Building Management System Virtual Floor Plan Configuration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Building management systems (BMS) face challenges in being easily configured without compromising control capabilities, particularly in residential installations, where complex components and software tools require trained technicians, limiting accessibility and feature availability.
Innovation Solution
A building management system that automatically configures using a wireless mesh network and sensor data to create a virtual floor plan, allowing for seamless room-by-room control and monitoring without manual configuration, utilizing bidirectional wireless network interfaces, light sensors, and processor-executable instructions to determine device positioning and create a virtual layout.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If manual configuration with complex components and software tools is used, then system control capability is improved, but ease of installation and configuration deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs automatic configuration where control devices self-identify and self-map their locations within the building. The processor automatically creates the virtual floor plan without requiring manual configuration by technicians, allowing the system to configure itself while maintaining full control capabilities
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual mechanical configuration processes with automated electronic discovery. Instead of physically mapping devices manually, the system uses wireless signal strength measurements and light sensor data to automatically determine device positions and create the virtual floor plan
2Ease of manufacture
If automatic configuration is implemented, then ease of installation is improved, but measurement precision of device positioning deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system introduces light sensors as intermediary measurement tools to improve positioning accuracy. Control devices measure light intensity from known light sources (lights, windows) to triangulate their positions, providing more accurate spatial information than wireless signal strength alone
Solution Approach 2:
Control devices perform multiple functions: they control building systems, measure wireless signal strengths for mesh networking, and measure light intensities for positioning. This multi-functionality enables accurate automatic configuration without adding separate dedicated positioning hardware
3Productivity
If wireless mesh network data and sensor data are used for automatic configuration, then productivity of system setup is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Control devices are designed to perform multiple functions including system control, wireless communication, and environmental sensing. By integrating light sensors into existing control devices rather than adding separate positioning hardware, the system achieves automatic configuration capability without significantly increasing individual device complexity
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables easy setup and enhanced control of various building devices, such as lighting and shading, while providing user-friendly monitoring and reporting, without the need for manual configuration, making it accessible to a broader range of installations.
Implementation Method 1
a light sensor detecting light intensity
Implementation Method 2
a bidirectional wireless network interface enabling the control devices to intercommunicate with each other over a wireless network
Data Source
AI summary
A building management system is disclosed that is automatically configured using a wireless mesh network data and sensor data to create a virtual floor plan. The building management system comprising a control processor, a plurality of lighting devices, and a plurality of control devices comprising lighting control devices, each directly controlling one or more of the lighting devices. The control devices intercommunicate with each other over a wireless network, and each control device comprises a light sensor detecting light intensity. The control processor creates the mesh graph of relative positioning of the control devices to each other using received wireless signal strengths of the control devices relative to each other. The control processor determines relative positioning of the lighting devices to the control devices using the mesh graph and received light intensity readings obtained by the light sensors of the control devices when each lighting device was turned on and off. The virtual floor plan comprises the relative positioning of the control devices to each other, the relative positioning of the control devices to the lighting devices, and room-by-room groupings of the plurality of control devices and the lighting devices.