Building management system

Abstract

To provide a building management system capable of managing a building more effectively.SOLUTION: The system comprises: multiple types of equipment (air conditioners, lighting equipment, doors, sensors such as wireless sensor devices, switches, other electrical equipment, etc.) classified into multiple control items (air conditioning, lighting, sanitation, alarm, energy, etc.); wireless sensor devices capable of sensing multiple types of sensing items (temperature, humidity, illuminance, acceleration, contact, etc.); and at least level-1 and level-2 devices among level-1, level-2, level-3 and level-4 devices whose levels increase in ascending order, where the level-1 devices are micro edge devices 60 and the like, the level-2 devices are application edge devices 62 and the like, the level-3 devices are integration edge devices 64 and the like, and the level-4 devices are enterprise edge servers 66 and the like.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to, for example, a building management system that manages a building via an information and communication network. [Background technology]

[0002] For example, Patent Document 1, which will be described later, discloses an invention relating to a network-distributed building management system. In the invention disclosed in Patent Document 1, as described in paragraph 0017 and FIG. 1, equipment in a building is monitored from a communication terminal (1) such as a personal computer via an existing network (L1) such as the Internet and a building server (2). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2003-134120 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Meanwhile, when a building is renovated, work is required to replace existing equipment (including sensors and switches) with new equipment. Conventional network systems such as those disclosed in Patent Document 1 and conventional building management systems can manage equipment designed to support a common communication standard, but cannot handle a greater number of types of equipment. For example, the invention disclosed in Patent Document 1 requires the selection of equipment control devices for each manufacturer (paragraph 0009). Furthermore, when considering the management of intelligent buildings in recent years or management of multiple buildings, the number of monitoring points becomes enormous, and conventional technologies were not able to handle comprehensive building management.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a building management system that can perform building management more effectively. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to achieve the above object, the building management system according to the present invention comprises: Multiple types of equipment classified into multiple management items; A sensor device capable of detecting a plurality of detection items; The system includes at least a first tier device and a second tier device among a first tier device, a second tier device, a third tier device, and a fourth tier device which are in an ascending order of upper tiers, It is possible to define a plurality of item systems, with at least one of the management items being one item system; A building management system, wherein the plurality of item systems include at least an air conditioning system, a lighting system, an alarm system, and an energy system, A plurality of the sensor devices are provided, A plurality of the sensor devices A digital information can be output to the first layer device according to at least one wireless communication standard; A sensor device group is configured across a plurality of the item systems, The first layer device transmits unified information based on a common communication standard to the second layer device, The second tier device, Using a productivity tool, which is a specific application software, the information from the first tier device can be organized into a database in a predetermined structure. Effect of the Invention

[0007] According to the above invention, it is possible to provide a building management system that can perform building management more effectively. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a schematic diagram of a building management system according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 2]FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of a wireless sensor device. [Diagram 3] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an outline of a procedure for creating a database. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an outline of information in a database. [Diagram 5] 1 is a diagram showing an example of an SNVT correspondence table. [Figure 6] FIG. 1A is an explanatory diagram showing a conventional technique for mapping, and FIG. 1B is an explanatory diagram showing an example of mapping using the productivity tool of an embodiment. [Figure 7] 7A is an explanatory diagram showing a conventional technique related to mapping, similar to FIG. 6, and FIG. 7B is an explanatory diagram showing an example of mapping using the productivity tool of the embodiment, similar to FIG. 6. [Figure 8] FIG. 1A is an explanatory diagram showing, using an image, an example of the initial screen displayed when using the productivity tool, and FIG. 1B is an explanatory diagram showing, using an image, an example of a template for a specified protocol. [Figure 9] FIG. 13A is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a template for another specified protocol using an image, and FIG. 13B is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a template for a specified management system using an image. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] <Outline of the building management system according to the embodiment> A building management system according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described below. The building management system according to this embodiment makes it possible to centrally manage or decentralize various management items such as air conditioning, lighting, sanitation, warnings (security, alarms), energy, etc., freely from inside or outside the building, or from a remote location.

[0010] The building management system of this embodiment includes various equipment within a building. The equipment includes various equipment such as air conditioners, lighting equipment, doors, etc. The equipment also includes sensors such as a temperature sensor that detects the temperature within a room, a humidity sensor that detects humidity, an illuminance sensor that detects the illuminance of a lighting equipment, and a contact sensor that detects whether a door is open or closed.

[0011] The facility equipment also includes air conditioner operation panels and remote controls (remote controllers), lighting operation panels and remote controls, various switches installed on walls (switches), etc. Furthermore, the facility equipment can also include current transformers, power monitors, circuit protectors, power supply units, compact gateways, etc. (other electrical devices) related to grasping the power usage status.

[0012] These are examples of facility equipment, and other equipment generally used for building management can also be included in the facility equipment of this embodiment.

[0013] In the building management system of this embodiment, based on the information collected by each piece of equipment, a building manager who monitors the building's equipment and general users of each piece of equipment (such as employees of tenants who use a floor or section) can select equipment and enter instructions (commands) from their own portable information terminals (such as smartphones or tablets).

[0014] Furthermore, in the building management system of this embodiment, the types of software (including application software) for building management are kept to a minimum by system integration. Also, in the building management system of this embodiment, a monitoring system that enables overall monitoring is provided as standard.

[0015] This may seem like a given, but with conventional building management systems, it was difficult to collect information horizontally and provide integrated services to building managers and general users of facility equipment, regardless of differences in the specifications of various information (signal standards, communication standards, OS (operating systems), programming languages, etc.) between manufacturers and vendors. The building management system of this embodiment makes this possible.

[0016] More specifically, the building management system of this embodiment aims to "liberate from monitoring rooms in buildings (central monitoring rooms)." This means that it is possible to abolish the central monitoring room that was previously installed in buildings, and to keep the number of personnel involved in central monitoring to a minimum, such as one person.

[0017] In conventional building management systems, a central monitoring room was essential within the building. Moreover, various management items such as air conditioning, lighting, sanitation, alarms, and energy were managed independently for each installed device. As mentioned above, for example, in the invention disclosed in Patent Document 1, it is necessary to select facility control devices for each manufacturer (paragraph 0009). For this reason, even if the control of devices could be integrated vertically (longitudinally) in the system configuration, it could not be integrated horizontally (cross-sectionally) regardless of differences in the specifications of various information for each manufacturer or vendor, and was therefore divided.

[0018] Fig. 1 shows a schematic configuration of a building management system 10 according to the present embodiment. The diagram shows an example of a plurality of systems (item systems) related to facility equipment. Shown in Fig. 1 are an air conditioning-related system 12, a lighting and outlet system 14, a sanitary and plumbing system 16, a status and alarm system 18, and an energy system 20.

[0019] The air conditioning-related system 12 indicates a system (a collection, a group) of a plurality of facility devices related to air conditioning, such as an air conditioner (air conditioner, air conditioner), a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, and the like.

[0020] The lighting and outlet system 14 indicates a system of equipment related to lighting devices, illuminance sensors, equipment for connecting to a commercial power source, etc. The sanitary and water system 16 indicates a system of multiple equipment related to sanitary and water-related matters, such as toilets, washrooms, hot water supply, etc.

[0021] The status / alarm system 18 represents a system of multiple equipment related to dealing with the opening and closing of doors, earthquakes, intrusion of unauthorized persons, etc. The energy system 20 represents a system of multiple equipment such as sensors and switches related to grasping the amount of power used (power consumption), the amount of solar power generated, the amount of fuel used, etc.

[0022] Here, the classification of the item systems is not limited to the above examples. For example, multiple systems may be integrated, such as "air conditioning, lighting, and outlet system." Also, each system may be separated, such as "lighting system," "outlet system," "sanitary system," and "bathroom system." Furthermore, they may be divided into "air conditioning 1," "air conditioning 2," "lighting 1," and "lighting 2."

[0023] In the various item systems described above (air conditioning-related system 12, lighting and outlet system 14, sanitation and plumbing system 16, status and alarm system 18, energy system 20, etc.), equipment from various manufacturers and vendors is generally used. For this reason, in the past, each manufacturer and vendor in each item system had to bear the burden of information and communications, and when renovating or building a building, it was necessary to order the work from a construction company designated by the manufacturer or vendor.

[0024] Also, each manufacturer or vendor often uses common signal standards and communication standards. For this reason, it is possible to build a management system using common signal standards, communication standards, OS, programming languages, etc. for each manufacturer or vendor. Also, when using equipment that is predetermined to support multi-protocol communication standards, it is possible to handle only those equipment in an integrated manner. However, in these cases, it is necessary to install a server compatible with the manufacturer or vendor and build a management system.

[0025] For example, when equipment from multiple manufacturers or vendors is used in one item system (such as air conditioning-related system 12), it was necessary to install multiple servers for each item system and build multiple management systems.

[0026] In addition, for example, in cases where the manufacturers or vendors were uniform for each item system (air conditioning-related system 12, lighting and outlet system 14, sanitation and plumbing system 16, status and alarm system 18, energy system 20, etc.), it was necessary to install a server for each item system and build a management system.

[0027] In this way, integration by manufacturer or vendor (vertical integration in system configuration) is relatively easy, but integration across each item system (air conditioning-related system 12, lighting and outlet system 14, sanitation and water system 16, status and alarm system 18, energy system 20, etc.) (horizontal integration in system configuration) is not easy. Furthermore, in conventional building management systems, IT (information technology) and OT (operational technology) are separated.

[0028] The building management system 10 of this embodiment shown in Fig. 1 integrates the equipment items related to various management items and performs appropriate cloud computing, making it possible to eliminate the need for a central monitoring room. The building management system 10 of this embodiment allows various management items to be remotely monitored from a mobile information terminal 22 such as a smartphone or tablet of the building manager without the need to install a large number of application software. As a result, it is no longer necessary to tie people down in the central monitoring room, making it possible to reduce the number of personnel required for management and labor costs.

[0029] In addition, the building management system 10 of this embodiment allows general users, such as tenant employees, to remotely operate specified management items from a mobile information terminal 24, such as a smartphone or tablet, without having to install a large number of application software.

[0030] <Hierarchical structure> As shown in FIG. 1, the building management system 10 according to this embodiment has a hierarchical structure broadly divided into five levels, from level 0 to level 4. Level 0 is a sensor hierarchy, and level 1 is a sensor controller (micro edge device) hierarchy. Level 2 is an application edge device hierarchy, and level 3 is an integrated controller (integrated edge device) hierarchy. Level 4 is an enterprise edge server hierarchy. Each hierarchy will be described below.

[0031] <Level 0: Sensor> The lowest level hierarchy of the building management system 10 is the sensor. Conventionally, in order to convert various analog information such as temperature, humidity, etc. into digital information, it was necessary to provide a sequencer and set thresholds for each type of information for management.

[0032] The data sent from the sensor is formed as a single block with various elements added, such as thresholds, current values, range conversion, etc. In other words, the data was processed in the sequencer, the designer or worker set the thresholds, and only a portion of the output data was used for building management.

[0033] One characteristic of conventional building management systems is that they only physically connect devices with a specific serial bus (RS485). Communications are carried out using the serial bus (RS485) interface, and signal processing is carried out using a communications chip that does not have a CPU. As a result, conventional building management systems only have limited functionality and lack intelligence.

[0034] In the building management system 10 according to this embodiment, a wireless intelligent sensor device (hereinafter referred to as a "wireless sensor device") 30 is used as a level 0 sensor, as shown in Fig. 2. The wireless sensor device 30 is capable of detecting multiple types of detection items (physical quantities) (for example, five types: temperature, humidity, illuminance, acceleration, and contact).

[0035] The wireless sensor devices 30 are used in a number of systems (for example, the air conditioning system 12, the lighting and outlet system 14, the sanitation and plumbing system 16, the status and alarm system 18, the energy system 20, etc.). Furthermore, there are a number of models of the wireless sensor devices 30, each of which performs wireless communication using its own communication standard. For this reason, the wireless sensor devices 30 include those which perform wireless communication using different communication standards. Furthermore, it does not matter whether the wireless sensor devices 30 are designed to be compatible with multiple protocols.

[0036] The wireless sensor devices 30 are installed, for example, on the walls, ceilings, doors, etc. of a building, and wirelessly transmit detected information to a level 1 sensor controller (described later). As the wireless sensor devices 30, it is possible to use a mixture of various types provided by multiple manufacturers and vendors.

[0037] 2, the wireless sensor device 30 internally includes a temperature sensor unit 32, a humidity sensor unit 34, an illuminance sensor unit 36, an acceleration sensor unit 38, and a contact sensor unit 40. Furthermore, the wireless sensor device 30 includes a CPU 42, a storage unit 44, an information format conversion unit 46, an information input unit 48, a wireless communication unit 50, and a power generation unit 52.

[0038] The temperature sensor unit 32 includes a temperature sensor and can detect, for example, the temperature of the air in the room. The humidity sensor unit 34 includes a humidity sensor and can detect, for example, the humidity of the air in the room. The illuminance sensor unit 36 ​​includes an illuminance sensor and can detect, for example, the brightness of the room.

[0039] The acceleration sensor unit 38 includes an acceleration sensor and can detect, for example, an impact on a wall, etc. The contact sensor unit 40 includes a contact sensor (magnetic contact sensor) and can detect, for example, the opening and closing of a door, etc.

[0040] As the temperature sensor, humidity sensor, illuminance sensor, acceleration sensor, and contact sensor provided in the wireless sensor device 30, various general sensors can be adopted.

[0041] The wireless sensor device 30 uses a communication standard (EnOcean) that generates power using energy harvesting technology and transmits it wirelessly. In the wireless sensor device 30, the power required for the normal operation of the CPU 42 and the sensor units 32, 34, 36, 38, and 40 is supplied by the power generation unit 52 (photovoltaic power generation in this case).

[0042] The wireless sensor device 30 is capable of selecting which detection function to use for which detection item, and is also capable of using all detection functions simultaneously.

[0043] The detection function to be used is set by storing information for identifying the selected detection function (detection function identification information) in the storage unit 44. The detection function identification information can be stored using an external communication device capable of wireless communication.

[0044] Examples of the external communication device mentioned above include mobile information terminals such as smartphones and tablet terminals (mobile information terminals 22, 24, etc.). In this case, it is possible to install a specific application software on the mobile information terminal and operate this application software. The specific application software includes an administrator device management app used by the building administrator and a general user device management app.

[0045] In the wireless sensor device 30, signals from the sensor parts being used (at least some of the sensor parts 32, 34, 36, 38, 40) are converted into information in industrial units by information processing in the CPU 42, and digital data is generated. In the wireless sensor device 30, wireless packets are created using the generated digital data, and the wireless packets are sent to a level 1 sensor controller (micro edge device) described below.

[0046] For sensors that detect continuous quantities, such as the temperature sensor unit 32, humidity sensor unit 34, and illuminance sensor unit 36, information is transmitted at predetermined time intervals (for example, every several tens of seconds to three minutes, etc.) Furthermore, information related to the signals of the acceleration sensor unit 38 and contact sensor unit 40 is transmitted when acceleration or contact (contact pressure, etc.) large enough to reach a predetermined threshold is detected.

[0047] The amount of information transmission can be reduced by increasing the information transmission intervals for the temperature sensor unit 32, humidity sensor unit 34, illuminance sensor unit 36, etc. Information related to the temperature sensor unit 32, humidity sensor unit 34, and illuminance sensor unit 36 ​​may be transmitted within the above-mentioned predetermined time, or information related to the temperature sensor unit 32, humidity sensor unit 34, and illuminance sensor unit 36 ​​may be transmitted in sequence at each of the above-mentioned predetermined times.

[0048] In conventional building management systems, wireless information communication has often been avoided due to problems such as the need for frequent battery replacement and the interruption of wireless signals. The building management system 10 of this embodiment solves the battery issues associated with wireless communication by using energy harvesting technology.

[0049] The power generating unit 52 used in the energy harvesting technology is not limited to one that generates power from light, but may also generate power from, for example, thermoelectric power, electromagnetic wave power, vibration power, or the like.

[0050] In thermoelectric power generation, for example, a thermoelectric conversion element (an element that converts heat and electricity) that utilizes the Seebeck effect (the phenomenon in which a temperature difference is converted into a voltage) is used to convert the temperature difference of an object into a voltage. For example, heat generated from air conditioning equipment or pipes in a building is converted into electrical energy.

[0051] In electromagnetic wave power generation, for example, the energy of radio waves emitted by a wireless LAN in a building is converted into direct current by a rectifying antenna to generate power.

[0052] In vibration power generation, pressure generated by vibration is converted into electricity via a piezoelectric element, etc. For example, a pressure sensor is installed on the floor of a building, and the pressure generated when people walk along the corridor or pressure due to vibration is converted into electrical energy.

[0053] In the building management system 10 of this embodiment, a wireless switch (not shown) is used as a switch for turning on / off the lights. The wireless switch has a built-in switch mechanism and wireless communication unit, and uses energy harvesting technology to wirelessly transmit information indicating the state of the switch mechanism to the outside.

[0054] When an administrator or general user operates the wireless switch with their finger, on / off information is transmitted wirelessly using induced electromotive force. Wireless switches can be installed on walls by using screws or attaching a magnetic sheet.

[0055] By using wireless switches, it is possible to turn lights on and off without the need for wiring. Because no wiring is required, there are no restrictions on where switches can be placed, and there is a high degree of freedom in the placement of switches. In addition, no batteries are required, which also eliminates the need for battery replacement, which was previously a very time-consuming task.

[0056] As described above, by using as many wireless sensor devices 30 and wireless switches as possible for the necessary sensors and switches, it is no longer necessary to run wires to connect the sensors and switches that make up the end of the system to the PLC, which makes it easier to install the sensors and switches.

[0057] Many sensors and switches are included in the aforementioned items 12, 14, 16, 18, and 20. The number of sensors and switches used in a single building will vary depending on factors such as the number of rooms on a floor, but the more intelligent the building becomes, the more numerous they will be.

[0058] For this reason, when renovating or building a building with many rooms or a highly intelligent building, the man-hours (number of personnel x time) required for wiring sensors and switches can be considerable. Therefore, by using the wireless sensor device 30 and wireless switches, much of the wiring work can be eliminated, making it possible to significantly reduce the man-hours.

[0059] Conventionally, the work content and man-hours required for wiring work tended to be left to the discretion of the work site, which was a major factor in making estimates of construction time and labor costs inaccurate. For example, the wiring between the sensor device and the sequencer, and the wiring between the sequencer and the above-mentioned devices, were often determined by the judgment of the work site. In addition, the number of sensor devices installed can reach hundreds to hundreds of thousands, depending on the type and size of the building. Furthermore, a large portion of the cost of renovating or building a building is accounted for by labor costs. Therefore, reducing the man-hours required for wiring will greatly contribute to cost reduction.

[0060] In the building management system 10 according to this embodiment, not all sensors and switches are limited to being wireless, and some sensors and switches may be wired to send signals to a sequencer, etc. In addition, the other electrical devices mentioned above may include those that communicate wirelessly and those that communicate via wires.

[0061] <Level 1: Sensor controller (micro edge device)> The digital data transmitted from each wireless sensor device 30 is received by a sensor controller (micro edge device 60) at level 1. The sensor controller is constituted by the micro edge device 60.

[0062] In the building management system 10 of this embodiment, multiple micro edge devices 60 are used depending on conditions such as the size and number of buildings to be managed. FIG. 1 shows three micro edge devices 60 as an example. For example, one micro edge device 60 can be associated with 100 or more (up to about 200) wireless sensor devices 30, and can be associated with wired sensors and sequencers connected to switches (not shown). One micro edge device 60 can process data for about 100 to 200 monitoring points.

[0063] Conventionally, for example, a dedicated controller for blinds was used to control blinds installed on windows in buildings. The dedicated controller executed a blind control program and carried out processing related to the control of the blinds. In other words, the control of the controlled object (here, the blinds) was completed in the control system consisting of the blinds and the dedicated controller.

[0064] Traditionally, building management systems have monitored and controlled many management items related to air conditioning, lighting, sanitation, security, energy, etc. In controlling these management items (monitoring and control), as mentioned above, it has been common to control using various signal standards, communication standards, operating systems, programming languages, etc. depending on the equipment used, the equipment's manufacturer, model, etc.

[0065] Furthermore, in the technical field of building management, there are various standards related to IT (information technology) and OT (operational technology), and because the content of these standards differs, it was not possible to connect a variety of sensors, such as existing sensors and sensors selected by the building construction company, to a single controller in a manner that allows them to communicate with each other.

[0066] In contrast, in the building management system 10 of this embodiment, analog data (data collected by the wireless sensor devices 30), which is the starting point of all information, is digitized by the Level 0 wireless sensor devices 30 themselves. For one micro edge device 60, digital information from multiple wireless sensor devices 30 is aggregated in the micro edge device 60.

[0067] The wireless sensor devices 30 include those that communicate information using the same digital wireless communication standard and those that communicate information using different digital wireless communication standards. The micro edge device 60 is configured to be able to handle a large number of communication standards (communication protocols) (e.g., 150 or more).

[0068] The micro edge device 60 can handle information from multiple wireless sensor devices 30 by converting it into a common communication standard (here, IP (Internet Protocol)) for each communication standard adopted by the wireless sensor devices 30. In other words, the micro edge device 60 inputs signals of different communication standards and outputs signals of a unified common standard. The micro edge device 60 assigns an IP address to the associated facility equipment and identifies it using the IP address.

[0069] Each micro edge device 60 functions as a gateway that aggregates signals of different communication standards and outputs a signal of common specifications. By providing a large number of micro edge devices 60 according to the size and number of buildings to be managed, it is possible to form a large-scale gateway group consisting of multiple gateways. Note that there may be other gateways (subdivided gateways) between each of the item systems 12, 14, 16, 18, and 20 and the micro edge device 60. The gateway group here also includes gateways that exist as devices separate from the micro edge device 60. The relationship (position) between the micro edge device 60 and the gateway is that the micro edge device is at the higher level and the gateway is at the lower level.

[0070] In the micro edge device 60, information from the wireless sensor device 30 is collected, necessary information is organized, and transmitted to the upper layer application edge device 62 (level 2). In the hierarchy of the micro edge device 60 (level 1), for example, a micro edge device group 60A is configured by a large number of micro edge devices 60. The micro edge device group 60A can be conceptually included in the above-mentioned gateway group.

[0071] The micro edge device group 60A performs the function of a gateway to convert data and transmits information of unified specifications (information in a patterned format) to the associated application edge device 62 at a higher level.

[0072] In this way, the analog data digitized by the wireless sensor devices 30 and sequencers is pre-processed by the micro edge device 60, and sent to the upper layer as information with unified specifications. In the micro edge device 60, the information digitized by the wireless sensor devices 30 at the terminal is pre-processed for database creation at level 2.

[0073] Although not shown in the figure, the micro edge device 60 may be, for example, equipped with a CPU, a memory unit, a wireless communication unit, etc., and capable of converting multi-protocol digital information into a common communication standard through processing such as time division or information conversion processing.

[0074] <Level 2: Application Edge Devices> The upper layer (level 2) of the micro edge device 60 is the application edge device 62. The application edge device 62 is responsible for collecting data for each management item (application) such as the building's air conditioning, electricity, sanitation, central monitoring, etc.

[0075] As described above, in the micro edge device 60 (Level 1), data from the sensors (Level 0) is aggregated, and the data digitized by the sensors (Level 0) is sent from the micro edge device 60 (Level 1) to the application edge device 62 (Level 2).

[0076] Although it depends on the size of the building to be managed, for example, one application edge device 62 is installed for about 100 micro edge devices 60. In the case of a so-called small to medium-sized building, the entire building can be managed by one application edge device 62. In this case, levels 3 and 4 described below can be omitted.

[0077] The application edge device 62 is provided with a central monitoring function. The central monitoring function is a function that performs processing for monitoring and controlling the energy management system (EMS) and provides the obtained information to external devices. The central monitoring function unit processes information such as the amount of power in real time based on the information collected by each wireless sensor device 30, statistically visualizes the information, and outputs it as displayable information. In other words, the monitoring and control system of the energy management system (EMS) is built into the application edge device 62.

[0078] In the application edge device 62, as shown in Fig. 3, the information sent from the micro edge device 60 is read into the database creation software (S (step) 11), and the database is automatically created (S12). Furthermore, a productivity tool is used to set individual recognition data (parameter settings, etc.).

[0079] The productivity tool was developed as one of the application software used in the building management system 10 of this embodiment. The productivity tool will be described later. Various general software can be used as the software for creating the database.

[0080] The created database records various attributes (including properties) of the collected data, as shown in Figure 4. The attributes recorded include information such as IP address, building name, floor, area, management item, information type, information acquisition date, and information acquisition time. In addition, in the case of information on sensors, information such as the detection values ​​of each sensor (detection value information) and on / off information are also included.

[0081] Conventionally, setting data had to be manually entered one by one when registering them in the intelligent sensor or the micro edge device 60. This type of work not only requires a lot of time and effort, but also requires understanding of the characteristics and mechanisms of the data. According to the building management system 10 of the present embodiment, a database is automatically created, so data can be registered without manual work or understanding of the mechanisms.

[0082] Furthermore, the application edge device 62 can use the central monitoring function unit to output information for statistically visualizing and displaying information such as temperature, humidity, and power consumption collected from each facility device in real time based on the databased information. The output information is displayed on a display device or a mobile information terminal connected to the building manager's PC (personal computer) via an Internet line (public wireless communication line and public wired communication line) 68. A connection to the central monitoring application software is made via a browser installed on the building manager's PC or mobile information terminal.

[0083] The aforementioned EMS (Energy Management System) visualizes information. In other words, the information collected from sensors, lighting, air conditioning, sanitation, energy, and other devices does not create value if it simply exists. Value is created only when this data (information) is classified by type, only the necessary parts and times are collected, statistically processed, and then displayed on a screen.

[0084] The EMS in the building management system 10 of this embodiment is configured to allow the amount of electricity used to be displayed in various graphs. Of course, it is also possible to view the amount of electricity used by each of the various equipment devices being used.

[0085] Generally, 65% of the energy consumed in a building is for air conditioning and lighting. If air conditioning and lighting, which are usually left on, could be controlled according to the surrounding environmental conditions such as outside temperature and sunlight, and the presence or absence of people in the building, it would be possible to significantly reduce energy consumption.

[0086] To analyze the amount of electricity used, it is necessary to analyze multiple factors such as the operating status of the equipment, temperature, and outside air temperature. In the building management system 10 of this embodiment, trend data can be displayed for energy management. Trend data can import a large amount of data in units of one second at the fastest, making it ideal for energy analysis.

[0087] Using such an EMS, it is possible to analyze the amount of energy used by each type of energy and energy consumption over time. Furthermore, it is possible to select equipment and perform settings and display the status in real time.

[0088] The aforementioned productivity tool automatically collects information from sensors, switches, and other equipment installed on the same network and stores it in a database (Figure 4). Each piece of setting information can then be efficiently registered in the created database.

[0089] Previously, in order to collect information from each device and sensor in a building, such as lighting fixtures, air conditioning, and sanitary equipment, and to display and control current usage, it was necessary to perform configuration work on each device and its functions one by one.

[0090] For example, not only in huge buildings with hundreds of thousands of contact points (number of monitoring points), but even for a few hundred points, the settings had to be done one by one by hand, which took a lot of time. Moreover, it took a lot of time to manage the status of the information by checking its current state.

[0091] In order to solve these problems, the building management system 10 of this embodiment uses the productivity tools described above. By using the productivity tools, work that previously took tens of days just to set up can now be completed in a matter of minutes. Moreover, the data to be registered can be set by downloading it from a remote location. The productivity tools not only greatly simplify the construction work, but also greatly reduce construction costs.

[0092] <Level 3: Integrated Controller (Integrated Edge Device)> Many application-specific systems (application-specific systems) such as air conditioning, electricity, sanitation, and central monitoring are constructed within a building. The integrated controller (integrated edge device 64) in the building management system 10 of this embodiment integrates these application-specific systems and transmits the received information to higher-level systems in sequence via an Internet line (public wireless communication line and public wired communication line) 68. A LAN (local area network, in-house network) is also used as appropriate for transmitting information.

[0093] In the building management system 10 of this embodiment, the hardware and software of the integrated controller (integrated edge device 64) are constructed so that one unit has the processing power to manage a building with a floor area of ​​100,000 square meters. 100,000 square meters is 10 hectares, which is equivalent to a floor of 316 m x 316 m, or a 40-story building with each floor being 50 m x 50 m. In this way, a considerable scale of management is possible with one integrated controller (integrated edge device 64).

[0094] <Level 4: Enterprise Edge Server> In the building management system 10 of this embodiment, a hierarchy of an enterprise edge server 66 (level 4) is constructed above a micro edge device 60 (level 1), an application edge device 62 (level 2), and an integrated edge device 64 (level 3). All of these devices and servers are configured using computer equipment, but the major difference between them is the performance as computer equipment (processing capacity, processing speed, etc.) and the usage pattern of memory area.

[0095] Conventionally, there were significant restrictions on the number of monitoring points, but the enterprise edge server 66 in the building management system 10 of this embodiment can use unused slots and increase the number of CPUs to deal with insufficient performance due to an increase in the size or number of buildings to be managed. Performance can also be improved by replacing the board with one equipped with a CPU with higher processing power.

[0096] Furthermore, a computer device capable of configuring a VM (Virtual Machine) is used as the enterprise edge server 66. By configuring a VM, multiplexing (duplicating in this case) of the management system is possible.

[0097] VMs are isolated from the rest of the system and are built to coexist on the same hardware. VMs allow several different operating systems to run simultaneously on a single computing device.

[0098] For example, when upgrading a building management system, it may be necessary to continue using an old OS (operating system) such as Windows NT (registered trademark) or XP, which is not newly introduced these days, even after the upgrade.

[0099] In conventional building management systems, the monitoring server is dependent on the OS, so when a higher-level device is changed, all lower-level devices must also be changed to match the higher-level device. For this reason, even if you try to update the system while maintaining at least some of the lower-level devices, you are dragged down by the past system and the old OS must remain.

[0100] In the building management system 10 of this embodiment, the enterprise edge server 66 can configure a virtual server. Therefore, when a new enterprise edge server 66 is introduced, it is possible to operate a variety of operating systems in parallel on the enterprise edge server 66. For example, it is possible to operate Linux (registered trademark) and Windows NT (registered trademark) in parallel.

[0101] Therefore, when upgrading a building management system, it is possible to leave the lower-layer equipment and replace only the upper-layer equipment with new equipment. Moreover, it is possible to build systems that relate to multiple OSs. This concept itself is different from the past and represents a new approach. And because the old OS can be left on the VM, replacing server equipment when upgrading the system becomes much easier than before.

[0102] There are many benefits to using the Enterprise Edge Server 66. Not only has the size of the equipment become smaller, but it also makes it easier to carry out repairs that occur at regular intervals (approximately every seven years).

[0103] Previously, it took a full day to evacuate, save, and reload a large-scale system when making modifications. Furthermore, because the work had to be done for each server, the entire modification process took several days.

[0104] In the building management system 10 of this embodiment, such problems are solved by using the enterprise edge server 66, and equipment can be modified (replaced, added, etc.) by hot swapping (with the power on) without stopping the system. In order to enable equipment modification by hot swapping, it is possible to provide redundancy by configuring the enterprise edge server 66 in a duplicated configuration. In this case, one enterprise edge server 66 is modified while the other enterprise edge server 66 is operating.

[0105] <The role of edge devices> <<Distributed Systems>> One of the major features of the building management system 10 according to this embodiment is that it allows the number of monitoring points to be easily increased by appropriately combining wireless communication and internet communication. Conventional building management systems have a limit on the number of monitoring points, which is from several thousand to tens of thousands at most. When attempting to advance intelligent building management or multi-building management that manages multiple buildings, the management capacity easily reaches its limit. With conventional building management systems, when introducing a system that exceeds the limit on the number of management points, it was necessary to write a special program and bridge multiple servers.

[0106] In the building management system 10 of this embodiment, the enterprise edge server 66 constitutes a virtual server, so it is possible to easily increase processing power by increasing the number of CPUs. This makes it possible to build a huge building management system by utilizing the hard disk (storage means), which can be considered an infinite resource.

[0107] Also, one of the major features of the building management system 10 is that it is a distributed system. For example, one server can be distributed to two. Although the server is divided, it is not necessary to collect all the data in one place; the data is distributed and can be retrieved as needed (collected on demand). In other words, there is no need to connect all the servers.

[0108] By performing the necessary operations when necessary, it is possible to collect the necessary data from multiple servers. In the building management system 10 of this embodiment, for example, when a command to the effect that "I only want data A, data B, and data C" is entered into a PC or mobile information terminal, the necessary data is output. The building management system 10 of this embodiment operates as if it were being processed by a single computer.

[0109] Most conventional building management systems are client-server type and cannot operate in this way. Conventional building management systems cannot be distributed and have to be large systems. One of the features of the building management system 10 of this embodiment is that it has constructed a mechanism that overcomes this limitation.

[0110] <<Utilizing Edge Servers>> Conventional building management systems aggregate data in one server and manage it centrally. This makes the system itself large. However, the building management system 10 of this embodiment decentralizes the system by using edge servers. Although the system is decentralized, for example, by entering a command to "view specific data from the micro edge device 60," the data can be viewed on demand.

[0111] <<Uniform Data Format>> Another feature of the building management system 10 of this embodiment is that all information management is performed in a unified format. As described above, by using the wireless sensor devices 30, data is automatically collected in a unified format. Moreover, the format is common to all of the four types of edge devices described above (the micro edge device 60, the application edge device 62, the integrated edge device 64, and the enterprise edge server 66).

[0112] The structure of the data format handled by the micro edge device 60 (level 1) is the same as that of the higher-level application edge device 62 (level 2), integrated edge device 64 (level 3), and enterprise edge server 66 (level 4). Therefore, the higher-level edge device can take over the data of the higher-level edge device.

[0113] In this manner, data in a unified format is created and utilized for a variety of management items (various applications such as air conditioning, electricity, sanitation, central monitoring, etc.) By utilizing data in a unified format, it becomes possible to construct an entirely integrated building management system 10, just as if a desired structure were created by combining toy blocks with a common connection structure.

[0114] <Utilizing the cloud> <<Remote monitoring>> The building management system 10 of this embodiment utilizes the cloud. This allows building supervisors and general users to receive building management services using public communication networks without having to have their own servers or storage devices. One of the reasons for using the cloud in this way is to enable remote monitoring.

[0115] However, if digitized data from multiple lower-level devices is simply uploaded to a higher-level device, the amount of communication traffic will increase on the higher-level device receiving the data, which could result in a decrease in data processing speed.

[0116] According to the knowledge of the inventors, when using the cloud for building management, among the data collected from the site (end of the building management system 10) by sensors and switches, the data that should be uploaded to the cloud is in fact only a few percent (for example, about 3%) of the total collected data. This few percent is, for example, EMS (energy management system), energy data, and FMS (facility management system). It is possible to perform sufficient building management by simply collecting this data, for example, once every 30 minutes or once every hour.

[0117] The data required for building management is static data, rather than data that changes dynamically from moment to moment. For static data, simply collecting and accumulating it at regular intervals is sufficient for building management. For this reason, as described below, building management combines on-premise data collection with data collection from the cloud. Considering what should be uploaded to the cloud to maximize overall performance, a selection is made as to what data should be uploaded to the cloud as static data and what should remain on the application edge device as dynamic data.

[0118] <<On-premise / Cloud>> Cloud services are currently the mainstream of information processing services. It is often thought that cloud services are a good way to collect large amounts of data and accumulate big data, but when applied to building management systems, it has been difficult to build an effective building management system even if a huge amount of data is actually collected.

[0119] One of the reasons why it was difficult to build an effective building management system was that it was hard to know how to handle the information that was accumulated, and in some cases, more than 90% of the data that was collected did not even need to be used.

[0120] Even if 100% of the data collected on-site (at the end of the building management system 10) is uploaded to the cloud, more than 90% of that data will not be used unless some kind of trouble occurs.

[0121] Uploading data to the cloud incurs communication costs, CPU usage fees, and requires storage space (also called "usage space") to store the information to be uploaded to the cloud. If storage space was to be secured to store all generated data, the size of the storage space would not be measured in gigabytes or terabytes, but would likely reach petabytes or more. Furthermore, the storage capacity of the cloud is huge, and it is natural that maintaining and managing the cloud requires huge costs.

[0122] Therefore, the building management system 10 of this embodiment makes it possible to build an effective building management system by utilizing edge devices (systems that perform preprocessing on-site) and appropriately using on-premise data processing and cloud services.

[0123] In the building management system 10 of this embodiment, not all data is uploaded to the cloud, but selected data is uploaded to the cloud. Under normal circumstances, only static data is selectively uploaded, and only when a certain condition is met (for example, when an alarm is issued), other data (for example, historical data) is used from the on-premise data.

[0124] In this way, for example, when an alarm is issued, it becomes possible to execute a processing program to investigate the cause by referencing on-premise data for the time period in which the event that caused the alarm occurred. This also reduces communication volume and storage space, and improves communication speed and response speed.

[0125] <<Technology Integration>> In the building management system 10 of this embodiment, various devices and tools (application software) are provided to utilize the collected data in the cloud or on-premises. These devices and tools do not exist individually but are interconnected. And these devices and tools are essential to maximize the performance of the system.

[0126] <Central monitoring function> <<Realize diverse visualization through the integration of IT and OT>> A major objective of the building management system is the unified status monitoring and control of the devices installed in the building. Conventionally, such overall management has been difficult. However, the building management system 10 of this embodiment realizes overall management by combining various ideas. For example, regarding power consumption, visualization (making it visible) is performed for the overall total and the total for each device over a predetermined period (designated period). And it has become possible to confirm matters such as when, where, which device is using how much power.

[0127] <<Visualization of lighting, temperature, humidity, etc.>> In the building management system 10 of this embodiment, regarding lighting, in addition to the lighting on / off status, it is possible to display on the screen in a specific manner the on / off and dimming control status, etc. Also, regarding the indoor environment, it is possible to display on the screen in a specific manner (such as a heat map) the indoor CO2 concentration, temperature, humidity, etc.

[0128] <<Visualization of the environment - Trend graph>> In the building management system 10 of this embodiment, it is also possible to display temperature, humidity, illuminance, etc. on the screen by means of a trend graph.

[0129] <<Usage status and linked applications>> In the building management system 10 of this embodiment, it is also possible to display on the screen the schedule, operation history, documents, earthquake warning system, cloud applications, etc.

[0130] <Remote monitoring function> <<Cloud monitoring system enabling multi-building management>> In the building management system 10 of the present embodiment, various devices related to air conditioning, lighting, sanitation, alarms, and energy in the building can be monitored and controlled via a portable information terminal such as a smartphone or a tablet. Further, monitoring and control can be performed from a remote location away from the building via the portable information terminal.

[0131] On the portable information terminal, it is possible to connect to the application software for building management via the installed browser and use the application software. A management screen that is easy to operate and has good responsiveness (responsiveness) is provided via the browser of the portable information terminal.

[0132] As described above, only static data is placed on the cloud, and dynamic data with low usage frequency is placed on the edge device. For this reason, the usage area of the cloud is small, cost reduction and improvement of responsiveness (responsiveness) are realized. By reducing the amount of data processing itself, the time required for processing can be reduced. A storage format that stores data in an easy-to-aggregate form (small amount) can be adopted. These also realize an improvement in responsiveness (responsiveness).

[0133] <<Realization of CBM>> In multi-building management that manages a plurality of buildings, it is important to know which building has a failure (abnormality). Conventionally, constant monitoring has been performed to constantly check for the occurrence of abnormalities. On the other hand, in the building management system 10 of the present embodiment, "preventive maintenance" (CBM: Condition Based Maintenance), which collects data periodically and responds only when an abnormality occurs, is realized.

[0134] If an abnormality is discovered based on the data collected periodically, a warning (alarm) is sent to a mobile information terminal. Furthermore, by specifying the building where the alarm occurred and drilling down, it is possible to grasp the situation in more detail even from a remote location. When drilling down, data linked to the attributes of the building where the alarm occurred is selected and various predetermined analyses are performed.

[0135] <Smart Palm (trademark pending) enables monitoring and control from the palm of your hand> The building management system 10 of this embodiment utilizes the latest technology to realize an intelligent tool for controlling lighting and air conditioning that is suitable for the new era. Smart Palm (trademark registration pending), which is provided to building managers and general users via a browser, realizes remote control (remote operation) for both lighting and air conditioning on a mobile information terminal, making it possible to control and monitor lighting and air conditioning in an office. Smart Palm (trademark registration pending) is a tool that provides operability as if the palm of your hand were a switch. <<Remote monitoring across networks possible>> In the building management system 10 of this embodiment, by using a mobile information terminal such as a smartphone or a tablet, it is possible to control the building management system from anywhere, without being restricted by restrictions such as location and time.

[0136] <<Lighting and air conditioning control>> In the building management system 10 of this embodiment, air conditioning, lighting, etc. can be directly controlled using a mobile information terminal. This eliminates the need for personnel in the office to go to the wall switch to change the lighting or air conditioning temperature in the office, for example.

[0137] For example, the system is designed to allow all the lights on a floor to be turned on or off all at once or by group.The system is also designed to allow the dimming of lights to be controlled from the comfort of your own hand.

[0138] In addition, SmartPalm (trademark registration pending), which is provided via a browser, has a function that displays the amount of electricity used, for example, by floor, group, and lighting. This makes it possible to check the amount of electricity used in a given area via a mobile information terminal.

[0139] <<Settings and QR Code Generation>> In the building management system 10 of this embodiment, the lighting and air conditioning (air conditioner) groups that have been set can be changed on a mobile information terminal. This eliminates the need to have an air conditioning contractor or a system contractor change the groups on weekends when the tenants in the building are closed.

[0140] When performing such work, in order to control lighting and air conditioning (air conditioner), for example, a QR code (registered trademark) is distributed to a predetermined group manager in a group of general users for setting management. The QR code (registered trademark) is distributed from the group manager to other group members. The group is made up of a predetermined designated range of general users (which may include building managers and other managers) whose settings are permitted. The range of lighting whose settings are permitted is determined using a lighting design tool described below.

[0141] The distributed QR code (registered trademark) is displayed on a display device or a mobile information terminal connected to the PC of the group member. The QR code (registered trademark) is read by the camera of another mobile information terminal of the group member, and a URL or the like is displayed. The URL or the like is linked to a setting change site related to the corresponding application edge device 62.

[0142] When a group member selects a URL or the like, a setting change site related to the corresponding application edge device 62 is displayed on the group member's mobile information terminal. On the setting change site, the group member operates the settings of the facility device whose settings he or she wishes to change.

[0143] In this way, general users can change the groups of lights and air conditioners via a browser without having to install application software for changing settings.

[0144] <<Multiple projects can be set>> The settings made via the mobile information terminal can be saved as a project. Multiple projects can be saved. This makes it possible, for example, to change settings for different time periods, or to change lighting or air conditioning groups between weekdays and weekends. In this way, there is no need to install new switches or control panels on the wall to change groups. There is also no need to connect wiring to the switches or control panels and run it inside the walls or under the floor. Furthermore, users can change settings in-house without having to ask a contractor to do the work.

[0145] <<Lighting design tool>> When installing lighting fixtures, important points to consider are how many devices should be installed on a floor and how to group the installed lights with the switches that turn the power on and off. If the design is overly detailed, the control will become complicated and many control devices will be required. Conversely, if the design is overly rough, waste will occur, for example, lights will be turned on in places where no one is present.

[0146] For this reason, a lighting design tool has been developed as one of the application software in the building management system 10 of this embodiment. For example, a building supervisor connects to the application edge device 62 (level 2) with the lighting design tool and performs design operations within the displayed lighting design tool site.

[0147] <Productivity Tools Details> So far, we have explained the overall picture of the building management system 10 according to this embodiment. In the following, we will focus on the productivity tools mentioned above and explain the background that led to the development of the productivity tools and the details of the productivity tools.

[0148] <<History of Building Management Systems>> The history of building management systems is surprisingly long, with the concept having been around since the 1950s. Computer-controlled systems have been constructed as intelligent buildings since the mid-1980s. Because it is an industry with such a long history, the procedures for establishing building management systems have traditionally been rational. The scope of a building management system includes lighting, air conditioning, sanitation, energy, facility management, etc. These are planned from the design stage of the building, including where they will be placed, what information they will collect, and how they will function. For example, if it is temperature, the minimum and maximum temperatures to be set are defined, as well as the intervals at which notifications are to be sent. These detailed regulations are set for each type of device.

[0149] <Existence of design documents> The equipment used in a building is described in detail in the design documents, including what it is, which floor it is located on, where it is installed, and how it is configured. Each piece of equipment is configured based on the design documents, and is also registered in the building management system. Obviously, the larger the building, the more equipment is installed and the more items need to be configured. Naturally, this configuration work had to be done manually one by one, which was extremely time-consuming. It's this hassle that productivity tools are designed to solve.

[0150] <Differences in protocols> Building management systems have another challenge: the interconnection of devices. There are various devices used for building management, but when connecting the devices, there are agreements in place for them to communicate with each other. Traditionally, each device manufacturer used its own protocols for connecting to their own networks, but these were not made public, meaning that devices from different manufacturers could not connect to each other. As a solution to this problem, in the name of openness, several protocols have been established for the purpose of connecting devices made by different manufacturers. Representative ones are Modbus (product name), LonWorks (product name), and BACnet (product name). LonWorks is a network technology aimed at openness and provided by the American company ECHELON. BACnet is registered as an international standard based on standards established by ASHRAE (American Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Industry Association).

[0151] <Impact of different protocols> The aim of this openness initiative was to promote interconnectivity, but one issue that remained afterwards was that even though it was openness, it was only open within the limited scope of each country's own area. In other words, devices that use the LonWorks or BACnet protocol could be managed by a BACnet-compatible or LonWorks-compatible building management system, but it was difficult to use them in a building management system that simultaneously used both LonWorks and BACnet. The difficulty was that the attributes were different for each protocol, so common data had to be configured, which was a lot of work. For example, when LonWorks and BACnet protocols were mixed, data conversion and handling between the two was difficult, and problems arose one after another. Furthermore, it was necessary to process data in an integrated manner, including sequencers and Modbus. The mixture of these elements posed a challenge for the building management system.

[0152] <<Difficulty of setting up>> <<<Difficulties in creating a building management system>>> A building management system is a system that obtains information from various sensors, such as those for lighting, air conditioning, and energy, and displays and controls the status and past trends on a monitoring system. The analog information coming from the sensor is digitized by the sensor itself, which is equipped with a sequencer or analog / digital conversion function, and sent to the host system. When the host system receives the information from a single sensor, it is necessary to give a unique name to each piece of information that the sensor has and to distinguish them. This is where the need to register various settings arises.

[0153] <<<Understanding the protocol itself>>> Previously, there were the following issues with setting up the sensors and higher-level devices used: (a) Data must be structured per protocol. (b) It was necessary to understand the characteristics of the equipment and the protocols. (c) Moreover, it was extremely complex and difficult to handle and understand. (d) If you use it without understanding it or if you follow the rules incorrectly, it will be restricted to not working. (e) As a result, there were many mistakes due to lack of understanding.

[0154] <<<Existence of dedicated tools>>> For each protocol there is a dedicated tool to configure it, or there are multiple dedicated tools, and sometimes there are plugins. For example, LonWorks has a tool called LonMaker, but LonMaker can only configure LonWorks. This is difficult to learn, and you have to switch between each protocol one by one.

[0155] <<<Large amount of settings>>> Each protocol has many settings, and I had to enter settings for them. The LonWorks SNVT (Standard Network Variable Type) configuration has 219 setting items. The settings were done manually, and registering them took a lot of time. BACnet also has a large number of settings. FIG. 5 shows an example of the SNVT correspondence table.

[0156] <<Structuring as a solution>> <<<Means to achieve this>>> In order to solve these issues and problems, we have prepared a structured body as a function to convert the data to be handled. This is a function that has not been available in the past. The term "structured entity" used here refers to data (information) that is predefined and formatted into a certain prescribed structure before being placed in data storage. In essence, a database is constructed based on the data handled within the building management system, allowing it to be used in an integrated manner within the building management system.

[0157] <<>> Specifically, the system determines where data should be stored for each type of device used in the building, such as lighting, sensors, gateways, and controllers, making it easier to set up the devices and also easier to handle the collected data. In order to be able to handle various types of data other than protocols such as LonWorks and BACnet, 150 protocols are also available. In this way, we were able to handle a variety of information in a centralized manner.

[0158] <<<Productivity tools for registering data>>> On top of that, as mentioned above, we have prepared the productivity tools to support various protocols and input various settings. Productivity tools are tools that make configuration easy. <<<Productivity Tools Features>>> Productivity tools include: (a) Both LonWorks and BACnet can be registered with one tool. (b) There is no need to use a gateway and apply conversions on the outside. (c) The time required to register setting data is short. (d) Similar data can be registered by copying the data.

[0159] <<<Example of configuration diagram>>> Here, a relationship diagram (FIG. 7(b)) of the devices, protocols, and productivity tools used in a building management system (e.g., the building management system 10) is shown. The Application Edge Device 62 is connected to gateways, sequencers, and sensors that use various protocols such as LonWorks and BACnet. The application edge device 62 has a mechanism for displaying the monitoring system.

[0160] <<<Database Improvements>>> To solve the above problem, we first devised a way to hold the database. Specifically, we solved the difference in protocols by using structures. We then built a database to store data according to those structures. The database is consolidated into six types: analog input and output, digital input and output, and power integrator and counter. Within this, there is a large database with about 200 items, including upper and lower limits.

[0161] <<<Register linking>>> Productivity tools automate tasks that previously required manual configuration, such as binding controller registers to application edge devices 62. Various information is registered in the objects used in the LonWorks protocol. For example, there are strict rules for what is sent every second, every so many seconds, or every so many minutes. This information is read and the data is registered in the specified location.

[0162] <<<Data Mapping>>> The controller has a register that specifies which object number is used in the code. This mapping is the most important thing. When I need a particular piece of data, I read the register, and it automatically maps it to my database using web access. The productivity tools allow you to map LonWorks or BACnet data to web access without having to understand the addresses.

[0163] <<<Extensibility>>> For new building management devices, a function is added to enable command transmission by command operations (such as command input operations performed in advance by the building manager using the mobile information terminal 22) using REST (Representational State Transfer) and REST API (REST Application Programming Interface) so that data can be registered using the productivity tool. This makes it easier to set up new products. The important thing is to make it possible to exchange data with devices using commands. There are five main protocols that can exchange data: Modbus, LonWorks, BACnet, and others.

[0164] 6(a), (b) and 7(a), (b) show data mapping in the building management system 10 of this embodiment so as to be compared with the conventional example. For example, as shown in Figure 6(a), in the past, information from each sensor was stored in a SCADA (Supervisory Control And Data Acquisition) register, and addresses were manually assigned one by one via a protocol, and the data was mapped to web access. In contrast, in the mapping according to this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 6(b), the productivity tool converts data of structures for various protocols (here, Modbus structure, LonWorks structure, BACnet structure, etc.) and creates an integrated structure (here, NWC structure, database).The integrated structure is then formatted so that it can be passed to SCADA.

[0165] In conventional building management systems, for example, as shown in Figure 7(a), information from various sensors and other sources was collected by SCADA via various protocols and displayed on a screen. This meant that information sent via each protocol had to be addressed and mapped directly to SCADA items manually. In particular, it was necessary to register information for each connected device, and the amount of manual registration work was enormous. Here, "HMI" in Figure 7(a) is an abbreviation for Human Machine Interface. In contrast, in the mapping according to this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 7(b), the productivity tool creates an integrated structure (here, NWC structure) using structured bodies for various protocols (here, Modbus structured body, LonWorks structured body, BACnet structured body, etc.), and makes it possible to pass the integrated structure to a higher-level system (here, SCADA). In other words, data is registered in structured bodies for each protocol, then aggregated in NMC structured bodies, and the structured bodies are passed to SCADA, so there is no need to understand addresses. Therefore, it has become possible to significantly reduce the labor required for data registration. The database can be created not only in the application edge device 62 but also in the integration edge device 64 or enterprise edge server 66.

[0166] <<Productivity tools effects (visual effects)>> What would happen if there were no productivity tools? First, the setup process would take a lot of time. Second, it would be easier to make mistakes in the setup, which would increase the chances of errors. One of the features of the Productivity Tool is that you can map without understanding various structures. Until now, when mapping, people had to make decisions. For example, when you said "space temp (room temperature)," you had to remember what it stood for. The Productivity Tool has solved this problem. And by making the settings into patterns, you can set them without having to deeply understand the protocol. It has become possible to free people from the difficulty of setting things up. Furthermore, the settings were made into templates so that it was not necessary to input them one by one manually. Data that had been set once could be used without rewriting or adding anything, such as copying data for each floor. This also freed us from the need to make a large number of settings. In addition, by preparing as many as 150 different protocols, such as Modbus, LonWorks, and BACnet, and constructing the setting data as a structured body and absorbing the differences between the protocols, it has become possible to interconnect different protocols (absorbing the differences in protocols via a structured body). In addition, items that previously had to be set manually can now be automatically linked to the controller's register (register linking). Items that previously had to be set manually include, for example, how to set the timing of processing and the location where data is registered. In addition, when reading data, it is now possible to read data from BACnet, LonWorks, etc., by accessing the web and mapping the data, without having to understand the addresses. As a result, all data settings, which previously had to be made through analog work, can now be processed through digital work. To summarize these points, the following can be said about the building management system 10 of the present embodiment. (a) We established a centralized management system under multiple vendors. (b) Both BACnet and LonWorks can be configured using the same tool. (c) You can configure it without detailed knowledge of the protocol. (d) It supports over 150 protocols. (e) You can have various settings as templates. (f) By copying and using the settings you have already made, you do not have to set up the system from scratch. (g) By assigning attributes, a screen can be created, and dashboards can also be created one-to-one. (h) Setup is easy. (i) The number of cases where the system did not function due to configuration errors has decreased dramatically. (j) Setup time that previously took days now takes just a few hours.

[0167] <<Other effects>> The productivity tools have some visual benefits, as mentioned above, but their biggest benefit is that they free us from the need to understand multiple protocols. In the past, it took a considerable amount of time to understand the LonWorks protocol, and people often hesitated to understand BACnet and other protocols. This invention has also solved this problem.

[0168] <<<Improvement of engineering work>>> Traditionally, when trying to build a building management system, intermediate tasks such as required specifications, design, equipment selection, ladder creation, operation confirmation, and delivery and construction work (processes) were required. On the other hand, by using the productivity tools, intermediate steps such as creating ladders are no longer necessary.

[0169] <<Examples>> In one building project, 84 packaged air conditioners are used. Each packaged air conditioner has 16 monitoring points. This means that a total of 16 points x 84 units = 1,344 points must be registered. Previously, these 1,344 points were registered manually, and it took days to set them up. However, by using a productivity tool, the settings can be completed in just 5 to 10 minutes. Moreover, the task of setting up one item and then creating multiple items can be done very quickly.

[0170] If you are okay with using the names that the productivity tool automatically assigns to the monitored points, the setup will be completed in no time. In reality, this part takes a little time, since people often give their own names in Japanese to make them easier to understand. However, this part is only ancillary to the information setup. The important thing is to configure the information that defines the sensors attached to the device itself. Productivity tools make this task easy.

[0171] <<Digitalization of analog work>> As mentioned above, the productivity tools have digitized the work that was previously done in an analog manner. This is the major advantage of using the productivity tools.

[0172] Figures 8 and 9 show examples of screens that are displayed when the productivity tool is used. These screens can be displayed on a display device connected to the building manager's PC or on a mobile information terminal.

[0173] Figure 8(a) shows an example of the initial screen. When you launch the productivity tool, the initial screen shown in Figure 8(a) is displayed.

[0174] Figure 8(b), Figure 9(a) and (b) show examples of the screen when creating a template. Productivity tools have parameters that need to be set as templates, and templates can be called up and registered as necessary. Also, a template that has already been set can be used to set similar parameters.

[0175] Figures 8(b), 9(a) and (b) show examples of templates corresponding to various protocols and management systems. Figure 8(b) shows an example of a template for LonWorks (product name), and Figure 9(a) shows an example of a template for BACnet (product name). Figure 9(b) shows an example of a template for SCADA.

[0176] Productivity tools have parameters that need to be set as templates, and you can simply call up and register the templates as needed (to set them). You can also use a template that you have already set to set similar parameters.

[0177] The building management method performed by the building management system 10 according to the present embodiment can be regarded as a building management method. Also, the computer program executed by the building management system 10 can be regarded as a building management program. Furthermore, the building management system 10 can be regarded as a building management device.

[0178] <Inventions that can be extracted from the embodiments> From the embodiments described above, the following inventions can be extracted. (1) Multiple types of facility equipment (air conditioners, lighting equipment, doors, sensors such as wireless sensor devices 30, switches, other electrical equipment, etc.) classified into multiple management items (air conditioning, lighting, sanitation, alarms, energy, etc.), A sensor device (such as a wireless sensor device 30) capable of detecting a plurality of types of detection items (such as temperature, humidity, illuminance, acceleration, and contact), The network includes at least a first tier device (such as a micro edge device 60), a second tier device (such as an application edge device 62), a third tier device (such as an integrated edge device 64), and a fourth tier device (such as an enterprise edge server 66), which are in ascending order of tiers, and a first tier device and a second tier device, At least one of the management items may be defined as one item system, and multiple item systems (such as an air conditioning-related system 12, a lighting and outlet system 14, a sanitation and water-related system 16, a status and alarm system 18, and an energy system 20) may be defined. A building management system, wherein the plurality of item systems include at least an air conditioning system, a lighting system, an alarm system, and an energy system, A plurality of the sensor devices are provided, A plurality of the sensor devices A digital information can be output to the first layer device according to at least one wireless communication standard; A sensor device group is configured across a plurality of the item systems, The first layer device transmits unified information based on a common communication standard to the second layer device, The second tier device, A building management system capable of database-izing the information from the first hierarchical device as a predetermined structure using a productivity tool, which is a specified application software. (2) When the second hierarchical device is not provided with the third hierarchical device, When a request for a specific management item (such as air conditioning) is received from a user's terminal device (such as mobile information terminal 22, 24) via at least a public wireless communication line (such as Internet line 68), the system selects pre-processing information (such as air conditioning temperature and room humidity information) necessary for responding to the user from the information stored in the database, The building management system described in (1) above provides provided information (such as an air conditioning temperature setting screen that allows the air conditioning temperature to be set by operating mobile information terminals 22, 24), which is information about the specific management item based on the pre-processing information, to the user's terminal device via the public wireless communication line using the common communication standard. (3) In the case where a plurality of the second tier devices are provided, one third tier device is provided for each of the plurality of second tier devices; When the fourth layer device is not provided, the third layer device When a request is made from a user's terminal device (mobile information terminal 22, 24, etc.) via at least a public wireless communication line (Internet line 68, etc.) regarding a specific management item (air conditioning, etc.), a request is made to the second layer device to select and transmit pre-processing information (air conditioning temperature, room humidity information, etc.) necessary for responding to the user from the information stored in the database, A building management system as described in (1) above, in which, based on the pre-processing information sent from the second hierarchical device via the public wireless communication line using the common communication standard, provided information (such as an air conditioning temperature setting screen which allows the air conditioning temperature to be set by operating mobile information terminals 22, 24), which is information about the specific management item, is provided to the user's terminal device via the public wireless communication line using the common communication standard. (4) In the case where a plurality of the second tier devices are provided, one third tier device is provided for the plurality of the second tier devices; When a plurality of the third hierarchical devices are provided, the fourth hierarchical device is provided; The fourth layer device is When a request for a specific management item (such as air conditioning) is received from a user's terminal device (such as mobile information terminal 22, 24) via at least a public wireless communication line (such as the Internet line 68), a request is made to the second hierarchical device via the third hierarchical device to select and transmit pre-processing information (such as air conditioning temperature and room humidity information) necessary for responding to the user from the information stored in the database; The third layer device is relaying the unprocessed information transmitted from the second layer device via at least the public wireless communication line according to the common communication standard to the fourth layer device; The fourth layer device is A building management system as described in (1) above, which provides provided information (such as an air conditioning temperature setting screen that allows the air conditioning temperature to be set by operating mobile information terminals 22, 24), which is information about the specific management item based on the pre-processing information relayed by the third hierarchical device, to the user's terminal device at least via the public wireless communication line using the common communication standard. (5) A building management method carried out by the building management system according to (1) to (5) above. (6) An invention in which the "building management system" in the above (1) to (5) is replaced with a "building management device."

[0179] <Other> It should be understood that those skilled in the art can make various changes, substitutions, and alterations thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0180] 10: Building management system 12: Air conditioning related systems 14: Outlet type 16: Water-related 18: Alarm system 20: Energy 22, 24: Mobile information terminal 30: Wireless sensor device 60: Micro Edge Devices 60A: Device group 62: Application Edge Devices 64: Integrated Edge Devices 66: Enterprise Edge Server

Claims

1. Multiple types of equipment classified into multiple management items; a sensor device capable of detecting a plurality of types of detection items; The system includes at least a first tier device and a second tier device among a first tier device, a second tier device, a third tier device, and a fourth tier device, which are arranged in ascending order as higher tiers; It is possible to define a plurality of item systems, with at least one of the management items being one item system, A building management system, wherein the plurality of item systems include at least an air conditioning system, a lighting system, an alarm system, and an energy system, A plurality of the sensor devices are provided, A plurality of the sensor devices capable of outputting digital information to the first layer device according to at least one wireless communication standard; A sensor device group spanning a plurality of the item systems is configured, The first layer device transmits unified information based on a common communication standard, which is a communication standard of a common specification, to the second layer device; The second tier device, A building management system that can use a productivity tool, which is a predetermined application software, to create a database of the information from the first hierarchical device as a predetermined structure.

2. The facility equipment includes the sensor device, The first layer device assigns an IP address for identification to the facility device, The building management system according to claim 1 , wherein the second hierarchical level device creates a database of the information from the first hierarchical level device, the database including at least the IP address and the management item.

3. When the second tier device is not provided with the third tier device, When a request for a specific management item is received from a user's terminal device via at least a public wireless communication line, pre-processing information necessary for responding to the user is selected from the information stored in the database; The building management system of claim 1, wherein based on the pre-processing information, provision information which is information about the specific management item is provided to the user's terminal device via the public wireless communication line using the common communication standard.

4. When a plurality of second-tier devices are provided, one third-tier device is provided for each of the plurality of second-tier devices; When the fourth tier device is not provided, the third tier device When a request related to a specific management item is received from a user's terminal device at least via a public wireless communication line, the second layer device is requested to select and send pre-processing information necessary for responding to the user from the information stored in the database, 2. The building management system according to claim 1, wherein, based on the pre-processing information sent from the second layer device via the public wireless communication line using the common communication standard, provision information which is information about the specific management item is provided to the user's terminal device via the public wireless communication line using the common communication standard.

5. When a plurality of second-tier devices are provided, one third-tier device is provided for each of the plurality of second-tier devices; When a plurality of third-tier devices are provided, the fourth-tier device is provided; The fourth layer device is When a request related to a specific management item is received from a user's terminal device at least via a public wireless communication line, the second layer device is requested via the third layer device to select and transmit pre-processing information necessary for responding to the user; The third layer device is relaying the unprocessed information transmitted from the second layer device via at least the public wireless communication line in accordance with the common communication standard to the fourth layer device; The fourth layer device is A building management system as described in claim 1, wherein based on the pre-processing information relayed by the third layer device, provided information which is information about the specific management item is provided to the user's terminal device at least via the public wireless communication line using the common communication standard.

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