Socket-Based BACnet Stack for Cross-Device Integration

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Solution Overview

Problem

Implementing BACnet communication interfaces on different building devices is inefficient and requires device-specific changes, leading to inconsistencies and computational bottlenecks due to the lack of uniformity between device implementations.

Innovation Solution

A cross-platform BACnet component using socket-based application programming interfaces (APIs) with load balancing queues, enabling multithreaded code and improving memory safety, computational efficiency, and cross-device compatibility.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If custom device-specific BACnet implementations are used, then each device can interface its network hardware properly, but implementation efficiency decreases and inconsistencies arise between different device implementations

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedevice compatibilityVSAvoidimplementation efficiency

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements a universal BACnet stack that can serve multiple device types through a common architecture. The socket-based API layer provides a standardized interface that works across different building devices, eliminating the need for custom implementations while maintaining proper BACnet protocol compliance through shared code paths and data structures.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The BACnet implementation is segmented into distinct layers: a protocol layer handling BACnet-specific operations and a socket-based API layer providing device-agnostic access. This segmentation allows the protocol layer to maintain BACnet compliance while the API layer provides universal access, improving implementation efficiency through code reuse.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

2Adaptability or versatility

If custom BACnet implementations are deployed on each device, then device-specific network hardware can be interfaced, but system uniformity and consistency are compromised

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvehardware interface capabilityVSAvoidsystem uniformity

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The socket-based API acts as an intermediary layer between device-specific hardware interfaces and the standardized BACnet protocol implementation. This mediator provides a uniform interface that abstracts hardware differences, ensuring system consistency while maintaining the ability to interface various network hardware types through standardized socket operations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Reliability

If device-specific BACnet code is used, then proper hardware interfacing is achieved, but computational bottlenecks occur due to lack of optimization opportunities

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvehardware communication reliabilityVSAvoidcode complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges common BACnet functionality into a shared stack that multiple devices can utilize. By combining device-specific hardware interfacing code with a common BACnet protocol implementation, the system reduces overall code complexity while maintaining reliable hardware communication through standardized interfaces and shared error handling mechanisms.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Data Source

PatentUS20250321552A1Modular and flexible bacnet integration stack using socket-based application programming interface

Publication Date: 2025.10.16 TYCO FIRE & SECURITY GMBH

AI summary

Systems and methods for implementing building automation and control network (BACnet) stacks having socket-based application programming interfaces (APIs) are disclosed. A system can implement a BACnet component. The BACnet component can provide socket-based API configured to receive commands for accessing at least one BACnet system. The BACnet component can receive, via the socket-based API, a first command to be communicated via a BACnet protocol. The BACnet component can convert the first command to a BACnet instruction. The BACnet component can transmit the BACnet instruction using the BACnet protocol to the BACnet system.