Building Control Interface for Diagnosing Cross-System Impacts
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Solution Overview
Problem
In building management systems (BMS), it is challenging for users to diagnose changes or issues affecting multiple components and spaces due to the complexity of the system, making it difficult to understand how high-level control logic impacts individual objects.
Innovation Solution
A user interface is developed that allows users to select an object, determining the related equipment and spaces impacted, and displaying the relationship and values associated with these components, enabling users to visualize the control logic's effect on individual objects and make informed changes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a building management system integrates control of multiple components (HVAC, lighting, security, etc.), then the system's functionality and control capability are improved, but the system complexity increases making it difficult for users to diagnose changes and understand inter-component relationships
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the complex building management system into individual selectable objects (equipment, spaces, systems) that users can choose to view. When a user selects an object, the system displays only the relevant impacted components and relationships rather than overwhelming the user with the entire system's complexity. This segmentation allows users to focus on specific areas of interest while maintaining awareness of interconnections.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary user interface that acts as a mediator between the complex building management system and the user. This interface translates complex system relationships into visual displays showing how selected objects impact other equipment and spaces. The intermediary layer processes and presents information in an understandable format, hiding the underlying system complexity while preserving the integrated control capability.
2Reliability
If the building management system monitors and displays information about all components and their relationships, then the diagnostic capability is improved, but the information processing time and computational resources increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary action by pre-establishing the relationships between building components in the system's data structure. When components are added or modified, their relationships with other equipment and spaces are pre-calculated and stored. This allows the user interface to quickly retrieve and display impact information without performing complex real-time analysis, thereby improving diagnostic capability while minimizing processing time.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies partial action by displaying only the specific relationships and impacted components relevant to the user's selection, rather than processing and displaying all possible system relationships. The system determines and shows only the necessary subset of information needed for effective diagnosis, reducing computational overhead while maintaining diagnostic reliability.
Data Source
AI summary
A building management system including one or more circuits configured to receive a selection of an object associated with one of a building system, a piece of equipment, or a space of one or more building systems, one or more pieces of equipment, and/or one or more spaces of a building; determine the one or more pieces of equipment related to the object and/or the one or more spaces related to the object; and generate a graphical user interface illustrating (i) a relationship of the object with (a) the one or more pieces of equipment related to the object and/or (b) the one or more spaces related to the object and/or (ii) a control path between the object and (a) the one or more pieces of equipment related to the object and/or (b) the one or more spaces related to the object.