Building Management Gateway for Hardware-Agnostic Device Integration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Building management systems often face challenges in seamlessly integrating and controlling devices from different manufacturers due to hardware and protocol-specific system models, leading to errors and inefficiencies in configuration, monitoring, and maintenance across various phases of system development and operation.
Innovation Solution
A common building management system model is introduced, which is hardware agnostic, enforcing standardized device and point names, and utilizing a gateway to convert between hardware-agnostic and hardware-specific information and commands, allowing for seamless integration and control of devices from multiple manufacturers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If hardware-specific system models are used for devices from different manufacturers, then device compatibility and integration capability are improved, but system complexity and configuration difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a gateway as an intermediary component that translates between hardware-specific device data and hardware-agnostic common model data. The gateway receives device information in various hardware-specific formats, converts it to a standardized common model format, and enables communication between diverse devices and the unified BMS interface, thereby resolving the contradiction between device compatibility and system complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The system is segmented into distinct functional layers: the hardware-specific device layer, the translation gateway layer, and the hardware-agnostic common model layer. This segmentation allows each layer to operate independently with its own characteristics, enabling device compatibility at the device layer while maintaining system simplicity at the common model layer
2Manufacturing precision
If manual data re-entry is performed for each device type, then configuration accuracy may be maintained, but time consumption and operational efficiency deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements automatic data copying and transformation from hardware-specific formats to the common model format through the gateway. Instead of manual re-entry, the system automatically copies device data, transforms it into the standardized common model structure, and populates the unified interface, thereby maintaining configuration accuracy while dramatically reducing configuration time
Solution Approach 2:
The gateway performs preliminary data transformation and validation before data reaches the common model. By pre-converting hardware-specific data into the standardized format and pre-validating it against the common model schema, the system ensures configuration accuracy is maintained while eliminating the need for manual data re-entry and subsequent error correction
3Ease of operation
If standardized hardware-agnostic models are implemented, then system interoperability and ease of operation are improved, but the ability to handle hardware-specific nuances may be reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent adds a dimensional layer to the system architecture by introducing the gateway translation layer between hardware-specific devices and the hardware-agnostic common model. This additional dimension enables the system to simultaneously maintain standardized interoperability at the common model level while preserving hardware-specific control capabilities through the gateway's translation functions
Solution Approach 2:
The gateway is designed as a universal component that can handle multiple hardware-specific protocols and formats while translating them all to the same common model. This multi-functionality allows the gateway to preserve hardware-specific nuances across diverse device types while maintaining standardized operation through the unified common model interface
Data Source
AI summary
Devices, methods, and systems for controlling a plurality of devices and equipment installed at a building. A system or common model of the devices and equipment at the building may be accessible by a technician during setup of a BMS for a building. The system model may enforce standardized device names and standardized point names that may be hardware agnostic for the plurality of devices and equipment installed at the building. A gateway in communication with the installed devices and equipment, along with a computing device storing the system model, may receive point information from the installed devices and equipment and convert the received point information into hardware agnostic point information. The gateway may receive hardware agnostic control commands from the system model and convert the hardware agnostic control commands into hardware specific control commands.