Smart Lighting Commissioning Using Virtual Room Reference Copies
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
The commissioning process for intelligent lighting systems in large buildings is costly and time-consuming due to the need for extensive programming of each room individually, leading to technical complexity and potential errors, especially in redundant sections like hotel rooms with similar layouts.
Innovation Solution
A software system that creates reference copies of virtual devices and logical functions for sets of redundant sections, allowing for pre-programming and global editing, which are then applied to physical devices during commissioning, reducing the need for on-site individual programming and minimizing errors.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If traditional commissioning methods are used to program each room individually, then each room can be customized with specific behavior definitions, but the process becomes extremely time-consuming and costly in large complexes with redundant sections
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates virtual reference copies of room layouts and behavior definitions that can be replicated across multiple redundant sections. Instead of programming each room individually, a single reference copy contains the complete configuration that can be instantiated across hundreds of rooms, dramatically reducing commissioning time while maintaining full customization capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary programming by creating complete behavior definitions and virtual device plans before physical installation. The reference copies are prepared in advance with all logic and configurations, so that during actual commissioning, the system only needs to bind pre-configured virtual devices to physical devices rather than programming everything on-site.
2Ease of operation
If individual programming is performed for each room during commissioning, then specific behavior can be defined for each space, but technical complexity and potential for errors increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the configuration of multiple redundant rooms into a single reference copy that contains all behavior definitions. Instead of managing separate programming for each room, the system consolidates configurations into one master template that can be replicated, reducing technical complexity and minimizing errors through standardization.
Solution Approach 2:
The reference copy serves as a universal template that can be applied to multiple redundant sections throughout the complex. A single behavior definition can control lighting, sensors, and actuators across hundreds of rooms simultaneously, reducing the overall complexity of the commissioning process while maintaining the ability to define specific behaviors.
3Reliability
If comprehensive programming is done during commissioning for all rooms, then complete behavior definition is achieved, but the cost due to needed staff qualification increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables self-service commissioning where the automated reference copy replication process performs the programming work without requiring highly qualified staff for each room. The binding process automatically associates virtual devices with physical devices using pre-configured reference copies, reducing dependency on expensive specialized commissioning personnel while maintaining complete behavior definitions.
4Adaptability or versatility
If detailed behavior programming is performed for each redundant section, then specific control logic can be implemented, but the process becomes cumbersome and troublesome
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses reference copies to replicate detailed behavior control logic across redundant sections without requiring manual programming for each section. The virtual devices in the reference copy contain complete control logic that is automatically instantiated across multiple rooms, maintaining full adaptability while eliminating the cumbersome nature of individual programming.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
The commissioning of a smart building technology system is implemented with the use of a binding table in a relational database to bind one or more sections of virtual devices representing, e.g., lights, sensors, actuators and room controls, to the network addresses of physical devices. Plans for redundant sections in large building are created in terms of virtual devices and logical functions (such as programmed groups of devices, scenes and recipes) without direct binding to physical devices. Software creates reference copies of the plan for redundant sections the building, through use of a binding table, and attaches the reference copy to the location of the respective section on a master layout of the building. The plan modeled with virtual devices can be edited or reprogrammed across all reference copies, even after binding to physical devices and commissioning is completed.