Building Management Interaction Using Context-Aware Software Agents
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current building management systems (BMS) are complex and require skilled personnel for operation, making it labor-intensive and difficult for users to adjust parameters such as temperature and lighting due to their intricate nature, especially in dynamic environments with multiple HVAC requirements.
Innovation Solution
A method and system using intelligent software agents that accept vocal and textual inputs, contextualize user requests, and activate customized BMS optimization processes, providing feedback through preferred interaction methods such as visual, textual, or audio outputs, tailored to the user's skill level and environment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a building management system controls entire facility functions (HVAC, security, lighting), then system capability and coverage are improved, but device complexity increases requiring skilled personnel for operation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces software agents as intermediary components that mediate between users and the complex BMS. These agents translate natural language commands into system operations, shielding users from underlying complexity while maintaining full system capability. The agents act as intelligent intermediaries that handle the complexity of coordinating HVAC, security, lighting, and other facility functions.
Solution Approach 2:
The BMS is designed to automatically monitor multiple information pathways and extract contextual information without human intervention. The system self-adjusts to dynamic building use by having software agents continuously analyze data from various sources and autonomously optimize facility operations, reducing the need for skilled personnel to manually manage system complexity.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the BMS provides comprehensive control over facility functions, then system functionality is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates requiring skilled personnel
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical/manual control interfaces with intelligent software agents that process natural language commands. Instead of requiring users to navigate complex control panels or understand technical parameters, the system substitutes these with conversational interfaces that accept simple voice or text inputs, dramatically improving ease of operation while maintaining comprehensive facility control.
Solution Approach 2:
Software agents serve as intelligent intermediaries between users and the complex BMS infrastructure. These agents translate everyday language into precise control commands for HVAC, lighting, security systems, eliminating the need for users to understand system complexity while preserving full functionality.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the system monitors multiple information pathways and extracts contextual information, then adaptability to dynamic use is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system automatically monitors multiple information pathways and extracts contextual information without human intervention. Software agents continuously analyze data from various sources (sensors, building systems, external sources) and autonomously adjust facility operations based on extracted context, enabling adaptability to dynamic building use while hiding system complexity from users.
Solution Approach 2:
The BMS implements continuous feedback loops where software agents monitor information pathways, extract contextual information, and use this feedback to automatically adjust system operations. This feedback mechanism enables the system to adapt to dynamic building use in real-time, with agents learning from observed patterns and optimizing facility management autonomously.
4Ease of operation
If users can adjust parameters like temperature and lighting, then user control capability is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates due to system complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces complex manual control mechanisms with natural language processing interfaces. Users can adjust temperature, lighting, and other parameters by simply speaking or typing their preferences, and software agents translate these into precise control commands. This substitution eliminates the need for users to understand system complexity while maintaining full control capability.
Solution Approach 2:
Software agents act as intelligent intermediaries that translate user preferences expressed in natural language into specific control actions for HVAC, lighting, and other building systems. These agents handle the complexity of parameter adjustment, coordination between systems, and optimization, while users interact through simple, intuitive commands.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for interacting with a building management system (BMS) using intelligent software agents. The method includes receiving a user request from a multi-input device configured to accept vocal and textual inputs, and contextualizing the user request for a space and/or place and a corresponding user. The method further includes constructing a user skill level from the user request, and activating a customized BMS optimization process, the customized BMS optimization process determined by the intelligent software agents from the user skill level, the user request, and the space and/or place.