Parameter standardization

• US 10,423,900 B2
• Filed: 05/23/2008
• Issued: 09/24/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tutenlabs Incorporated
• Original Assignee: ENGIE Insight Services, Inc. (ENGIE SA)
• Inventors: Chambers, Gregory L., Van Meter, Kenneth
• Primary Examiner(s): Jasmin, Lynda
• Assistant Examiner(s): Evans, Kimberly L
• Application Number:
  US12/126,556
• Publication Number:
  US 20090132091A1
• Time in Patent Office: 4,141 Days
• Field of Search: 705 101, 705 11, 705412, 700276, 713320, 702 62
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 4/004 Remote reading of utility meters to a fixed location
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 13/00 Adaptive control systems, i.e. systems automatically adjusting themselves to have a performance which is optimum according to some preassigned criterion G05B19/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/32 Means for saving power
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/06 Energy or water supply
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/1441 Countermeasures against malicious traffic countermeasures against attacks on cryptographic mechanisms H04L9/002

Abstract

Included are embodiments for parameter standardization. At least one embodiment of a system includes a first determining component configured to determine at least one business rule associated with at least one environment and a second determining component configured to determine settings for a plurality of assets associated with the at least one environment to enforce the determined at least one business rule. Some embodiments include a sending component configured to send a signal to the plurality of assets to implement the business rule.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

providing a graphical user interface via a display device, the graphical user interface being operative to display a plurality of selections, a first of the selections being associated with a first business rule, a second of the selections being associated with a second business rule;

automatically monitoring;

an environmental parameter of a first environment; and

at least one operational parameter of equipment associated with the first environment, the operational parameter being based at least in part on energy consumption of the equipment;

receiving, via a communication network, information corresponding to a user selection at the user interface, the user selection corresponding to the first business rule;

automatically determining operating settings for the equipment, via computer processor-executed instructions, based at least in part on, the information received and the at least one operational parameter, the equipment being operative to alter the environmental parameter; and

automatically instructing, via the communication network, the equipment to implement the first business rule by operating at the settings being determined;

wherein, responsive to receiving the information corresponding to a user selection corresponding to the second business rule, the equipment is automatically instructed, via the communication network, to alter the operating settings to implement the second business rule.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising logging, in a non-transitory computer readable medium, at least one value associated with the operating settings.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the equipment includes at least one heating ventilation air conditioning (HVAC) unit.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the operating settings include at least one of the following:

temperature settings and humidity settings.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein automatically determining operating settings includes utilizing regression predictor response mathematics.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first business rule corresponds to cost based operating settings and the second business rule corresponds to temperature based operating settings.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the automatically monitoring, the receiving, the automatically determining, and the automatically instructing steps are performed remote from the first environment.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

automatically monitoring environmental parameters corresponding to multiple environments and operational parameters of equipment associated with the multiple environments;

automatically determining operating settings for the equipment associated with the multiple environments, via computer processor-executed instructions; and

automatically instructing, via the communication network, the equipment to implement the first business rule by operating at the settings determined at the multiple environments.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the first business rule corresponds to a user selected strategy for operating the equipment.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

automatically tracking performance of the equipment; and

preparing a scorecard describing, at least in part, the equipment performance.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising automatically executing a watchdog routine, wherein the watchdog routine alters, without regard to the user selection at the user interface, the operating settings of the equipment from service settings to normal operating settings.

12. A control system, comprising:

a user interface configured to receive a user input representing selection of a business rule as a selected business rule from a plurality of business rules represented by the user interface, the plurality of business rules including at least a first business rule and a second business rule;

a determining component configured to determine settings for a first asset of a first environment communicating according to a first protocol and settings for a second asset of a second environment communicating according to a second protocol, the settings being based at least in part on a plurality of monitored parameters of the first environment and the second environment relating to environmental conditions such that the settings enforce the selected business rule from among the plurality of business rules; and

a sending component configured to send a signal to the first asset and the second asset to implement the selected business rule;

wherein, responsive to the user input representing the selection of the first business rule as the selected business rule, the determining component determines settings for the first asset and the second asset to enforce the first business rule and, responsive to the user input corresponding to the second business rule as the selected business rule, the determining component determines settings for the first asset and the second asset to enforce the second business rule.

13. The control system of claim 12, further comprising a communicating component configured to communicate with a remote system, the remote system being operative to determine the settings of the first asset and the second asset, based at least in part on whether the control system is operating properly.

14. The control system of claim 13, wherein the remote system is operative to provide failover protection for the control system.

15. The control system of claim 12, further comprising a logging component configured to log at least one value associated with the determined settings.

16. The control system of claim 12, further comprising a monitoring component configured to monitor the first asset and the second asset for compliance with the business rule selected at the user interface.

17. The control system of claim 12, wherein the control system is implemented as a non-transitory computer readable medium comprising the determining component.

18. The control system of claim 12, wherein the first business rule corresponds to cost based settings and the second business rule corresponds to temperature based settings.

19. The control system of claim 12, wherein:

the determining component is configured to determine settings for each of a plurality of assets including the first asset and the second asset, the respective settings being based at least in part on a corresponding monitored parameter of an environment associated with each of the assets such that the settings enforce the business rule selected from among the plurality of business rules; and

the sending component is configured to send a corresponding signal to each of the assets to implement the business rule.

20. The control system of claim 12, further comprising a communication component configured to communicate with a remote system, the remote system being operative to:

receive data from the assets, the data relating to the monitored parameters and the settings; and

schedule a technician visit based at least in part on the data being received.

24. The control system of claim 12, further comprising means for communicating with a remote system, the remote system comprising:

means for monitoring a plurality of parameters of the first environment and the second environment;

means for determining the settings for the first asset and the second asset; and

means for sending a signal to the first asset and the second asset to implement the selected business rule.

21. A control system, comprising:

means for providing a user interface configured to receive a user input indicating selection of a business rule as a selected business rule from a plurality of business rules represented by the user interface, the plurality of business rules including at least a first business rule and a second business rule;

means for determining settings for a first asset and a second asset, the settings being based at least in part on a plurality of monitored parameters of a first environment and a second environment respectively associated with the first asset and the second asset such that the settings enforce the selected business rule from among the plurality of business rules;

in the event the first environment and the second environment are located within a building, means for sending a signal to the plurality of assets to implement the selected business rule such that the first asset and the second asset operate to implement the selected business rule within the building; and

in the event the first environment is located within a building and the second environment is located other than within the building, means for sending a signal to the plurality of assets to implement the selected business rule such that the first asset and the second asset operate to implement the selected business rule within the building and the other than within the building, respectively.

22. The control system of claim 21, further comprising means for communicating with a remote system, wherein the remote system is operative to provide failover protection for the control system.

23. The control system of claim 21, further comprising means for monitoring the first asset and the second asset for compliance with the business rule selected at the user interface.