SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR SELF PROVISIONING BUILDING EQUIPMENT

• US 20170212487A1
• Filed: 01/27/2016
• Published: 07/27/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/27/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tyco Fire & Security GmbH (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Original Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Inventors: Ahmed, Jameel, Gupta, Vivek V., Palzewicz, Harrison J.
• Granted Patent: US 10,545,469 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• 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 11/54 using one central controller connected to several sub-controllers
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/57 using telephone networks
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/58 using Internet communication
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/62 characterised by the type of control or by internal processing, e.g. using fuzzy logic, adaptive control or estimation of values
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/64 using pre-stored data
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/042 using digital processors G05B19/05 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/25112 Using firmware stored in processor
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2614 HVAC, heating, ventillation, climate control
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2642 Domotique, domestic, home control, automation, smart house
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2807 Exchanging configuration information on appliance services in a home automation network arrangements for maintenance or administration involving network analysis for automatically determining the actual topology of a network H04L41/12; hardware or software tools for network management using graphical user interfaces H04L41/22; address allocation H04L61/50

Abstract

A system for self-provisioning building equipment includes a main control unit having a processing circuit and a data communications interface and an auxiliary control unit connected with the main control unit via a communications network. The system includes a memory device having an update file stored therein. The update file includes a plurality of partitions, each partition containing provisioning data for a programmable component of the main control unit or the auxiliary control unit. The processing circuit includes a provisioning manager configured to monitor the main control unit and the auxiliary control unit for a predetermined trigger and automatically initiate a provisioning process in response to detecting the predetermined trigger. The provisioning process includes providing the provisioning data from the update file to the programmable component of the main control unit or the auxiliary control unit.

Claims

1. A system for self-provisioning building equipment, the system comprising:

a main control unit comprising a processing circuit and a data communications interface;

an auxiliary control unit in communication with the main control unit via a communications network; and

a memory device having an update file stored therein, wherein the update file includes a plurality of partitions, each partition containing provisioning data for a programmable component of the main control unit or the auxiliary control unit;

wherein the processing circuit comprises a provisioning manager configured to monitor the main control unit and the auxiliary control unit for a predetermined trigger and automatically initiate a provisioning process in response to detecting the predetermined trigger, wherein the provisioning process comprises providing the provisioning data from the update file to the programmable component of the main control unit or the auxiliary control unit.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein detecting the predetermined trigger comprises detecting at least one of the following in the main control unit or the auxiliary control unit:

a new hardware component;

a new software component;

a firmware mismatch between the main control unit and the auxiliary control unit;

a configuration mismatch between the main control unit and the auxiliary control unit;

an inoperable device state; and

a corrupted system component.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the provisioning process comprises replacing existing data stored within the programmable component of the auxiliary control unit with the provisioning data from the update file.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the provisioning process comprises replacing existing data stored within the programmable component of the main control unit with the provisioning data from the update file.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the memory device is a portable data storage device physically separate from the main control unit.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the memory device comprises at least one of local memory within the main control unit and remote data storage accessible by the main control unit.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein detecting the predetermined trigger comprises detecting at least one of an outdated firmware version and outdated configuration settings in the auxiliary control unit;

wherein the provisioning process comprises providing at least one of updated firmware and updated configuration settings from the update file to the auxiliary control unit.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein detecting the predetermined trigger comprises detecting a failed attempt to program the programmable component of the main control unit or the auxiliary control unit, the failed attempt rendering the main control unit or the auxiliary control unit in an unusable device state;

wherein the provisioning process comprises providing an installation package from the update file to the programmable component of the main control unit or the auxiliary control unit and installing the installation package to correct the unusable device state.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein detecting the predetermined trigger comprises detecting corrupted user interface software in the main control unit or the auxiliary control unit;

wherein the provisioning process comprises providing user interface files from the update file to the programmable component of the main control unit or the auxiliary control unit to correct the corrupted user interface software.

10. A method for self-provisioning building equipment, the method comprising:

establishing a communications link between a main control unit and one or more auxiliary control units connected to the main control unit via a communications network;

monitoring the main control unit and the one or more auxiliary control units for a predetermined trigger; and

automatically initiating a provisioning process in response to detecting the predetermined trigger, the provisioning process comprising;

identifying an update file containing provisioning data for both the main control unit and the one or more auxiliary control units; and

providing the provisioning data from the update file to a programmable component of the main control unit or the one or more auxiliary control units.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the memory device is a portable data storage device physically separate from the main control unit.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the memory device comprises at least one of local memory within the main control unit and remote data storage accessible by the main control unit.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the provisioning process comprises replacing existing data stored within the programmable component of the auxiliary control unit with the provisioning data from the update file.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the provisioning process comprises replacing existing data stored within the programmable component of the main control unit with the provisioning data from the update file.

15. A main control unit in a system of building equipment, the main control unit comprising:

a data communications interface configured to establish a communications link between the main control unit and one or more auxiliary control units connected with the main control unit via a communications network;

a trigger detector configured to monitor the main control unit and the one or more auxiliary control units for a predetermined trigger and automatically initiate a provisioning process in response to detecting the predetermined trigger; and

a package file identifier configured to identify an update file containing provisioning data for the main control unit and the one or more auxiliary control units;

wherein the provisioning process comprises providing the provisioning data from the update file to a programmable component of the main control unit or the one or more auxiliary control units.

16. The main control unit of claim 15, wherein the trigger detector comprises at least one of a hardware monitor, a software monitor, a version monitor, and a corruption detector.

17. The main control unit of claim 15, wherein detecting the predetermined trigger comprises detecting at least one of the following in the main control unit or the one or more auxiliary control units:

a new hardware component;

a new software component;

a firmware mismatch between the main control unit and one or more of the auxiliary control units;

a configuration mismatch between the main control unit and one or more of the auxiliary control units;

an inoperable device state; and

a corrupted system component.

18. The main control unit of claim 15, wherein the provisioning process comprises replacing existing data stored within the programmable component of the one or more auxiliary control units with the provisioning data from the update file.

19. The main control unit of claim 15, wherein the provisioning process comprises replacing existing data stored within the programmable component of the main control unit with the provisioning data from the update file.

20. The main control unit of claim 15, wherein the package file identifier is configured to retrieve the update file from a memory device comprising at least one of:

a portable data storage device physically separate from the main control unit;

local memory within the main control unit; and

remote data storage accessible by the main control unit.