Zone-Based BMS Communication Channels for IoT Device Coordination
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current building management systems (BMS) face challenges in direct communication between IoT devices, leading to complex deployment issues and inefficiencies in edge and hybrid computing environments due to the lack of direct communication, which hinders collaboration and data management among devices.
Innovation Solution
An agent-based communication system is implemented, where agents are generated for each device to manage communication channels dynamically, allowing devices to publish and subscribe to messages based on a building zone hierarchy, enabling efficient communication and data management across zones.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a data warehouse-like structure is used to filter and distribute information, then communication between devices is enabled, but deployment complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the monolithic data warehouse architecture into distributed data lakes at edge devices, allowing independent deployment and management of data storage and processing across multiple locations rather than requiring a centralized complex structure
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces data lakes as intermediary structures between edge devices and the cloud, simplifying the communication pathway by providing a standardized interface for data exchange without requiring complex direct device-to-device communication protocols
2Productivity
If direct communication between IoT devices is enabled, then collaboration efficiency improves, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent adds a temporal dimension to data exchange by implementing event-driven architecture with publish-subscribe patterns, allowing devices to collaborate asynchronously through events rather than requiring synchronous direct communication, thereby improving efficiency without proportionally increasing system complexity
3Ease of operation
If data is centralized in a data warehouse, then data management is simplified, but data processing time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the centralized data warehouse into distributed data lakes across multiple edge devices and locations, allowing parallel data processing and reducing the time required to retrieve and process data by eliminating single-point bottlenecks while maintaining standardized data management through common schemas and interfaces
Data Source
AI summary
A system for managing communication between building management system (BMS) devices includes a memory and a controller. The memory includes instructions stored thereon. The controller is configured to execute the instructions to implement an agent manager, a zone manager, and a channel manager. The agent manager is configured to generate an agent for each of the BMS devices. The zone manager is configured to define at least one zone relating to a physical location zone or a building control zone. The channel manager is configured to generate a communication channel associated with the at least one zone. The channel manager is further configured to manage registration of an agent to the communication channel, wherein an agent is configured to communicate over a communication channel in response to being registered to the communication channel.