Common object architecture supporting application-centric building automation systems

• US 6,141,595 A
• Filed: 04/03/1998
• Issued: 10/31/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 04/03/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Original Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Inventors: Gottschalk, Donald A., Kraemer, C. Richard, Rasmussen, David E., Gloudeman, Jeffrey J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Thomas C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): PATEL, NITIN
• Application Number:
  US09/054,688
• Time in Patent Office: 942 Days
• Field of Search: 700/83, 700/90, 700/275, 700/276, 700/279, 709/302
• US Class Current: 700/83
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2642 Domotique, domestic, home control, automation, smart house
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/32157 Create a new object by combining existing objects
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/32158 Object groups, for object replication, naming, messaging and retrieving
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/32161 Object oriented control, programming
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/32162 Tasks or control icons are linked to form a job
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/46 Multiprogramming arrangements

Abstract

An object-oriented building automation system architecture allows complex building automation applications to be developed and deployed as distributed objects across a network. Applications are distributed in the form of objects that may in turn be made up of other application objects, assembly objects and standard objects. All objects are inherited from a superclass that defines a command component and a view component. The command component identifies those methods within the object that may be executed by other objects, and ultimately by the user through the user interface. The view component identifies the attributes or data stored in the object that may be displayed on the user interface. The view component encapsulates the information needed to display the object'"'"'s data, so that the user interface can be a generic browser. The standard objects encapsulate physically-constrained properties or human comfort-constrained properties. Applications constructed from these objects can be revised and enhanced more easily because the embedded knowledge is preserved through encapsulation.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented building automation operating system for supporting applications that interact with building automation devices, comprising:

a common object superclass stored in computer readable memory that defines a plurality of common objects through instantiation such that said common objects have attributes for storing data and have methods for processing stored data;

said common object superclass defining a commands structure that identifies at least one of said methods as being externally invocable;

said common object superclass further defining a views structure that defines at least one predetermined group of attributes organized according to how data stored in said attributes are used for user interaction;

said common objects defining an application that includes a control layer for interfacing with a building automation device comprising at least one of said common objects;

said common objects defining an information layer for user interaction comprising at least one of said common objects,

said information layer providing an interface for user configuration of the system through interaction with said externally invocable methods defined by said commands structure and said predetermined group of attributes defined by said views structure.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said commands structure further defining a command that supplies the identity of said externally invocable methods.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein said commands structures and views structures store information that defines at least one user interface context;

and

wherein said system further comprises a generic user interface entity in communication with said information layer that dynamically generates a specific user interface based on said interface context.