Dynamically extensible and automatically configurable building automation system and architecture
First Claim
1. A method of adding a control device to a building automation system (BAS) by dynamically extending and automatically configuring an architecture of the BAS, the BAS including a server coupled to a network that is coupled to a plurality of different physical sites within the BAS, each site including one or more control devices for monitoring and/or controlling an environmental aspect of the site, the method comprising the steps of:
- obtaining a network address at the server of a previously unknown control device at a site coupled to the network;
in response to the network address of the previously unknown control device being obtained, causing the server to implement a discovery process to attempt to automatically establish communications with and obtain metadata from the control device utilizing the network address, and further analyzing the metadata from the control device to determine a communication protocol compatible with the control device;
in response to metadata being obtained from the control device, causing the server synchronize the site with the architecture of the BAS by evaluating at least one characteristic of the metadata and storing at the server the at least one characteristic as a definition utilized in a program that characterizes at least a part of the architecture of the BAS;
altering a status of the control device from unknown to known at the server; and
dynamically extending and automatically configuring the architecture to include the control device as a known device that is a part of the architecture of the BAS by executing the program without recompilation.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A building automation system (BAS) architecture is disclosed. The BAS comprises, in one embodiment, an architecture comprising a communication network and having a dynamic extensibility capability and an automatic configuration capability; an engine communicatively coupled to the communication network; and at least one control device communicatively coupled to the communication network, the control device being known or unknown to the engine. The engine can be adapted to selectively implement the dynamic extensibility capability to establish communications with and to control both known and unknown control devices. The engine can be further adapted to selectively implement the automatic configuration capability to determine at least one characteristic of both known and unknown control devices. A method of adding a control device to a building automation system (BAS) by dynamically extending and automatically configuring an architecture of the BAS is also disclosed.
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Citations
13 Claims
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1. A method of adding a control device to a building automation system (BAS) by dynamically extending and automatically configuring an architecture of the BAS, the BAS including a server coupled to a network that is coupled to a plurality of different physical sites within the BAS, each site including one or more control devices for monitoring and/or controlling an environmental aspect of the site, the method comprising the steps of:
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obtaining a network address at the server of a previously unknown control device at a site coupled to the network; in response to the network address of the previously unknown control device being obtained, causing the server to implement a discovery process to attempt to automatically establish communications with and obtain metadata from the control device utilizing the network address, and further analyzing the metadata from the control device to determine a communication protocol compatible with the control device; in response to metadata being obtained from the control device, causing the server synchronize the site with the architecture of the BAS by evaluating at least one characteristic of the metadata and storing at the server the at least one characteristic as a definition utilized in a program that characterizes at least a part of the architecture of the BAS; altering a status of the control device from unknown to known at the server; and dynamically extending and automatically configuring the architecture to include the control device as a known device that is a part of the architecture of the BAS by executing the program without recompilation. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. A building automation system (BAS), the BAS including a plurality of different physical sites within the BAS, each site including one or more control devices for monitoring and/or controlling an environmental aspect of the site, the BAS comprising:
a server coupled to a network, the server including; means for obtaining a network address of a previously unknown control device at a site coupled to the network; means for implementing at the server a discovery process to attempt to automatically establish communications with and obtain metadata from the control device utilizing the network address, and further analyzing the metadata from the control device to determine a communication protocol compatible with the control device; means for synchronizing the site with an architecture of the BAS by evaluating at least one characteristic of the metadata and storing the at least one characteristic as a definition utilized in a program that characterizes at least a part of the architecture; means for altering a status at the server of the control device from unknown to known; and means for dynamically extending and automatically configuring the architecture to include the control device as a known control that is a part of the architecture of the BAS by executing the program without recompilation. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A method of adding a control device to a building automation system (BAS) by dynamically extending and automatically configuring an architecture of the BAS, the BAS including a server coupled to a network that is coupled to a plurality of different physical sites within the BAS, each site including one or more control devices for monitoring and/or controlling an environmental aspect of the site, the method comprising the steps of:
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obtaining a network address of a previously unknown control device at a site on a BAS network, the BAS network coupled to a BAS server; in response to the network address of the previously unknown control device being obtained, causing the server to implement a discovery process to attempt to automatically establish communications with and obtain metadata from the control device utilizing the network address, and further analyzing the metadata from the control device to determine a communication protocol compatible with the control device; recognizing the control device as a portion of the BAS by causing the server synchronize the site with the architecture of the BAS by evaluating at least one characteristic of the metadata and storing the at least one characteristic as a definition utilized in a program of the architecture and dynamically extending and automatically configuring the architecture of the BAS by executing the program without recompilation if communications can be established with the control device; and automatically requesting manual programming for the control device if communications cannot be automatically established with the control device; manually creating a control device definition utilized in the program; and recognizing the control device as a portion of the BAS after the manual programming is entered. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13)
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Specification