Building management system with mode-based control of spaces and places

• US 10,295,964 B2
• Filed: 11/09/2018
• Issued: 05/21/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/13/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Original Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Inventors: Ray, Beth A., Meyer, Sheri L., Dorneanu, Radu M., Cebasek, Gregory B., Gottschalk, Donald A., Ellerman, Rachel D. M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hartman, Jr., Ronald D
• Application Number:
  US16/186,230
• Publication Number:
  US 20190079471A1
• Time in Patent Office: 193 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 13/0265 the criterion being a learning criterion
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 13/04 involving the use of models or simulators
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2614 HVAC, heating, ventillation, climate control
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/04 Forecasting or optimisation specially adapted for administrative or management purposes, e.g. linear programming or "cutting stock problem" market predictions or forecasting for commercial activities G06Q30/0202
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/063 Operations research, analysis or management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0886 Fully automatic configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 10/50 Systems or methods supporting the power network operation or management, involving a certain degree of interaction with the load-side end user applications

Abstract

A building management system includes a plurality of devices of building equipment and a control engine configured to, for at least one space of one or more spaces, associate the space with a group of the plurality of devices. The control engine is also configured to select a first space profile of a plurality of space profiles associated with a first type of space. The first space profile includes a plurality of modes each corresponding to a different functional state of the space. The control engine is also configured to select a mode of the plurality of modes of the first space profile, determine a setting of the set of settings of the first space profile based on the selected mode, and control the one or more devices that serve the space in accordance with the settings defined by the first space profile and the selected mode.

Claims

1. A building management system for managing one or more places that include one or more spaces, comprising:

a plurality of devices of building equipment that operate across multiple building equipment domains, each of the plurality of devices serving one or more of the spaces;

a control engine configured to, for at least one space of the one or more spaces;

associate the space with a group of the plurality of devices, the group comprising one or more devices that serve the space;

store a plurality of space profiles for the space, at least two of the plurality of space profiles associated with a different type of space serving a different function, and at least two of the plurality of space profiles comprising a different set of settings for the one or more devices that serve the space;

select a first space profile of the plurality of space profiles associated with a first type of space, the first space profile comprising a plurality of modes each corresponding to a different functional state of the space;

select a mode of the plurality of modes of the first space profile;

determine a setting of the set of settings of the first space profile based on the selected mode; and

control the one or more devices that serve the space in accordance with the settings defined by the first space profile and the selected mode.

2. The building management system of claim 1, wherein the control engine is configured to receive a new mode from a profiles repository database and store the new mode in the first space profile to add the new mode to the plurality of modes of the first space profile.

3. The building management system of claim 1, wherein the modes comprise at least one of:

operating modes relating to operational missions of the space or the place;

job-to-be-done modes relating to tasks to be accomplished in the space or the place;

or

situation modes relating to events in the space or place.

4. The building management system of claim 1, wherein the control engine is configured to generate the mode for the space by combining multiple concurrent modes.

5. The building management system of claim 1, wherein the control engine is configured to select the mode by identifying a prioritized mode from a group of concurrent modes.

6. The building management system of claim 1, wherein the space profile comprises a triggering condition for each mode in the plurality of modes, and wherein the control engine is configured to:

receive a status of the space, a request relating to the space, or an indication of an event relating to the space;

compare the status, request, or indication to the triggering condition for each mode to determine whether the triggering condition is satisfied; and

switch from a previous mode for the space to a new mode for the space in response to a determination that the triggering condition for the new mode is satisfied.

7. The building management system of claim 1, wherein the control engine is configured to select the mode for the space in response to detecting a mode change for a related space or place.

8. The building management system of claim 1, wherein the control engine is configured to:

identify one or more spaces or places related to a first space; and

in response to detecting a change in mode of the first space, generate and transmit a message to the related spaces or places, the message indicating that the mode of the first space has changed.

9. A method for managing one or more places that include one or more spaces, the method comprising:

operating a plurality of devices of building equipment across multiple building equipment domains, each of the plurality of devices serving one or more of the spaces;

for at least one space of the one or more spaces;

associating the space with a group of the plurality of devices, the group comprising one or more devices that serve the space;

storing a plurality of space profiles for the space, at least two of the plurality of space profiles associated with a different type of space serving a different function, and at least two of the plurality of space profiles comprising a different set of settings for the one or more devices that serve the space;

selecting a first space profile of the plurality of space profiles associated with a first type of space, the first space profile comprising a plurality of modes each corresponding to a different functional state of the space;

selecting a mode of the plurality of modes of the first space profile;

determining a setting of the set of settings of the first space profile based on the selected mode; and

controlling the one or more devices that serve the space in accordance with the settings defined by the first space profile and the selected mode.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising receiving a new mode from a profiles repository database and storing the new mode in the first space profile to add the new mode to the plurality of modes of the first space profile.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the modes comprise at least one of:

operating modes relating to operational missions of the space or the place;

job-to-be-done modes relating to tasks to be accomplished in the space or the place;

or

situation modes relating to events in the space or place.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising generating the mode for the space by combining multiple concurrent modes.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein selecting the mode comprises identifying a prioritized mode from a group of concurrent modes.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the space profile comprises a triggering condition for each mode in the plurality of modes, the method further comprising:

receiving a status of the space, a request relating to the space, or an indication of an event relating to the space;

comparing the status, request, or indication to the triggering condition for each mode to determine whether the triggering condition is satisfied; and

switching from a previous mode for the space to a new mode for the space in response to a determination that the triggering condition for the new mode is satisfied.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein selecting the mode for the space is performed in response to detecting a mode change for a related space or place.

16. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

identifying one or more spaces or places related to a first space; and

in response to detecting a change in mode of the first space, generating and transmitting a message to the related spaces or places, the message indicating that the mode of the first space has changed.

17. One or more non-transitory computer readable media containing program instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

operating a plurality of devices of building equipment across multiple building equipment domains, each of the plurality of devices serving one or more of the spaces;

for at least one space of the one or more spaces;

associating the space with a group of the plurality of devices, the group comprising one or more devices that serve the space;

storing a plurality of space profiles for the space, at least two of the plurality of space profiles associated with a different type of space serving a different function, and at least two of the plurality of space profiles comprising a different set of settings for the one or more devices that serve the space;

selecting a first space profile of the plurality of space profiles associated with a first type of space, the first space profile comprising a plurality of modes each corresponding to a different functional state of the space;

selecting a mode of the plurality of modes of the first space profile;

determining a setting of the set of settings of the first space profile based on the selected mode; and

controlling the one or more devices that serve the space in accordance with the settings defined by the first space profile and the selected mode.

18. The non-transitory computer readable media of claim 17, the operations further comprising receiving a new mode from a profiles repository database and storing the new mode in the first space profile to add the new mode to the plurality of modes of the first space profile.

19. The non-transitory computer readable media of claim 17, wherein the modes comprise at least one of:

operating modes relating to operational missions of the space or the place;

job-to-be-done modes relating to tasks to be accomplished in the space or the place;

or

situation modes relating to events in the space or place.

20. The non-transitory computer readable media of claim 17, the operations further comprising generating the mode for the space by combining multiple concurrent modes.