Building management system control using occupancy data
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional building management systems (BMS) fail to adapt environmental conditions in real-time to changing customer demographics, leading to suboptimal retail experiences and sales, as they rely on manual adjustments and maintain static environments.
Innovation Solution
A smart environmental system that uses occupancy data from sensors to dynamically control environmental factors like music, lighting, and temperature based on real-time demographic analysis, allowing for reactive or targeted adjustments to maximize occupancy and enhance customer experience.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If traditional BMS maintains static environmental conditions, then system simplicity is preserved, but adaptability to changing customer demographics deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system transitions from static environmental control to dynamic control by continuously monitoring occupancy data and adjusting environmental parameters in real-time based on detected demographic patterns, allowing the system to adapt its behavior to changing conditions
Solution Approach 2:
The BMS automatically adjusts environmental conditions based on occupancy data without requiring manual intervention, with the system self-regulating by detecting demographic patterns and independently modifying lighting, temperature, and music parameters
2Productivity
If manual adjustments are used to change environmental conditions, then system complexity is minimized, but responsiveness to real-time occupancy changes deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements a feedback loop where occupancy sensors continuously monitor the space, detect demographic patterns, and automatically trigger environmental adjustments, creating a closed-loop control system that responds dynamically to real-time conditions
Solution Approach 2:
The system replaces manual mechanical adjustment with automated electronic control, using sensors and control algorithms to detect occupancy patterns and automatically adjust environmental parameters without human intervention
3Adaptability or versatility
If static environmental settings are maintained, then energy consumption is reduced, but customer experience quality deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies environmental adjustments selectively based on occupancy levels and demographic patterns, modifying only the necessary parameters to the appropriate extent rather than maintaining constant maximum settings, thereby optimizing the balance between customer experience and energy efficiency
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
A system for controlling a space including a number of environmental sensors configured to measure an attribute of the space, and a user device. The user device configured to receive data from the number of environmental sensors, the data describing one or more characteristics of one or more individuals in the space, receive, from the user, a selection of a desired demographic, construct a signature for the space based on the desired demographic, the signature including one or more environmental conditions associated with the desired demographic, and send control signals to one or more environmental devices to control an environment of the space according to the signature.