Johnson Service Company

Johnson Controls Technology Company

Johnson Controls Tyco IP Holdings Llp

Tyco Fire + Security Gmbh

Michael E Wagner

David E Rasmussen

Clay G Nesler

Gaylon M Decious

Karen L Woest

James K Stark

Gregory A Pascucci

Robert R Singers

Paul W Madaus

Darrell E Standish

Otto M Mageland

Dan J Spacek

David L Koch

James R Garbe

Dennis E Burkhardt

Donald A Gottschalk, Jr

Vairavan Vairavan

Susan M Hyzer

Ryan A Piaskowski

Corey A Poquette

Jeffrey Taylor

Daniel J Sonnemann

Donald A Gottschalk

Jeffrey J Gloudeman

Vairavan E Vairavan

Systems and methods for creating and using equipment definitions are provided. An archetypal device used to identify one or more first data points associated with the archetypal device. A point definition is generated for each identified first data point associated with the archetypal device. Each point definition includes an abstraction of a text string extracted from the corresponding first data point that is applicable to multiple different devices of the same type of building equipment. The generated point definitions are used to create an equipment definition for a type of building equipment. The equipment definition can be used to identify first data points associated with other devices of the same type of building equipment and to automatically create equipment objects representing such devices.

Systems and methods for creating and using equipment definitions

Systems and methods for creating and using equipment definitions are provided. An archetypal device used to identify one or more data points associated with the archetypal device. A point definition is generated for each identified data point associated with the archetypal device. Each point definition includes an abstraction of a text string extracted from the corresponding data point that is applicable to multiple different devices of the same type of building equipment. The generated point definitions are used to create an equipment definition for a type of building equipment. The equipment definition can be used to identify data points associated with other devices of the same type of building equipment and to automatically create equipment objects representing such devices.

Systems and methods for creating and using equipment definitions are provided. An archetypal device is selected and used to identify one or more data points associated with the archetypal device. A point definition is generated for each identified data point associated with the archetypal device. Each point definition includes an abstraction of the corresponding data point that is applicable to multiple different devices of the same type of building equipment. The generated point definitions are used to create an equipment definition for a type of building equipment. The equipment definition can be used to identify data points associated with other devices of the same type of building equipment and to automatically create equipment objects representing such devices.

A computer-implemented building automation system is provided with an asynchronous communication architecture for supporting object-oriented applications that interact with distributed building automation devices. Standard application objects which need to be informed of changes to the value of another object's attributes use a connection object to establish an asynchronous link between standard objects. A source object has a control attribute that changes based upon the execution of this object's control method which in turn is linked to a second control attribute of a destination object. By linking these attributes, a connection object is defined to manage information being passed between these two objects. Upon instantiation of the connection object, it registers the second control attribute with the source object to receive 'significant' changes in the value of its control attribute. A 'significant' change is defined by a change sensitivity property associated with the control attribute, such that a message containing the value of the control attribute is transmitted to the connection object when the change in the value of the control attribute exceeds the value of the change sensitivity property. The connection object in turn writes the attribute's value from the source object to the second control attribute of the destination object. Thus, execution of the connection object happens independently from the destination object. This communication architecture also implements a reliability data structure to improve asychronous communication when the building automation system is distributed across various building automation devices.

Distributed object-oriented building automation system with reliable

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.

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Delafield, WI, United States of America

Michael E Wagner