Cloud Building Automation Routing for Secure Multi-Site Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current resource management systems lack efficient and secure cloud-authenticated solutions for controlling and monitoring resources across multiple sites, particularly in buildings, as they often require physical infrastructure and struggle with secure data communication and user access management.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a cloud-authenticated site resource management system that utilizes a virtualized network architecture, allowing secure communication and user authentication, enabling users to control and monitor resources through a cloud-based platform without physical network infrastructure, with features like customizable interfaces, secure data storage, and virtualization of various communication protocols.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a cloud-authenticated system is implemented, then user access control and communication security are enhanced, but system complexity increases due to virtualization and authentication mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a cloud-based authentication server as an intermediary between users and the building automation system. This server handles authentication requests, user management, and secure communication protocols, thereby enhancing security while isolating the complexity from the local building automation controllers. The cloud server acts as a mediator that centralizes security functions without requiring complex local infrastructure at each building site.
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates virtual copies of network infrastructure through virtualization technologies. Instead of requiring physical network hardware at each location, the patent implements virtual network interfaces and communication channels that replicate traditional network functionality in the cloud. This approach enhances security through centralized control while reducing the complexity of physical infrastructure deployment.
2Adaptability or versatility
If physical network infrastructure is eliminated, then deployment flexibility and scalability improve, but communication reliability may deteriorate due to dependence on cloud connectivity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a dynamic communication architecture that adapts between cloud-connected and local-autonomous modes. The building automation controllers are designed to maintain local operational capability while preferring cloud communication when available. This dynamic approach allows the system to deploy flexibly without physical infrastructure while ensuring communication reliability by falling back to local operations when cloud connectivity is unavailable.
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates redundancy mechanisms and fallback protocols that are prepared in advance. Local controllers are pre-configured with autonomous operation capabilities and local authentication caches that serve as cushions against cloud connectivity failures. This beforehand cushioning ensures that communication reliability is maintained even when cloud connectivity is interrupted, while still allowing flexible deployment without permanent physical infrastructure.
3Productivity
If cloud-based platform is used, then resource management efficiency across multiple sites improves, but data transmission time and network dependency increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements pre-synchronization and caching mechanisms where authentication credentials, user permissions, and configuration data are cached locally at building automation controllers before cloud connectivity is needed. This preliminary action allows local operations to proceed without real-time cloud communication, reducing data transmission delays while maintaining centralized management efficiency. Changes are synchronized to the cloud when connectivity is available.
Data Source
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AI summary
The Cloud-authenticated site resource management devices, apparatuses, methods and systems ("CASRM") transforms resource-use, weather, and user settings inputs into resource management schedule and control outputs. The CASRM achieves data transformation via using a building automation management device, comprising at least a processor a memory storing processor-executable instructions to receive, at a virtual cloud network controller, a data packet from a source building resource control device and to access a virtual routing table corresponding to a local virtual network associated with a control entity. The building automation management device may also determine a destination building resource control device based on the virtual routing table and at least one destination address in the data packet, and may send the data packet to the destination building resource control device.