ASSOCIATION OF A PORTABLE SENSOR DEVICE IN A BUILDING MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

• US 20150134085A1
• Filed: 04/18/2013
• Published: 05/14/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/19/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Schneider Electric Buildings Americas Incorporated (Schneider Electric SE)
• Original Assignee: Schneider Electric Buildings LLC (Schneider Electric SE)
• Inventors: Brissman, Jan
• Granted Patent: US 9,952,569 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/66
• 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 11/46 Improving electric energy efficiency or saving
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/56 Remote control
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/63 Electronic processing
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2110/00 Control inputs relating to air properties
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2120/00 Control inputs relating to users or occupants
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2221/12 transportable
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2642 Domotique, domestic, home control, automation, smart house
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1932 to control the temperature of a plurality of spaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

There is provided a building management system and a method for associating a portable sensor device with a stationary control device in such a system. Upon detection of a movement of the portable sensor device, the portable sensor device starts to transmit signals more frequently to the stationary control devices. It is determined that the movement of the portable sensor device has stopped if the signal strength of the transmitted signals received at the stationary control devices is essentially constant during a time window. In response to such a determination, the portable sensor device is associated with the stationary control device having the highest received signal strength and the portable sensor device returns to an energy-saving mode.

Claims

1. A method for associating a portable sensor device with a stationary control device in a building management system comprising a plurality of stationary control devices being connected in a network, and a portable sensor device being associated with one of the stationary control devices, wherein the portable sensor device in a first mode transmits a signal occurring at a first frequency to its associated stationary control device so as to provide its associated stationary control device with sensor data, the method comprising:

detecting a movement of the portable sensor device, whereby the portable sensor device changes from the first mode to a second mode in which the portable sensor device transmits a signal occurring at a second frequency being larger than the first frequency;

receiving the signal transmitted by the portable sensor device occurring at the second frequency by at least one of the stationary control devices, wherein the received signal at each of the receiving stationary control devices is associated with a received signal strength;

determining if the received signal strength of each of the receiving stationary control devices is essentially constant during a time window, thereby determining if the movement of the portable sensor device has stopped; and

in case the received signal strength of each of the receiving stationary control devices is essentially constant during a time window, associating the portable sensor device with the stationary control device having the highest received signal strength, whereby the portable sensor device returns to the first mode.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the sensor data relates to indoor environmental conditions such as heating, ventilation, air-conditioning measurements or settings.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the act of associating the portable sensor device with the stationary control device having the highest received signal strength further comprises:

transmitting control parameters from the portable sensor device to the associated stationary control device.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the control parameters comprises reference values for the stationary control device being chosen from a set of predefined control parameters.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the portable sensor device is associated with a first of the stationary control devices, the method further comprising:

determining that the portable sensor device is still associated with the first stationary control device after a predetermined time, whereby the portable sensor device returns to the first mode.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the building management system comprises a plurality of portable sensor devices, and wherein each stationary control device has an order of priority for the sensor data received from the plurality of portable sensor devices.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the portable sensor device is associated with a first of the stationary control devices, the method further comprising, prior to the act of determining if the received signal strength of each of the receiving stationary control devices is essentially constant during a time window:

determining that the received signal strength of the first stationary control device is below a predefined threshold;

associating the portable sensor device with the stationary control device having the highest received signal strength.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the portable sensor device is associated with a first stationary control device, and wherein in the act of determining if the received signal strength of each of the receiving stationary control devices is essentially constant during a first time window, only stationary control devices within a predetermined distance from the first stationary control device are considered.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising

storing data relating to signals received by the stationary control devices and their associated signal strengths,

tracking the movement of the portable sensor device based on the stored data by setting the position of the portable sensor device at a time point to the position of the stationary control device having the highest associated received signal strength at the time point.

10. A building management system, comprising

a plurality of stationary control devices being connected in a network;

a portable sensor device being arranged to be associated with one of the stationary control devices, wherein the portable sensor device has a first mode in which it is arranged to transmit a signal occurring at a first frequency to its associated stationary control device so as to provide its associated stationary control device with sensor data, and a second mode in which it is arranged to transmit a signal occurring at a second frequency being larger than the first frequency to at least one of the stationary control devices;

a motion detector arranged to detect a movement of the portable sensor device, wherein the portable sensor device is arranged to change from the first mode to the second mode upon a detection of a movement,

wherein the plurality of control devices are arranged to receive the signal transmitted by the portable sensor device occurring at the second frequency, and wherein the received signal at each of the receiving stationary control devices is associated with a received signal strength; and

a processing unit arranged to determine if the received signal strength of each of the receiving stationary control devices is essentially constant during a first time window, thereby being arranged to determine if the movement of the portable device has stopped, to associate the portable sensor device with the stationary control device having the highest received signal strength in case the received signal strength of each of the receiving stationary control devices is essentially constant during a first time window, and to instruct the portable sensor device to return to the first mode.

11. The building management system of claim 10, wherein the portable sensor device further is arranged to transmit control parameters to its associated stationary control device prior to returning to the first mode.

12. The building management system of claim 10, wherein the portable sensor device is associated with a first of the stationary control devices, and wherein the processing unit is further arranged to determine that the first stationary control device is still associated with the first stationary control device after a predetermined time, and to instruct the portable sensor device to return to the first mode in response to the determination.

13. The building management system of claim 10, further comprising several portable sensor devices, wherein each stationary control device has an order of priority for the sensor data received from the plurality of portable sensor devices.

14. The building management system of claim 10, wherein the processing unit is further arranged to store data relating to signals received by the stationary control devices and the associated signal strengths, and to tracking the movement of the portable sensor device based on the stored data by setting the position of the portable sensor device at a time point to the position of the stationary control device having the highest associated received signal strength at the time point.

15. The building management system of claim 10, wherein the portable sensor device is associated with a first of the stationary control devices, and wherein the processing unit further is arranged to, prior to the act of determining if the received signal strength of each of the receiving stationary control devices is essentially constant during a first time window:

determine that the received signal strength of the first stationary control device is equal to zero; and

to associate the portable sensor device with the stationary control device having the highest received signal strength.