Control of concept zones

• US 8,271,102 B2
• Filed: 08/20/2009
• Issued: 09/18/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/18/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Schneider Electric Buildings AB (Schneider Electric SE)
• Original Assignee: Schneider Electric Buildings AB (Schneider Electric SE)
• Inventors: Kennedy, Magnus, Sweeney, Kevin, Williamson, Jon
• Primary Examiner(s): HARTMAN JR, RONALD D
• Application Number:
  US12/544,438
• Publication Number:
  US 20100070055A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,125 Days
• Field of Search: 700/86, 700/2, 700 17- 20, 700/83, 713/2, 713/100
• US Class Current: 700/17
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/0426 Programming the control sequence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/282 based on user interaction within the home receiver circuitry for displaying additional information being controlled by a remote control apparatus H04N21/42204
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/285 Generic home appliances, e.g. refrigerators

Abstract

There is provided a method, apparatus and computer program product for controlling parameters of objects in a building control system, the method comprising receiving input from at least one of the objects, wherein the at least one object is associated with a first subset of objects; selecting at least one parameter, wherein the at least one parameter depends on the input; selecting a second subset of objects from the objects, wherein the objects of the second subset are selected based on the at least one selected parameter; and performing a first action on objects in the second subset of objects.

Claims

1. A method for controlling parameters of objects in a building control system, comprising

receiving, by a logical filter, input from at least one of said objects, wherein said at least one object is associated with a first subset of objects, said first subset being determined by said logical filter based on at least one of geographic location, and control functionality;

selecting at least one parameter, wherein said at least one parameter depends on said input of said logical filter;

determining, by said logical filter and based on said at least one selected parameter, a second subset of objects from said objects;

transmitting an output value of said first subset being associated with said at least one selected parameter and defining a first action to be performed to said second subset, and

performing said first action on objects in said second subset of objects.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising

extracting an object property of said second subset of objects;

adding a new object to said second subset of objects; and

setting at least one object property of said new object to be equal to an extracted object property.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein said at least one object property pertains to at least one of an object input signal and an object output signal.

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein performing said first action further comprises selecting said first action, and wherein selecting said first action depends on said input.

5. The method according to claim 2, wherein said first action comprises assigning a value to an output of said at least one object in said second subset of objects.

6. The method according to claim 2, further comprising performing a second action on at least one object in said second subset of objects, wherein said second action is different from said first action.

7. The method according to claim 2, wherein each object is associated with a control device.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein performing said first action further comprises selecting said first action, and wherein selecting said first action depends on said input.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein said first action comprises assigning a value to an output of said at least one object in said second subset of objects.

10. The method according to claim 1, further comprising performing a second action on at least one object in said second subset of objects, wherein said second action is different from said first action.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein said control functionality pertains to at least one of heating ventilation and air conditioning, electronic access control, and intrusion detection functionality.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein each object is associated with a control device.

13. A computer program stored on a computer readable medium, comprising software instructions that, when executed in a computer, performs a method according to claim 1.

14. An apparatus for controlling parameters of objects in a building control system, comprising

a receiver for, by a logical filter, receiving input from at least one of said objects, wherein said at least one object is associated with a first subset of objects, said first subset being determined by said logical filter based on at least one of geographic location, and control functionality;

a processor for, by said logical filter selecting at least one parameter, wherein said at least one parameter depends on said input of said logical filter;

said processor is further configured to, by said logical filter, select a second subset of objects based on said at least one selected parameter; and

said processor is further configured to perform a first action on objects in said second subset of objects.

15. The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein

said processor is further configured to extracting an object property of said second subset of objects;

detecting presence of a new object in said second subset of objects; and

defining at least one object property of said new object to be an extracted object property.

16. The apparatus according to claim 15, further comprising a user input receiver for receiving input from a user, wherein said input pertains to said selecting said parameter, and wherein said user input receiver is further configured to providing said processor with instructions to said selecting said parameter.

17. The apparatus according to claim 14, further comprising a user input receiver for receiving input from a user, wherein said input pertains to said selecting said parameter, and wherein said user input receiver is further configured to providing said processor with instructions to said selecting said parameter.