Building management system with space-based and equipment-based notification system
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Solution Overview
Problem
Building management systems (BMS) lack an efficient notification and user interface system that effectively filters and delivers notifications to specific users based on space and equipment criteria, leading to unnecessary alerts and inefficient user management.
Innovation Solution
A BMS with a notification system that uses filters associated with subsets of users, where criteria include space and equipment criteria, to provide targeted notifications and allow administrators to manage user authorizations and equipment access, enabling users to control building equipment through a graphical user interface.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If a notification system sends alerts to all users for all building equipment events, then all users receive complete information about building operations, but users receive unnecessary alerts increasing information overload and reducing operational efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The notification system segments users into different groups based on their roles, responsibilities, and authorization levels. Each user group receives notifications filtered to show only events relevant to their specific duties, eliminating information overload while ensuring complete information delivery to appropriate stakeholders.
Solution Approach 2:
The system applies different notification filtering criteria to different user groups. Administrators receive all system-wide events, facility managers receive events for their specific zones, and operators receive events for their assigned equipment. This localized information delivery optimizes operational efficiency by presenting each user with precisely the information they need.
2Ease of operation
If a BMS uses a simple notification system without filtering, then the system complexity is low, but users cannot efficiently manage specific spaces or equipment
Solution Approach 1:
The system pre-configures filter criteria and user groupings during system setup and user profile creation. Administrators define which users belong to which groups and what types of events each group should receive. This preliminary configuration enables efficient user management without requiring complex real-time decision-making, balancing operational ease with appropriate system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The notification system serves multiple functions: it filters events by space, by equipment type, by user role, and by event severity. A single unified notification mechanism handles diverse filtering requirements through configurable criteria, avoiding the need for separate notification systems for different user needs while maintaining ease of operation.
3Loss of information
If the BMS sends notifications to all users for every equipment event, then all users are kept informed, but the quantity of notifications increases leading to alert fatigue
Solution Approach 1:
The system extracts and removes irrelevant notifications from the general notification stream before delivering to specific users. Based on user profiles and group memberships, the system filters out events that do not pertain to each user's responsibilities, significantly reducing notification volume while preserving all necessary information delivery to appropriate users.
4Measurement precision
If the BMS implements detailed filtering criteria for notifications, then notifications are precisely targeted to relevant users, but the system requires complex filter management
Solution Approach 1:
The system automatically manages filter configurations based on user roles and assignments. When a user is added to a group or assigned to a space, the system automatically updates their notification filters without requiring manual configuration. This self-service approach achieves precise notification targeting while minimizing the complexity of filter management for administrators.
Data Source
AI summary
A building management system (BMS) includes a storage device having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations. The operations include receiving an indication of an event relating to building equipment operable to serve spaces of a building, the indication identifying at least one of a space or a type of equipment associated with the event, determining, based on the indication, that the one or more criteria are satisfied for a first filter of a plurality of filters, each filter of the plurality of filters associated with a subset of users and specifying one or more criteria for satisfying the filter, the one or more criteria comprising at least one of a space criterion or an equipment criterion, and providing a notification of the event to the subset of users associated with the first filter in response to a determination that the one or more criteria are satisfied for the first filter.