Building Controller Grouping for Centralized Management

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Solution Overview

Problem

Retailers face difficulties in monitoring, backing up, restoring, and managing data across multiple building systems, such as refrigeration, HVAC, and lighting systems, across various locations, due to the piecemeal access and lack of centralized control.

Innovation Solution

A method of grouping building system controllers into control system groups and site groups, allowing for centralized management, data backup, restoration, and parameter changes through a networked system with a server and clients, enabling activities like data retrieval, logging, and parameter modifications across multiple controllers.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If building system controllers are accessed piece meal one controller at a time, then each controller can be monitored individually, but it becomes difficult to monitor all building systems across multiple locations and perform centralized data backup and parameter changes

Engineering Contradiction:

ImproveEase of monitoring and managing building systemsVSAvoidComplexity of accessing and managing multiple controllers

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system segments controllers into hierarchical groups (control system groups and site groups) that can be independently managed. This allows operators to divide the large number of controllers into manageable segments, accessing and monitoring specific groups rather than individual controllers, thereby reducing operational complexity while maintaining comprehensive monitoring capability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent merges multiple controllers into unified control system groups and site groups, enabling centralized management of previously分散 controllers. Through this merging approach, the system allows single operations to affect multiple controllers simultaneously, simplifying data backup, restoration, and parameter changes across the entire building system network.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

2Productivity

If all building system data is centralized in one location, then data backup and restoration becomes efficient, but system reliability decreases due to single point of failure

Engineering Contradiction:

ImproveEfficiency of data backup and restorationVSAvoidSystem reliability

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The data storage system is segmented into multiple servers distributed across the network, with each server capable of storing complete or partial building system data. This segmentation allows efficient data backup through selective access to specific servers while maintaining system reliability through distributed architecture, eliminating single points of failure.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Each server in the network is designed with multi-functionality, capable of both storing and retrieving complete building system data sets. This universal capability ensures that if one server fails, another server can immediately take over data storage and retrieval operations, maintaining both backup efficiency and system reliability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Productivity

If operators can modify parameters across all controllers simultaneously, then system-wide parameter changes become efficient, but risk of erroneous changes increases

Engineering Contradiction:

ImproveSpeed of parameter changesVSAvoidRisk of erroneous parameter changes

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The system implements local quality control by allowing parameter modification at different hierarchical levels (individual controller, control system group, or site group). Operators can apply parameter changes selectively to specific groups rather than forcing all-or-nothing changes, enabling efficient system-wide updates when needed while providing granular control to prevent erroneous changes by limiting the scope of modifications.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The system incorporates feedback mechanisms that confirm parameter changes before implementation and provide status information about applied changes. This feedback loop allows operators to verify intended changes, receive confirmation of successful application, and rollback if necessary, reducing the risk of erroneous parameter changes while maintaining efficient update capability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentUS7885959B2Enterprise controller display method

Publication Date: 2011.02.08 COPELAND COLD CHAIN LP

AI summary

A method of displaying building system controller data includes receiving a user login associated with predefined user access privileges and receiving a building system controller selection, requesting a listing of building system controller applications and activities from a building system controller associated with the building system controller selection, and generating a display of available building system controller applications and allowable activities based on the user access privileges and based on the listing.