Building automation and control system and method for operating the same

• US 9,465,371 B2
• Filed: 02/21/2013
• Issued: 10/11/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Jung, Eunhwa, Jung, Jaesik
• Primary Examiner(s): Bahta, Kidest
• Application Number:
  US13/772,688
• Publication Number:
  US 20130218347A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,328 Days
• Field of Search: 700/275, 700/276, 700/278, 700/295, 709/206, 455/39
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 11/01 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

There is disclosed herein a building automation and control system and a method for operating the same. According to the embodiments of the present disclosure, a building controller may process data using a plurality of protocols without using a BACnet gateway, thereby controlling devices in a building coexisting with two or more protocols. According to the embodiments of the present disclosure, sub-systems having different their own protocols, respectively, may be integrated to establish a building automation and control system, and data may be processed using a single building controller, thereby enhancing the scalability and stability of the system.

Claims

1. A building automation and control system for automating and controlling a building configured with one or more sub-nets, the system comprising:

a building controller configured to control devices installed in a building to form the sub-net;

a first device connected to the building controller using a first protocol to transmit and receive first data; and

a second device connected to the building controller using a second protocol to transmit and receive second data,

wherein the building controller includes;

a first module that processes the first data using the first protocol, or converts the first data into a data of the second protocol, and

a second module that processes the second data using the second protocol, or converts the second data into a data of the first protocol, wherein the building controller is configured to;

determine which protocol is used by a destination of the first data and/or the second data;

convert the first data into the data of the second protocol when the destination of the first data is determined to be the second protocol;

convert the second data into the data of the first protocol when the destination of the second data is determined to be the first protocol; and

transmit the first data and/or the second data to the destination of the first data and/or the second data respectively;

wherein the building controller is directly connected to the first and second devices without a gateway.

2. The system of claim 1, further including:

a first central control server connected to the building controller using the first protocol to control a sub-net installed with the first device based on the first data.

3. The system of claim 2, further including:

a second central control server connected to the building controller using the second protocol to control a sub-net installed with the second device based on the second data.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the first module includes:

a first server communication unit configured to transmit and receive the first data to and from the first central control server;

a first data conversion unit configured to convert the first data into the data of the second protocol; and

a first device communication unit configured to transmit and receive the first data to and from the first device.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the second module includes:

a second server communication unit configured to transmit and receive the second data to and from the second central control server;

a second data conversion unit configured to convert the second data into the data of the first protocol; and

a second device communication unit configured to transmit and receive the second data to and from the second device.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the first and second module, respectively, include:

a first and a second storage unit configured to store the monitoring and control points of devices forming the sub-net into a database.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the first protocol is a BACnet protocol.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the second protocol is one of TCP, UDP, serial and parallel, or one of open communication protocols excluding the BACnet.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the sub-net is formed in one or more sub-systems including heating and cooling, ventilation, lighting, disaster prevention, security, and access control.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein each of the first device and the second device is one of an air conditioner, an air handling device, a fan, a boiler, a cooling tower, a pump, a freezer, a lighting device, a power device, a fire device, a disaster prevention device, a security device, or an access control device.

10. A method of operating a building automation and control system including a building controller connected to devices within a building configured with a plurality of sub-nets using a first protocol or a second protocol to transmit and receive data and control devices forming the sub-net based on the data, and configured to automate and control the building using the building controller, the method comprising

receiving the data from the device;

determining whether or not the data is first protocol data;

determining whether or not the destination of the data uses the first protocol;

transmitting the data to the destination according to a determination result of the first and the second determinations;

transmitting the data to the destination without protocol conversion when the data is the first protocol data, and the destination uses the first protocol;

converting the data into second protocol data and transmitting the converted second protocol data to the destination when the data is the first protocol data, and the destination uses the second protocol;

converting the data into first protocol data and transmitting the converted first protocol data to the destination when the data is the second protocol data, and the destination uses the first protocol; and

transmitting the data to the destination without protocol conversion when the data is the second protocol data, and the destination uses the second protocol, wherein the building controller is directly connected to the first and second device without a gateway.

11. A method of operating a building automation and control system including a building controller connected to devices within a building configured with a plurality of sub-nets using a first protocol or a second protocol to transmit and receive data and control devices forming the sub-net based on the data and a central control server connected to the building controller, and configured to automate and control the building using the building controller, the method comprising:

receiving the data from the central control server;

determining whether or not the data is first protocol data;

determining a protocol of the relevant device subject to the data;

transmitting the data to the relevant device according to a determination result of the first and second determinations;

receiving response data from the relevant device;

determining a protocol of the central control server; and

transmitting the response data to the central control server according to a determination result of the protocol of the central control server, wherein the building controller is directly connected to the first and second device without a gateway, wherein the building controller includes;

a first module that processes the first data using the first protocol, or converts the first data into a data of the second protocol; and

a second module that processes the second data using the second protocol, or converts the second data into a data of the first protocol, wherein the building controller is configured to;

determine which protocol is used by a destination of the first data and/or the second data;

convert the first data into the data of the second protocol when the destination of the first data is determined as the second protocol;

convert the second data into the data of the first protocol when the destination of the second data is determined as the first protocol; and

transmit the first data and/or the second data to the a destination of the first data and/or the second data respectively;

wherein the building controller is directly connected to the first and second devices without a gateway.