Adaptive Building Control Interface for State Transition Clarity
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Solution Overview
Problem
Complex building control systems with numerous operating states and non-intuitive state transition conditions are difficult for users to understand, leading to manual overrides that can reduce system performance and result in suboptimal operation due to lack of clear communication of system behavior.
Innovation Solution
A hybrid control system with an adaptive user interface that includes a state transition controller, state history tracker, and adaptive user interface generator, which provides customizable information to users based on their identity and learning style, explaining current operating states and transitions, and presenting expected and actual values to enhance user understanding.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If a hybrid control system with multiple discrete operating states and closed loop control techniques is used, then system performance and control precision are improved, but user understanding and ease of operation deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an adaptive user interface as an intermediary between the complex hybrid control system and the user. This interface includes a state history tracker that records and presents system behavior in an understandable format, and an adaptive information generator that customizes explanations based on user characteristics. The intermediary translates complex control operations into user-friendly visualizations without altering the underlying control precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback by continuously monitoring user interactions with the interface and adapting the information presentation accordingly. The adaptive information generator uses feedback about user knowledge level and preferences to adjust the complexity and type of information displayed, ensuring that users receive appropriate explanations for system behavior without overwhelming them with excessive technical details.
2Device complexity
If conventional user interfaces are used to display control system information, then device complexity is reduced, but information clarity and user comprehension deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The user interface is designed to be dynamic rather than static. The adaptive information generator continuously adjusts the type, amount, and detail level of information displayed based on real-time assessment of user characteristics and current system state. This dynamic adaptation allows the interface to maintain simplicity while delivering comprehensive information when needed.
Solution Approach 2:
Different portions of the interface provide different levels of information detail tailored to specific user needs and contexts. The system applies local quality by customizing information presentation for different user roles, knowledge levels, and interaction scenarios, rather than using a uniform information display approach throughout the entire interface.
3Ease of operation
If manual overrides are allowed due to user不理解, then ease of operation is improved, but system performance and productivity deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The adaptive user interface empowers users to understand and manage the system themselves through customized information presentation. By providing clear, adapted explanations of system behavior and state transitions, users can make informed decisions about whether manual overrides are necessary, reducing unnecessary overrides while maintaining genuine user control when appropriate.
Data Source
AI summary
A building control system has a controller including a processing circuit configured to transition between multiple discrete operating states by executing state transitions, generate an adaptive user interface including a representation of the multiple discrete operating states and the state transitions therebetween, and automatically learn one or more learned behaviors or preferences of the user. The processing circuit is also configured to retrieve, from a descriptive text database, a description of a selected operating state or selected state transition based on the one or more learned behaviors or preferences of the user, the descriptive text database storing multiple different descriptions of the selected operating state or selected state transition, and update the adaptive user interface to provide the description of the selected operating state or selected state transition retrieved from the descriptive text database based on the one or more learned behaviors or preferences of the user.