Method and apparatus for graphical display of a condition in a building system with a mobile display unit

• US 20050275525A1
• Filed: 08/19/2005
• Published: 12/15/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/25/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Siemens Industry Incorporated (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Siemens Building Technologies Incorporated (Siemens AG)
• Inventors: Ahmed, Osman
• Granted Patent: US 7,548,833 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/524
• 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 11/54 using one central controller connected to several sub-controllers
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/58 using Internet communication
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/64 using pre-stored data

Abstract

A method and apparatus uses a stored model of a building system to render an image showing a condition sensed of the building control system on a mobile display unit. The mobile display unit may be wirelessly integrated into the building control system. The mobile display unit may operate based upon voice commands and/or eye tracking.

Claims

1. A building control system comprising:

a building control network;

a computer and a computer program executed by the computer, wherein the computer program comprises computer instructions for

obtaining first data indicative of a condition sensed by the building control system,

obtaining second data indicative of the location of the sensed condition, and

associating the location of the sensed condition with a virtual location of a three dimensional model of a portion of a building wherein the condition was sensed; and

a mobile display unit operably connectable to the computer through the building control network for rendering a three dimensional image indicative of the sensed condition at the associated virtual location of the model with a viewpoint.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the viewpoint is a function of the location of a user of the mobile display unit.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the mobile display unit is integrated into a network proximate the location of the sensed condition.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the network is a wireless network and the mobile display unit is wirelessly integrated into the network.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the mobile display unit is a hands-free mobile display unit.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein the mobile display unit operates based upon voice commands.

7. The system of claim 4, wherein the mobile display unit operates based upon eye tracking.

8. The system of claim 4, wherein the network comprises a plurality of wirelessly integrated micro electromechanical system modules.

9. A method of graphically rendering a graphical representation of a condition sensed by a building control system comprising:

storing a three dimensional model of at least a portion of a building in a memory of a computer;

obtaining first data indicative of the condition sensed by the building control system;

obtaining second data indicative of the location of the sensed condition;

associating the location of the sensed condition with a virtual location of the stored model; and

rendering a first image indicative of the sensed condition at the associated virtual location of the model on a mobile display unit with a first viewpoint.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein rendering comprises

rendering a first three-dimensional image indicative of the sensed condition at the associated virtual location of the model on the mobile display unit with a first viewpoint.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

rendering a second three dimensional image indicative of the sensed condition at the associated virtual location of the model with a second viewpoint in response to user input.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

transmitting data representative of the first image to the mobile display unit using a wireless transmitter.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein transmitting comprises:

transmitting the data representative of the first image to the mobile display unit using a short-range wireless transmitter.

14. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

rendering a second image with a level different than the level of the first viewpoint.

15. A method of rendering a graphical representation of a condition in a building system comprising:

obtaining data indicative of the condition;

sending the data to a mobile display unit with access to a stored model of the building system;

associating the location of the condition with a virtual location of the model; and

rendering an image indicative of the obtained data at the associated virtual location of the condition in the model with the mobile display unit.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the sending of data comprises:

sending the data to the mobile display unit through a short range transmitter.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the condition is a temperature profile within a space and rendering comprises:

rendering a three dimensional image indicative of the temperature profile within the space.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the sending of data comprises:

sending the data to the mobile display unit based upon eye tracking of the user of the mobile display unit.

19. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

integrating the mobile display unit into a network proximate the location of the condition.

20. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

obtaining historical data related to the condition; and

rendering an image indicative of the historical data with the mobile display unit.