Triangulation of position for automated building control components

• US 20060071780A1
• Filed: 09/29/2004
• Published: 04/06/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Siemens Industry Incorporated (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Siemens Building Technologies Incorporated (Siemens AG)
• Inventors: McFarland, Norman R.
• Granted Patent: US 7,378,980 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/539.200
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0289 of multiple transceivers, e.g. in ad hoc networks
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/14 Determining absolute distances from a plurality of spaced points of known location
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/30 Determining absolute distances from a plurality of spaced points of known location
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric

Abstract

In a building environment, coordinate locations for building automation devices is determined. The location may be based on triangulation methods for determining coordinate locations from wireless distance information for the building automation devices. Erroneous determinations for coordinate location are identified and a corrected coordinate location determined according to distance determinations.

Claims

1. A method for locating building automation devices, the method comprising:

(a) determining a distance to at least one reference source for a plurality of building automation devices, the distance being determined using wireless communication between the devices and the source;

(b) determining distances between a plurality of building automation devices, the distances being determined using wireless communication between building automation devices;

(c) determining a coordinate location for each of the plurality of building automation devices according to determined distances; and

(d) storing the coordinate location for each of the plurality of building automation devices in an electronic storage medium.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising mapping the locations with respect to a coordinate system for the building.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the reference source comprises a predetermined coordinate location.

4. The method of claim 3 where the predetermined coordinate location comprises an origin of the coordinate system.

5. The method of claim 4 where the coordinate system comprises a three-dimensional coordinate system for the building.

6. The method of claim 2 wherein the locations are determined according to a determined distance to the reference source for at least one building automation device.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the locations are determined according to determined distances between the plurality of building automation devices.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the locations are determined according to determined distances to the reference source for the plurality of building automation devices.

9. The method of claim 1 where step (c) further comprises triangulating the coordinate position for each of the plurality of building automation devices according to a determined distance to the reference source for at least one building automation device and the determined distance between the plurality of building automation devices.

10. The method of claim 1 where step (c) further comprises triangulating the coordinate position for each of the plurality of building automation devices according to the determined distance to the reference source for the plurality of building automation devices and the determined distance between the plurality of building automation devices.

11. The method of claim 1 where step (a) comprises determining a distance to at least three reference sources for a plurality of building automation devices.

12. The method of claim 1 further comprising correcting an erroneous distance determination for at least one device according to a determined coordinate location for the at least one device.

13. A method for identifying building automation devices, the method comprising:

(a) determining a coordinate location for at least one building automation device, the coordinate location being determined with respect to at least one reference point in wireless communication with the at least one building automation device; and

(b) propagating a coordinate location determination for plurality of building automation devices according to the determined coordinate location for the at least one building automation device.

14. The method of claim 13 where (b) further comprises:

(b1) determining a distance to the at least one building automation device for each of the plurality of building automation devices;

(b2) determining distances between the plurality of building automation devices; and

(b3) triangulating the coordinate location for each of the plurality of building automation devices according to determined distance to the at least one building automation device and the determined distances between the plurality of building automation devices.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising identifying an erroneous coordinate location.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising correcting the erroneous coordinate location.

17. A building automation system, the method comprising:

at least one reference source;

a plurality of building automation devices in communication with the at least one reference source; and

a processor configured to determine a coordinate location for at least one building automation device according to distance information determined using wireless communication between the reference source and the at least one building automation device.

18. The system of claim 17 where the processor is configured to propagate a coordinate location determination for each of the plurality of building automation devices according to determined coordinate locations.

19. A building automation system, comprising:

a plurality of spaced apart building automation devices configured to communicate over a wireless network using a wireless network communication protocol; and

a controller in wireless communication with the plurality of spaced apart building automation devices, the controller configured to determine a coordinate location for at least one of the plurality of spaced apart building automation devices according to distance information for the at least one building automation devices, the coordinate location being determined using triangulation determinations from at least one predetermined reference source.

20. The building automation system of claim 19, where the controller is further configured to determine a coordinate location for the plurality of building automation devices according to distance information for the plurality of building automation devices.