Log collection data harvester for use in a building automation system
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Solution Overview
Problem
Building automation systems (BAS) face data overrun conditions when the total amount of data to be harvested multiplied by the time required for harvesting exceeds the system's capacity, leading to inefficiencies and incomplete data collection due to limitations in communication speed and equipment compatibility.
Innovation Solution
A data harvesting technique that distributes the workload across an extended time period using a scheduler to manage data logger events, prioritizing data collection and utilizing a queuing system to adjust collection intervals and handle overruns, ensuring efficient data receipt and storage without exceeding system capacity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If data collection frequency is increased to gather more measurements, then data completeness improves, but system capacity is exceeded causing overruns
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the data collection process by dividing data points into different priority categories (high, medium, low) and organizing them into separate queues. This allows the system to process critical data first while deferring less important measurements, preventing overruns while maintaining data completeness for essential parameters.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements continuous data collection through an event-driven architecture that processes data points as they become available rather than waiting for fixed intervals. The system continuously monitors and processes high-priority data points immediately, while lower-priority points are queued for later processing, ensuring uninterrupted collection of critical measurements.
2Speed
If communication speed is increased to collect data faster, then data collection time decreases, but legacy equipment cannot communicate at higher rates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic data collection intervals that adjust based on equipment response times and data priority. The system can collect data from fast-responding devices at higher speeds while automatically adapting to slower legacy equipment by extending intervals for those specific devices, maintaining overall system speed without sacrificing compatibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies different data collection strategies to different devices based on their individual capabilities. High-performance devices receive more frequent polling at faster speeds, while legacy devices are polled less frequently at slower speeds appropriate to their communication capabilities, optimizing overall system performance while maintaining universal compatibility.
3Stability of the object's composition
If data harvesting is performed periodically at fixed intervals, then data consistency is maintained, but overruns occur when total data volume multiplied by collection time exceeds system capacity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements periodic data collection with variable intervals based on data priority and system load. High-priority data points are collected at frequent regular intervals, while lower-priority points use extended or deferred intervals. This maintains periodic consistency for critical measurements while improving overall productivity by reducing redundant collections of less important data.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies partial data collection by selectively gathering only the most critical data points when system capacity is constrained. Rather than attempting to collect all data points at full intervals, the system prioritizes essential measurements and defers or skips less critical ones, maintaining data consistency for key parameters while improving efficiency during high-load periods.
Data Source
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AI summary
A building automation system (BAS) comprising a plurality of end devices, at least one communication network, and a server engine comprising a data harvester. The end devices are each associated with at least one of a space, a system, or a subsystem for at least a portion of a building or a campus. The communication network communicatively couples to at least a portion of the plurality of end devices to the server engine. In one embodiment, the server engine is adapted to dynamically implement the data harvesting capability to periodically establish communications with, to receive and store data about, end devices and to selectively control the utilization of the communication network in order to prevent overrun or data loss. Methods of handling log collection from end devices in a building automation system (BAS) based upon a distributed schedule provided by a user or a priority scheme are also disclosed.