Collaborative adjustment of resources within a managed environment

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Solution Overview

Problem

Occupants in buildings often have limited opportunities to contribute to environmental control policies, leading to either discomfort or inefficient energy usage, as facility managers may prioritize energy conservation over comfort or vice versa, and may over-react to complaints from a vocal minority, affecting the majority.

Innovation Solution

A method that allows occupants to vote on adjustments to shared resources like HVAC and lighting through polls, with policies constraining adjustments based on historical data, user feedback, and business needs, and allows administrators to override results, using a smart building control system for automated responses.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of energy

If facility managers impose energy conservation policies, then energy efficiency is improved, but occupant comfort deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveenergy efficiencyVSAvoidoccupant comfort

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of energyVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The system implements a feedback mechanism where occupants can vote on environmental adjustments through polls. The building automation system monitors poll responses and automatically adjusts resources like HVAC and lighting based on aggregated occupant preferences, creating a closed-loop feedback system that balances energy conservation with comfort.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The system transitions from static, manager-imposed policies to dynamic, real-time adjustments based on occupant voting. Polls are communicated to occupants, responses are aggregated, and resource adjustments are made dynamically, allowing the system to adapt to changing occupant needs while maintaining energy efficiency.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

2Ease of operation

If facility managers prioritize occupant comfort, then comfort is improved, but energy consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveoccupant comfortVSAvoidenergy consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The system applies partial adjustments to resources based on poll responses rather than maximum adjustments. By aggregating votes and applying moderate changes that satisfy the majority rather than individual extremes, the system achieves comfort improvement with minimized energy consumption impact.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #16Partial or excessive action

3Ease of operation

If facility managers respond to complaints from a vocal minority, then individual comfort is improved, but overall system efficiency deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveindividual comfortVSAvoidsystem efficiency

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The system merges individual occupant preferences into a collective decision through polling and vote aggregation. By combining multiple individual inputs and applying the majority preference, the system prevents any single vocal minority from dominating resource adjustments, thereby maintaining overall system efficiency while addressing individual comfort needs.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

4Adaptability or versatility

If manual control of resources is used, then flexibility is improved, but response time deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

ImproveflexibilityVSAvoidresponse time

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The building automation system performs self-service by automatically communicating polls to occupants, aggregating responses, and executing resource adjustments without manual intervention. This automated workflow maintains the flexibility of manual control decisions while dramatically reducing response time between occupant feedback and actual resource adjustment.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

5Loss of time

If automated control is implemented, then response time is improved, but system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveresponse timeVSAvoidsystem complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of timeVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The building automation system leverages existing multi-functional capabilities to implement automated control. The BAS already performs monitoring and control functions; the patent extends these existing capabilities to include poll communication, vote aggregation, and automated adjustment execution, reducing the need for entirely new complex systems while improving response time.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentUS11163275B2Collaborative adjustment of resources within a managed environment

Publication Date: 2021.11.02 INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINE CORPORATION

AI summary

A method for adjusting a resource within an area utilizing voting by users. The method includes a computer processor receiving a request from one or more of the users to adjust a resource. The method further includes generating a voting poll for the resource. The method further includes communicating the generated voting poll to a plurality of users, wherein the plurality of users includes the one or more users. The method further includes identifying valid responses to the communicated voting poll based on a first policy related to the resource. The method further includes determining a response to the voting poll, wherein the response is based, at least in part, on the first policy related to the resource and aggregated valid responses of the voting poll. The method further includes applying the determined response to the resource.