Wireless network control for building facilities

• US 7,884,732 B2
• Filed: 10/14/2009
• Issued: 02/08/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Regents of the University of California (University of California)
• Original Assignee: Regents of the University of California (University of California)
• Inventors: Huizenga, Charles A.
• Primary Examiner(s): TRIEU, VAN THANH
• Application Number:
  US12/579,353
• Publication Number:
  US 20100191388A1
• Time in Patent Office: 482 Days
• Field of Search: 340/539.1, 340/539.11, 340/539.26, 340/641, 340/642, 340/643, 340/656, 340/506, 340/815.6, 340/815.67, 340/635, 315/291, 315/294, 315/224, 362/263, 700/295, 713/340
• US Class Current: 340/635
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2300/03 Application domotique, e.g. for house automation, bus connected switches, sensors, loads or intelligent wiring
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 47/24 having light-sensitive input
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/40 using a wireless architecture
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/82 where the sensing device takes the initiative of sending data
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 9/00 Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/11 by determining the brightness or colour temperature of ambient light
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/115 by determining the presence or movement of objects or living beings
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/19 via wireless transmission
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/40 Control techniques providing energy savings, e.g. smart controller or presence detection
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 90/20 Smart grids as enabling technology in buildings sector smart grids supporting the management or operation of end-user stationary applications in general, or like technologies with no associated climate change mitigation effect Y04S20/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/14 Protecting elements, switches, relays or circuit breakers

Abstract

Wireless control of building facility systems via a wireless network using a wireless relay controller with a unique identifier. The wireless relay controller receives wireless control signals via a wireless communication network. The wireless relay controller determines that a wireless control signal concerns the wireless relay controller based on the unique identifier. The wireless relay controller further identifies a mode of operation for a specified relay indicated by the wireless control signal and controls the power to the specified relay in accordance with the wireless control signal. The wireless control signal may also monitor the power consumption of the load controlled by the specified relay and send that information to the network.

Claims

1. A method for wirelessly controlling a building facility system, the method comprising:

maintaining installation information in memory, the installation information including a unique identifier of a wireless relay controller in the building facility system;

receiving a wireless control signal, the wireless control signal being sent via a wireless communication network; and

executing instructions stored in memory, wherein execution of the instructions by a processor;

determines that the wireless control signal concerns the wireless relay controller based on an association between the wireless control signal and the unique identifier of the wireless relay controller,

identifies that the wireless control signal indicates a mode of operation for a specified relay associated with the wireless relay controller, the wireless relay controller being associated with one or more relays,

controls power supplied to the specified relay, wherein the specified relay operates in accordance with the mode of operation indicated by the wireless control signal,

measures an amount of power used by an electrical load controlled by the specified relay, wherein the power measurement is wirelessly transmitted to a designated recipient.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining that the power measurement indicates a power outage or circuit failure.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising determining power quality used by the controlled load, the power quality determination indicating that the light fixture is working improperly, and wirelessly transmitting the power quality determination to a designated recipient.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the facility system comprises a lighting system and the specified relay is associated with a ballast and/or a lamp in the lighting system, and further comprising determining a lighting status of the lamp and wirelessly transmitting the lighting status to a designated recipient.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising identifying a fault state based on a status of the ballast and/or the associated lamp.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising parsing the wireless control signal to determine the mode of operation indicated, the determination of the mode of operation based on rule-based logic.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the mode of operation indicated by the wireless control signal is associated with a demand response event for reducing building power consumption.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the wireless control signal includes instructions regarding timing the operations of the specified relay.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the wireless control signal further indicates a control group comprising a plurality of wireless relay controllers and further comprising identifying that the wireless relay controller is part of the control group, the identification based on associating the unique identifier of the wireless relay controller with the control group indicated by the wireless control signal.

10. A system for wirelessly controlling a building facility system, the method comprising:

a memory configured to maintain installation information, the installation information including a unique identifier of a wireless relay controller in the building facility system;

an interface configured to receive a wireless control signal, the wireless control signal being sent via a wireless communication network;

a processor configured to execute instructions stored in memory, wherein execution of the instructions by the processor;

determines that the wireless control signal concerns the wireless relay controller based on an association between the wireless control signal and the unique identifier of the wireless relay controller,

identifies that the wireless control signal indicates a mode of operation for a specified relay associated with the wireless relay controller, the wireless relay controller being associated with a plurality of relays, and

controls power supplied to the specified relay, wherein the specified relay operates in accordance with the mode of operation indicated by the wireless control signal; and

a power sensor configured to measure an amount of power used by an electrical load controlled by the specified relay, wherein the power measurement is wirelessly transmitted to a designated recipient by the interface.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the instructions are further executable by the processor to determine that the power measurement indicates a power outage or circuit failure.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the facility system comprises a lighting system and the specified relay is associated with a ballast and/or a lamp in the lighting system, and further comprising a light sensor configured to determine a lighting status of the lamp.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the facility system comprises a lighting system and the specified relay is associated with a ballast and/or a lamp in the lighting system, and further comprising a dimming device executable by the processor to dim light generated by the lamp.

14. The system of claim 10, further comprising a magnet configured to detachably connect to a housing associated with the wireless relay controller.

15. The system of claim 10, further comprising a timer executable by the processor to determine timing of operation of the specified relay in accordance with timing instructions indicated by the wireless control signal.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein the instructions are further executable by the processor to identify a fault state based on a status of the wireless relay ballast and or lamp.

17. The system of claim 10, wherein the wireless control signal indicates a mode of operation associated with a demand response event for reducing building power consumption.

18. The system of claim 10, wherein the wireless control signal further indicates a control group comprising a plurality of wireless relay controllers and wherein execution of the instructions further identifies that the wireless relay controller is part of the control group, the identification based on associating the unique identifier of the wireless relay controller with the control group indicated by the wireless control signal.

19. A computer-readable storage medium, having embodied thereon a program, the program being executable by a processor to perform a method for wirelessly controlling a building facility system, the method comprising:

maintaining installation information, the installation information including a unique identifier of a wireless relay controller in the building facility system;

receiving a wireless control signal, the wireless control signal being sent via a wireless communication network;

determining that the wireless control signal concerns the wireless relay controller based on an association between the wireless control signal and the unique identifier of the wireless relay controller;

identifying that the wireless control signal indicates a mode of operation for a specified relay associated with the wireless relay controller, the wireless relay controller being associated with one or more relays;

controlling power supplied to the specified relay, wherein the specified relay operates in accordance with the mode of operation indicated by the wireless control signal;

measuring an amount of power used by an electrical load controlled by the specified relay; and

wirelessly transmitting the power measurement to a designated recipient.