Method and system for integrating building services by developing and loading an adapter element for each of the devices and applications of plurality of integrated building services to encapsulate the plurality of integrated building services with a standard interconnection behavior

• US 6,950,860 B1
• Filed: 06/24/2000
• Issued: 09/27/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/02/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Master Solutions, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Master Solutions, Inc.
• Inventors: Butkus, Albert William, Canaday, Paul Mike, Farah, Barry Scott, Welsch, Randall Scott, Vollenweider, Craig William
• Primary Examiner(s): Dharia, Rupal
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Quang N.
• Application Number:
  US09/603,314
• Time in Patent Office: 1,921 Days
• Field of Search: 709/223, 709/203, 709220-222, 709/218, 709/219, 700/1, 700/83, 713/182, 713/701, 717/174, 717/104, 717/310, 707/200, 340/533, 704/217, 703/27
• US Class Current: 709/218
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management

Abstract

A national or international plurality of interacting, media-connected buildings, providing automated office support processes to individual and aggregate office user customers. Process services are coordinated between building elements via the inter-networking feature that uses the facilities of the public Internet. These distributed services are adaptable and personalized to meet the changing needs of individual office users. Service personalization is continuously maintained in a consistent state throughout the entire global network of buildings, providing individual office users with identical service personalization in all office buildings.

Claims

1. A method for integrating building services comprising the acts of:

(a) connecting at least one server to a first external communications interface via a first interconnection channel to form a first integrated building services system;

(b) connecting a plurality of integrated building services to said first interconnection channel, wherein said first integrated building services system and said plurality of integrated building services form a first building element, and further wherein said plurality of integrated building services are two or more of at least one service device, at least one client device, at least one client application, and at least one MIS application;

(c) developing an adapter element for each of said at least one service device, each of said at least one client device, and each of said at least one MIS application, wherein each said adapter element is an interface between said first integrated building services system and each of said at least one service device, each of said at least one client device, and each of said at least one MIS application;

(d) loading each of said adapter elements onto said at least one server, wherein said first interconnection channel and each of said adapter elements encapsulate said plurality of integrated building services with a standard interconnection behaviors, allowing an underlying implementation of any of said plurality of integrated building services to be changed without affecting the behavior of said first integrated building services system;

(e) for said at least one client application,

(e1) developing said first client application to be compatible with said first integrated building services system; and

(e2) connecting said first client application to said first interconnection channel;

(f) connecting said first external communications interface to a public internet via a first communications channel; and

(g) accessing a web site associated with said first integrated building services system by a user to gain access by said user to utilize any of said plurality of integrated building services of said first building element.

2. A method for integrating building services according to claim 1 wherein said at least one service device is selected from the group consisting of vending machines, access security devices, printers, copiers, fax machines, health and exercise equipment, bio-metric monitors, and point of sale devices.

3. A method for integrating building services according to claim 1 further comprising the acts of:

interpreting an access ID from a signal received in a first said adapter element in said at least one server, wherein said signal is received via said first interconnection channel from an access device reader associated with said at least one service device in response to interaction with an access device;

searching a database within said at least one server for a matching access ID;

when a match is found, sending an authorization signal to said at least one service device; and

when a match is not found, sending a deny signal to said at least one service device.

4. A method for integrating building services according to claim 1 wherein said at least one client device is selected from the group consisting of personal computers, personal digital assistants, office telephones, and cellular telephones.

5. A method for integrating building services according to claim 1 wherein said at least one client application is selected from the group consisting of custom travel arrangement services, meeting and resource scheduling, copy center, computer based training, health monitoring services, member Intranet, view account, and automatic personal adaptable environment controls.

6. A method for integrating building services according to claim 1 further comprising the acts of:

repeating acts (e), (e1), and (e2) for at least one next client application.

7. A method for integrating building services according to claim 1 wherein said at least one MIS application is selected from the group consisting of integrated enterprise resource planning and management information, accounting, general ledger, receivables, payables, asset management, budget, purchasing, billing, payroll, inventory, human resources, economic monitoring, decision support, order management, and inventory.

8. A method for integrating building services according to claim 1 further comprising the acts of:

(h) connecting another plurality of integrated building services to a second interconnection channel having a second external communications interface to form a second integrated building services system within a second building element; and

(i) connecting said first building element to said second building element via a communications network connected between said first external communications interface and said second external communications interface, wherein said first integrated building services system is compatible with said second integrated building services system.

9. A method for integrating building services according to claim 8 wherein said another plurality of integrated building services is selected from the group consisting of service devices, client devices, client applications, and MIS applications.

10. An apparatus for integrated building services, said apparatus comprising:

a first building element, said first building element comprising;

a first integrated building services system, said first integrated building services system comprising;

at least one server;

a first external communications interface; and

a first interconnection channel connecting said

at least one server to said first external communications interface;

a plurality of integrated building services connected to said first integrated building services system, wherein said plurality of integrated building services are two or more of at least one service device, at least one client device, at least one MIS application, and at least one client application, wherein said at least one client application is developed to be compatible with said first integrated building services system and is connected to said first interconnection channel;

an adapter element for each of said at least one service device, each of said at least one client device, and each of said at least one MIS application, wherein each said adapter element is loaded onto said at least one server, and each said adapter element is an interface between said first integrated building services system and each of said at least one service device, each of said at least one client device, and each of said at least one MIS application, and further wherein said first interconnection channel and each of said adapter elements encapsulate said plurality of integrated building services with a standard interconnection behaviors, allowing an underlying implementation of any of said plurality of integrated building services to be changed without affecting the behavior of said first integrated building services system;

a first communications channel connecting said first external communications interface to a public internet; and

a web site associated with said first integrated building services system which is accessed by a user in order to utilize any of said plurality of integrated building services of said first building element.

11. An apparatus for integrated building services according to claim 10 wherein said at least one service device is selected from the group consisting of vending machines, access security devices, printers, copiers, fax machines, health and exercise equipment, bio-metric monitors, and point of sale devices.

12. An apparatus for integrated building services according to claim 10 further comprising:

an access device reader associated with said at least one service device;

an access device operable together with said access device reader, wherein when operable together said access device causes a signal to be sent from said access device reader over said first interconnection channel to a first said adapter element, and further wherein said first said adapter element interprets an access ID from said signal; and

a database within said server, wherein said first said adapter element searches said database for a matching access ID and when a match is found, said first said adapter element sends an authorization signal to said at least one service device, and when a match is not found said first said adapter element sends a deny signal to said at least one service device.

13. An apparatus for integrated building services according to claim 10 wherein said at least one client device is selected from the group consisting of personal computers, personal digital assistants, office telephones, and cellular telephones.

14. An apparatus for integrated building services according to claim 10 wherein said at least one client application is selected from the group consisting of custom travel arrangement services, meeting and resource scheduling, computer based training, health monitoring services, member Intranet, view account, and automatic personal adaptable environment controls.

15. An apparatus for integrated building services according to claim 10 wherein said at least one MIS application is selected from the group consisting of integrated enterprise resource planning and management information, accounting, general ledger, receivables, payables, asset management, budget, purchasing, billing, payroll, inventory, human resources, economic monitoring, decision support, order management, and inventory.

16. An apparatus for integrated building services according to claim 10 further comprising:

a second building element, said second building element comprising;

a second integrated building services system, said second integrated building services system comprising;

a second external communications interface; and

a second interconnection channel connected to said second external communications interface; and

another plurality of integrated building services connected to said second integrated building services system; and

a communications network connected between said first external communications interface and said second external communications interface, wherein said first integrated building services system is compatible with said second integrated building services system.

17. An apparatus for integrated building services according to claim 16 wherein said another plurality of integrated building services is selected from the group consisting of service devices, client devices, client applications, and MIS applications.