Building Equipment Fault Diagnostics with Reusable Dynamic Rules

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Solution Overview

Problem

Building management systems (BMS) face challenges in efficiently detecting and diagnosing equipment faults, as existing systems require manual setup and maintenance of rules and diagnostics, which is time-consuming and prone to errors.

Innovation Solution

A BMS with a processing circuit that generates equation-based constants and sub-rules from device-specific templates and thresholds, allowing for dynamic rule creation and automatic fault detection, diagnostics, and work-order generation, reducing manual effort and improving fault identification.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If manual setup and maintenance of rules and diagnostics is used in existing BMS, then system reliability is maintained through human oversight, but time consumption and error proneness increase significantly

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefault detection efficiencyVSAvoidmanual setup and maintenance time

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system automatically generates constants, sub-rules, and rules by self-configuring based on device templates and operational data, eliminating the need for manual rule setup and maintenance while improving fault detection efficiency

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The rule generation system dynamically adapts to changing device configurations and operational conditions, automatically updating constants and sub-rules to maintain effectiveness without manual intervention

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

2Reliability

If manual setup and maintenance of rules and diagnostics is used in existing BMS, then system reliability is maintained through human oversight, but error proneness increases due to manual configuration

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefault detection accuracyVSAvoidmanual configuration complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs self-configuration by automatically generating constants and rules from device templates, eliminating manual configuration errors while maintaining reliable fault detection through systematic rule generation

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

Device-specific templates are pre-configured with standard constants and rule structures, allowing the system to automatically generate accurate rules without manual intervention, thereby reducing errors while maintaining reliability

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Productivity

If automated rule generation from templates is implemented, then time consumption and manual effort are reduced, but system complexity increases due to dynamic rule creation

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvediagnostics generation speedVSAvoiddynamic rule system complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The rule generation system is segmented into hierarchical levels (constants, sub-rules, rules) that can be independently managed and reused, reducing the perceived complexity through modular organization

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Device-specific templates serve multiple purposes by generating constants, sub-rules, and rules across different devices and scenarios, reducing overall system complexity through universal reusable components

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

4Ease of manufacture

If sub-rules are reused across multiple rules, then maintenance effort is reduced and consistency is improved, but rule interdependence increases system complexity

Engineering Contradiction:

Improverule maintenance effortVSAvoidrule interdependence

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

Sub-rules are designed as universal building blocks that can be reused across multiple higher-level rules, reducing maintenance effort through single-point updates while maintaining consistency across the rule system

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The rule structure is organized hierarchically with constants nested in sub-rules, which are nested in rules, allowing complex diagnostic logic to be built from simpler reusable components, reducing maintenance complexity through organized nesting

Inventive Principle:

Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

Data Source

PatentUS11422516B2Building management system with dynamic rules with sub-rule reuse and equation driven smart diagnostics

Publication Date: 2022.08.23 TYCO FIRE & SECURITY GMBH

AI summary

A building management system for monitoring equipment status is provided. The building management system includes a processing circuit configured to generate one or more constants for a piece of building equipment based on thresholds and device specific templates. The constants are equation based relationships between a value and a threshold. The processing circuit is further configured to generate one or more sub-rules based on the one or more constants and one or more equipment points. The sub-rules are equation based relationships between the one or more constants and the one or more equipment points. The processing circuit is further configured to generate a rule based on the one or more sub-rules and the one or more equipment points. The rule is an equation based relationship between the one or more sub-rules and the one or more equipment points and indicates whether the piece of building equipment is experiencing a fault.