Containerized Building Gateway for Auto-Configurable BMS Integration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current building management systems (BMS) face challenges in efficiently integrating and managing data from various building subsystems, particularly in configuring new devices and optimizing communication between edge devices and cloud platforms, leading to complexities in automation and data management.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a building device gateway with containerized components, including a building device interface container, processing container, and virtual communication bus, which facilitates communication between building devices, processes data, and integrates with cloud systems, enabling automatic configuration and plug-and-play capabilities for new devices through a digital twin-based approach.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If traditional building management systems integrate data from various building subsystems using conventional methods, then data collection capability is achieved, but system complexity and configuration difficulty increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The gateway software is divided into multiple independent container components (building device interface container, processing container, cloud communication container, cloud proxy container) that can be independently developed, deployed, and managed. Each container has a specific function, reducing the complexity of the overall system while maintaining comprehensive data integration capabilities.
Solution Approach 2:
The virtual communication bus serves as a universal interface that enables communication between different container types and building devices. This standardized communication mechanism allows the system to integrate various building subsystems (HVAC, lighting, security) through a common protocol, reducing configuration complexity while enhancing adaptability.
2Adaptability or versatility
If new building devices are added to the system, then system functionality is enhanced, but setup time and configuration effort increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements automatic configuration where the virtual communication bus and processing containers automatically detect, register, and configure new building devices without manual intervention. The containerized architecture enables plug-and-play functionality where devices can be added to the network and the system automatically integrates them through standardized interfaces.
Solution Approach 2:
The gateway software is pre-configured with container templates and communication protocols before devices are added. When new devices connect, the system has the necessary configuration frameworks already in place, allowing rapid automatic setup without requiring manual configuration for each device type.
3Productivity
If data communication between edge devices and cloud platforms is optimized, then data transmission efficiency is improved, but system architecture complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The communication architecture is segmented into distinct functional containers: building device interface container for device communication, processing container for data handling, cloud communication container for network transmission, and cloud proxy container for cloud interaction. This segmentation optimizes each communication stage independently while managing overall complexity through modular design.
Solution Approach 2:
The virtual communication bus acts as an intermediary layer between building devices and cloud platforms, standardizing data exchange protocols and formats. This intermediary simplifies communication by providing a unified interface that handles protocol translation, data formatting, and error handling, improving efficiency while managing complexity.
4Adaptability or versatility
If gateway components are containerized and dynamically relocated, then system scalability is improved, but software management complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Gateway components are containerized into independent deployable units that can be dynamically allocated across different hardware resources. Each container encapsulates specific functionality and can be independently managed, updated, and relocated without affecting other components, enabling scalable deployment while simplifying software management through standardization.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods described herein are directed to the integration and containerization of gateway components on edge devices, which may include building device gateways. A gateway executes a building device interface container that communicates, via an interface implemented by the building device interface container, with one or more building devices of the building to control or collect data from the one or more building devices. The gateway executes a processing container that processes the data from the one or more building devices. The gateway implements a virtual communication bus that facilitates communication between the building device interface container and the processing container.