Granted Patent B2

US 7,209,034 · App. 10/418,610 · Granted Apr 24, 2007

Abstract

Claims (68)

1. A method for providing services with respect to a building, the method comprising:

depicting a building in a data model, the data model comprising a three-dimensional representation of the building and a current condition of the building, wherein depicting a building in a data model comprises describing the building and the current condition of the building in a markup language;

receiving in a gateway computer, from sensors within the building, data describing the current condition of the building;

storing in the data model the data describing the current condition of the building; and

tailoring services with respect to the building in dependence upon the current condition of the building.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the gateway computer comprises an OSGi-compliant gateway computer.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the gateway computer and the sensors within the building are coupled for data communications on a network supporting one or more data communications protocols; and

receiving data describing the current condition of the building comprises communicating data, between the gateway computer and the sensors within the building, according to at least one data communications protocol.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein tailoring services further comprises communicating the data model, including the current condition of the building, from the gateway computer to service providers who provide services with respect to the building.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein tailoring services further comprises communicating the data model expressed in a markup language, including the current condition of the building, from the gateway computer to service providers who provide services with respect to the building, and the method further comprises:

parsing the data model expressed in a markup language into a display format; and

displaying an image of the building represented in the data model including the current condition of the building.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising repeating in near real time the steps of:

receiving in a gateway computer, from sensors within the building, data describing the current condition of the building;

storing in the data model the data describing the current condition of the building; and

tailoring services with respect to the building in dependence upon the current condition of the building.

7. A method for providing services with respect to a building, the method comprising:

receiving at a service provider who provides services with respect to the building a data model expressed in a markup language, the data model comprising a three-dimensional representation of the building and a current condition of the building;

parsing the data model expressed in a markup language into a display format;

displaying an image of the building represented in the data model including the current condition of the building; and

altering the services provided with respect to the building in dependence upon the displayed image.

8. A system for providing services with respect to a building, the system comprising:

means for depicting a building in a data model, the data model comprising a three-dimensional representation of the building and a current condition of the building, wherein means for depicting a building in a data model comprises means for describing the building and the current condition of the building in a markup language;

means for receiving in a gateway computer, from sensors within the building, data describing the current condition of the building;

means for storing in the data model the data describing the current condition of the building; and

means for tailoring services with respect to the building in dependence upon the current condition of the building.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein the gateway computer comprises an OSGi-compliant gateway computer.

10. The system of claim 8 wherein:

the gateway computer and the sensors within the building are coupled for data communications on a network supporting one or more data communications protocols; and

means for receiving data describing the current condition of the building comprises means for communicating data, between the gateway computer and the sensors within the building, according to at least one data communications protocol.

11. The system of claim 8 wherein means for tailoring services further comprises means for communicating the data model, including the current condition of the building, from the gateway computer to service providers who provide services with respect to the building.

12. The system of claim 8 wherein means for tailoring services further comprises means for communicating the data model expressed in a markup language, including the current condition of the building, from the gateway computer to service providers who provide services with respect to the building, and the system further comprises:

means for parsing the data model expressed in a markup language into a display format; and

means for displaying an image of the building represented in the data model including the current condition of the building.

13. The system of claim 8 further comprising means for repeating in near real time the steps of:

receiving in a gateway computer, from sensors within the building, data describing the current condition of the building;

storing in the data model the data describing the current condition of the building; and

tailoring services with respect to the building in dependence upon the current condition of the building.

14. A system for providing services with respect to a building, the system comprising:

means for receiving at a service provider who provides services with respect to the building a data model expressed in a markup language, the data model comprising a three-dimensional representation of the building and a current condition of the building;

means for parsing the data model expressed in a markup language into a display format;

means for displaying an image of the building represented in the data model including the current condition of the building; and

means for altering the services provided with respect to the building in dependence upon the displayed image.

15. A computer program product for providing services with respect to a building, the computer program product comprising:

a recording medium;

means, recorded on the recording medium, for depicting a building in a data model, the data model comprising a three-dimensional representation of the building and a current condition of the building, wherein means, recorded on the recording medium, for depicting a building in a data model comprises means, recorded on the recording medium, for describing the building and the current condition of the building in a markup language;

means, recorded on the recording medium, for receiving in a gateway computer, from sensors within the building, data describing the current condition of the building;

means, recorded on the recording medium, for storing in the data model the data describing the current condition of the building; and

means, recorded on the recording medium, for tailoring services with respect to the building in dependence upon the current condition of the building.

16. The computer program product of claim 15 wherein the gateway computer comprises an OSGi-compliant gateway computer.

17. The computer program product of claim 15 wherein:

the gateway computer and the sensors within the building are coupled for data communications on a network supporting one or more data communications protocols; and

means, recorded on the recording medium, for receiving data describing the current condition of the building comprises means, recorded on the recording medium, for communicating data, between the gateway computer and the sensors within the building, according to at least one data communications protocol.

18. The computer program product of claim 15 wherein means, recorded on the recording medium, for tailoring services further comprises means, recorded on the recording medium, for communicating the data model, including the current condition of the building, from the gateway computer to service providers who provide services with respect to the building.

19. The computer program product of claim 15 wherein means, recorded on the recording medium, for tailoring services further comprises means, recorded on the recording medium, for communicating the data model expressed in a markup language, including the current condition of the building, from the gateway computer to service providers who provide services with respect to the building, and the computer program product further comprises:

means, recorded on the recording medium, for parsing the data model expressed in a markup language into a display format; and

means, recorded on the recording medium, for displaying an image of the building represented in the data model including the current condition of the building.

20. The computer program product of claim 15 further comprising means, recorded on the recording medium, for repeating in near real time the steps of:

receiving in a gateway computer, from sensors within the building, data describing the current condition of the building;

storing in the data model the data describing the current condition of the building; and

tailoring services with respect to the building in dependence upon the current condition of the building.

21. A computer program product for providing services with respect to a building, the computer program product comprising:

a recording medium;

means, recorded on the recording medium, for receiving at a service provider who provides services with respect to the building a data model expressed in a markup language, the data model comprising a three-dimensional representation of the building and a current condition of the building;

means, recorded on the recording medium, for parsing the data model expressed in a markup language into a display format;

means, recorded on the recording medium, for displaying an image of the building represented in the data model including the current condition of the building; and

means, recorded on the recording medium, for altering the services provided with respect to the building in dependence upon the displayed image.

Assignments (8)