Remote HVAC Monitoring With Contractor Locator for Proactive Maintenance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Building control systems, such as HVAC, security, and lighting systems, often lack proactive maintenance, leading to inefficient operation, increased costs, and potential damage due to reactive maintenance approaches, which can result in discomfort and apprehension for building occupants.
Innovation Solution
A remote system that communicates with building automation controllers over a network to provide alerts and facilitate the selection of appropriate contractors for maintenance, allowing for proactive management and notification of issues, thereby improving maintenance efficiency and reducing operational inefficiencies.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If reactive maintenance approach is used (operating building control systems until failure), then operational costs increase and building damage occurs, but maintenance complexity and system downtime are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary maintenance actions by monitoring building control systems continuously and proactively scheduling maintenance before failures occur. The remote contractor system detects potential issues through continuous monitoring and initiates maintenance scheduling in advance, preventing system failures and associated damages while managing maintenance complexity.
2Productivity
If high priority service calls are dispatched after failures occur, then contractor operational inefficiencies increase and additional expenses are incurred, but response time to critical issues is improved
Solution Approach 1:
The system schedules maintenance in advance before failures occur, allowing contractors to plan and prepare for maintenance tasks efficiently. This preliminary scheduling eliminates urgent reactive service calls, improving contractor operational efficiency while addressing issues in a timely manner through planned interventions.
Solution Approach 2:
The remote monitoring system continuously feedbacks system status to the contractor management platform, enabling proactive identification of maintenance needs. This feedback mechanism allows the system to schedule maintenance based on actual system conditions rather than waiting for failures, optimizing both contractor efficiency and response timing.
3Reliability
If continuous monitoring and proactive maintenance scheduling system is implemented, then maintenance efficiency improves and operational costs reduce, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a remote contractor system as an intermediary between building control systems and maintenance contractors. This intermediary layer handles continuous monitoring, alert generation, and maintenance scheduling, thereby improving maintenance efficiency without requiring direct complex integration between building systems and contractor operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The remote contractor system performs multiple functions including continuous monitoring, alert generation, contractor matching based on geographic location, and maintenance scheduling. This multi-functional approach consolidates several systems into one, improving maintenance efficiency while managing overall system complexity through integration rather than proliferation of separate systems.
Data Source
AI summary
A system allows a contractor to remotely monitor and/or interact with its customers' building control systems, such as heating, ventilating and air conditioning (HVAC) systems, and analyze information obtained from the building control systems over time. Such a system may help the contractor monitor and diagnosis customer building control systems, setup service calls, achieve better customer relations, create more effective marketing opportunities, as well as other functions. In some cases, the disclosed system may include a controller that outputs a listing of one or more building automation system contractors having a service area that overlaps a geographical location of a customer or a potential customer or of a related HVAC system. In some cases, the disclosed system may output a listing of one or more building automation system contractors having a service area that overlaps a geographical location of a building automation system for which an alert has been indicated.