Method and apparatus for generalized control of devices
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Solution Overview
Problem
Building control systems face significant complexity due to the exponential growth of IoT and diverse applications, leading to management challenges and a lack of self-knowledge for programming and optimization, with existing digital models being limited in scope and unable to translate computer versions into human-understandable formats.
Innovation Solution
A method and system that translate device inputs into an intermediate internal language using a controller, creating a digital twin representation of devices by determining device input characteristics and retrieving information from a database, allowing for efficient control and optimization of building systems.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If model-free control approaches are used, then implementation is simple, but system management becomes difficult and optimization is limited as complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a digital twin as an intermediary layer between the physical building system and the control interface. This digital twin serves as a virtual model that simplifies system management by providing a standardized interface while accurately representing the complex physical system, thereby resolving the contradiction between implementation simplicity and system management difficulty
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a digital copy (digital twin) of the physical building system that can be manipulated and analyzed independently. This copy maintains the essential characteristics and behaviors of the original system while allowing for easier management, simulation, and optimization without directly handling the physical complexity
2Loss of information
If digital models are created to represent building systems, then system understanding improves, but translation between computer versions and human-understandable formats becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the complex building system into discrete, standardized components represented in the digital twin. Each component can be independently defined, managed, and translated, making the overall system more understandable while maintaining computational accuracy. This segmentation allows for modular representation that bridges computer and human understanding
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a universal digital twin framework that can represent multiple types of building systems and components through a common structure and language. This universal representation enables consistent translation between computational models and human-understandable formats across diverse system types, reducing translation difficulty while maintaining system understanding
3Adaptability or versatility
If the number of I/O points increases to manage building complexity, then system capability improves, but system complexity and management burden increase exponentially
Solution Approach 1:
The digital twin acts as an intermediary that manages the complexity of numerous I/O points by providing a unified virtual interface. Instead of directly managing each individual I/O point in the physical system, controllers can interact with the digital twin representation, which automatically handles the complexity mapping and coordination among thousands of points
Solution Approach 2:
By creating a digital copy of the building system's I/O structure, the patent allows for virtual management and simulation of all I/O points without the proportional increase in physical management burden. The digital twin captures the relationships and interactions among I/O points, enabling centralized control and reduced management complexity
Data Source
AI summary
Tools and techniques are described to attach a device to a controller, whereby the controller analyzes the device inputs, looks up information about the device in a database, and then determines which inputs on the device match the defined device inputs. It then may translate information received from the device into an intermediate language. It may also use the information received from the device, the location of the device, and information about the device to create a digital twin of the device.