Adapting IoT Hub for Building Management System Schedule Automation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current building management systems (BMS) face challenges in efficiently managing and controlling building equipment across multiple communication busses and protocols, requiring manual intervention for equipment discovery and lacking seamless integration of schedule updates and setpoint changes.

Innovation Solution

A BMS architecture that enables automatic equipment discovery and model distribution across various communication busses and protocols, utilizing a system manager and cloud-based data platform to gather and update schedule information, generate command messages, and implement setpoint changes without user interaction.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If manual intervention is used for equipment discovery and schedule management, then system complexity is reduced, but productivity and operational efficiency deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveequipment discovery and schedule management efficiencyVSAvoidsystem architecture complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system enables automatic equipment discovery where devices self-register with the cloud platform, and automated schedule management where the system automatically retrieves, processes, and applies schedules without manual intervention. The cloud-based data platform automatically handles equipment onboarding, data extraction, and configuration deployment throughout the system.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

A cloud-based data platform is introduced as an intermediary between building equipment and management systems. This intermediary handles complex tasks including equipment discovery, data extraction from configuration files, schedule retrieval, and automated setpoint changes, thereby improving productivity while managing complexity through centralized cloud processing.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Ease of operation

If automated equipment discovery and model distribution are implemented, then operational efficiency is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveequipment discovery and control operationVSAvoidcommunication bus integration complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The cloud-based data platform provides universal functionality to handle multiple communication protocols and bus types through a single integrated interface. The platform abstracts protocol-specific details and provides unified equipment discovery, data extraction, and control operations across diverse building systems, improving ease of operation while managing communication complexity centrally.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

Manual mechanical processes of equipment discovery and configuration management are replaced with automated digital processes. The system uses automated data extraction from configuration files, programmatic schedule retrieval, and automated command message generation to replace manual administrative tasks, thereby simplifying operations despite increased system complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

3Productivity

If seamless integration of schedule updates and setpoint changes is implemented, then productivity is improved, but loss of time in manual intervention increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveschedule update and setpoint change processingVSAvoidmanual intervention time

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system implements continuous automated operations where schedules are continuously retrieved from cloud-based data platforms, automatically applied to equipment, and setpoint changes are continuously monitored and enforced. This eliminates interruptions caused by manual intervention and maintains continuous productive operation throughout the system.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #20Continuity of useful action

Solution Approach 2:

Schedules and setpoint changes are prepared and validated in advance on the cloud-based data platform before being automatically deployed to equipment. The system pre-processes configuration files, extracts schedule information, and generates command messages ahead of time, enabling rapid automated implementation without manual intervention delays.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentUS20240380633A1Building management system with adapting IoT hub

Publication Date: 2024.11.14 TYCO FIRE & SECURITY GMBH

AI summary

A building management system includes building equipment including schedule information and operable to affect a physical state or condition of a building, a system manager configured to gather the schedule information from the building equipment and create a first schedule configuration file comprising the schedule information, a data adaptor configured to receive the first schedule configuration file from the system manager and extract the schedule information from the first schedule configuration file, a cloud-based application configured to generate a second schedule configuration file based on the schedule information extracted from the first schedule configuration file, and a command service configured to provide the second schedule configuration file to the system manager. The system manager is configured to provide a portion of the second schedule configuration file to the building equipment.