Arrangement for the Propagation of Alarm Information in a Building Automation System that Includes One or More Applications that Access Building System Data via a Monitoring and Control System

• US 20100073159A1
• Filed: 09/25/2009
• Published: 03/25/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Siemens Schweiz AG (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Siemens Building Technologies Incorporated (Siemens AG)
• Inventors: Rhodes, Neil, Schmickley, Michael J., Brandt, Steven, Doran, Patrick, Bigoloni, Maurizio
• Granted Patent: US 8,193,917 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/517
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/042 using digital processors G05B19/05 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/25011 Domotique, I-O bus, home automation, building automation
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31434 Zone supervisor, collects error signals from, and diagnoses different zone

Abstract

A method includes accessing building automation data comprising a plurality of data objects, each data object corresponding to a device in a building automation system, the data objects interrelated in a first hierarchy. The method also includes receiving an event condition indication from a first device in the building automation system, and storing an indication of the event condition in a first data object corresponding to the first device. The method also includes propagating an indication of the event condition to upstream objects in the first hierarchy

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

a) accessing building automation data comprising a plurality of data objects, each data object corresponding to a device in a building automation system, the data objects interrelated in a first hierarchy;

b) receiving an event condition indication from a first device in the building automation system;

c) storing an indication of the event condition in a first data object corresponding to the first device;

d) propagating an indication of the event condition to upstream objects in the first hierarchy.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein step d) further comprises storing an indication of the event condition in the upstream objects.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein step d) further comprises:

i) employing a hierarchy service to determine the upstream objects for the first object;

ii) storing information relating to the event condition in data records for each of the upstream objects.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein step d) further comprises:

modifying a value of an alarm property in each of the upstream objects to include information identifying the first data object.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the data objects are further interrelated in a second hierarchy, and further comprising propagating an indication of the event condition to upstream objects in the second hierarchy.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

e) receiving from an application a request for event information for an upstream node corresponding to a first upstream object of the upstream objects;

f) obtaining information regarding the event condition from the first upstream object using the propagated event condition indication; and

g) displaying information relating to the event condition indication.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

e) receiving from an application a request for event information for an upstream node corresponding to a first upstream object of the upstream objects;

f) obtaining information regarding the event condition from the first upstream object using the propagated event condition indication;

g) evaluating user authorization information and information regarding the event condition;

h) displaying information relating to the alarm condition indication based on the evaluation of step g).

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first device is at least one selected from a group consisting of:

a sensor, a controller, an actuator, a pull station, a heat sensors, a motion sensor, and a smoke sensor.

9. An arrangement for use in a building automation system, comprising:

a) a plurality of building automation devices, including at least one sensor, and at least one controller;

b) a processing arrangement operably coupled to receive an event condition indication from a first device of the plurality of building automation devices, the processing arrangement configured to;

access building automation data comprising a plurality of data objects, each data object corresponding to a device in a building automation system, the data objects interrelated in a first hierarchy;

store an indication of the event condition in a first data object corresponding to the first device;

propagate an indication of the alarm condition to upstream objects in the first hierarchy.

10. The arrangement of claim 9, wherein the processing arrangement is further configured to

receive from an application a request for event information for an upstream node corresponding to a first upstream object of the upstream objects;

obtain information regarding the event condition from the first upstream object using the propagated event condition indication; and

provide to the application information relating to the event condition indication.

11. The arrangement of claim 10, further comprising a second processing arrangement configured to execute the application and further comprising a display configured to display the information relating to the event condition.