Smart Fixture Gateway Scheduling for Real-Time Building Integration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current facility management systems lack efficient integration of IoT-enabled fixtures with building management solutions, limiting real-time data collection, predictive maintenance, and command execution across networks of fixtures.
Innovation Solution
The system integrates IoT-enabled fixtures with building management solutions through endpoint devices and facility gateways, using LoRa WAN RF communication protocols to transmit data to a cloud network, enabling real-time monitoring, predictive maintenance, and command execution via a BACnet gateway device.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If IoT-enabled fixtures are integrated with building management solutions through multiple communication protocols and gateways, then real-time data collection and command execution capability are improved, but device complexity and integration difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a gateway device as an intermediary component that bridges IoT-enabled fixtures and building management solutions. The gateway translates communication protocols and manages data flow between different systems, enabling real-time monitoring and control without requiring direct complex integration between all fixtures and the building management system. This mediator approach resolves the technical contradiction by maintaining high productivity while managing integration complexity through a dedicated intermediary layer.
2Reliability
If predictive maintenance and real-time monitoring are implemented across networks of fixtures, then operational efficiency is improved and downtime is reduced, but system complexity and implementation cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements predictive maintenance through continuous feedback loops where sensors monitor fixture conditions, data is transmitted through the gateway to the building management system, and maintenance alerts are generated based on analyzed data. This feedback mechanism enables real-time monitoring and predictive maintenance capabilities, improving reliability by detecting issues before they cause failures. The system complexity is managed through automated analysis and alerting rather than requiring complex manual monitoring systems.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple communication protocols (LoRa WAN RF, BACnet) are used for data transmission between fixtures and cloud network, then communication versatility and integration capability are improved, but ease of operation and implementation difficulty worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The gateway device is designed with multi-functionality to handle multiple communication protocols including LoRa WAN RF and BACnet simultaneously. This universal gateway can translate and manage data across different protocol standards, enabling the system to communicate with various IoT fixtures using different protocols without requiring separate specialized devices for each protocol. This approach improves adaptability while simplifying implementation by consolidating protocol handling in a single multi-functional component rather than requiring multiple protocol-specific integration efforts.
Data Source
AI summary
A fixture that includes an electro-mechanical (EM) element; a communication interface; a processor; and a computer-readable storage media coupled to the processor and having instructions stored thereon which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising: receiving, from a service via the communication interface, parameters for scheduling an operation of the fixture; determining, based on the parameters, a plurality of commands for the EM element and a respective time to execute each of the commands; providing, at the respective time, each of the commands to the respective EM element for execution; providing, via the communication interface, an indication of completion of the operation of the fixture to the service.