Automatic control method of generating sub-systems and sub-system arbitration from the deconstruction of a complex equipment graph
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current building automation systems face challenges in automatically discovering and understanding the equipment available and how they can be utilized for efficient control, particularly in managing complex building systems like HVAC, energy, and lighting.
Innovation Solution
A method for automatically decomposing a complex graph of connected equipment into sub-systems, enabling automatic labeling, prioritization, and classification of sub-systems into synchronous and asynchronous groups, and reducing the control state space through semantic labeling and decomposition.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Extent of automation
If building automation systems attempt to automatically discover and understand complex equipment connections, then the level of automation increases, but the complexity of the system and difficulty of detection worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the complex building automation system into distinct functional modules including equipment discovery module, graph construction module, decomposition module, and control scheme generation module. Each module handles a specific aspect of the automation process, breaking down the overwhelming complexity into manageable segments that can be processed independently and systematically.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an equipment graph as an intermediary data structure that mediates between the physical building equipment and the control system. This graph serves as a standardized representation layer that simplifies the complexity by providing a unified model for equipment connections, relationships, and interactions, making the system more tractable for automated processing.
2Ease of operation
If the system decomposes complex equipment graphs into sub-systems, then the ease of operation improves, but the computational processing time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary decomposition of the equipment graph into sub-systems and generates control schemes in advance, before actual building operations begin. By pre-processing the complex graph structure and pre-generating control strategies, the system reduces real-time computational requirements and enables faster response during actual operation, thus reducing time loss during critical operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the large equipment graph into smaller, more manageable sub-systems that can be processed independently. This segmentation reduces the computational burden on any single processing operation while maintaining the overall system's ease of operation, as each sub-system can be managed and controlled separately with reduced complexity.
3Productivity
If the system reduces the search space through decomposition, then the productivity improves, but the manufacturing precision of control schemes may worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple sub-system control schemes into a comprehensive building-wide control strategy. By combining the decomposed sub-systems back into an integrated control framework, the system maintains precision while benefiting from the productivity gains of decomposition. The merging process ensures that control accuracy is preserved through coordinated interaction of sub-system controls.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent adds the dimension of hierarchical organization to the control scheme generation process. Instead of treating all equipment at a single level, the system operates across multiple dimensions - decomposing into sub-systems for efficient processing, then re-integrating with awareness of hierarchical relationships. This dimensional approach allows productivity improvement through decomposition while maintaining precision through hierarchical context.
Data Source
AI summary
Apparatuses, systems, methods, and computer program products are disclosed for organizing automatic control in automation systems from a system description, using deconstruction of complex equipment graphs. A system control scheme is automatically generated from a deconstruction of an equipment graph into controllable sets of prioritized sub-systems. An equipment graph comprises one or more subsystems of equipment. Prioritized sub-systems comprise a unique routing path through an equipment graph. Prioritized sub-systems comprise the ability to be actuated and are divided into groups of sub-system sets. Groups of sub-system sets comprise synchronous and asynchronous sets and are created for conjoined routing paths of parallel sub-systems.