Query engine for building management systems

• US 8,682,921 B2
• Filed: 07/07/2010
• Issued: 03/25/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/07/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tyco Fire & Security GmbH (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Original Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Inventors: Park, Youngchoon, Eidson, David S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Trujillo, James
• Assistant Examiner(s): VU, THONG H
• Application Number:
  US12/831,866
• Publication Number:
  US 20120011141A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,357 Days
• Field of Search: 707/532, 707/1, 707/741, 707/32, 707/15, 706/47
• US Class Current: 707/769
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24522 Translation of natural language queries to structured queries
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/25 Integrating or interfacing systems involving database management systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/3349 Reuse of stored results of previous queries

Abstract

A computer-implemented system for facilitating cross-subsystem queries of a plurality of building automation subsystems includes a first database storing a logical model for a building automation system. The system further includes a second database storing information for the plurality of building automation subsystems. The second database relates information for the plurality of building automation subsystems based on the logical model of the first database. The system also includes a query engine configured to decompose a cross-subsystem query received from an application into a plurality of subsystem queries using the information of the second database.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented system for facilitating cross-subsystem queries of a plurality of building automation subsystems, comprising:

a first database storing an ontological model for a building automation system (BAS), wherein the ontological model represents hierarchical relationships between BAS object types without storing data values for particular instances of BAS objects;

a second database storing information for the plurality of building automation subsystems, wherein the second database comprises at least one record for each of a plurality of BAS objects, wherein the second database stores each record with a projected semantic type string comprising multiple levels of hierarchical type information for each BAS object and based on the ontological model of the first database; and

a query engine configured to decompose a cross-subsystem query received from an application into a plurality of subsystem queries using the information of the second database, wherein the query engine stores the plurality of subsystem queries and combines a plurality of responses to the plurality of subsystem queries into a result of the cross-subsystem query,

wherein the query engine causes an updated message to be provided to the application originating the cross-subsystem query when the result of the cross-subsystem query changes, wherein the updated message provided to the application originating the cross-subsystem query includes the changed result of the cross-subsystem query and a projected semantic type string associated with the changed result.

2. The computer-implemented system of claim 1, wherein the first database is an ontology database and the second database is a fact database.

3. The computer-implemented system of claim 2, wherein the query engine utilizes the fact database to determine ordering for the subsystem queries.

4. The computer-implemented system of claim 1, wherein the query engine retrieves the subsystem queries from sets of pre-built and pre-stored subsystem queries.

5. The computer-implemented system of claim 1, wherein the query engine builds the subsystem queries by processing the cross-subsystem query.

6. The computer-implemented system of claim 1, wherein the query engine provides the changed results through a messaging engine what uses the changed result to build the updated message for the application,

wherein the messaging engine appends the projected semantic type string to the message for the application.

7. The computer-implemented system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of disparate building systems comprise a first heating, cooling or air-conditioning (HVAC) system, a second HVAC system, an access control system, and a security system.

8. A computer-implemented method for facilitating cross-subsystem queries of a plurality of building automation subsystems, comprising:

receiving a cross-subsystem query from an application;

recognizing the cross-subsystem query as requiring access to more than one of the plurality of building automation subsystems; and

decomposing the cross-subsystem query into a plurality of subsystem queries using a database system that relates information for the plurality of building automation subsystems according to a cross-subsystem hierarchical model, wherein the database system comprises at least one record for each of a plurality of building automation system objects and stores each record with a projected semantic type string comprising multiple levels of hierarchical type information for each building automation system object;

storing the plurality of subsystem queries;

combining a plurality of responses to the plurality of subsystem queries into a result of the cross-subsystem query; and

causing an updated message to be provided to the application originating the cross-subsystem query when the result of the cross-subsystem query changes, wherein the updated message provided to the application originating the cross-subsystem query includes the changed result of the cross-subsystem query and a projected semantic type string associated with the changed result.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, further comprising:

determining ordering for the subsystem queries using the hierarchical model.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, further comprising:

retrieving the subsystem queries from sets of pre-built and pre-stored subsystem queries.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, further comprising:

building the subsystem queries by processing the cross-subsystem query.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, further comprising:

providing the changed results to a messaging engine that uses the query result to build a message for the application; and

appending the projected semantic type string to the message for the application.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, wherein the plurality of building automation subsystems comprise a first heating, cooling or air-conditioning (HVAC) system and a second HVAC system;

wherein the plurality of building automation subsystems comprise an access control system and a security system.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, wherein the plurality of building automation subsystems are disparately protocolled.