Building automation system

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional building automation systems fail to coordinate various measures effectively to achieve energy-efficient room climate control, often requiring complex and costly simulation processes to determine optimal parameters, and lack the ability to accurately assess time and energy requirements for climate adjustments.

Innovation Solution

An operating method that collects and uses empirical information to determine the time and energy required to achieve specific building zone climates, allowing for the calculation of optimal measures to achieve these climates efficiently, either quickly or with minimal energy expenditure, while considering user preferences for energy-time tradeoffs.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of energy

If conventional control systems use separate control circuits for each room climate parameter, then the control system structure is simple, but the coordination between different climate measures is poor leading to energy inefficiency

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveenergy efficiencyVSAvoidcontrol system complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of energyVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines multiple separate control circuits into a single integrated control system that coordinates heating, cooling, shading, and ventilation measures together. This integration enables the system to evaluate and coordinate different climate measures globally, improving energy efficiency while managing complexity through unified control logic.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The control system is designed to handle multiple climate control functions (heating, cooling, shading, ventilation) through a single multi-functional platform. This universal approach allows the system to optimize energy consumption across all climate measures simultaneously rather than treating each parameter independently.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Measurement precision

If building automation systems are programmed and parameterized specifically for each building using complex simulation processes, then the control accuracy for that building is improved, but the installation effort and costs increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecontrol accuracyVSAvoidinstallation effort
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs self-characterization by automatically measuring and storing the thermal response of the building zone during operation. Instead of requiring complex pre-simulation and manual parameterization, the system learns the building's thermal behavior through actual operation, eliminating the need for costly simulation processes while maintaining high control accuracy.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The system dynamically adjusts control parameters based on measured thermal response characteristics rather than using fixed parameters from simulations. This adaptive approach allows the system to optimize control accuracy for each specific building zone automatically during operation, without requiring manual parameterization or complex pre-programming.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Productivity

If conventional control systems do not track time and energy requirements for climate adjustments, then the system operation is simple, but the ability to optimize between speed and energy consumption is lost

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveclimate adjustment efficiencyVSAvoidsystem complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system continuously monitors and records the time and energy consumption of climate adjustments, using this feedback to optimize future control decisions. By tracking actual performance data, the system can determine the most efficient balance between achieving climate goals quickly versus minimizing energy consumption, improving overall productivity while managing complexity through data-driven optimization.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentEP2638442B1Building automation system
Publication Date: 2020.12.16 ALPHAEOS
  • EP2638442B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2638442B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2638442B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4

AI summary

The invention relates to a method of operation for a building automation system comprising the provision and/or collection of at least one piece of information which describes at least one time involvement and/or energy involvement provided in order to attain at least one particular building zone climate and/or at least one particular building zone climate change, using the at least one piece of information in order to ascertain at least one requisite time involvement and/or energy involvement in order to attain at least one building zone climate that is to be achieved and/or at least one building zone climate change that is to be achieved, and/or using the at least one piece of information in order to ascertain at least one measure for influencing the building zone climate, which measure can be used to attain at least one building zone climate that is to be achieved and/or at least one building zone climate change that is to be achieved in time-optimized and/or energy-optimized fashion or to attain it/them with a preference which can be prescribed by the user. The invention also relates particularly to an appropriate building automation system and an appropriate computer program.