Automation system network management, architectures, and methods and applications thereof

• US 8,548,607 B1
• Filed: 11/03/2009
• Issued: 10/01/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/03/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Autani, LLC
• Original Assignee: AUTANI Corporation
• Inventors: Clayton, Randy, Belz, Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Ali, Mohammad
• Assistant Examiner(s): Booker, Kelvin
• Application Number:
  US12/611,918
• Time in Patent Office: 1,428 Days
• Field of Search: 700/11, 700/9, 700/12, 700/33, 700/286, 700/291, 700/21, 700/276
• US Class Current: 700/21
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/00 Measuring for diagnostic purposes radiation diagnosis A61B6/00; diagnosis by ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves A61B8/00; Identification of persons
• 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 11/46 Improving electric energy efficiency or saving
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/042 using digital processors G05B19/05 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/058 Safety, monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2642 Domotique, domestic, home control, automation, smart house
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31198 VPN virtual private networks
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/16 Combinations of two or more digital computers each having at least an arithmetic unit, a program unit and a register, e.g. for a simultaneous processing of several programs coordinating program control therefor G06F9/52; in regulating and control system G05B
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 7/00 Methods or arrangements for processing data by operating upon the order or content of the data handled logic circuits H03K19/00
• CPC Class Codes: G16Z 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other main groups of this subclass
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00002 characterised by monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00022 using wireless data transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/28 characterised by path configuration, e.g. LAN [Local Area Networks] or WAN [Wide Area Networks] wireless communication networks H04W ; arrangements for dividing the transmission path H04W40/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/30 Systems integrating technologies related to power network operation and communication or information technologies for improving the carbon footprint of the management of residential or tertiary loads, i.e. smart grids as climate change mitigation technology in the buildings sector, including also the last stages of power distribution and the control, monitoring or operating management systems at local level
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/00 Enabling technologies; Technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to GHG emissions mitigation
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 10/30 State monitoring, e.g. fault, temperature monitoring, insulator monitoring, corona discharge
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/20 End-user application control systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/221 General power management systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/244 the home appliances being or involving heating ventilating and air conditioning [HVAC] units

Abstract

An automation system including a plurality of peripheral devices, each configured to perform at least one function relating to energy consumption in a facility and an automation controller in communication with the plurality of peripheral devices and providing for the control of the performance of the function by each device. An external network resource such as at least a virtual private network server is configured to enable communication with the automation controller. The automation controller is configured, such as by executing virtual private network software, to establish and maintain a secure data link with the virtual private network server and to enable oversight and/or control of the automation controller via the virtual private network server.

Claims

1. An automation system comprising:

a plurality of peripheral devices, each configured to perform at least one function relating to energy consumption in a facility;

an automation controller in communication with the plurality of peripheral devices and providing for the control of the performance of the function by each device based on at least one input;

an external network resource configured to enable communication with the automation controller, wherein the automation controller is configured to establish a data link with the external network resource to enable the communication of at least operational information; and

at least one area controller configured to control at least one of the peripheral devices and be controlled by the automation controller, wherein the area controller is configured to communicate with the external network resource when the automation controller is unable to communicate with the external network resource.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the automation controller and external network resource are configured to allow operational information from the automation controller and peripheral devices to be communicated to the external network resource.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the automation controller and external network resource are configured to communicate operational notices including demand-response, curtailment and operational plan changes.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the automation controller and external network resource are configured to enable system updates to at least one of the automation controller and the peripheral devices to be communicated and implemented by the automation controller.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the external network resource is a virtual private network server remotely located from the automation controller and the data link is a secure data link established via the Internet using virtual private network software being executed on the automation controller.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the automation controller is configured to establish the secure data link to the virtual private network server upon turn-up of the automation controller and maintain the secure data link unless manual inactivated.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein the virtual private network server is one of plurality of virtual private network servers that are configured to enable secure data links with at least one automation controller.

8. The system of claim 5, wherein at least one virtual private network server is configured to enable access to operational data communicated from the automation controller to the virtual private network server.

9. The system of claim 5, wherein at least one virtual private network server is configured to enable an owner of a plurality of automation controllers to access operational data communicated from the automation controllers.

10. The system of claim 5, wherein at least one virtual private network server is configured to enable an owner of a plurality of automation controllers to communicate operational information to the automation controllers from the virtual private network server.

11. The system of claim 5, wherein at least one virtual private network server is configured to communicate with an owner of the automation controller when a specified condition occurs including a failure of one of the automation controller and one of the peripheral devices.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the external network resource is configured to store operational settings from one automation controller on another automation controller having a common owner.

13. A method of managing an automation system comprising:

providing at least one virtual private network server;

implementing an automation system including at least an automation controller configured to control a plurality of peripheral devices, each configured to perform at least one function relating to automation in a facility;

configuring the automation controller to establish a virtual private network with the virtual private network server;

overseeing the operation of the automation system via the virtual private network server; and

configuring the external network resource to store operational settings from one automation controller in one system on another automation controller in another system having a common owner, and communicate with at least one area controller when the automation controller is unable to communicate with the external network resource.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein configuring the automation controller includes configuring the automation controller to establish and maintain a secure data link with the virtual private network server unless manually inactivated.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein overseeing includes overseeing the operation and reconfiguring setting on at least one of the automation controller and the peripheral devices.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein overseeing includes overseeing the operation and transmitting event notices to the automation controller.

17. The method of claim 13, further comprising enabling an owner of a plurality of automation systems to access data collected by the virtual private network server for the plurality of automation systems.

18. An energy management system comprising:

a plurality of peripheral devices, each configured to perform at least one function relating to energy consumption in a facility;

an automation controller in communication with the plurality of peripheral devices and providing for the control of the performance of the function by each device based on at least one input; and

,

an external network resource including at least a virtual private network server and configured to enable communication with the automation controller, wherein the automation controller includes virtual private network software configured to establish and maintain a secure data link with the virtual private network server to enable control of the automation controller via the virtual private network server wherein the external network resource is configured to enable operational settings from the automation controller in the system to be stored on another automation controller in another system having a common owner, and communicate with at least one area controller when the automation controller is unable to communicate with the external network resource.