BUILDING SYSTEM WITH REDUCED WIRING REQUIREMENTS AND APPARATUS FOR USE THEREIN

• US 20120212352A1
• Filed: 02/03/2012
• Published: 08/23/2012
• 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 8,538,589 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/870.02
• 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

An apparatus for use in a building automation system includes a plurality of microelectromechanical sensors disposed on a single substrate, a non-volatile memory, a communication device, and a processing device. The non-volatile memory stores configuration information corresponding to a first functionality of the apparatus. The communication device is operable to communicate sensor values to an external device. The processing device is 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. The sensor values provided by the processing device correspond to a select subset of less than all of the plurality of microelectromechanical sensors, the select subset based on the configuration information stored in the non-volatile memory.

Claims

1. 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 less than all of the plurality of microelectromechanical sensors, the select subset based on the configuration information stored in the non-volatile memory.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the processing device is disposed on the single substrate.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 further comprising a lithium ion battery affixed to the single substrate, the lithium ion battery operable to provide electrical power to the processing circuit.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said configuration information includes a unique device identifier.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the communication device comprises an RF communication device.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plurality of microelectromechanical sensors includes a temperature sensor, a flow sensor, and a pressure sensor.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the non-volatile memory stores configuration information enabling a temperature sensor functionality, and not a flow sensor or pressure sensor functionality.

8. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the non-volatile memory further stores calibration information regarding at least one of the microelectromechanical sensors.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the processing device is further configured to:

receive the configuration information via the communication circuit; and

store the configuration information in the non-volatile memory.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the processing device is further configured to perform operations in accordance with the configuration information.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processing device is further configured to:

receive the configuration information via the communication circuit; and

store the configuration information in the non-volatile memory.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the processing device is further configured to perform operations in accordance with the configuration information.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the non-volatile memory comprises a programmable non-volatile memory.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the non-volatile memory comprises a flash programmable non-volatile memory.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the non-volatile memory comprises a flash programmable non-volatile memory.

16. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising

a first wireless communication interface operably coupled to the processing device, the first wireless communication interface configured to communicate information with a remote element of the building automation system using a first wireless communication scheme;

and

wherein the communication device comprises an RF communication device, the RF communication device configured to communicate information using a second wireless communication scheme, wherein the second wireless communication scheme is a different type of communication scheme than the first wireless communication scheme.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the first wireless communication interface is configured to communicate information with the remote element of the building automation system via a building level network using the first wireless communication scheme.