Building system with reduced wiring requirements and apparatus for use therein

• US 20040008651A1
• Filed: 01/28/2003
• Published: 01/15/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ollnova Technologies Limited (Atlantic IP Services Limited)
• Original Assignee: Siemens Industry Incorporated (Siemens AG)
• Inventors: Ahmed, Osman
• Granted Patent: US 8,131,399 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/338
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2642 Domotique, domestic, home control, automation, smart house
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange

Abstract

A controller arrangement for a building system includes a sensor module, an actuator module, and a controller. The sensor module comprises a wireless communication device and a microelectromechanical sensor device operable to generate a process value and a wireless communication device. The actuator module comprises an actuation element and a wireless communication device. The controller is operable to obtain the process value from the sensor module and provide a control output to the actuator module, the controller further operable to communicate with at least one of the sensor module and the actuator module using a wireless communication device. The controller is also connected to receive a set point value, and is operable to generate the control output based on the process value and the set point value.

Claims

1. A controller arrangement for a building system, the arrangement comprising:

a sensor module comprising a wireless communication device and a microelectromechanical sensor device operable to generate a process value;

an actuator module comprising an actuation element and a wireless communication device;

a controller operable to obtain the process value from the sensor device and provide a control output to the actuation element, the controller further operable to communicate with at least one of the sensor module and the actuator module using wireless communications, the controller further operably connected to receive a set point value, wherein the controller is operable to generate the control output based on the process value and the set point value.

2. The controller arrangement of claim 1 wherein the sensor module further comprises the controller, and the controller is further operable to provide the control output to the actuator module using wireless communications.

3. The controller arrangement of claim 1 wherein the actuator module further comprises the controller, and the controller is further operable to obtain the process value from the sensor module using wireless communications.

4. The controller arrangement of claim 1 further comprising a communication circuit coupled to the controller, the communication circuit operably coupled to receive the set point value from a remote device.

5. The controller arrangement of claim 4, wherein the communication circuit further comprises a wired data network interface circuit.

6. The controller arrangement of claim 4, wherein the communication circuit further comprises a wireless area network interface circuit.

7. The controller arrangement of claim 1, wherein the sensor module includes a plurality of microelectromechanical sensors, at least one of the plurality of microelectromechanical sensors generating the process variable.

8. The controller arrangement of claim 7, wherein less than all of the plurality of microelectromechanical sensors generate the process variable.

9. The controller arrangement of claim 1, wherein the wireless communication device of the sensor module employs a Bluetooth communication protocol and the wireless communication device of the actuator module employs the Bluetooth communication protocol.

10. A building control system comprising:

a plurality of controller arrangements, each controller arrangement including

a controller operable to generate a control output value based on at least one process value and at least one set point value,

at least one sensor module operable to generate the at least one process value, the at least one sensor module operably connected to the controller,

a first wireless communication interface operably coupled to the controller, the first wireless communication interface configured to communicate information with a remote element of the building control system using a first wireless communication scheme.

11. The building control system of claim 10 wherein the remote element comprises a central controller operable to communicate information with the controllers of each of the plurality of controller arrangements.

12. The building control system of claim 10 wherein the remote element comprises a controller of at least one other controller arrangement.

13. The building control system of claim 10 wherein the at least one sensor module includes a microelectromechanical sensor device.

14. The building control system of claim 10 wherein the at least one sensor module includes a wireless communication interface operable to communicate information with the controller using a second wireless communication scheme.

15. The building control system of claim 10 wherein at least some of the plurality of controller arrangements include an actuator module, the actuator module operably connected to the controller to receive the control output value therefrom, the actuator module operable to cause actuation of an actuation element responsive to the control output value.

16. The building control system of claim 10 wherein each of the actuator module includes a wireless communication interface, and wherein the controller is configured to communicated the control output value to the actuator module using a second wireless communication scheme.

17. The building control system of claim 10 wherein the first wireless communication scheme comprises a wireless area network communication scheme.

18. A method comprising:

effecting wireless communications between at least two elements of a controller arrangement in a building control system using a first wireless communication scheme; and

effecting wireless communications between the between at least to controller arrangements in a building control system using a second wireless communication scheme.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the at least two elements are selected from among a controller operable to generate a control output value based on a process value and a set point value, a sensor module configured to generate the process value, and an actuator module operable to receive the control output value.

20. The method of claim 18 wherein the first wireless communication scheme employs the Bluetooth protocol.

21. The method of claim 21 wherein the second wireless communication scheme employs a wireless area network protocol.

22. An apparatus for use in a building automation system, the apparatus comprising:

a plurality of microelectromechanical sensors disposed on a single substrate;

a non-volatile memory operable to store configuration information, the configuration information corresponding to a first functionality of the apparatus;

a communication device operable to communicate sensor values to an external device; and

a processing device operably coupled to each of the plurality of microelectromechanical sensors to receive measurement information therefrom, the processing device operable to provide the sensor values to the communication circuit, wherein said sensor values correspond to a select subset of the microelectromechanical sensors, the select subset based on the configuration information stored in the non-volatile memory.

23. The apparatus of claim 22 wherein the processing device is disposed on the single substrate.

24. The apparatus of claim 22 further comprising a lithium ion battery affixed to the single substrate, the lithium ion battery operable to provide electrical power to the processing circuit.

25. The apparatus of claim 22 wherein said configuration information includes a unique device identifier.

26. The apparatus of claim 22 wherein the communication device comprises an RF communication device.