Systems and methods for managing object configurations within a structure
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional building management systems are limited in their ability to monitor and manage large groups of building occupants to minimize close contact and impede virus or other transmissions, as they primarily focus on human characteristics and mobile locations, lacking comprehensive guidance based on building characteristics and air flow patterns.
Innovation Solution
A system and method that identifies contaminant risk locations within a building space by determining air flow patterns using HVAC units, providing guidance on safe object positioning and configuration to minimize exposure to airborne pathogens, including the use of air flow simulations and recommendations for furniture arrangement and ventilation system modulation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional building management systems monitor only human characteristics and mobile locations, then the system complexity remains low, but the system cannot effectively minimize close contact and impede virus transmissions
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the building space into multiple zones based on air flow patterns and contaminant risk levels. By dividing the monitoring and control functions into zone-specific segments, the system can effectively manage virus transmission risks without requiring complete system redesign, thus improving reliability while controlling complexity growth
Solution Approach 2:
The system introduces air flow simulation and contaminant risk assessment as intermediary layers between occupants and the building management system. These intermediaries translate complex environmental factors into actionable guidance, enhancing the system's ability to prevent transmission without directly increasing operational complexity
2Reliability
If the system provides comprehensive guidance based on building characteristics and air flow patterns, then the effectiveness in preventing transmission improves, but the measurement and detection difficulty increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary air flow simulations and contaminant risk assessments before occupants enter or move through building spaces. By pre-calculating safe and high-risk areas based on HVAC patterns and building characteristics, the system provides advance guidance without requiring real-time detection of actual contaminants, thus improving prevention effectiveness while avoiding the technical challenges of direct contaminant measurement
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates virtual models and simulations of air flow patterns and contaminant dispersion as copies of the physical building environment. These digital twins allow the system to analyze and provide guidance on contaminant risk without requiring direct physical measurement of contaminants, thereby improving transmission prevention while avoiding the complexity of direct detection
3Object-affected harmful factors
If the system dynamically adjusts air flow and furniture placement, then the protection against airborne pathogens improves, but the ease of operation decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The system provides self-service by automatically generating and updating safe area guidance based on real-time HVAC operation and occupancy data. Rather than requiring manual configuration of furniture or complex user adjustments, the system autonomously calculates and communicates safe pathways and zones, reducing pathogen exposure while maintaining ease of operation through automated decision-making
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements dynamic guidance that automatically adapts to changing conditions such as HVAC adjustments, occupancy patterns, and air flow variations. By making the guidance system itself dynamic and adaptive rather than static, the system can respond to environmental changes in real-time, improving protection against pathogens while maintaining ease of operation through automated adaptation
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Effectively guides building operators and occupants to safely navigate the space by identifying and configuring safe areas based on building characteristics, reducing the risk of airborne virus transmission and cross-contamination through dynamic adjustments of air flow and furniture placement.
Implementation Method 1
The HVAC unit is connected to the building space and provides air flow within the building space via the ventilation inlet and the ventilation outlet
Implementation Method 2
The management device determines the air flow within the building space associated with the HVAC unit based on incoming air flow streams at the ventilation inlet into the building space and outgoing air flow streams at the ventilation outlet away from the building space
Data Source
AI summary
There are disclosed systems and methods for managing object configurations within a structure. For one embodiment, a fixed object profile including dimensions and locations of ventilation of a building space and a non-fixed object profile including dimensions and a location of a non-fixed object are identified. One or more contaminant risk locations of the building space are determined in response to determining the air flow within the building space associated with an HVAC unit. The air flow is determined based on incoming air flow streams to the building space and outgoing air flow streams away from the building space. One or more object positions are provided at an output device based on the contaminant risk location(s). For another embodiment, the contaminant risk location(s) are selected from possible people locations. A person position is displayed at an output device, in proximity to the building space, based on the contaminant risk location(s).