Building Graph Permissions for Context-Aware Access Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current building management systems lack dynamic, scalable, and adjustable solutions for holistic management of building operations, as discrete predefined systems operate independently without knowledge of the building's overall state.
Innovation Solution
A cloud-based building system that receives events from building equipment, enriches them with contextual data, and provides enriched events to consuming applications, using schema matching, graph projections, and change feeds to facilitate integrated management and control.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If discrete predefined controlling systems are used for each building subsystem, then each subsystem can operate independently with simple control logic, but the system lacks holistic management capability and cannot provide integrated building-wide control
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges discrete building subsystems into a unified event-driven architecture where all subsystems (HVAC, lighting, security, etc.) are integrated through a central event bus. This allows independent subsystem operation to be maintained while enabling holistic building-wide management through shared event processing and contextual data enrichment.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a universal event processing platform that handles multiple building subsystems through a common architecture. The enrichment service and event bus provide multi-functional capabilities that serve various subsystems simultaneously, enabling both independent operation and integrated control through a single versatile system.
2Ease of manufacture
If predefined control systems are used, then system implementation is straightforward and quick, but the system lacks dynamic adjustability and scalability
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a dynamic system where control logic is not fixed but can be adjusted through event subscriptions and enrichment rules. The event-driven architecture allows real-time modification of system behavior by adding or removing event handlers and enrichment configurations, enabling both quick initial deployment and ongoing adaptability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the building management system into independent, modular components (event sources, event bus, enrichment services, consuming applications) that can be implemented and configured separately. This modular approach allows straightforward initial implementation while enabling flexible scaling and adjustment by adding or modifying individual components without affecting the entire system.
3Device complexity
If building systems operate without contextual information, then system complexity is reduced and data processing is faster, but the system cannot provide intelligent decision-making or contextualized control
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an enrichment service as an intermediary component between event sources and consuming applications. This mediator enriches raw events with contextual data from various sources (building information models, device metadata, operational data) without significantly increasing processing complexity, as the enrichment occurs through standardized event subscription and data retrieval mechanisms.
Data Source
AI summary
A building system of a building including one or more memory devices having instructions thereon, that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to receive a request to access a portion of a building graph of the building from a system, the building graph including a plurality of nodes and a plurality of edges, the plurality of nodes representing entities of the building and the plurality of edges representing relationships between the entities of the building. The instructions cause one or more processors to determine whether the system has access to the portion of the building graph based on a policy indicated by the plurality of nodes and edges of the building graph and provide the portion of the building graph to the system in response to a determination that the system has access to the portion of the building graph.