Building analytic device

• US 9,373,083 B2
• Filed: 08/20/2015
• Issued: 06/21/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/04/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intelligent Buildings, LLC
• Original Assignee: Intelligent Buildings, LLC
• Inventors: Shircliff, Thomas, Murchison, Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): CHEN, ALAN S
• Application Number:
  US14/831,374
• Publication Number:
  US 20150356419A1
• Time in Patent Office: 306 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 11/01 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 5/02 Knowledge representation; Symbolic representation
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 5/025 Extracting rules from data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1097 for distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS]

Abstract

An information analytic system including an information gathering unit configured to gather at least one piece of information from at least one of a plurality of devices connected to a network, an information analysis unit configured to analyze the gathered information, and a rule generation unit configured to generate at least one rule based on the analysis performed by the information analysis unit. The rule analysis unit is configured to analyze each generated rule to identify the rules that can be applied to the corresponding piece information, and to apply applies the identified rule to the corresponding piece of information. The rule analysis unit is also configured to analyze unapplied rules and to determine what additional information is required to apply each unapplied rule to at least one piece of information.

Claims

1. An information analytic system including:

a plurality of automation units each connected to a plurality of monitoring and control devices and connected to a network and configured to collect environmental information;

a facility information unit connected to the network and configured to store information relating to locations of devices related to the facility;

an information gathering unit connected to the network and communicatively coupled to at least one of the automation units and the facility information unit that retrieves a listing of all monitoring and control devices connected to each automation unit and relates each monitoring and control device to at least one device in at least one facility;

an information analysis unit that analyzes the information from the facility information unit and logically relates the devices in the facility based on physical connections between the devices; and

a rule analysis unit that analyzes the control and monitoring devices connected to each automation unit and selects a listing of rules from a predetermined listing of rules based on the control and monitoring devices connected to the automation units.

2. The information analytic system of claim 1, wherein the rule analysis unit selects a listing of rules based on the relationships between the devices in the facility.

3. The information analytic system of claim 2, wherein the rule analysis unit identifies a plurality of potential rules from the listing of identified rules based on the devices connected to the automation units.

4. The information analytic system of claim 3, wherein the rule analysis unit identifies additional devices to connect to the automation units in order to apply at least one potential rule.

5. The information analytic system of claim 4, wherein rule analysis unit determines a cost associated with connecting the additional control and monitoring device.

6. The information analytic system of claim 5, wherein the rule analysis unit determines a cost savings associated with applying a potential rule based on information from the facility unit on the operation of the device associated with the additional control and monitoring device.

7. The information analytic system of claim 5, wherein the rule analysis unit determines if additional automation units are required to connect the device based on the information from the facility unit.

8. The information analytic system of claim 1, wherein the automation units include at least one building automation unit.

9. A method of applying a rule including steps of:

gathering information from a plurality of automation units each connected to a plurality of monitoring and control devices and connected to a network and configured to collect environmental information and a facility information unit connected to the network and configured to store information relating to locations of devices related to the facility;

retrieving a listing of all monitoring and control devices connected to each automation unit;

relating each monitoring and control device to at least one device in at least one facility; and

analyzing the information from the facility information unit and logically relates the devices in the facility based on physical connections between the devices;

analyzing the control and monitoring devices connected to each automation unit and selecting a listing of the rules from a predetermined listing of rules based on the devices connected to the automation units.

10. The method of claim 9, including the step of selecting listing of rules based on the relationships between the devices in the facility.

11. The method of claim 10, including the step of identifying a plurality of potential rules from the listing of identified rules based on the devices connected to the automation units.

12. The method of claim 11, including the step of identifying additional devices to connect to the automation units in order to apply at least one potential rule.

13. The method of claim 12, including the step of determining a cost associated with connecting the additional control and monitoring device.

14. The method of claim 13, including the step of determining a cost savings associated with applying a potential rule based on information from the facility unit on the operation of the device associated with the additional control and monitoring device.

15. The method of claim 13, including the step of determining if additional automation units are required to connect the device based on the information from the facility unit.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein the automation units include at least one building automation unit.