Systems and methods for providing augmented reality-like interface for the management and maintenance of building systems

• US 10,379,551 B2
• Filed: 06/06/2017
• Issued: 08/13/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 07/10/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Crowdcomfort, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Crowdcomfort, Inc.
• Inventors: Daoud, Abdullah, Graham, B. Eric, Nelson, Galen C., Fuentes, Chris, Loos, Kevin, McAulay, Jeff
• Primary Examiner(s): Elamin, Abdelmoniem I
• Application Number:
  US15/615,249
• Publication Number:
  US 20170269617A1
• Time in Patent Office: 798 Days
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/30 for purposes related to the operation of the system, e.g. for safety or monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/52 Indication arrangements, e.g. displays
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/58 using Internet communication
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/048 Monitoring; Safety
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2614 HVAC, heating, ventillation, climate control
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1917 using digital means
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1927 using a plurality of sensors G05D23/1902, G05D23/1917, and G05D23/1919 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/002 Specific input/output arrangements not covered by G06F3/01 - G06F3/16 other optical apparatus G02B27/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/011 Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality blind teaching G09B21/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling

Abstract

The present invention relates to systems and methods for improved building systems management and maintenance. The present invention provides a system for providing an augmented reality-like interface for the management and maintenance of building systems, specifically the mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP) systems within a building, including the heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems.

Claims

1. A system for providing an augmented reality-like interface for the management and maintenance over building automation system components, the system comprising:

one or more mobile devices associated with respective users; and

a central management information system configured to communicate and exchange data with one or more mobile devices over a network, the central management information system comprising a hardware processor coupled to non-transitory, computer-readable memory containing instructions executable by the processor to cause the central management information system to;

provide a web-based platform having an interface with which an authorized user can interact, via a mobile device associated with the authorized user, for the management and maintenance over building automation system components;

receive, from the mobile device associated with the authorized user, a scanning event comprising data associated with at least one unique identifier comprising a digital representation of a machine-readable label;

receive, via a data and collection module, crowdsourced data based on the scanning event, the crowdsourced data related to at least one of comfort and maintenance issues within a given space of a building as provided by one or more patrons within the given space via respective mobile devices, wherein crowdsourced data related to comfort comprises the one or more patrons'"'"' ratings of their perceived comfort within the given space of the building and the crowdsourced data related to maintenance issues comprises at least one maintenance-related request from the one or more patrons within the given space of the building;

receive, via the data and collection module, building automation system data based on the scanning event, the building automation system data comprising information associated with one or more pieces of equipment;

correlate, via a correlation module, the crowdsourced data with the building automation system data; and

generate and output an augmented reality-like interface to the mobile device of the authorized user based on the correlation of the crowdsourced data with the building automation system data, wherein the interface comprises one or more visual renderings of equipment information associated with at least one of equipment schematics, equipment diagnostics, and equipment maintenance.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the machine-readable label is associated with the one or more pieces of equipment and/or a room or space in which the one or more pieces of equipment are located or associated with.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the machine-readable label is physically affixed to the one or more pieces of equipment or a wall on the room or space.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the machine-readable label is selected from the group consisting of text, graphics, an image, a linear barcode, a matrix barcode, and a combination thereof.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more pieces of equipment are associated with at least one of mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems of a building.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the one or more pieces of equipment are associated with a heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) system.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the augmented reality-like interface is configured to allow for user interaction with the visual rendering by way of user input on the mobile device.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the interface allows for the authorized user to control one or more parameters of a piece of equipment.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the building automation system data comprises information associated with the one or more pieces of equipment selected from the group consisting of equipment specifications, operating parameters of the equipment, equipment diagnostics, and maintenance status of the equipment.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the building automation system data further comprises one or more visual renderings of the equipment comprising at least one of still images and moving images.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the augmented reality-like interface comprises a visual illustration of the equipment, the visual illustration depicting at least one of internal components of the equipment and real-time diagnostics of the equipment while in operation.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the augmented reality-like interface is configured to allow for user interaction with the visual rendering by way of user input on the mobile device.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the interface allows for the authorized user to control one or more parameters of a piece of equipment.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein, in response to input from the authorized user, the central management information system is configured generate a control signal and further transmit the control signal to the piece of equipment to cause adjustment of operation of the piece of equipment to result in the adjustment to the air temperature within the given space of the building based, at least in part, on the crowdsourced data related to comfort.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more mobile devices are selected from the group consisting of a tablet computer, a laptop computer, a notebook computer, a mobile computing device, a smart phone, and a cellular telephone.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein the network is selected from the group consisting of Wi-Fi wireless data communication technology, the internet, private networks, virtual private networks (VPN), public switch telephone networks (PSTN), integrated services digital networks (ISDN), digital subscriber link networks (DSL), various second generation (2G), third generation (3G), fourth generation (4G) cellular-based data communication technologies, Bluetooth radio, and Near Field Communication (NFC).