IP Library Granted Patent US 11,415,955
Granted Patent B2
US 11,415,955 · App. 16/804,999 · Granted Aug 16, 2022

Vendor agnostic shareable device integration and meta data tagging

Inventors: Lisa E. Strand (Wauwatosa, WI); Vivek V. Gupta (Shorewood, WI); Benjamin D. Sanfelippo (Glendale, WI); Mark T. Fischbach (New Berlin, WI); Adam Scott (Grafton, WI)
Assignee: Johnson Controls Tyco IP Holdings LLP
G05B19/0426G05B2219/25011G05B2219/2614
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,415,955
App. No.
16/804,999
Granted
Aug 16, 2022
Kind
B2
Abstract

A system for updating a device in a building management system (BMS). The system includes a third-party device and a device manager of a control network. The device manager updates the third-party device and includes a processing circuit that determines that the third-party device has been discovered on the control network. The processing circuit further populates a template with a set of received data from the third-party device and maps the third-party device with control network based on the populated template of received data. The processing circuit further configures the third-party device to operate in the control network, wherein configuring the third-party device comprises transforming a data exchange format of the third-party device.

Claims (64)

1. A system for updating a-third-party devices in a building management system (BMS), the system comprising:

a third-party device;

a device manager of a control network, the device manager configured to update the third-party device and comprising a processing circuit configured to:

determine that the third-party device has been discovered on the control network;

populate a template with a set of received data from the third-party device;

map the third-party device with the control network based on the populated template of received data; and

configure the third-party device to operate in the control network, wherein configuring the third-party device comprises transforming a data exchange format of the third-party device, wherein the control network operates under a first network protocol and the third-party device operates under a second network protocol and wherein configuring the third-party device further comprises converting the third-party device to operate from the second network protocol to the first network protocol.

2. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:

a user device comprising a user interface connected to the control network; and

the processing circuit further configured to:

generate a profile of the third-party device; and

display the profile of the third-party device to the user interface, wherein the profile comprises the received data.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processing circuit is further configured to generate a default template of the third-party device, wherein the default template comprises vendor information or model information or firmware information.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the control network, the third-party device, and the device manager operate over a building automation and control network (BACnet) protocol, wherein the BACnet protocol may be BACnet/IP, BACnet/Ethernet, or BACnet/MSTP.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein configuring the third-party device further comprises:

determining that the third-party device has not previously been connected to the control network; and

generating a new device profile for the third-party device based on the received data.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein configuring the third-party device further comprises:

determining that the third-party device has previously been connected to the control network; and

providing a previous device profile based on the received data, wherein the received data comprises vendor information of the third-party device or model information of the third-party device or firmware information of the third-party device.

7. The system of claim 5 , wherein the control network, the third-party device, and the device manager operate over a building operation controls network (BACnet) protocol, wherein the BACnet protocol may be BACnet/IP, BACnet/Ethernet, or BACnet/MSTP.

8. A method for updating a device in a building management system (BMS), the method comprising:

determining that a third-party device has been discovered on a control network, the control network comprising a device manager and a user device;

populating a template with a set of received data from the third-party device;

mapping the third-party device with the control network based on the populated template of received data; and

configuring the third-party device to operate in the control network, wherein configuring the third-party device comprises transforming a data exchange format of the third-party device and converting the third-party device to operate from a second network protocol to a first network protocol, wherein the control network operates under the first network protocol and the third-party device operates under the second network protocol.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein:

the third-party device is connected to the control network via building automation and control network over internet protocol (BACnet/IP) protocol or building building automation and control over master slave token passing (BACnet/MSTP) protocol.

10. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:

generating a profile of the third-party device; and

displaying the profile of the third-party device to a user interface, wherein the profile comprises the received data.

11. The method of claim 8 , further comprising generating a default template of the third-party device, wherein the default template comprises vendor information or model information or firmware information.

12. The method of claim 8 , wherein configuring the third-party device further comprises:

determining that the third-party device has not previously been connected to the control network; and

generating a new device profile for the third-party device based on the received data.

13. The method of claim 8 , wherein configuring the third-party device further comprises:

determining that the third-party device has previously been connected to the control network; and

providing a previous device profile based on the received data, wherein the received data comprises vendor information of the third-party device or model information of the third-party device or firmware information of the third-party device.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the control network, the third-party device, and the device manager operate over a building automation and control network (BACnet) protocol, wherein the BACnet protocol may be BACnet/IP, BACnet/Ethernet, or BACnet/MSTP.

15. A controller for configuring a device in a building management system (BMS), the controller comprising a processing circuit configured to:

determine that a third-party device has been discovered on a control network;

populate a template with a set of received data from the third-party device;

map the third-party device with the control network based on the populated template of received data;

determine that the third-party device has previously been connected to the control network;

provide a previous device profile based on the received data, wherein the received data comprises vendor information, model information, or firmware information of the third-party device; and

configure the third-party device to operate in the control network, wherein configuring the third-party device comprises transforming a data exchange format of the third-party device and converting the third-party device to operate from a second network protocol to a first network protocol, wherein the control network operates under the first network protocol and the third-party device operates under the second network protocol.

16. The controller of claim 15 , further comprising:

a user device comprising a user interface connected to the control network; and

the processing circuit further configured to:

generate a profile of the third-party device; and

display the profile of the third-party device to the user interface, wherein the profile comprises the received data.

17. The controller of claim 15 , wherein the processing circuit is further configured to generate a default template of the third-party device, wherein the default template comprises the vendor information or model information or firmware information.

18. The controller of claim 15 , wherein the control network and the third-party device operate over a building automation and control network (BACnet) protocol, wherein the BACnet protocol may be BACnet/IP, BACnet/Ethernet, or BACnet/MSTP.

19. The controller of claim 15 , wherein configuring the third-party device further comprises:

determining that the third-party device has not previously been connected to the control network; and

generating a new device profile for the third-party device based on the received data.

20. The controller of claim 15 , wherein configuring the third-party device further comprises:

determining that the third-party device has previously been connected to the control network.

21. A data template for updating a device in a building management system (BMS), the BMS comprising a control network and a processing circuit, the data template comprising a memory,

wherein the memory is configured to store a predetermined set of data regarding the control network,

wherein a template is configured to receive a current set of data from a third-party device,

wherein the memory is further configured to store the current set of data,

wherein the template is further configured to arrange the predetermined set of data with the current set of data, such that the processing circuit is operable to map the third-party device with the control network based on the template, such that the control network is operable to configure the third-party device to communicate in the control network, and

wherein configuring the third-party device comprises transforming a data exchange format of the third-party device and converting the third-party device to operate from a second network protocol to a first network protocol, wherein the control network operates under the first network protocol and the third-party device operates under the second network protocol.

Assignments (3)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 26, 2026
From: JOHNSON CONTROLS TYCO IP HOLDINGS LLP
To: TYCO FIRE & SECURITY GMBH
Reel/Frame 074497/0885 →
NUNC PRO TUNC ASSIGNMENT Recorded Feb 4, 2022
From: JOHNSON CONTROLS TECHNOLOGY COMPANY
To: JOHNSON CONTROLS TYCO IP HOLDINGS LLP
Reel/Frame 058959/0764 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 17, 2020
From: STRAND, LISA E.; GUPTA, VIVEK V.; SANFELIPPO, BENJAMIN D.; FISCHBACH, MARK T.; SCOTT, ADAM
To: JOHNSON CONTROLS TECHNOLOGY COMPANY
Reel/Frame 052136/0725 →
Continuity (1)
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