IP Library Granted Patent US 11,762,362
Granted Patent B2
US 11,762,362 · App. 17/939,771 · Granted Sep 19, 2023

Building management system with dynamic channel communication

Inventors: Youngchoon Park (Brookfield, WI); Vaidhyanathan Venkiteswaran (Brookfield, WI); Sudhi R. Sinha (Milwaukee, WI); Karl F. Reichenberger (Mequon, WI)
Assignee: JOHNSON CONTROLS TYCO IP HOLDINGS LLP
G05B19/052G05B15/02G05B19/0421H04L12/2814H04L2012/285
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,762,362
App. No.
17/939,771
Granted
Sep 19, 2023
Kind
B2
Abstract

A system for managing communication between building management system (BMS) devices includes a memory and a controller. The memory includes instructions stored thereon. The controller is configured to execute the instructions to implement an agent manager, a zone manager, and a channel manager. The agent manager is configured to generate an agent for each of the BMS devices. The zone manager is configured to define at least one zone relating to a physical location zone or a building control zone. The channel manager is configured to generate a communication channel associated with the at least one zone. The channel manager is further configured to manage registration of an agent to the communication channel, wherein an agent is configured to communicate over a communication channel in response to being registered to the communication channel.

Claims (61)

1. A method, comprising:

generating, by one or more processing circuits, an agent for a building device;

defining, by the one or more processing circuits, a physical area of a building;

generating, by the one or more processing circuits, a communication channel for the physical area of the building;

receiving, by the one or more processing circuits, data mapping the building device to the physical area of the building; and

registering, by the one or more processing circuits, the agent to the communication channel responsive to a reception of the data mapping the building device to the physical area of the building, the agent configured to communicate over the communication channel in response to being registered to the communication channel.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the building device includes at least one of a building sensor, an heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) device, a building controller, a lighting controller, or a security device.

3. The method of claim 1 , comprising:

receiving, by the one or more processing circuits, from a computing device associated with a user, data relating to a physical location of the computing device;

generating, by the one or more processing circuits, a geolocation based on the physical location of the computing device; and

generating, by the one or more processing circuits, a computing device agent for the computing device.

4. The method of claim 1 , comprising

generating, by the one or more processing circuits, a second communication channel associated with a second physical area included within the physical area;

wherein messages of the communication channel are published in the second communication channel.

5. The method of claim 4 , comprising:

publishing, by the one or more processing circuits, the messages of the communication channel in the second communication channel based on a hierarchy, the hierarchy indicating that the physical area is included within the second physical area.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the agent is configured to:

communicate over the communication channel by at least one of:

publishing messages or receiving messages published by other agents on the communication channel.

7. The method of claim 6 , comprising:

storing, by the one or more processing circuits, the messages of the communication channel in a database.

8. A building system, comprising:

one or more memory devices having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:

generate an agent for a building device;

define a physical area of a building;

generate a communication channel for the physical area of the building;

receive data mapping the building device to the physical area of the building; and

register the agent to the communication channel responsive to a reception of the data mapping the building device to the physical area of the building, the agent configured to communicate over the communication channel in response to being registered to the communication channel.

9. The building system of claim 8 , wherein the building device includes at least one of a building sensor, an heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) device, a building controller, a lighting controller, or a security device.

10. The building system of claim 8 , wherein the one or more processors cause the one or more processors to:

generate a second communication channel associated with a second physical area included within the physical area;

wherein messages of the communication channel are published in the second communication channel.

11. The building system of claim 10 , wherein the instructions cause the one or more processors to:

publish the messages of the communication channel in the second communication channel based on a hierarchy, the hierarchy indicating that the physical area is included within the second physical area.

12. The building system of claim 8 , wherein the agent is configured to:

communicate over the communication channel by at least one of:

publishing messages or receiving messages published by other agents on the communication channel.

13. The building system of claim 12 , wherein the instructions cause the one or more processors to:

store published messages of the communication channel in a database.

14. The building system of claim 8 , wherein the instructions cause the one or more processors to:

receive, from a computing device associated with a user, data relating to a physical location of the computing device;

generate a geolocation based on the physical location of the computing device; and

generate a computing device agent for the computing device.

15. The building system of claim 14 , wherein the instructions cause the one or more processors to:

register the computing device agent corresponding to the computing device to the communication channel in response to a determination that at least a portion of the geolocation overlaps with at least a portion of the physical area of the building.

16. The building system of claim 14 , wherein the computing device agent corresponding to the computing device is configured to:

publish a message to the communication channel indicating a presence of the computing device within the physical location of the building.

17. The building system of claim 8 , wherein the building device is located in the physical area of the building, the physical area relating to at least one of a floor, a room, or partitioned area of the building.

18. The building system of claim 17 , wherein the instructions cause the one or more processors to:

define a building control zone associated with a control circuit, the control circuit relating to regulating operation of an HVAC device in response to data point values of a building sensor;

generate the communication channel for the building control zone; and

register, to the communication channel, a sensor agent for the building sensor and an HVAC device agent for the HVAC device.

19. The building system of claim 18 , wherein:

the sensor agent for the building sensor configured to publish the data point values to the communication channel; and

the HVAC device agent for the HVAC device configured to receive the data point values published from the communication channel.

20. One or more non-transitory storage medium having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:

generate an agent for a building device;

define a physical area of a building;

generate a communication channel for the physical area of the building;

receive data mapping the building device to the physical area of the building; and

register the agent to the communication channel responsive to a reception of the data mapping the building device to the physical area of the building, the agent configured to communicate over the communication channel in response to being registered to the communication channel.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 9, 2023
From: PARK, YOUNGCHOON; VENKITESWARAN, VAIDHYANATHAN; SINHA, SUDHI R.; REICHENBERGER, KARL F.
To: JOHNSON CONTROLS TECHNOLOGY COMPANY
Reel/Frame 062644/0176 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 9, 2023
From: JOHNSON CONTROLS TECHNOLOGY COMPANY
To: JOHNSON CONTROLS TYCO IP HOLDINGS LLP
Reel/Frame 062644/0228 →
Continuity (4)
Continuation 17345412 · Jun 11, 2021
Continuation 15934593 · Mar 23, 2018
Provisional Application 62476655 · Mar 24, 2017
Related Publication 20230070566A1 · Mar 9, 2023