Networked facilities management system having a node configured with distributed load management software to manipulate loads controlled by other nodes
First Claim
1. A method of limiting energy consumption of a network having loads controlled by nodes communicating over the network, the nodes having storage means and processing means, the nodes including a master node having a high level load shedding software feature and other nodes having local software object features, the local software object features controlling the loads, the method comprising steps of:
- storing load restoration characteristics of the loads controlled by the other nodes in the storage means of the other nodes;
executing the high level load shedding software feature in the processing means of the master node to limit energy consumption of the network, and subsequently transmitting over the network commands to shed particular loads controlled by the other nodes;
executing predefined load shedding processing in the other nodes controlling the particular loads by using the local software object features, each of the local software object features having a data base manager and attributes stored in a data base in each of the other nodes, the local software object features shedding the particular loads in response to the commands;
under control of the local software object features, restoring the particular loads independently of the commands from the master node in response to the attributes of the local software object features.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A networked system having a wide variety of applications and particularly applicable to facilities management systems has multiple levels of software in processing nodes. The levels include a "features" processing level which communicates requests for data to a software object level containing databases of processes and attributes and database managers. The database managers in the software object level operate to provide data to the high level features in the same format. The software object level communicates with a hardware object level which also contains databases and database managers to mask differences between operational hardware units. By categorizing operational units by type, additional units of a known type can be added with only low level hardware object database changes. Adding units of a new type is facilitated by software changes confined to the lower level hardware and software objects, avoiding software changes at high level features. Individual software objects are tailored for typical types of inputs and output devices encountered by facilities management systems. Universal drive circuitry also provides applicability to a broad range of devices. Nodes store restoration characteristics of loads controlled by the nodes. After being shed to limit energy consumption, software local to the node restores the loads under predefined circumstances independently of the load shed commands to achieve distributed load management.
320 Citations
21 Claims
-
1. A method of limiting energy consumption of a network having loads controlled by nodes communicating over the network, the nodes having storage means and processing means, the nodes including a master node having a high level load shedding software feature and other nodes having local software object features, the local software object features controlling the loads, the method comprising steps of:
-
storing load restoration characteristics of the loads controlled by the other nodes in the storage means of the other nodes; executing the high level load shedding software feature in the processing means of the master node to limit energy consumption of the network, and subsequently transmitting over the network commands to shed particular loads controlled by the other nodes; executing predefined load shedding processing in the other nodes controlling the particular loads by using the local software object features, each of the local software object features having a data base manager and attributes stored in a data base in each of the other nodes, the local software object features shedding the particular loads in response to the commands; under control of the local software object features, restoring the particular loads independently of the commands from the master node in response to the attributes of the local software object features. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 12, 13)
-
-
8. A system for limiting energy consumption of a network the system comprising:
-
slave nodes including storage means for storing load restoration characteristics of slave loads controlled by the slave nodes, and slave processing means for executing software object level features to control the slave loads; a master node, communicating with the slave nodes, including master processing means for executing a high level software feature in the master node to limit energy consumption of the network, and subsequently transmitting over the network commands to shed particular slave loads controlled by the slave nodes; wherein the software object level features perform predefined load shedding processing in the slave nodes to shed the slave loads in response to the commands; and wherein the software object level features restore the slave loads under circumstances defined by the attributes of the software object level features. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 14)
-
-
15. A facilities management apparatus including a network having a master node and slave nodes, the facilities management apparatus comprising:
-
loads controlled by the slave nodes communicating over the network with the master node, the slave nodes having slave storage means and slave processing means wherein load restoration characteristics of the loads controlled by the slave nodes are stored in the slave storage means; processing means in the master node for executing a high level software feature to limit energy consumption of the network, and subsequently transmitting over the network commands to shed particular loads to the slave nodes; wherein predefined load shedding processing in the slave nodes controls the particular loads in response to the commands; and wherein under control of the slave nodes, the slave nodes restore the particular loads to an operation independently of the commands under circumstances defined by the attributes stored in the storage means in the slave nodes. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
-
Specification