Building control system communication system timing measurement arrangement and method

• US 7,956,719 B2
• Filed: 06/22/2006
• Issued: 06/07/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Siemens Industry Incorporated (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Siemens Industry Incorporated (Siemens AG)
• Inventors: Anderson, Thomas Jr., Landou, Bruno P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Zimmerman; Brian A
• Assistant Examiner(s): Jiang; Yong Hang
• Application Number:
  US11/473,303
• Publication Number:
  US 20070069850A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,811 Days
• Field of Search: 340/3.43, 340/3.44, 340/825.22, 340/3.1, 340/3.5, 340/3.51, 340/825.23, 700/14, 700/15
• US Class Current: 340/3.51
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2816 Controlling appliance services of a home automation network by calling their functionalities arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station; in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom H04Q9/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/285 Generic home appliances, e.g. refrigerators

Abstract

An arrangement for handling communication messages in a building control system includes a communication circuit and a control device. The communication circuit is operable to provide a first message on a communication network to a remote building control system device and to receive a responsive message generated by a remote building control system device responsive to the first message. The communication circuit is further operable to perform a first operation if the responsive message is received within a first time-out period and to perform a second operation if the responsive message is received after a first time-out period has expired. The control device is operable to generate a plurality of different time-out period values corresponding to a plurality of building control system devices and to provide information identifying the plurality of different time-out period values and their corresponding building control system devices to the communication circuit.

Claims

1. An arrangement for handling communication messages in a building control system, comprising:

a communication circuit operable to communicate messages with building control system devices via a communication network,

a control device operably coupled to the communication circuit, the control device operable to

cause the communication circuit to communicate a first message to a first building control system device, the first message configured to cause the first building control device to generate a responsive message,

perform a first operation if the responsive message is received via the communication circuit within a first time-out period, and perform a second operation if the responsive message is received via the communication circuit after a first time-out period has expired, and

generate a plurality of different time-out period values corresponding to a plurality of building control system devices, the plurality of different time-out period values including a value identifying the first time-out period;

wherein the control device includes a user-interface, and wherein the control device is operable to;

generate a visible display on the user interface showing simultaneously time-out information corresponding to a set of two or more building control system devices and information identifying the set of building control system devices, the time-out information corresponding to at least one of the plurality of different time-out values.

2. The arrangement of claim 1, wherein the control device is further operable to receive time-out information from a user via the user interface, and wherein the control device is operable to provide a first of the plurality of different time-out values such that the first value is based on the received time-out information.

3. The arrangement of claim 1, wherein the control device is further operable to generate at least some of the plurality of different time-out values by performing a communication test.

4. The arrangement of claim 3, wherein the control device is operable to perform the communication test by causing the communication circuit to send a test message to at least one building control system device and obtaining a time duration passed before receiving a responsive message.

5. The arrangement of claim 4, wherein a first of the plurality of different time-out values corresponding to the at least one building control system device is derived from the time duration.

6. The arrangement of claim 3, wherein the control device is operable to perform the communication test by sending a plurality of test messages to remote building control system devices and, for each, obtaining a time duration passed before receiving a responsive message.

7. A method, comprising:

a) transmitting from a first circuit a first signal to a remote building control system device via a communication network of a building control system;

b) obtaining a time duration between transmission of the first signal and reception of a responsive signal from the building control system device in the first circuit;

c) after step b) storing in a memory a timer value corresponding to the building control system device, the timer value exceeding the time duration;

d) providing a subsequent signal from the first circuit to the building control system device;

e) performing a first operation with a received signal responsive to the subsequent communication signal if the received signal is received in the first circuit before a time period equal to the timer value has passed since transmission of the subsequent communication signal from the first circuit, and performing a second operation otherwise; and

f) displaying on a display a plurality of timer values corresponding to a plurality of building control system devices connected to the first circuit via the communication network.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein step a) further comprises providing in the first circuit the first communication signal such that the first communication signal employs a BACnet protocol.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein step c) further comprises using a processing circuit to automatically calculate the timer value based on the time duration.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the first circuit includes the processing circuit.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein step c) further comprises replacing a previous timer value corresponding to the building control system device with the timer value.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein at least two of the plurality of timer values are different.

13. The method of claim 7, wherein step f) further comprises displaying information representative of an identity of the corresponding building control system devices proximate to the plurality of timer values.

14. An arrangement for handling communication messages in a building control system, comprising:

a communication circuit operable to communicate messages with building control system devices via a communication network;

a control device operably coupled to the communication circuit, the control device being configured to;

cause the communication circuit to communicate a first message to at least one building control system device, the first message configured to cause the least one building control devices to generate a responsive message,

determine a time duration passed between transmitting the first message and receiving the responsive message, and

generate a recommended time-out period value for the at least one building control device based on the determined time duration; and

a display screen operably coupled to the control device,

wherein the control device is further configured to generate a visible display on the display screen showing time-out information pertaining to the at least one building control system device, the time-out information including identification information pertaining to the at least one building control system device, and the recommended time-out period value for the at least one building control system device.

15. The arrangement of claim 14, wherein the control device is further configured to generate the visible display such that the time-out information includes the determined time duration for the at least one building control system device.

16. The arrangement of claim 14, wherein the control device is further configured to generate the visible display such that the time-out information includes a current time-out value for the at least one building control system device.

17. The arrangement of claim 14, wherein the control device is further configured to receive input from a user via the user interface, the input identifying at least one time-out period value for the at least one building control system device.

18. The arrangement of claim 14, wherein the control device is configured to generate the visible display such that the time-out information includes identification information for a plurality of building control system devices and a recommended time-out period value for each building control system device in the plurality.