Occupancy Detection via Mobile Client Identifiers in Building Automation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Building automation systems often operate unreliably, failing to align with user or manufacturer intentions, leading to inefficiencies in energy management and user satisfaction, as they lack effective methods to determine occupancy and adapt controls accordingly.
Innovation Solution
A system that utilizes mobile clients to transmit client identifiers, allowing a receiver to determine if users are present or away, enabling dynamic control of building automation systems based on registered clients, with rules adjusted for time, temperature, and other environmental factors, ensuring secure and efficient operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If building automation systems operate based on manual configuration and fixed rules, then the system structure remains simple and reliable, but the system cannot adapt to changing occupancy conditions and user needs
Solution Approach 1:
The system automatically detects occupancy using mobile device identifiers and autonomously adjusts building automation controls without requiring manual user input or complex configuration interfaces, enabling the system to serve itself in determining occupancy status
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual mechanical configuration methods with automated electronic detection of mobile device identifiers (such as Bluetooth or WiFi MAC addresses) to determine occupancy, substituting physical user interaction with wireless digital signaling
2Productivity
If the system continuously monitors and adapts to user behavior patterns, then user comfort and energy efficiency improve, but energy consumption of the monitoring system increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs occupancy detection and rule evaluation at periodic intervals rather than continuously, checking for mobile device identifiers and updating control rules only when necessary, thereby reducing energy consumption while maintaining effective monitoring capability
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses feedback from detected occupancy patterns to dynamically adjust control rules, learning from user behavior over time to optimize energy efficiency without requiring continuous high-power monitoring, as the feedback mechanism allows the system to enter lower-power states when patterns are established
3Measurement precision
If the system uses multiple mobile client identifiers for occupancy detection, then occupancy detection accuracy improves, but the complexity of managing and processing client data increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments occupancy detection by monitoring individual mobile device identifiers separately, allowing it to track multiple occupants independently through distinct device IDs, which simplifies the processing of each identifier while maintaining overall detection accuracy through aggregated information
Data Source
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AI summary
A method of controlling a building automation system (1) for controlling at least one device (10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35) such as a window, blind, shutter, awning, door, ventilation shaft and/or light source, wherein said building automation system (1) comprises one or more controllable units (12, 13, 22, 23, 32, 33) being associated with said at least one device (10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35). One or more mobile clients (4, 5) wirelessly transmits a client identifier (CI) for identifying the mobile client (4, 5), and a receiver (200) receives said client identifier(s) (CI) transmitted from said mobile clients (4, 5). The received data is processed based on client identifier information data (CII) comprising information of one or more registered client identifiers (CI) of mobile clients (4, 5), and client status information (CSI) comprising information of registered mobile client(s) (4, 5) registered as present, is updated according to said processing of received client identifiers (CI). This information is used for operating controllable units of the system according to different sets of predefined rules. The client identifier (CI) may be a MAC address and the transmitted client identifier (CI) may be used for user occupation presence detection. The disclosure moreover relates to a building automation system, a receiver and a software program product.