Digital Twin Schema Extensibility for Building Properties and Tags

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Solution Overview

Problem

The existing digital twin schema is static, limiting its ability to express new information needed by building systems, leading to inefficiencies in redevelopment and redeployment, resulting in significant time wastage.

Innovation Solution

A building system that dynamically updates the digital twin schema by adding properties, tags, or states to entity classes without requiring redeployment, allowing for real-time adaptation and extension of the schema to accommodate new information.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If the digital twin schema is kept static, then system stability and simplicity are maintained, but the ability to express new information and adapt to changing building system requirements deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveschema extensibilityVSAvoidschema management complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements dynamic schema evolution by allowing the digital twin schema to change over time through versioning. The schema can be extended with new properties, tags, and entity types without being fixed, enabling the system to adapt to new building system requirements while maintaining operational stability through controlled version transitions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The schema is segmented into distinct versioned instances, where each version represents a snapshot of the schema at a particular point in time. This segmentation allows independent management of different schema versions, enabling extensibility through new versions while preserving the integrity and simplicity of existing versions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Loss of information

If the schema is updated to include new properties or tags, then the digital twin can express new information, but system redeployment and reconfiguration time increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveinformation expression capabilityVSAvoidredeployment time
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary actions by pre-defining schema versions and their relationships before actual schema changes are needed. Version metadata and evolution paths are prepared in advance, allowing schema updates to be applied without extensive reconfiguration time, as the system already has the framework for accepting new properties and tags.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of modifying the original schema in place, the system creates copies in the form of versioned schema instances. Each update generates a new version copy rather than altering the existing one, allowing information expression to expand while the base system structure remains intact and requires minimal redeployment.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

3Productivity

If the schema allows dynamic updates without redeployment, then system productivity improves, but schema stability and reliability may deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveschema update efficiencyVSAvoidschema consistency
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system implements feedback mechanisms through version validation and consistency checks. When schema updates are proposed, the system evaluates them against defined rules and constraints, providing feedback on potential consistency issues. This allows dynamic updates to proceed efficiently while maintaining reliability through automated validation of schema evolution paths.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The system prepares cushioning measures in the form of version compatibility layers and migration paths before schema updates are applied. These pre-prepared structures act as buffers that protect system reliability during transitions, ensuring that dynamic updates maintain consistency even as the schema evolves.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #11Beforehand cushioning (Prior cushioning)

Data Source

PatentUS12055907B2Building data platform with schema extensibility for properties and tags of a digital twin
Publication Date: 2024.08.06 TYCO FIRE & SECURITY GMBH
  • US12055907B2 patent drawing
  • US12055907B2 patent drawing
  • US12055907B2 patent drawing

AI summary

A building system includes one or more memory devices comprising instructions thereon that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform one or more first operations based on a digital twin of a building. The instructions cause the one or more processors to update a schema of the digital twin by adding a property or tag to an entity class of the schema, add, based on the schema, one or more data elements representing the property or tag to the digital twin, the one or more data elements related to an entity of the entity class, and perform one or more second operations based on the one or more data elements representing the property or tag.