NETWORK DIAGNOSTIC TOOL FOR TESTING AND COMMISSIONING BUILDING SYSTEMS

• US 20160093203A1
• Filed: 09/26/2014
• Published: 03/31/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Siemens Industry Incorporated (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Siemens Industry Incorporated (Siemens AG)
• Inventors: Hamilton, Mark, Viereck, Ulrich, Jenkins, Shauna
• Granted Patent: US 10,540,886 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A62C 37/44 only the sensor being in the danger zone
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 29/145 of fire detection circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0883 Semiautomatic configuration, e.g. proposals from system
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0852 Delays
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/106 using time related information in packets, e.g. by adding timestamps

Abstract

A method for a building system and corresponding data processing system. A method includes receiving, by a data processing system, a building system diagnostics configuration. The method includes receiving diagnostic data corresponding to the building system diagnostics configuration and processing the diagnostic data. The method includes generating a report based on the processed diagnostic data and storing or displaying the report.

Claims

1. A method for a building system comprising the steps of:

receiving, by a data processing system, a building system diagnostics configuration;

receiving, by the data processing system, diagnostic data corresponding to the building system diagnostics configuration;

processing the diagnostic data by the data processing system;

generating a report based on the processed diagnostic data by the data processing system; and

storing or displaying the report by the data processing system.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the building system is a fire alarm system.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the building system is a fire alarm system;

the diagnostics configuration indicates that network traffic on a plurality of networks should be monitored for alarm events, and communications over the plurality of networks should be logged, time-stamped, and synchronized;

the diagnostics data comprises at least one alarm event that is communicated over the plurality of networks;

processing the diagnostics data includes verifying whether the alarm event is communicated over each of the plurality of networks; and

the report indicates whether the alarm event is communicated over each of the plurality of networks and any delay in propagation of the alarm event over the plurality of networks.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the diagnostic data includes data communicated by one of a plurality of fire panel modules over a bus.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the diagnostic data includes data communicated by one of a plurality of field devices over a bus.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the diagnostic data includes data received over a plurality of connected busses, and wherein the data processing system synchronizes timestamps of the received diagnostic data.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the diagnostic data is a passive process where the data processing system listens to data traffic on at least one bus.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the diagnostic data is an active process where the data processing system requests data from one or more devices or modules.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein processing the diagnostic data includes one or more of performing an analysis of diagnostic data, performing consistency checks of the diagnostic data, detecting unexpected behavior in the diagnostic data, or detecting unexpected data/messages or unusual messages in the diagnostic data.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein processing the diagnostic data includes one or more of identifying unexpected modules or devices from the diagnostic data, identifying missing modules or devices from the diagnostic data, or detecting scrambled messages in the diagnostic data.

11. A data processing system connected to communicate with a building system, comprising:

a processor; and

an accessible memory, wherein the data processing system is particularly configured to;

receive a building system diagnostics configuration;

receive diagnostic data corresponding to the building system diagnostics configuration;

process the diagnostic data;

generate a report based on the processed diagnostic data; and

store or display the report.

12. The data processing system of claim 11, wherein the building system is a fire alarm system.

13. The data processing system of claim 11, wherein:

the building system is a fire alarm system;

the diagnostics configuration indicates that network traffic on a plurality of networks should be monitored for alarm events, and communications over the plurality of networks should be logged, time-stamped, and synchronized;

the diagnostics data comprises at least one alarm event that is communicated over the plurality of networks;

processing the diagnostics data includes verifying whether the alarm event is communicated over each of the plurality of networks; and

the report indicates whether the alarm event is communicated over each of the plurality of networks and any delay in propagation of the alarm event over the plurality of networks.

14. The data processing system of claim 11, wherein the diagnostic data includes data communicated by one of a plurality of fire panel modules over a bus.

15. The data processing system of claim 11, wherein the diagnostic data includes data communicated by one of a plurality of field devices over a bus.

16. The data processing system of claim 11, wherein the diagnostic data includes data received over a plurality of connected busses, and wherein the data processing system synchronizes timestamps of the received diagnostic data.

17. The data processing system of claim 11, wherein receiving the diagnostic data is a passive process where the data processing system listens to data traffic on at least one bus.

18. The data processing system of claim 11, wherein receiving the diagnostic data is an active process where the data processing system requests data from one or more devices or modules.

19. The data processing system of claim 11, wherein processing the diagnostic data includes one or more of performing an analysis of diagnostic data, performing consistency checks of the diagnostic data, detecting unexpected behavior in the diagnostic data, or detecting unexpected data/messages or unusual messages in the diagnostic data.

20. The data processing system of claim 11, wherein processing the diagnostic data includes one or more of identifying unexpected modules or devices from the diagnostic data, identifying missing modules or devices from the diagnostic data, or detecting scrambled messages in the diagnostic data.