Sensor installation in a building management system

• US 9,575,477 B2
• Filed: 07/31/2012
• Issued: 02/21/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Blount, Marion L., Kephart, Jeffrey O., Lenchner, Jonathan, Mohomed, Iqbal I.
• Primary Examiner(s): Shechtman, Sean
• Application Number:
  US13/562,619
• Publication Number:
  US 20140039685A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,666 Days
• Field of Search: 700/276
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2642 Domotique, domestic, home control, automation, smart house
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/10 using wireless transmission systems G08B25/009 takes precedence

Abstract

A sensor is installed in a building management system by determining a sensor type of the sensor from among a plurality of supported sensor types based on information collected by a mobile device of a user; identifying configuration information required by the building management system for the determined sensor type; obtaining the required configuration information from the user using an interface on the mobile device, wherein at least a portion of the interface is generated to accommodate one or more requirements of the building management system with respect to the determined sensor type; and providing the obtained required configuration information to the building management system. The sensor type and unique identifier of the sensor can be automatically determined. Portions of the required configuration information for the determined sensor type can be automatically populated using default information for the determined sensor type.

Claims

1. A method for installing a sensor in a building management system, comprising the steps of:

identifying, during said installation of said sensor, a building management hardware system controller to connect the sensor to by identifying a closest building management system hardware controller in an area where said sensor is being installed;

automatically determining a sensor type of said sensor from among a plurality of supported sensor types by analyzing image information collected by using a software installation and verification application on a mobile device of a user, wherein the image information collected comprises one or more of an image of the sensor and a unique identifier;

identifying configuration information required by said building management system for said determined sensor type;

obtaining, during said installation of said sensor, said required configuration information from said user using an interface on said mobile device, wherein at least a portion of said interface is generated to accommodate one or more requirements of said building management system with respect to said determined sensor type;

providing said obtained required configuration information to said building management system for said installing and a verification of the installed sensor; and

providing a guided verification procedure to perform a set of tests that verify correctness of data reported by the installed sensor.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of determining said building management system from among a plurality of supported building management systems.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of presenting one or more instructions to said user on said mobile device based on the requirements of said building management system with respect to said determined sensor type.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of automatically determining a sensor type of said sensor further comprises the step of performing visual recognition based on a photograph of said sensor obtained by said mobile device.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of obtaining said unique identifier of said sensor using said mobile device of said user.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said step of automatically determining a sensor type for said sensor further comprises the step of scanning a scannable identifier using said mobile device.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of automatically populating at least some of said required configuration information for said determined sensor type using default information for said determined sensor type.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of prompting said user on said mobile device to connect said sensor to said building management system.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein one or more of said steps are performed by a sensor installation and verification software application.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein said sensor installation and verification software application is installed on said mobile device.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein said sensor installation and verification software application communicates with said building management system.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of verifying an operation of said sensor.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein said step of verifying an operation of said sensor further comprises the step of evaluating data received from said sensor.

14. An apparatus for installing a sensor in a building management system, the apparatus comprising:

a memory; and

at least one hardware device, coupled to the memory, operative to;

identify, during said installation of said sensor, a building management hardware system controller to connect the sensor to by identifying a closest building management system hardware controller in an area where said sensor is being installed;

automatically determine a sensor type of said sensor from among a plurality of supported sensor types by analyzing image information collected by using a software installation and verification application on a mobile device of a user, wherein the image information collected comprises one or more of an image of the sensor and a unique identifier;

identify configuration information required by said building management system for said determined sensor type;

obtain, during said installation of said sensor, said required configuration information from said user using an interface on said mobile device, wherein at least a portion of said interface is generated to accommodate one or more requirements of said building management system with respect to said determined sensor type;

provide said obtained required configuration information to said building management system for said installing and a verification of the installed sensor; and

provide a guided verification procedure to perform a set of tests that verify correctness of data reported by the installed sensor.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein said at least one hardware device is further configured to obtain said unique identifier of said sensor using said mobile device of said user.

16. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein said at least one hardware device is further configured to determine said building management system from among a plurality of supported building management systems.

17. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein said at least one hardware device is further configured to present one or more instructions to said user on said mobile device based on the requirements of said building management system with respect to said determined sensor type.

18. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein said sensor type is automatically determined by performing visual recognition based on a photograph of said sensor obtained by said mobile device.

19. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein said unique identifier for said sensor is automatically determined by scanning a scannable identifier using said mobile device.

20. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein said at least one hardware device is further configured to automatically populate at least some of said required configuration information for said determined sensor type using default information for said determined sensor type.

21. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein one or more of said steps are performed by a sensor installation and verification software application installed on said mobile device.

22. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein said at least one hardware device is further configured to verify an operation of said sensor.

23. An article of manufacture for installing a sensor in a building management system, comprising a non-transitory machine readable recordable medium containing one or more programs which when executed implement the steps of:

identifying, during said installation of said sensor, a building management hardware system controller to connect the sensor to by identifying a closest building management system hardware controller in an area where said sensor is being installed;

automatically determining a sensor type of said sensor from among a plurality of supported sensor types by analyzing image information collected by using a software installation and verification application on a mobile device of a user, wherein the image information collected comprises one or more of an image of the sensor and a unique identifier;

identifying configuration information required by said building management system for said determined sensor type;

obtaining, during said installation of said sensor, said required configuration information from said user using an interface on said mobile device, wherein at least a portion of said interface is generated to accommodate one or more requirements of said building management system with respect to said determined sensor type;

providing said obtained required configuration information to said building management system for said installing and verification of the installed sensor; and

providing a guided verification procedure to perform a set of tests that verify correctness of data reported by the installed sensor.