Building Graph Change Feed for Integrated Subsystem 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 do not allow for integrated control of various subsystems like HVAC, security, and fire response systems.
Innovation Solution
A cloud-based building system that enriches events with contextual data, generates enriched events, and communicates them to consuming applications, utilizing a graph projection to represent entities and relationships, enabling holistic management and control through event and graph-based queries, policies, and entitlement models.
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 control of multiple subsystems
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple discrete building subsystems (HVAC, lighting, security, access control) into a unified event-driven architecture where all subsystems communicate through a common event processing platform. This allows independent operation of each subsystem while enabling holistic management through centralized event enrichment and contextual data integration.
Solution Approach 2:
The event enrichment service acts as a universal intermediary that processes events from any building subsystem, enriches them with contextual data, and distributes them to consuming applications. This multi-functional component enables both simple independent operation and complex integrated control through the same infrastructure.
2Adaptability or versatility
If a centralized system integrates all building subsystems for holistic management, then dynamic and scalable control is achieved, but the system complexity increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the building management system into distinct modular components: event sources, event enrichment service, graph projection service, schema registry, and consuming applications. Each component has a specific responsibility, reducing overall system complexity while enabling integrated control through their coordinated interaction.
Solution Approach 2:
The event enrichment service serves as an intermediary layer between event sources and consuming applications. It handles the complexity of data integration, schema validation, and contextual enrichment, allowing other components to remain simple while achieving sophisticated integrated control.
3Loss of information
If contextual data is added to enrich events for better decision-making, then the quality of building management decisions improves, but the data processing time and computational resources increase
Solution Approach 1:
The graph projection service pre-computes and stores contextual relationships between building entities in an optimized format before events arrive. When events are enriched, the system can quickly retrieve pre-computed contextual data rather than calculating relationships in real-time, reducing processing time while maintaining information completeness.
Solution Approach 2:
The event enrichment process selectively adds contextual data based on the specific event type and the requirements of consuming applications. Not all events receive the same level of enrichment, optimizing the balance between information completeness and processing efficiency by applying enrichment locally where needed.
4Reliability
If schema validation is performed on incoming events to ensure data quality, then data reliability improves, but events with unknown schemas may be rejected or require additional processing
Solution Approach 1:
The schema registry implements a feedback mechanism where new event schemas discovered from incoming events are registered in the schema registry. This allows the system to maintain strict validation for known schemas (ensuring reliability) while adaptively accepting and registering new schemas (ensuring versatility). The feedback loop enables the system to evolve with new event types without compromising data quality.
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 modification to a graph, the graph comprising a plurality of nodes and a plurality of edges between the plurality of nodes, 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 the one or more processors to generate a change feed event, the change feed event recording the modification to the graph and add the change feed event to a change feed comprising a plurality of change feed events representing modifications to the graph at a plurality of different times.