Building control system using network global data

• US 20050182498A1
• Filed: 09/27/2004
• Published: 08/18/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Siemens Industry Incorporated (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Siemens Building Technologies Incorporated (Siemens AG)
• Inventors: Landou, Bruno P., Kalafut, Robert, Old, Robert L. Jr., Gaffaney, Robert, Vitaterna, Joseph F.
• Granted Patent: US 7,353,070 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/20
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric

Abstract

An arrangement in a building control system includes a plurality of field panel devices. Each field panel device is configured to receive control inputs and further configured to provide control outputs to at least one building control device. Each field panel device includes a data store, a communication circuit, and a processing circuit. The data store maintains a set of global data that is shared by all field panel devices. The communication circuit is operably connected to others of the plurality of field panel devices via a logical network. The processing circuit is operable to communicate changes of any of the set of global data to at least one other field panel device via the communication circuit.

Claims

1. An arrangement in a building control system, comprising:

a plurality of field panel devices, each field panel device configured to receive control inputs and further configured to provide control outputs to at least one building control device, each field panel device further comprising;

a data store maintaining a set of global data, the set of global data shared by all field panel devices;

an Ethernet communication circuit operably connected to others of the plurality of field panel devices;

a processing circuit operable to communicate changes of any of the set of global data to at least one other field panel device via the Ethernet communication circuit.

2. The arrangement of claim 1 wherein the processing circuit is operable to communicated changes to any of the set of global data to at least one other field panel device that is located on another Ethernet network via a router.

3. The arrangement of claim 1 wherein each field panel device is a node on a subsystem, and wherein the data store is further operable to maintain the set of global data such that the set of global data includes a list of the nodes in the subsystem.

4. The arrangement of claim 3 wherein the data store is further operable to maintain the set of global data such that the set of global data includes identification of one or more mass storage nodes in the subsystem.

5. The arrangement of claim 1 wherein each field panel device is a node on a subsystem, and wherein the data store is further operable to maintain the set of global data such that the set of global data includes a list of user accounts having access to at least portions of the subsystem.

6. The arrangement of claim 1 wherein each field panel device is a node on a subsystem, and wherein the data store is further operable to maintain the set of global data such that the set of global data includes a list of error messages generated by the nodes in the subsystem.

7. The arrangement of claim 1 wherein the data store is further operable to store information regarding a set of prior updates to the set of global data.

8. The arrangement of claim 1 wherein the processing circuit is configured to execute software functions, the software functions including a replication function, the replication function operable to identify the at least one other field panel device to which changes to of any of the set of global data are to be communicated.

9. The arrangement of claim 8 wherein each field panel device has the same replication function, the replication function being machine independent.

10. The arrangement of claim 9 wherein the software functions further include a wrapper function, the wrapper function operably communicating information between the replication function and the Ethernet communication circuit, the wrapper function being machine dependent.

11. The arrangement of claim 1 wherein the data store includes volatile memory such that at least some global data is lost if power is removed from the memory.

12. An arrangement in a building control system, comprising:

a field panel device configured to receive control inputs and further configured to provide control outputs to at least one building control device, the field panel device further comprising;

a data store maintaining a set of global data, the set of global data shared by a number of other field panel devices, the number of other field panel devices operably coupled through a logical internet protocol network;

a logical protocol network communication circuit operably connected to at least one of the number of other field panel devices;

a processing circuit operable to communicate changes of any of the set of global data to at least one other field panel device via the logical internet network communication circuit.

13. The arrangement of claim 12 wherein the field panel device is a node on the logical internet protocol (IP) network, and wherein the data store is further operable to maintain the set of global data such that the set of global data includes a list of the nodes in the logical IP network.

14. The arrangement of claim 13 wherein the data store is further operable to maintain the set of global data such that the set of global data includes identification of one or more mass storage nodes on the logical IP network.

15. The arrangement of claim 12 wherein the field panel device is a node on the logical internet protocol (IP) network, and wherein the data store is further operable to maintain the set of global data such that the set of global data includes a list of user accounts having access to at least portions of the logical IP network.

16. The arrangement of claim 12 wherein the field panel device is a node on the logical internet protocol (IP) network, and wherein the data store is further operable to maintain the set of global data such that the set of global data includes a list of error messages generated by the nodes in logical IP network.

17. The arrangement of claim 12 wherein the data store is further operable to the data store is further operable to store information regarding a set of prior updates to the set of global data.

18. The arrangement of claim 12 wherein the processing circuit is configured to execute software functions, the software functions including a replication function, the replication function to identify the at least one other field panel device to which changes to of any of the set of global data are to be communicated.

19. The arrangement of claim 12 wherein the processing circuit further includes a transport layer function operable to effect communications using TCP/IP transport layer protocol.

20. The arrangement of claim 18 wherein the replication function is machine independent.

21. The arrangement of claim 18 wherein the replication function is operable to receive metadata from another field panel, and determine based on that metadata whether an update in the global data in at least one field panel is necessary.

22. A method of adding a new node to a logical network, the logical network including a plurality of existing nodes, each of the existing nodes including a memory device storing global data, the method comprising:

a) transmitting from a first node of the plurality of existing nodes a first message identifying the first node as a member of the logical network;

b) receiving the first message at the new node, and transmitting from the new node to the first node a request for global data;

c) transmitting to the new node from the first node global data stored at the first node; and

d) determining a first set of partner nodes at the new node, the first set of partner nodes comprising a subset of the plurality of nodes.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein step b) further comprises adding to a node list at the new node information identifying the first node.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein the global data includes a node list identifying the plurality of nodes.

25. The method of claim 24 further comprising e) propagating to the plurality of nodes a global data update including information identifying the addition of the new node.

26. The method of claim 22 wherein the new node comprises a field panel employed in a building automation system.

27. The method of claim 26 wherein the new node comprises a field panel employed in an HVAC system.

28. The method of claim 26 wherein at least one node of the plurality of nodes includes a computer work station.

29. The method of claim 28 wherein the first message is a multicast message that is received by less than all of the plurality of nodes and the new node.

32. The arrangement of claim 29, wherein the processing circuit is further operable to increment a field panel replica version number each time global data is updated.

30. An arrangement in a building control system, comprising:

a plurality of field panel devices, each field panel device configured to receive control inputs and further configured to provide control outputs to at least one building control device, each field panel device further comprising;

a data store maintaining a set of global data, the set of global data shared by all of the plurality of field panel devices;

a communication circuit operably connected to others of the plurality of field panel devices; and

a processing circuit operable to communicate changes of any of the set of global data to at least one other field panel device via the communication circuit, the processing circuit further operable to maintain version information regarding the global data.

31. The arrangement of claim 30 wherein the global data comprises a plurality of grains, and wherein the version information includes metadata corresponding to each of the plurality of grains.

33. The arrangement of claim 30, wherein the global data comprises information regarding a plurality of prior global data updates.

34. The arrangement of claim 33, wherein the information regarding a plurality of prior changes includes information identifying for each of a set of prior global updates, an identification of one or more grains updated and an identification of a node that originated the global data update.