IP Library Granted Patent US 11,805,155
Granted Patent B2
US 11,805,155 · App. 17/728,649 · Granted Oct 31, 2023

BACnet conversion of water management data for building management solutions

Inventors: Arindam Chakraborty (Milwaukee, WI); Richard Ryer (Milwaukee, WI)
Assignee: ZURN INDUSTRIES, LLC
H04L65/102E03B7/07F24F11/30F24F11/56H04L67/12
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,805,155
App. No.
17/728,649
Granted
Oct 31, 2023
Kind
B2
Abstract

Methods and systems of monitoring and managing a facility including a plurality of end point devices. One system includes a first gateway device. The first gateway device includes a first electronic processor configured to receive fixture data from at least one electro-mechanical element of a fixture associated with the facility, the fixture data related to an operation of the fixture, and enable transmission of the fixture data to a remote device for virtual processing. The system also includes a second gateway device communicatively coupled with the first gateway device. The second gateway device includes a second electronic processor configured to receive, from the first gateway device, the processed fixture data. The second electronic processor configured to convert the processed fixture data pursuant to a networking protocol associated with a building management system and transmit the converted fixture data for display via a visual dashboard associated with the building management system.

Claims (53)

1. A system for converting usage information for building management solutions, the system comprising:

a first gateway device; and

a second gateway device communicatively coupled with the first gateway device,

wherein the first gateway device comprises a first electronic processor configured to:

receive, from a remote device, usage information for a fixture determined based on fixture data provided by the fixture;

convert the usage information pursuant to a first networking protocol associated with the second gateway device; and

provide, via the first networking protocol, the usage information to the second gateway device,

wherein the second gateway device comprises a second electronic processor configured to:

receive, from the first gateway device, the usage information;

convert the usage information pursuant to a second networking protocol associated with a building management system; and

provide, via the second networking protocol, the usage information for display via a visual dashboard associated with the building management system.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first electronic processor is further configured to: before receiving the usage information, receive the fixture data from the fixture; and provide the fixture data to the remote device for virtual processing.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the fixture comprises an end point device, wherein the first electronic processor is configured to receive the fixture data from the end point device.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the fixture comprises an electro-mechanical element, wherein the end point device is configured to receive the fixture data from the electro-mechanical element.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the end point device configured to, before receiving the fixture data, remain in a sleep mode until an action or an operation is detected with respect to the fixture.

6. The system of claim 4 , wherein the end point device is further configured to maintain a backlog of data packets comprising the fixture data until a connection to the first gateway device is available.

7. The system of claim 4 , wherein the fixture data is provided to the first gateway device by the end point device through an adaptable data rate that automatically selects an available channel without a search for the channel.

8. The system of claim 4 , wherein the electro-mechanical element comprises an actuator, a flow sensor, a position sensor, a proximity sensor, or a thermocouple.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the electro-mechanical element is communicatively coupled to the end point device via a wired connection.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the wired connection comprises a universal serial bus (USB) cable.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the second networking protocol is a BACnet protocol.

12. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first networking protocol is a Long Range (LoRa) protocol.

13. The system of claim 1 , wherein the second gateway device is associated with the building management system.

14. The system of claim 1 , wherein the visual dashboard integrates, as building data, the converted fixture data with additional data associated with a building subsystem.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the building subsystem includes at least one selected from a group consisting of a ventilation system, a lighting system, a power system, a fire system, and a security system.

16. The system of claim 14 , wherein the usage information is provided to a computing device associated with the building management system, and wherein the computing device is configured to display the building data via the visual dashboard.

17. The system of claim 16 , wherein the computing device is configured to:

receive, via the visual dashboard, a user interaction associated with the building data, and

generate, based on the user interaction, a control signal associated with the building subsystem, the fixture, or both; and

provide the control signal to the building subsystem, the fixture, or both.

18. The system of claim 1 , wherein the remote device comprises a central cloud-based database.

19. The system of claim 1 , wherein the usage information is related to an operation of the fixture.

20. A system for converting monitoring information for building management solutions, the system comprising:

a first gateway device; and

a second gateway device communicatively coupled with the first gateway device,

wherein the first gateway device comprises a first electronic processor configured to:

receive, from a remote device, monitoring information for a facility determined based on fixture data provided by a fixture associated with the facility;

convert the monitoring information pursuant to a first networking protocol associated with the second gateway device; and

provide, via the first networking protocol, the monitoring information to the second gateway device,

wherein the second gateway device comprises a second electronic processor configured to:

receive, from the first gateway device, the monitoring information;

convert the monitoring information pursuant to a second networking protocol associated with a building management system; and

provide, via the second networking protocol, the monitoring information for display via a visual dashboard associated with the building management system.

21. A system for converting monitoring information for building management solutions, the system comprising:

a first gateway device; and

a second gateway device communicatively coupled with the first gateway device,

wherein the first gateway device comprises a first electronic processor configured to:

receive, from a building management system via a first networking protocol associated with the building management system, a control signal for controlling a fixture;

convert the control signal pursuant to a second networking protocol associated with the second gateway device; and

provide, via the second networking protocol, the control signal to the second gateway device,

wherein the second gateway device comprises a second electronic processor configured to:

receive, from the first gateway device via the second networking protocol, the control signal; and

provide the control signal to the fixture.

Assignments (5)
NOTICE OF SUCCESSION OF AGENCY OF REEL/FRAME 066293/0879 Recorded Feb 20, 2026
From: UBS AG, STAMFORD BRANCH, AS PRIOR AGENT (F/K/A CREDIT SUISSE AG, CAYMAN ISLANDS BRANCH)
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS SUCCESSOR AGENT
Reel/Frame 074947/0479 →
CONVERSION Recorded Jan 16, 2024
From: ZURN INDUSTRIES, LLC
To: ZURN INDUSTRIES, LLC
Reel/Frame 066336/0603 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 16, 2024
From: ZURN INDUSTRIES, LLC
To: ZURN WATER, LLC
Reel/Frame 066337/0918 →
PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Dec 18, 2023
From: ZURN WATER, LLC
To: CREDIT SUISSE AG, CAYMAN ISLANDS BRANCH, AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT AND COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 066293/0879 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 26, 2022
From: CHAKRABORTY, ARINDAM; RYER, RICHARD
To: ZURN INDUSTRIES, LLC
Reel/Frame 059735/0897 →