Query engine for building management systems

• US 9,116,978 B2
• Filed: 03/20/2014
• Issued: 08/25/2015
• 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): Reyes, Mariela
• Assistant Examiner(s): VU, THONG H
• Application Number:
  US14/221,114
• Publication Number:
  US 20140207759A1
• Time in Patent Office: 523 Days
• Field of Search: 707/4, 707/100, 707/3, 707/746, 707/102, 707/805, 707/748, 707/203
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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:

an ontology database storing an ontological model for a building automation system (BAS), wherein the ontological model defines multiple different BAS object types, relationships between the BAS object types, and attributes of the BAS object types;

a fact database storing instance values for the plurality of building automation subsystems and a logical type for each of the stored instance values, wherein the logical type identifies a particular attribute of the ontological model described by the stored instance value and represents, in a flat format, a portion of the ontological model that provides semantic type information for the stored instance value; and

a query engine configured to decompose a cross-subsystem query received from an application into a plurality of subsystem queries using information of the fact database, wherein the query engine parses the logical types in the fact database to obtain the semantic type information for the stored instance values and uses the obtained semantic type information to identify one or more of the stored instance values relevant to the cross-subsystem query without requiring access to another database.

2. The computer-implemented system of claim 1, wherein the logical type is a text string comprising:

multiple different type indicators representing the multiple different BAS object types; and

delimiters representing the relationships between the BAS object types.

3. The computer-implemented system of claim 1, 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 stores the plurality of subsystem queries and provides an updated message to the application originating the cross-subsystem query when results of the cross-subsystem query change.

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

8. The computer-implemented system of claim 6, wherein a messaging engine appends semantic type information from the fact database to the message for the application.

9. The computer-implemented system of claim 8, wherein the message for the application includes at least one of the logical types representing the semantic type information associated with the message contents and based on the ontological model of the first database.

10. 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.

11. The computer-implemented system of claim 1, further comprising:

one or more sensors configured to measure a variable state or condition within a building space, wherein at least one of the stored instance values is provided by the one or more sensors;

a controller configured to generate a control signal using information provided by the one or more sensors; and

one or more BAS devices configured to receive the control signal from the controller and to affect the measured variable state or condition by operation of the BAS devices.

12. 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;

accessing a fact database that stores instance values for the plurality of building automation subsystems and a logical type for each of the stored instance values, wherein the logical type identifies a particular attribute of an ontological model described by the stored instance value and represents, in a flat format, a portion of the ontological model that provides semantic type information for the stored instance value;

parsing the logical types in the fact database to obtain the semantic type information for the stored instance values;

using the obtained semantic type information to identify one or more of the stored instance values relevant to the cross-subsystem query without requiring access to another database;

recognizing that the identified instance values are provided by more than one of the plurality of building automation subsystems; and

decomposing the cross-subsystem query into a plurality of subsystem queries using information from the fact database.

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

determining ordering for the subsystem queries using information from the fact database.

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

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

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

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

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

storing the plurality of subsystem queries and providing an updated message to the application originating the cross-subsystem query when results of the cross-subsystem query change.

17. The computer-implemented method of claim 16, 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 semantic type information from the fact database to the message for the application.

18. The computer-implemented method of claim 17, wherein appending the semantic type information includes appending at least one string comprising the logical type associated with the message contents;

wherein the string is a projected semantic type string relating to the subsystem type of the message contents.

19. The computer-implemented method of claim 12, wherein the plurality of building automation subsystems comprise a first heating, cooling or air-conditioning (HVAC) system, a second HVAC system, an access control system, and a security system;

wherein the plurality of building automation subsystems are disparately protocolled.

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

measuring a variable state or condition within a building space using one or more sensors, wherein at least one of the stored instance values is provided by the one or more sensors;

generating a control signal at a controller using information provided by the one or more sensors; and

operating one or more BAS devices configured to affect the measured variable state or condition using the control signal from the controller.