Hybrid Control System for Scalable Building Automation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing building management systems require complex and costly infrastructure for addressability, making it difficult to create and maintain virtual maps of devices and systems across networks, especially with protocol conversions and device relationships, which limits their scalability and efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A hybrid control system utilizing peer-to-peer multi-hop wireless networking among sensor nodes that automatically generate unique identifiers and locations, allowing for scalable, ad-hoc networks without external infrastructure, and integrating with addressable systems for centralized control.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a centralized control system with detailed device mapping is implemented, then device control and discrimination capability is improved, but system complexity and installation cost increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the building into multiple zones with distributed control nodes, each managing local devices independently. This segmentation eliminates the need for a single complex centralized mapping system while maintaining device control capability through localized autonomous decision-making at each zone level.
Solution Approach 2:
Devices and control nodes automatically generate their own unique identifiers and establish their own communication relationships without requiring manual configuration or centralized registration. The system self-organizes through automatic peer-to-peer connection establishment, eliminating the need for complex pre-programmed device maps.
2Adaptability or versatility
If manual configuration of device addresses and relationships is performed, then system customization and adaptability are improved, but installation time and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
Control nodes and devices automatically generate unique identifiers and establish communication relationships without manual configuration. The system performs self-registration and self-configuration upon installation, maintaining full adaptability to different building layouts and device types while eliminating time-consuming manual programming of device addresses and relationships.
Solution Approach 2:
The system pre-establishes communication protocols and identifier generation mechanisms that enable automatic configuration. Control nodes are pre-programmed with the capability to autonomously discover devices, generate appropriate addresses, and configure relationships before actual deployment, eliminating on-site configuration time.
3Adaptability or versatility
If protocol conversion infrastructure is added to support multiple device types, then system versatility is improved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The control nodes are designed with universal communication capabilities that enable them to interact with multiple device types using a single standardized interface. Each node can dynamically adapt its communication protocol based on the device it is interacting with, eliminating the need for separate protocol conversion infrastructure while maintaining support for diverse device types.
Data Source
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AI summary
A device or system, including: a control component and a controlled non-lighting component, wherein the control component is operatively coupled to the controlled component to control the operation thereof; wherein the control component includes: (i) a wireless receiver for receiving wireless signals representing occupancy data indicative of real-time occupancies of locations and respective distances to said locations; (ii) a control interface to output at least one control signal or power to the controlled component; and (iii) a controller configured to process said occupancy data to selectively output the control signal or to control the supply of power to the controlled component in order to control the controlled component on the basis of said occupancy data.