Language independent building automation architecture for worldwide system deployment

• US 6,240,326 B1
• Filed: 04/03/1998
• Issued: 05/29/2001
• 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: Rasmussen, David E., Gottschalk, Donald A., Gloudeman, Jeffrey J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Grant, William
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bahta, Kidest
• Application Number:
  US09/054,736
• Time in Patent Office: 1,152 Days
• Field of Search: 700/83, 700/276, 700/9, 700/275, 700/131, 700/277, 700/180, 345/349, 345/112, 340/825.22, 340/523, 340/525
• US Class Current: 700/83
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/0426 Programming the control sequence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/23097 Messages to operator in mother tongue, selection out of different languages
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/454 Multi-language systems; Localisation; Internationalisation

Abstract

A computer-implemented building automation operating system for supporting applications that interact with building automation devices in different locations. A computer-human interface is provided for viewing data related to the applications. A master name data structure stores global identifiers and location specific names for each of the applications that interact with the building automation devices. The global identifiers uniquely identify the applications. A building automation master name processor is connected to the master name data structure and to the computer-human interface for providing to the computer-human interface a location specific name based upon its associated global identifier. These features significantly enhance the global distribution and use of new building automation software applications.

Claims

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

a computer-human interface for viewing data related to the applications;

a master name data structure for storing global identifiers and a plurality of country specific names for each of the applications that interact with the building automation devices, said global identifiers uniquely identifying the applications;

a building automation master name processor connected to said master name data structure and to said computer-human interface for providing to said computer-human interface a specific name based upon its associated global identifier.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said master name data structure includes names specific to a plurality of countries.

3. The system of claim 2 further comprising:

a location selector for selecting the names specific to one of said plurality of countries.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein said country specific name is provided to said computer-human interface based upon a request from said computer-human interface.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein said computer-human interface is a building automation control computer-human interface.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein said master name data structure includes unique numbers to identify said applications.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein master name data structure includes associations between said unique numbers and said country specific names, said country specific names being provided to said computer-human interface based upon said associated unique numbers.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the plurality of country specific names are in a plurality of human languages.

9. A computer-implemented building automation operating system for supporting applications that interact with building automation devices in different countries, comprising:

a computer-human interface for viewing data related to the applications;

a master name data structure for storing, for each of the applications, a unique global identifier and a plurality of names for the respective application wherein the plurality of names are in a plurality of human languages;

a selector for designating a particular human language;

a building automation master name processor connected to the master name data structure and to the selector for providing to the computer-human interface a specific name based upon its associated global identifier and the particular human language designated.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein the specific name is provided to the computer-human interface based upon a request from the computer-human interface.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the computer-human interface is a building automation control computer-human interface.

12. The system of claim 9 wherein the master name data structure includes unique numbers to identify the applications.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein master name data structure includes associations between the unique numbers and the plurality of names, specific ones of the plurality of names being provided to the computer-human interface based upon the associated unique numbers and the designated human language.