Johnson Service Company

Johnson Controls Technology Company

Gregory A Pascucci

Otto M Mageland

David E Rasmussen

Clay G Nesler

Gaylon M Decious

Michael E Wagner

Karen L Woest

James K Stark

Robert R Singers

David L Koch

Paul W Madaus

Darrell E Standish

Dan J Spacek

Vairavan Vairavan

Susan M Hyzer

Dennis E Burkhardt

James R Garbe

Donald A Gottschalk, Jr

Donald A Gottschalk

Paul G Kucharski

Vairavan E Vairavan

A networked system having a wide variety of applications and particularly applicable to facilities management systems has multiple levels of software in processing nodes. The levels include a 'features' processing level which communicates requests for data to a software object level containing databases of processes and attributes and database managers. The database managers in the software object level operate to provide data to the high level features in the same format. The software object level communicates with a hardware object level which also contains databases and database managers to mask differences between operational hardware units. By categorizing operational units by type, additional units of a known type can be added with only low level hardware object database changes. Adding units of a new type is facilitated by software changes confined to the lower level hardware and software objects, avoiding software changes at high level features. Individual software objects are tailored for typical types of inputs and output devices encountered by facilities management systems. Universal drive circuitry also provides applicability to a broad range of devices.

Networked facilities management system

A networked system having a wide variety of applications and particularly applicable to facilities management systems has multiple levels of software in processing nodes. The levels include a 'features' processing level which communicates requests for data to a software object level containing databases of processes and attributes and database managers. The database managers in the software object level operate to provide data to the high level features in the same format. The software object level communicates with a hardware object level which also contains databases and database managers to mask differences between operational hardware units. By categorizing operational units by type, additional units of a known type can be added with only low level hardware object database changes. Adding units of a new type is facilitated by software changes confined to the lower level hardware and software objects, avoiding software changes at high level features. Individual software objects are tailored for typical types of inputs and output devices encountered by facilities management systems. Universal drive circuitry also provides applicability to a broad range of devices. Nodes store restoration characteristics of loads controlled by the nodes. After being shed to limit energy consumption, software local to the node restores the loads under predefined circumstances independently of the load shed commands to achieve distributed load management.

Networked facilities management system having a node configured with

A networked system having a wide variety of applications and particularly applicable to facilities management systems has multiple levels of software in processing nodes. The levels include a 'features' processing level which communicates requests for data to a software object level containing databases of processes and attributes and database managers. The database managers in the software object level operate to provide data to the high level features in the same format. The software object level communicates with a hardware object level which also contains databases and database managers to mask differences between operational hardware units. By categorizing operational units by type, additional units of a known type can be added with only low level hardware object database changes. Adding units of a new type is facilitated by software changes confined to the lower level hardware and software objects, avoiding software changes at high level features. Individual software objects are tailored for typical types of inputs and output devices encountered by facilities management systems. Universal drive circuitry also provides applicability to a broad range of devices. An optical isolator is connected between signal line outputs from a node and a line driver connected to a pair of lines on a bus. Similarly, an optical isolator is connected between signal line receiving inputs and a line receiver. The signal lines can be biased to predetermined levels to reduce node sensitivity to noise.

Networked facilities management system with optical coupling of local

A networked system having a wide variety of applications and particularly applicable to facilities management systems has multiple levels of software in processing nodes. The levels include a 'features' processing level which communicates requests for data to a software object level containing databases of processes and attributes and database managers. The database managers in the software object level operate to provide data to the high level features in the same format. The software object level communicates with a hardware object level which also contains databases and database managers to mask differences between operational hardware units. By categorizing operational units by type, additional units of a known type can be added with only low level hardware object database changes. Adding units of a new type is facilitated by software changes confined to the lower level hardware and software objects, avoiding software changes at high level features. Individual software objects are tailored for typical types of inputs and output devices encountered by facilities management systems. Universal drive circuitry also provides applicability to a broad range of devices. Nodes are provided with ports which may accommodate a non-configured device. When a non-configured device is identified on a port, a drop identifier specifying the port is transmitted to the non-configured device for use in establishing a network address by which the non-configured device can be accessed.

A networked system having a wide variety of applications and particularly applicable to facilities management systems has multiple levels of software in processing nodes. The levels include a 'features' processing level which communicates requests for data to a software object level containing databases of processes and attributes and database managers. The database managers in the software object level operate to provide data to the high level features in the same format. The software object level communicates with a hardware object level which also contains databases and database managers to mask differences between operational hardware units. By categorizing operational units by type, additional units of a known type can be added with only low level hardware object database changes. Adding units of a new type is facilitated by software changes confined to the lower level hardware and software objects, avoiding software changes at high level features. Individual software objects are tailored for typical types of inputs and output devices encountered by facilities management systems. Universal drive circuitry also provides applicability to a broad range of devices. In each node a time stamp indicates the most recent update of the node's data base. Periodically each node transmits its time stamp. When a node receives a time stamp later than its own, the receiving node requests the transmitting node to transmit its data base to update the receiving node with the earlier time stamp.

Networked facilities management system with time stamp comparison for

A network system having a wide variety of applications and particularly applicable to facilities management systems includes network controllers which continuously process data related to building and industrial, environmental, security and other automated system controls. Each network controller has a network address indicative of a communication link to which the network controller is connected, a local address and a node drop ID to determine whether the network controller is a configured or non-configured device. Data stored in an archive device is downloaded to a destination network controller in the absence of a routing table in the destination network controller by transmitting a download request message from the archive device to an intermediate network controller with a routing table. The intermediate network controller assumes control of the download request by transmitting the message to the destination controller. The destination controller acknowledges receipt of the message by transmitting an acknowledge message back to the intermediate network controller, which passes the acknowledge message to the archive device in accordance with the routing information stored in the intermediate network controller. Thus, as certain network controllers are connected, disconnected or disabled during the operation of the network, the control of a process is not interrupted. Additionally, the network controllers are not configured to store large amounts of routing data because a path to a device can be established through other controllers with routing information.

Method of downloading information stored in an arching device to

A networked system having a wide variety of applications and particularly applicable to facilities management systems has multiple levels of software in processing nodes. The levels include a 'features' processing level which communicates requests for data to a software object level containing databases of processes and attributes and database managers. The database managers in the software object level operate to provide data to the high level features in the same format. The software object level communicates with a hardware object level which also contains databases and database managers to mask differences between operational hardware units. By categorizing operational units by type, additional units of a known type can be added with only low level hardware object database changes. Adding units of a new type is facilitated by software changes confined to the lower level hardware and software objects, avoiding software changes at high level features. Individual software objects are tailored for typical types of inputs and output devices encountered by facilities management systems. Universal drive circuitry also provides applicability to a broad range of devices. The sum of an analog input signal and a feedback signal is provided to a buffer circuit. A current sensing network connected to the output of the buffer forms a first control signal. An equal amplitude, oppositely polarized signal forms a second control signal. An external signal switches the feedback network to produce a voltage derived from a current output of the first control signal and a voltage output of the first control signal.

Networked facilities management system with balanced differential analog

There is disclosed an input condition sensing circuit for use in a facility management system which is selectively operable in a first mode for sensing the presence or absence of a voltage potential or a second mode for sensing a high or low impedance and which provides a binary output signal indicative of the condition being sensed and an amplifier coupled to the input for generating a control signal having an amplitude relating to the input condition being sensed. The circuit also includes detecting means coupled to the amplifier for providing a binary output in response to the control signal and indicative of the condition being sensed and select means coupled to the detecting means for selectively conditioning the circuit for operating in either the first or second mode. The select means is arranged to cause the detecting means to provide a first binary output state in response to sensing the presence of a voltage while in the first operating mode and a cause the detecting means to provide a different binary output state in response to sensing a high impedance while in the second operating mode.

Input condition sensing circuit

A method for effecting the communication of digital signals over telephone lines includes the steps of generating a voltage at a first level for providing an inactive state signal directed to a plurality of slave transceiver units and generating a voltage at a second level for provding a first carrier detect signal directed to the slave units. A digitally encoded first data signal is then generated, has a peak amplitude at a third voltage level and is also directed to the slave units. In response to the first carrier detect and first data signals, a voltage will be generated at a fourth level for providing a second carrier detect signal directed to a master transceiver unit. Thereupon, a digitally encoded second data signal will be generated to have a peak amplitude at a fifth voltage level and is also directed to the master transceiver unit. An active bridge apparatus for effecting the communication of digital signals over telephone lines includes an isolated input circuit adapted to be coupled to a master transceiver unit by a single, twisted first pair telephone line. The unit includes a control section for transmitting an inactive state signal at a first voltage level to a plurality of slave transceiver units, each of which is adapted to be coupled to the bridge apparatus by a single, twisted pair telephone line. Other signals identifiable at disclosed voltage levels may be transmitted and received to effect both control and communications.

Growing community of inventors

Waukesha, WI, United States of America

Gregory A Pascucci