure is then performed at this reference point. This linear measurement, starting at the reference point, can be of any length. While a longer distance provides more information for evaluation, the length should not be less than 50 cm, as otherwise inaccurate data analysis may occur.

[0011] This linear acquisition path is preferably stored with a reference point specifically assigned to the interface, so that, when determining the setup data at these specific reference points, the position of the measurement point relative to the interface is determined using the positional information of the individual acquisition paths and taking the reference point into account. The positional information for the individual measurement point, for example, referenced to the path, can be entered manually. It is also possible to automatically acquire the measurement point by determining the position of the measuring device for acquiring the setup data and to store it with the respective measurement point. The present invention is based on the consideration that a measuring device emitting electromagnetic waves is placed relatively close to the surface of the area in order to analyze its structure.In the previously described method, the measuring device is typically placed manually on the respective reference points to generate setup data at each point. However, it is equally possible to use a manipulator to move the measuring device, usually parallel to the interface of the component being measured, to emit the radar beams and to use the manipulator's movement data to determine the measuring device's position relative to the component surface. This allows the positional information for each measurement point to be automatically generated and stored for setup data acquisition.

[0012] Guiding the measuring device without touching the interface is also possible. The manipulator's movements can be programmed based on interfaces acquired through laser measurement and / or imaging, as well as on pre-existing design data. This can be done semi-automatically and, in further developments, fully automatically. Depending on the manipulator's design, the device for capturing the interfaces can also be guided by the manipulator. Automated transfer of the interface information to the manipulator's processors for processing and path planning for component build-up measurement is possible.

[0013] In the method according to the invention, the setup data is fed into the motion control of the manipulator or robot. For example, the measuring device can be moved relatively quickly parallel to the surface until a discontinuity in the setup is detected. To analyze this discontinuity more precisely, a high data density can be generated in that area, e.g., by slowing down the speed. Alternatively, the measuring device can be moved in the opposite direction to geometrically resolve and record the exact point of the discontinuity.

[0014] In the method according to the invention, layers located behind the surface are preferably determined based on a reflection pattern of the reflected wave. This preferred embodiment is primarily concerned with determining the thickness of the individual layers and their orthogonal distance relative to the interface. This measurement is performed using the reflection pattern. In particular, the permittivity of the materials allows these layers to be distinguished from one another by means of the reflection pattern. The reflection pattern not only allows the location and thus the thickness of the individual layers to be determined, but also makes it possible to draw conclusions about the material properties.

[0015] Dry masonry, for example, has a permittivity of 3 to 5 ε at a frequency of 1 GHz, whereas damp masonry has a permittivity of 5 to 26 ε. The permittivity of dry concrete is 6 to 8 ε, whereas damp concrete has a permittivity of 8 to 16 ε.

[0016] The specific permittivities of the materials being measured also change with external state variables such as humidity or temperature. Therefore, for calibration purposes, it may be necessary to actually perform a preliminary procedure to determine the component's condition, such as humidity or temperature.

[0017] The processing of the acquired data for the setup is typically carried out by measuring the transit time of the waves applied to the interface within the setup. The analysis of the material properties is usually performed using signal processing, which converts the transit time measurement into a frequency measurement. Based on this frequency measurement, specific materials are then assigned to the determined reflection pattern. Due to the material-specific primitiveness, there is a frequency variation in the reflection pattern. By combining the processing of the transit time (measuring the thickness of the layers) and the frequency variation, different frequency differences within the setup can be identified. The corresponding behavior is preferably stored in memory to compare this data with data from a so-called material library and, based on this comparison, to draw conclusions about the material properties of the respective layer.The so-called material library is stored on a memory and provides reflection data on the reflective properties of specific building materials. If this behavior is recognized within the measured data, the material properties are assigned to the respective layer. The corresponding layer can then be displayed together with the material information, whereby, for example, specific colors are assigned to individual materials in the cross-sectional view of the wall.

[0018] If this comparison yields no match and, consequently, the material properties of a specific layer cannot be determined based on the reflection pattern, the unassignable building material can optionally be assigned to a property class that provides at least general information about the layer's quality based on the reflection pattern. Such property classes can, for example, indicate whether the material is high- or low-density and thus load-bearing or non-load-bearing. The memory containing the material library is overwritten, allowing subsequently discovered information about specific building materials and their reflection patterns or permittivity to be added to the memory.

[0019] Preferably, the obtained interface data is used to calibrate the reflection pattern. The interface data typically also specifies the thickness of walls or elements within the building. In the preferred embodiment of the invention, these known dimensions are used to calibrate the reflection pattern. Consequently, after calibration, the reflection pattern represents the actual geometric conditions within the wall with greater accuracy and, in particular, allows for a precise determination of the distance between the individual interfaces of the internal structure and the externally visible surface.

[0020] The analysis method also offers the option, alternatively or additionally, of entering an input value for the respective reflection pattern of a building material that cannot be assigned to a specific substance. This input value can also be the specific name of the building material. Alternatively, characteristics of the aforementioned property class can be entered. The corresponding window usually opens automatically in the display when processing and saving the measurement data with respect to the respective location information in relation to the surfaces defining the space, if the material of the corresponding layer could not be automatically identified based on the reflection pattern. The name and / or characterization of the material determined through sampling can also be entered via this window.

[0021] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, an input window can be opened in a display device within the computer software performing the method, allowing the input of a property value determinable from the outside of the interface. A processor for carrying out the analysis method according to the invention can provide a preselection that displays various property values, from which at least one must be selected. Examples of externally determinable property values ​​are the moisture content and / or cracking of a surface.

[0022] According to a further preferred embodiment of the present invention, the interface data are analyzed to define planar interface sections of the surfaces bounding the space and to assign individual associated interface data to these interface sections. Preferably, edges are defined within a point cloud representing the interface, between which the ideally perfectly planar surface section extends. This further development is based on the consideration that walls in rooms are usually planar or at least approximately planar. It aims to transform point-based information in a regular or irregular grid regarding the position and shape of the interface into vectorized information that incorporates a multitude of interface data, thereby simplifying the processing of the positional and shape information for the individual surfaces.

[0023] The method according to the invention is preferably carried out in analysis software and is essentially semi-automated. For this purpose, analysis software / an analysis program for building management is proposed, which stores the interface data for surfaces bounding a space, determined in particular by a laser and / or image-based method, together with data on the structure, in a memory and processes it to display at least one of the surfaces with the underlying structure.

[0024] According to a further preferred embodiment of the present invention, the generated data (e.g., interfaces, structure, analysis results, vectorization) are converted and formatted in the analysis software according to data standards so that import into other data processing programs for building management, construction planning, and architecture is possible. The data are preferably output in a BIM format.

[0025] Further details and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of an embodiment in conjunction with the drawings, in which: Figure 1 : an example of a basic structure for carrying out the procedure; Figure 2 a diagram to illustrate the essential procedural steps of the process and Figure 3 A flowchart to illustrate the systematic nature of the procedure.

[0026] The Figure 1Figure 1 schematically shows a setup for the automated execution of the procedure. A wall 2 is defined between lateral vertical edges 4 and upper and lower horizontal edges 6. The internal structure of the wall 2 is to be analyzed using the analysis method. For this purpose, a radar device 8 is moved horizontally at a distance from the wall 2 using a manipulator 10. At discrete measuring points at a distance from the wall 2, the radar device 8 emits an outgoing signal S1, which is reflected inside the wall 2 depending on the material properties of the structure forming the wall and is recorded as an incoming signal S2. The signal received via the acquisition path P is shown as an example in diagram D.

[0027] With reference to Figure 2 A possible sequence of a method according to the invention is illustrated below using an exemplary embodiment.

[0028] To prepare for the procedure, a recording area is defined, which can encompass several surfaces or just a section of a single surface. In the example of... Figure 1 This recording area is formed by the surface of wall 2.

[0029] Within this recording area, a recording path P is defined.

[0030] As part of the procedure, the device for determining the data on the setup, i.e. the radar scanner, is guided along the recording path in order to determine information on the setup at predetermined positions depending on the position information of the path.

[0031] The data acquired during the radar scan are processed using software algorithms to determine the location of individual layers behind the surface, their properties, and / or their material composition. This analysis is performed based on the reflection pattern, possibly at varying wavelengths, and potentially by comparing the processed data with material composition data from the material library. Furthermore, information derived from the surface acquisition, such as the distances and intersection angles of a component's interfaces, is used to ensure reliable interface detection in the radar data, perform geometric calibration of the radar data, and thus enable fully or semi-automated pre-evaluation of the radar data.In addition, after the processed data is displayed on a screen, a user can perform a visual interpretation and supplement the analysis by manual input in order to assign one or more layers of a property class at one or more measuring points of the recording path or to store an input value for the corresponding layer, which can also be entered into the material library as a reference value for a specific material or a specific material property for subsequent data analyses.

[0032] The data obtained in this way can be stored digitally and, if required, transferred via a software interface for further processing or archiving purposes.

[0033] The Figure 3 A flowchart is provided to illustrate the process. First, in step 1, a surface scan is generated. In this exemplary embodiment, this scan captures... Figure 1all surface areas of the room shown there as an example and stores its surfaces as data points.

[0034] These data points are processed to define the surfaces and edges of the wall surfaces and, if applicable, surfaces of an object within the space; step 2. To simplify the data representation of individual surfaces or surface sections, these can also be defined in step 2 in the form of vectors between data points.

[0035] Step 3 involves classifying the objects or surfaces within the room by naming them. Individual surfaces are identified as ceilings, floors, side walls, or objects such as columns or plinths. Information can also be recorded for individual elements presumed to be within the wall, including their thickness, material composition, or the thickness of the wall itself as measured from the outside.

[0036] Through this derivation in step 3, the resulting content (step 4) is a geometric model obtained through steps 1 and 2, which is then supplemented with semantic information through the processing and enhancement in step 3. This model is a BIM model and can be stored in a suitable format compatible with BIM software (e.g., Autodesk Revit or ArchiCAD). The mapping is preferably automated, for example, by linking the geometric data with data from an accelerometer that records the orientation of a scanner (effective in step 1) during operation. Using this orientation data and the general visual representation of the presence of wall, ceiling, and floor surfaces, these surfaces are automatically identified and named accordingly, including any protruding elements or those extending between them.

[0037] Structures identified in step 6 are referenced from this BIM model, allowing the software to subsequently reference these structures. This referencing is done using the terminology of the BIM software.

[0038] In step 5, the user selects an area as the scan area in which the structure behind the interface and subsequently the structural composition behind the interface are to be determined. In step 7, this provides information for the scan sequence, which can be used to position the manipulator 10 in order to guide the radar device 8 parallel to the wall and at a distance from it.

[0039] At the reference points or recording paths defined in this way, the radar device 8 transmits signal S1 and receives signal S2; step 8. In step 9, the raw signals thus obtained are processed. Using the information about the elements entered in step 3, the spatial resolution in depth can be improved or calibrated if an element behind the interface has been detected and its thickness recorded in step 3. If such information is lacking, calibration can be performed using an algorithm, for example, based on the thickness of the structure measured in step 1, at whose interfaces the outgoing signals of the radar device impinge.

[0040] In step 10, an algorithm is executed that uses the reflection pattern of the incoming signals S2 to determine the wall's structure, specifically defining phase boundaries between individual layers or elements within the wall. The material-specific changes in the frequency of these signals S2 also reveal the material composition of the structure behind the interface. Step 11 then provides information about the wall's construction, its load-bearing elements, and components embedded within the wall, such as pipes, electrical wiring, and the like.

[0041] This information is fed back into the BIM model in step 12. Accordingly, a 3D BIM model is generated, which not only defines the location of the externally visible surfaces but also contains and visualizes information about the underlying structure and composition of the wall, ceiling, or floor. The identification of the respective surfaces is based on the ID assigned in step 6.

Claims

1. Analysis method for building management and administration, in which boundary surface data for boundary surfaces bounding a space, together with data for the structure, which are determined by applying electromagnetic waves to the boundary surface and receiving the reflected waves, are stored in a memory and prepared for display, wherein the boundary surface data define the boundary surfaces bounding the space with respect to their spatial extent and the data for the structure provide details of the internal structure behind the boundary surface, characterized in that the movements of a measuring device applying radar waves to the boundary surface are controlled on the basis of the data for the structure in such a way that, when a discontinuity in the structure is detected, a data density in the region of the discontinuity is increased by slowing down the movements of the measuring device.

2. Analysis method according to claim 1, characterized in that the boundary surface data are obtained by an imaging and / or laser measuring method.

3. Analysis method according to one of the previous claims, characterized in that at discrete points of the boundary surface, the data for the structure are determined by applying radar waves to the boundary surfaces and receiving the reflected waves, and are stored assigned to position data of the discrete points of the boundary surface.

4. Analysis method according to one of the previous claims, characterized in that the position and dimension of layers located behind the boundary surface are determined on the basis of a reflection pattern of the reflected waves.

5. Analysis method according to claim 4, characterized by a geometric calibration of the reflection pattern on the basis of boundary surface data.

6. Analysis method according to one of the previous claims, characterized in that the frequency of the waves radiated onto the boundary surface is varied to analyze the materials behind the boundary surface.

7. Analysis method according to claim 6, characterized in that the material properties of layers behind the boundary surface are inferred from the material-dependent permittivity.

8. Analysis method according to claim 7, characterized in that the data on the reflection pattern are compared with stored reflection data on the reflection behaviour of certain building materials in order to draw conclusions about the material composition of one of the layers behind the boundary surface, and that a specific building material is assigned to the layer.

9. Analysis method according to claim 8, characterized in that if the comparison does not lead to any agreement, the non-assignable building material of a layer is optionally classified in a property class and / or an input window is opened in a display device of a data processing device carrying out the method for the layer which cannot be determined materially, which allows the input of an input value for the corresponding layer.

10. Analysis method according to one of the previous claims, characterized in that an input window is opened in a display device of a data processing device carrying out the method, which allows the input of a property value determinable from the outside of the boundary surface.

11. Analysis method according to one of the previous claims, characterized in that the interface data are analyzed in order to identify planar surface sections of the interfaces bounding the space and to assign the associated planar surface section to associated interface data.

12. Analysis software for building management, which, when executed on a processor, stores interface data for interfaces bounding a space, together with data for the structure, which data are determined by applying electromagnetic waves to the interface and receiving the reflected waves, in a memory, where they are provided for further processing, the interface data defining the interfaces bounding the space with respect to their spatial extent and the data for the structure provide details of the internal structure behind the boundary surface, characterized in that the movements of a measuring device applying radar waves to the boundary surface are controlled on the basis of the data for the structure in such a way that, when a discontinuity in the structure is detected, a data density in the region of the discontinuity is increased by slowing down the movements of the measuring device.

13. Data carrier containing an analysis software according to claim 12.