Method and apparatus for generating a building system model

• US 7,512,450 B2
• Filed: 08/19/2005
• Issued: 03/31/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/25/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Siemens Industry Incorporated (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Siemens Building Technologies Incorporated (Siemens AG)
• Inventors: Ahmed, Osman
• Primary Examiner(s): DeCady; Albert
• Assistant Examiner(s): Stevens; Thomas H
• Application Number:
  US11/207,417
• Publication Number:
  US 20050278047A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,320 Days
• Field of Search: 700/19, 700/276
• US Class Current: 700/19
• 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 11/64 using pre-stored data
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2642 Domotique, domestic, home control, automation, smart house
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2809 indicating that an appliance service is present in a home automation network monitoring functionality H04L43/0817; discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services, H04L67/51
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2841 Wireless
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/33 for indoor environments, e.g. buildings

Abstract

A system and method for providing data to a model of a building system includes a building control system with a communications network, a control subsystem for generating module deployment data and transmitting the module deployment data over the communications network, a memory for storing a three dimensional model of at least a portion of a building and a computer. A computer program executed by the computer includes computer instructions for associating module deployment data received from the communications network with the three dimensional model and modifying the three dimensional model based upon the module deployment data.

Claims

1. A building control system comprising:

a communications network;

a control subsystem for generating module deployment data and transmitting the module deployment data over the communications network, the control subsystem further comprising a geographic position determining device for determining a position of a deployed module configured to perform a building control system operation;

a memory for storing a three dimensional model of at least a portion of a building; and

a computer and a computer program executed by the computer, wherein the computer program comprises computer instructions for

associating module deployment data received from the communications network with the three dimensional model and

modifying the three dimensional model based upon the module deployment data.

2. The building control system of claim 1, wherein:

the control subsystem comprises a plurality of modules, each of the plurality of modules operable to receive a signal generated by the deployed module; and

the module deployment data is based upon the signal received by the plurality of modules.

3. The building control system of claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of modules, each of the plurality of modules operable to generate a signal; and

wherein the deployed module is operable to generate the module deployment data based upon reception of the signals generated by each of the plurality of modules.

4. The building control system of claim 1, wherein the control subsystem is operable to automatically initiate a process for generating the module deployment data upon addition of a module to the control subsystem.

5. The building control system of claim 1, further comprising:

an identification and authorization device for identifying a module to be added to the control subsystem and for authorizing the module to be added to the control subsystem.

6. A method of populating a model of at least a portion of a building comprising:

enabling communication between a module and a building control subsystem integrated into a communications network;

the module performing a building system control operation;

positioning the module at a desired location;

determining the position of the module;

transmitting data indicative of the determined position of the module through the communications network;

associating the transmitted data with a virtual position associated with a model of at least a portion of a building; and

modifying the model to include the module at the virtual position.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein determining the position of the module comprises:

integrating a geographic position determining device into the building control subsystem; and

associating the geographic position of the geographic position determining device with the geographic position of the module.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein enabling communication between a module and a building control subsystem integrated into a communications network comprises:

obtaining identification data from the module; and

storing the identification data to an authorized module list.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein determining the position of the module comprises:

generating a signal with the module;

wirelessly transmitting the signal with the module; and

detecting the transmitted signal with the building control subsystem.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein enabling communication between a module and a building control subsystem integrated into a communications network comprises:

identifying a sensor function of a micro electromechanical system module to be used within the building control subsystem; and

enabling communication between the micro electromechanical system module and the building control subsystem.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein identifying a sensor function comprises:

identifying a sensor function of the micro electromechanical system module from a sensor suite including one or more sensors selected from the group of sensors consisting of a pressure sensor, a flow sensor, a power sensor, an energy sensor and a vibration sensor.

12. A method of entering a representation of a micro electromechanical system module into a building model comprising:

activating a micro electromechanical configured to perform a building control system operation system module;

positioning the micro electromechanical system module at a desired sensor location;

integrating the micro electromechanical system module into a building control subsystem;

generating data indicative of a geographic position of the positioned micro electromechanical system module;

transmitting the generated data through a communications network; and

modifying a three dimensional building model based upon the transmitted data to include a representation of the micro electromechanical system module at a virtual location in the three dimensional building that corresponds to the geographic position of the positioned micro electromechanical system module.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

identifying a sensor function to be performed by the micro electromechanical system module; and

modifying the three dimensional building model to associate the identified sensor function with the micro electromechanical system module.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising, before integrating the micro electromechanical system module into the building control subsystem:

generating identification data for the micro electromechanical system module to be added to the building control subsystem; and

storing the identification data to an authorized module list.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the building control subsystem includes programmed instructions for:

initiating a process for generating data indicative of the geographic position of the positioned micro electromechanical system module.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the process for generating the data indicative of the geographic position of the positioned micro electromechanical system module is performed automatically in response to detection of the micro electromechanical system module by the building control subsystem.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein generating data indicative of the geographic position of the positioned micro electromechanical system module comprises:

transmitting a signal from the micro electromechanical system module;

receiving the transmitted signal using a plurality of modules within the building control subsystem; and

comparing a time at which the transmitted signal was received by each of the plurality of modules within the building control subsystem.

18. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

integrating a geographic position determining device into the building control subsystem; and

associating the geographic position of the geographic position determining device with the geographic position of the micro electromechanical system module.