Archetypal Equipment Definitions for Consistent Building Data Mapping
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Solution Overview
Problem
Building automation systems lack an efficient method to create and utilize equipment definitions that can abstract data points from archetypal devices, leading to inconsistent and device-specific data presentation across different building equipment types, hindering unified monitoring and control.
Innovation Solution
A method is introduced to create equipment definitions by operating an archetypal device, identifying and abstracting data points, generating point definitions, and mapping these to an equipment object, allowing for unified data representation and control across similar devices, regardless of manufacturer or model differences.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If device-specific data points are used for each building equipment, then device-specific functionality is maintained, but data presentation consistency and unified monitoring capability deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates equipment definitions that serve multiple purposes: they capture device-specific data points while providing a standardized template for unified monitoring. The equipment definition acts as a universal interface that adapts to different device types (HVAC, lighting, security) while maintaining consistent data presentation across the building automation system.
Solution Approach 2:
The equipment definition serves as an intermediary layer between the diverse device-specific data points and the unified monitoring interface. It abstracts and standardizes data from various device types, enabling consistent presentation without losing device-specific functionality.
2Measurement precision
If manual creation of equipment definitions is performed for each device type, then data point accuracy is improved, but system complexity and time consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary action by automatically creating equipment definitions using archetypal devices before actual deployment. This preliminary creation process captures accurate data points from representative devices, eliminating the need for manual definition creation for each device type while maintaining data accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses archetypal devices as templates or copies to generate equipment definitions. By operating on an archetypal device and extracting its data points, the system creates a reusable template that can be applied to multiple devices of the same type, reducing complexity while preserving accuracy.
3Extent of automation
If archetypal device operation is used to generate equipment definitions, then automation level is improved, but requirement for physical device access increases
Solution Approach 1:
The archetypal device serves itself by automatically providing its data point information to the equipment definition creation process. The device's own operational data is used to generate the definition template, eliminating the need for manual data collection while maintaining high automation levels.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods for creating and using equipment definitions are provided. An archetypal device used to identify one or more data points associated with the archetypal device. A point definition is generated for each identified data point associated with the archetypal device. Each point definition includes an abstraction of a text string extracted from the corresponding data point that is applicable to multiple different devices of the same type of building equipment. The generated point definitions are used to create an equipment definition for a type of building equipment. The equipment definition can be used to identify data points associated with other devices of the same type of building equipment and to automatically create equipment objects representing such devices.