Apparatus and methods for providing building automation system data updates to a web client

• US 9,946,233 B2
• Filed: 09/28/2012
• Issued: 04/17/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Siemens Schweiz AG (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Siemens Schweiz AG (Siemens AG)
• Inventors: Brun, Gerhard, Sigrist, Ralph
• Primary Examiner(s): Doan, Duyen
• Application Number:
  US14/432,255
• Publication Number:
  US 20150253748A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,027 Days
• Field of Search: 709223-225
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 13/04 involving the use of models or simulators
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2814 Exchanging control software or macros for controlling appliance services in a home automation network arrangements for maintenance or administration involving configuration of the network and network elements H04L41/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2818 from a device located outside both the home and the home network access arrangements H04L12/2856; for remote control or remote monitoring of applications H04L67/025; arrangements for transmitting signals characterised by the use of a wireless eletrical link G08C17/00; telephonic communication systems adapted for combination with remote control systems H04M11/007
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/282 based on user interaction within the home receiver circuitry for displaying additional information being controlled by a remote control apparatus H04N21/42204
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/025 for remote control or remote monitoring of applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/56 Provisioning of proxy services store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54

Abstract

An apparatus and methods provide a building automation system that includes a controller, a web server and a client. The controller includes building automation objects that may be used to generate a model that includes elements, wherein each element is associated with one or more of the objects. The web server includes business logic that reads and subscribes to the objects. Each object notifies the business logic of changes to the data of the object. The business logic processes the data from the objects to provide model update commands based on the changed data. The client includes presentation logic that displays the model, receives the model update commands from the business logic, updates the model using the model update commands, and displays the updated model.

Claims

1. A building automation system, comprising:

a building automation controller containing a plurality of building automation objects each having data used for generating a model having a plurality of elements, each of the elements associated with at least one of the building automation objects;

a web server containing business logic adapted to read and subscribe to the building automation objects, each of said building automation objects is adapted to notify the business logic of changes to the data of a building automation object, and to process the data from the building automation objects to provide model update commands based on changed data, said web server implementing an observer pattern to notify the business logic of any changes in data values of the building automation object, the business logic further containing a flag database having a plurality of flags, each of the flags being organized hierarchically in accordance with a model hierarchy and the business logic providing model update commands to the client only for the model elements that require updating as identified by the flags; and

a client containing presentation logic adapted for displaying the model, receive the model update commands from the business logic, update the model using the model update commands, and display an updated model.

2. The building automation system according to claim 1, wherein each of the flags corresponding to an element of the model and has a first value and a second value, wherein the first value indicates that a corresponding element of the model has not changed, and the second value indicates that the corresponding element of the model has changed.

3. The building automation system according to claim 2, wherein in response to a notification of a change from a first building automation object, the business logic determines the element of the model associated with the first building automation object, and changes a value of a flag corresponding to the associated element of the model from the first value to the second value.

4. The building automation system according to claim 3, wherein said client has the presentation logic which periodically issues read commands to the business logic, and in response to the read commands, the business logic determines if any of the flags has the second value.

5. The building automation system according to claim 4, wherein in response to the read commands, the business logic provides the model update commands to the presentation logic only for the elements of the model having the flags with the second value.

6. The building automation system according to claim 2, wherein the first value includes a first color, and the second value includes a second color different from the first color.

7. The building automation system according to claim 3, wherein the model hierarchy includes a flag node and a plurality of flag sub-nodes, wherein each of the flag sub-nodes depends from a higher-order flag node.

8. The building automation system according to claim 7, wherein the flag node corresponds to the model entirely, and a first flag sub-node corresponds to a graphic page of the model.

9. The building automation system according to claim 8, wherein a second flag sub-node depends from the first flag sub-node, and corresponds to a graphic element within the graphic page of the model.

10. The building automation system according to claim 7, wherein when a flag sub-node has the second value, each higher-order flag node from which the flag sub-node depends also has the second value.

11. The building automation system according to claim 10, wherein the business logic is further adapted to scan the model hierarchy of the flag from top to bottom to determine if any of the flag nodes have the second value.

12. A building automation method, which comprises the steps of:

providing a plurality of building automation objects each containing data used for generating a model having a plurality of elements, wherein each of the elements being associated with at least one of the building automation objects;

providing a web server having business logic adapted for reading and subscribing to the building automation objects, each of the building automation objects is adapted to notify the business logic of changes to the data of a building automation object, and to process the data from the building automation objects to provide model update commands based on changed data, the business logic further containing a flag database having a plurality of flags, each of the flags being organized hierarchically in accordance with a model hierarchy;

implementing, via the web server, an observer pattern to notify the business logic of any changes in data values of the building automation object and the business logic providing model update commands to the client only for the model elements that require updating as identified by the flags; and

providing a client having presentation logic adapted to display the model, receive the model update commands from the business logic, update the model using the model update commands, and display an updated model.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein each of the flags corresponds to an element of the model and has a first value and a second value, wherein the first value indicates that a corresponding element of the model has not changed, and the second value indicates that the corresponding element of the model has changed.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein in response to a notification of a change from a first building automation object, the business logic determines the element of the model associated with the first building automation object, and changes a value of a flag corresponding to the element from the first value to the second value.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the presentation logic periodically issues read commands to the business logic, and in response to the read commands, the business logic determines if any of the flags has the second value.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein in response to the read commands, the business logic provides the model update commands to the presentation logic only for the elements of the model having corresponding flags that have the second value.

17. The method according to claim 13, wherein the first value has a first color, and the second value has a second color different from the first color.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein the model hierarchy includes a flag node and a plurality of flag sub-nodes, wherein each of the sub-nodes depends from a higher-order flag node.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein the flag node corresponds to the model entirely, and a first flag sub-node corresponds to a graphic page of the model.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein a second flag sub-node depends from the first flag sub-node, and corresponds to a graphic element within the graphic page of the model.

21. The method according to claim 18, wherein when a flag sub-node has the second value, each higher-order flag node from which the flag sub-node depends also has the second value.

22. The method according t claim 21, which further comprises adapting the business logic to scan the model hierarchy of the flag from top to bottom to determine if any of the flag nodes have the second value.