Building Control Device Self-Diagnosis for Proactive Maintenance
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Solution Overview
Problem
It is difficult to track the performance of building control devices such as video cameras, fire panels, and HVAC panels to determine when maintenance is required, as their health status is not effectively monitored, leading to potential failure in functions like video analytics.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a health status algorithm in building control devices that monitors hardware and software parameters, sending alerts when thresholds are crossed, to ensure timely maintenance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If manual tracking of building control device performance is used, then device operation continues without additional monitoring systems, but it becomes difficult to track performance and determine when maintenance is required
Solution Approach 1:
The building control device performs self-diagnosis by automatically monitoring its own health parameters through the health status algorithm, eliminating the need for manual tracking and enabling the device to report its own maintenance needs
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements continuous feedback by monitoring health parameters and sending alerts when thresholds are crossed, creating a closed-loop system that automatically informs operators of device status and maintenance requirements
2Reliability
If no health monitoring is implemented, then the building control system remains simple, but potential failures in functions like video analytics go undetected
Solution Approach 1:
The health status algorithm continuously monitors multiple health parameters and detects potential failures before they occur, enabling proactive maintenance that prevents functional failures while maintaining system simplicity
Solution Approach 2:
The monitoring system is segmented into discrete health parameters (CPU usage, memory usage, storage capacity, temperature) that can be independently monitored and managed, making the overall monitoring system more manageable and less complex
3Loss of time
If continuous monitoring of multiple health parameters is implemented, then timely maintenance can be determined, but the monitoring system requires increased complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The system monitors multiple health parameters (CPU usage, memory usage, storage capacity, temperature) simultaneously, using parameter changes and threshold crossings to trigger maintenance alerts, enabling timely detection without requiring complex analysis algorithms
Data Source
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AI summary
A building control device includes a controller that is configured to receive one or more sensed parameters from one or more sensors, generate an output based at least in part on the sensed parameters, and send the output onto a network via a network interface, and execute a health status algorithm. The health status algorithm is configured to monitor a plurality of health parameters associated with the operation of the building control device, wherein the health parameters include health parameters indicative of the health of hardware components and health parameters indicative of the health of software components. The health status algorithm is configured to send an alert onto the network via the network interface when one or more of the plurality of health parameters is found to cross a corresponding threshold.