Building network device for generating communication models for connecting building devices to a network

• US 10,724,756 B2
• Filed: 04/25/2018
• Issued: 07/28/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tyco Fire & Security GmbH (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Original Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Inventors: Gavin, Gary W., Ramirez-Garcia, Gladys Belen, Irek, Wesley J., Schubert, Shawn D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Jacobs, Lashonda T
• Application Number:
  US15/962,239
• Publication Number:
  US 20180313564A1
• Time in Patent Office: 825 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 11/50 characterised by user interfaces or communication
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/56 Remote control
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/63 Electronic processing
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 13/04 involving the use of models or simulators
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2614 HVAC, heating, ventillation, climate control
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/02 manually operated with input through keyboard and computation using a built-in program, e.g. pocket calculators
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/76 Architectures of general purpose stored program computers with program plugboard G06F15/08; multicomputers G06F15/16
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0886 Fully automatic configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/08 specially adapted for terminal emulation, e.g. Telnet
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/08 Protocols for interworking; Protocol conversion

Abstract

A system for connecting a building device to a server includes a building network device including a processing circuit configured to receive one or more point identifier values from the building device via a building network. Each of the one or more point identifier values identifies a data point of the building device. The processing circuit is configured to receive one or more rules for generating a communication model for the building device from one or more memory devices. The processing circuit is configured to generate the communication model for the building device based on the received one or more point identifier values and the received one or more rules, receive, via the building network, data for the data points from the building device, and send, via the second network, the received data for the data points to corresponding data points on the server based on the communication model.

Claims

1. A system for connecting a building device to a server, the system comprising:

a building network device comprising a processing circuit configured to;

receive one or more point identifier values from the building device via a building network, wherein each of the one or more point identifier values identifies a data point of the building device;

receive one or more rules for generating a communication model for the building device from one or more memory devices;

generate the communication model for the building device based on the received one or more point identifier values and the received one or more rules, wherein the communication model maps the data points of the building device to corresponding data points of the server;

receive, via the building network, data for the data points from the building device; and

send, via a second network, the received data for the data points to the corresponding data points on the server based on the communication model.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the building network device comprises the one or more memory devices, wherein the one or more memory devices are configured to store the one or more rules for generating the communication model.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more rules comprise one or more identifier patterns that associate particular patterns of the one or more point identifier values with particular communication models, wherein the processing circuit is configured to generate the communication model for the building device by:

performing pattern matching with the one or more identifier values and the one or more identifier patterns of the one or more rules;

determining, based on the pattern matching, that the one or more identifier values match a particular identifier pattern of the one or more identifier patterns, wherein the particular identifier pattern is associated with a particular communication model; and

generating the communication model based on the particular communication model.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the processing circuit of the building network device is configured to generate the communication model for the building device by:

determining an identity of the building device based on the one or more point identifier values and the one or more rules; and

retrieving the communication model for the building device from the server based on the identity of the building device.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the processing circuit of the building network device is configured to:

receive, from the building device via the building network, metadata identifying the building device;

determine whether the metadata identifying the building device identifies a recognized building device;

generate the communication model based on the metadata identifying the building device in response to a determination that the metadata identifies the recognized building device; and

generate the communication model for the building device based on the received one or more point identifier values and the received one or more rules in response to a determination that the metadata does not identify the recognized building device.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the processing circuit of the building network device is configured to:

receive, via the building network, a plurality of point identifiers for a system of building devices comprising a plurality of building devices;

generate a system communication model for the system of building devices based on the received one or more rules;

receive, from the plurality of building devices via the building network, data for data points of the system of building devices; and

send, via the second network, the received data for the data points of the system of building devices to corresponding points of the system of building devices on the server based on the system communication model.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the server comprises the one or more memory devices, wherein the processing circuit of the building network device is configured to receive the one or more rules for generating the communication model for the building device from the one or more memory devices by receiving, via the second network, the one or more rules from the one or more memory devices of the server.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more rules from the one or more memory devices comprise one or more developer defined rules and one or more custom rules generated based on user feedback.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the building device is a heating or cooling device configured to control an environmental condition of a building based on the data of the data points.

10. The system of claim 1, further comprising the server, wherein the server comprises a processing circuit configured to:

receive a plurality of communication models, each communication model for one type of building device, wherein each communication model is generated, at least in part, based on user input; and

generate a custom rule for the one type of building device based on the plurality of communication models, wherein the custom rule comprises a custom point identifier pattern.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the processing circuit of the building network device is configured to:

receive, via the building network, one or more second point identifier values for a second building device, wherein the second building device is the one type of building device;

receive the custom rule for the one type of building device from the server; and

generate a second communication rule based on the custom rule and the received one or more second point identifier values.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the processing circuit of the building network device is configured to:

cause a user device to display an interface comprising a description of the communication model;

receive user modifications to the communication model from the user device;

generate an updated communication model based on the received user modifications and the communication model; and

send, via the second network, the received data for the data points to the corresponding points on the server based on the updated communication model.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the description comprises an identification of a plurality of point names and a suggested point identifier value of the one or more point identifier values for each of the point names.

14. A building network device for connecting a building device to a server, the building network device comprising a processing circuit configured to:

receive one or more point identifier values from the building device via a building network, wherein each of the one or more point identifier values identifies a data point of the building device;

receive one or more rules for generating a communication model for the building device from one or more memory devices;

generate the communication model for the building device based on the received one or more point identifier values and the received one or more rules, wherein the communication model maps the data points of the building device to corresponding data points of the server;

receive, via the building network, data for the data points from the building device; and

send, via a second network, the received data for the data points to the corresponding data points on the server based on the communication model.

15. The building network device of claim 14, wherein the one or more rules comprise one or more identifier patterns that associate particular patterns of the one or more point identifier values with particular communication models, wherein the processing circuit is configured to generate the communication model for the building device by:

performing pattern matching with the one or more identifier values and the one or more identifier patterns of the one or more rules;

determining, based on the pattern matching, that the one or more identifier values match a particular identifier pattern of the one or more identifier patterns, wherein the particular identifier pattern is associated with a particular communication model; and

generating the communication model based on the particular communication model.

16. The building network device of claim 14, wherein the processing circuit of the building network device is configured to:

receive, from the building device via the building network, metadata identifying the building device;

determine whether the metadata identifying the building device identifies a recognized building device;

generate the communication model based on the metadata identifying the building device in response to a determination that the metadata identifies the recognized building device; and

generate the communication model for the building device based on the received one or more point identifier values and the received one or more rules in response to a determination that the metadata does not identify the recognized building device.

17. The building network device of claim 14, wherein the processing circuit of the building network device is configured to:

cause a user device to display an interface comprising a description of the communication model, wherein the description comprises a identification of a plurality of point names and a suggested point identifier value of the one or more point identifier values for each of the point names;

receive user modifications to the communication model from the user device;

generate an updated communication model based on the received user modifications and the communication model; and

send, via the second network, the received data points to the corresponding points on the server based on the updated communication model.

18. A method for connecting a building device to a server by a building network device, the method comprising:

receiving, by the building network device, one or more point identifier values from the building device via a building network, wherein each of the one or more point identifier values identifies a data point of the building device, wherein the building network device is connected to the building device via a device interface of the building network device and connected to the server via a network interface of the building network device;

receiving, by the building network device, one or more rules for generating a communication model for the building device from one or more memory devices;

generating, by the building network device, the communication model for the building device based on the received one or more point identifier values and the received one or more rules, wherein the communication model maps the data points of the building device to corresponding data points of the server, wherein generating, by the building network device, the communication model for the building device comprises;

performing pattern matching with the one or more identifier values and one or more identifier patterns of the one or more rules;

determining, based on the pattern matching, that the one or more identifier values match a particular identifier pattern of the one or more identifier patterns, wherein the particular identifier pattern is associated with a particular communication model; and

generating the communication model based on the particular communication model;

receiving, by the building network device via the building network, data for the data points from the building device; and

sending, by the building network device via a second network, the received data for the data points to the corresponding data points on the server based on the communication model.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

causing, by the building network device, a user device to display an interface comprising a description of the communication model, wherein the description comprises a identification of a plurality of point names and a suggested point identifier value of the one or more point identifier values for each of the point names;

receiving, by the building network device, user modifications to the communication model from the user device;

generating, by the building network device, an updated communication model based on the received user modifications and the communication model; and

sending, by the building network device via the second network, the received data for the data points to the corresponding points on the server based on the updated communication model.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

receiving, by the server, a plurality of communication models, each communication model for one type of building device, wherein each communication model is generated, at least in part, based on user input;

generating, by the server, a custom rule for the one type of building device based on the plurality of communication models, wherein the custom rule comprises a custom point identifier pattern;

receiving, by the building network device via the building network, one or more second point identifier values for a second building device, wherein the second building device is the one type of building device;

receiving, by the building network device, the custom rule for the one type of building device from the server; and

generating, by the building network device, a second communication rule based on the custom rule and the received one or more second point identifier values.