Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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BUILDING AUTOMATION SYSTEM FACILITATING USER CUSTOMIZATION
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to building automation systems. More
particularly, the present invention relates to user customization of and
interface with building
automation system information, communications, and configurations.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Building automation systems (BASs) are used to coordinate, manage, and
automate
control of diverse environmental, physical, and electrical building
subsystems, particularly
HVAC and climate control, but also including security, lighting, power, and
the like. Typical
existing BAS systems are hardwired or use a proprietary communication standard
or protocol to
link the various subsystems and provide system-wide user access and control.
Hardwiring and manual programming of a BAS can create a robust fixed system
customized for a particular installation. These systems, however, often
require extensive
customization for each building or site. Necessary manual programming and
other installation
elements for one BAS may not be applicable to other systems, contributing to
the costliness and
time-consuming installation associated with such systems.
Further, hardwired systems and those using proprietary communication standards
and
protocols are difficult or impossible to integrate with system components,
panels, and other
elements from different vendors or generations. For example, a campus of
buildings in which an
upgraded BAS is being installed may have existing previous generation (legacy)
systems and
systems from more than one vendor. Installing a BAS and making it compatible
with the
existing systems in such a situation is time-consuming, requiring extensive
manual service and
programming to integrate the existing devices and implement the custom BAS.
Manual service
is typically provided by systems integration personnel. While systems
integrators are not
favorably viewed by BAS owners and managers because of the expense and
interruption,
systems integrators are a key aspect of the business models of many BAS
manufacturers and
vendors as revenue generation and on-site contact after the sale and initial
installation of BASs.
BAS manufacturers and vendors have therefore been reluctant to alter their
models and eliminate
systems integrators.
With the introduction of BACnetTM, an ASHRAE (American Society of Heating,
Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers) and ANSI (American National
Standards
Institute) protocol standard, and LonTalkTm, a protocol integration approach
developed by
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Echelon, some uniformity of standards and communications has been achieved in
the industry.
BACnetTM was intended to standardize HVAC interoperability and serve as a
solution to
industry-wide issues. In use, however, BACnetTM exists in multiple versions
and includes
various non-standard feature functions available to vendors. Many vendors
dictate a particular
BACnetTM version that must be used in order to achieve system compliance,
forcing BAS users
to update. BACnetTM is therefore not completely interoperable across versions
and features.
Further, present BASs are typically single protocol architectures. Thus, while
a given BAS is
"compatible" with a protocol standard, the BAS is natively compatible with
only a single
protocol, such as BACnetTM, another standard protocol, or a proprietary
protocol.
In a simplified analogy, a BAS can be compared to a bound book. Each
installation of
the BAS is a different reader of the book. The book may contain multiple
chapters or sections
and must be custom written and professionally bound for each reader. The
chapters may each be
written in a different language, if the BAS is compatible with multiple
protocol versions or
vendors. To read the various different languages that are in the book, the
reader will need to
manually consult a dictionary to translate each chapter into the reader's
primary or preferred
language. Multiple dictionaries may be needed. The reader may not be able to
completely
translate each language, or may only be able to translate some chapters into
non-preferred
languages in which the reader is merely conversant but not fluent, and
therefore the reader may
only obtain a basic understanding of one or more chapters. For example, one
chapter of the book
might be a first language representing a particular vendor's preferred or
native version of
BACnetTM for the BAS, while another chapter of the book represents another
vendor's version of
BACnetTM in a second language. If the second language is not one understood by
the reader, the
reader may only be able to become minimally proficient in the second language
using the
dictionary to translate. Without complete fluency, the book is not useful to
the reader for high-
level tasks or communicate effectively. Some languages may be untranslatable,
requiring the
reader to consult a translator to manually translate the chapter or chapters.
Manual translation in
particular is time-consuming and expensive, and if whole chapters are
translated, the entire book
must be professionally rebound to permanently incorporate the translated
material. Without
professional rebinding, the reader will need to repeat the manual translation
the next time the
book is read.
Additionally, BAS installation and maintenance are still generally labor-
intensive custom
tasks that vary with each system implementation. Upgrading, expanding, and
updating or
removing system components and services in particular are also complex tasks,
as the existing
BAS may or may not support new devices and must be manually reconfigured to
recognize and
incorporate changes. In a common scenario, a user managing a building site
with two control
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units operating in an existing BAS wants to add a third control unit in a
newly constructed wing
of the building. The user must upgrade the existing control units to the new
version of the third
control unit in order for the system to be compliant because the system cannot
accommodate
multiple versions or integrate the new control unit.
Returning to the book analogy, then, when updates to chapters in the book are
necessary,
or when whole new chapters are added, the entire book must be returned to the
original author to
be rewritten and subsequently professionally rebound. Any dictionaries must
also be updated
accordingly and manual translations repeated. Updates and additions are
therefore labor-
intensive and time-consuming to accomplish.
User interfaces, typically computer-displayed graphical user interfaces
(GUIs), for such
BASs are typically static and compel users to perform tasks and view
information in a
predetermined way. Changing the way the user interface functions requires
customization
beyond the ability of the ordinary user, who is generally not trained in
computer programming.
Existing BASs also do not offer the accessibility, customization, and
management tools
desired by system users. Current BASs are difficult and communicatively
cumbersome to
manage on a large scale, such as by a regional or nationwide retailer or other
organization.
Further, while Internet-based and accessible systems are presently available
and in use, these
systems suffer from several drawbacks. Many current Internet BASs were created
as add-ons to
existing BASs and thus have integrated and proprietary designs. These systems
do not offer the
adaptability and extensibility necessary to interface with non-native systems
and sub-systems, a
particular issue with respect to large-scale systems implemented in existing
structures. Existing
system also do not provide higher-level extensibility, configurability, and
customization tools.
More recently, ASHRAE has released an XML and BACnetTM web services interface
specification. According to ASHRAE, the interface is intended to be
communication protocol
neutral in that defined web services can be used with any underlying protocol.
This approach is
a least common denominator approach that can span multiple BACnetTM version
specifications,
wherein BAS services are supported by the intrinsic functionality of the
protocol. This
approach, however, still requires a gateway or translation to normalize
special or proprietary
functions and also requires translation or normalization between protocols
rather than more
smoothly running each protocol natively. Further, while the functions can be
translated or
normalized, data is often not given complete semantic meaning or context. In
other words, while
least common denominator systems can recognize data as red, blue, or green,
these systems
cannot recognize shades of these colors, and data loses some level of meaning
when generalized
to only the primary color.
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Accordingly, a need remains for an intelligent BAS with available high-level
user
customization features and increased communication, management, and control
options,
particularly from a user perspective.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention substantially addresses the aforementioned needs and is
directed,
in one embodiment, to pages in a graphical user interface (GUI) for a building
automation
system (BAS).
In one embodiment, a summary page for a building comprising at least a portion
of the
BAS includes at least one navigable link to another portion of the GUI; a
static building
information portion; and a dynamic building information portion. The dynamic
building
information portion includes an alarm list comprising static and dynamic
information related to
the presence or absence of an alarm in the building, and a space list
comprising static and
dynamic information about a plurality of spaces related to the building,
wherein the static
information comprises at least a space setpoint and the dynamic information
comprises at least
an observed condition related to the setpoint, wherein the space list is
limited to displaying less
than all of the plurality of spaces related to the building, and wherein the
ones of the plurality of
spaces selectively displayed in the space list comprise the spaces having the
greatest variance
between the setpoint and the observed condition.
In other embodiments, the invention is directed to space summary pages and
equipment
summary pages.
The above summary of the invention is not intended to describe each
illustrated
embodiment or every implementation of the present invention. The figures and
the detailed
description that follow more particularly exemplify these embodiments.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The invention may be more completely understood from the following detailed
description of various embodiments in connection with the accompanying
drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 is a diagram of a building automation system (BAS) according to one
embodiment
of the invention.
FIG. 2 is an operating architecture diagram of a BAS according to one
embodiment of the
invention.
FIG. 3 is a data model block diagram of a BAS according to one embodiment of
the
invention.
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FIG. 4 is a navigation diagram of a user interface according to one embodiment
of the
invention.
FIG. 5A is a user interface page according to one embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 5B is another user interface page according to one embodiment of the
invention.
FIG. 6 is an attribute diagram according to one embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 7A is another user interface page according to one embodiment of the
invention.
FIG. 7B is a detail view of the user interface page of FIG. 7A according to
one
embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 7C is another detail view of the user interface page of FIG. 7A according
to one
embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 7D is another user interface page according to one embodiment of the
invention.
FIG. 8 is a user interface navigation diagram according to one embodiment of
the
invention.
FIG. 9A is a user interface page according to one embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 9B is a detail view of the user interface page of FIG. 9A according to
one
embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 10 is a data log block diagram according to one embodiment of the
invention.
FIG. 11A is a user interface page according to one embodiment of the
invention.
FIG. 11B is a detail view of the user interface page of FIG. 11A according to
one
embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 11C is a user interface page according to one embodiment of the
invention.
FIG. 12 is a user interface page according to one embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 13A is a user interface page according to one embodiment of the
invention.
FIG. 13B is a detail view of the user interface page of FIG. 13A according to
one
embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 13C is another detail view of the user interface page of FIG. 13A
according to one
embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 14 is a user interface page according to one embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 15 is a user interface navigation diagram according to one embodiment of
the
invention.
FIG. 16 is a user interface page according to one embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 17 is a user interface navigation diagram according to one embodiment of
the
invention.
FIG. 18 is a user interface page according to one embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 19 is a user interface page according to one embodiment of the invention.
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FIG. 20 is a user interface page according to one embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 21 is a user interface page according to one embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 22 is a user interface page according to one embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 23 is a user interface navigation diagram according to one embodiment of
the
invention.
FIG, 24 is a user interface page according to one embodiment of the invention.
While the invention is amenable to various modifications and alternative
forms, specifics
thereof have been shown by way of example in the drawings and will be
described in detail. It
should be understood, however, that the intention is not to limit the
invention to the particular
embodiments described. On the contrary, the intention is to cover all
modifications, equivalents,
and alternatives falling within the scope of the invention as defined by the
appended
claims.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to systems and methods for interacting with and
customizing a dynamically extensible and automatically configurable BAS. In
one embodiment,
user customization options are presented by and accomplished through a
graphical user interface,
In addition to providing a portal through which users may access, manage, and
customize the
BAS, the user interface itself is customizable in accordance with and
complimentary to the
dynamic extensibility of the system. For example, in one embodiment when an
enterprise server
engine of the HAS discovers new objects, the user interface can be customized
automatically or
selectively at a user's direction. The user interface also allows the user to
customize the
hierarchical directory of sites or buildings. The sites or buildings are
searchable from the user
interface and the results of searches can be used to then customize the
directory. The user
interface also comprises a dashboard display in one embodiment to present
information about
building systems at a glance. The dashboard displays include summary
information for
buildings, for spaces within buildings, or for specific equipment in a
building.
The systems and methods are particularly suited for a dynamically extensible
and
automatically configurable BAS and architecture. The invention can be more
readily understood
by reference to FIGS. 1-24 and the following description. While the invention
is not necessarily
limited to the specifically depicted application(s), the invention will be
better appreciated using a
discussion of exemplary embodiments in specific contexts.
Referring to FIG, 1, a user accesses and interacts with a building automation
system
("system") 10 through a graphical user interface (GUI or "user interface")
presented on one or
more computer devices 22 in one embodiment. BAS 10 is an automatically and
intelligently
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scalable object-oriented system in one embodiment, providing multi-site
management
capabilities in a local or widely distributed geographic area. In one
embodiment of the present
invention, an architecture of BAS 10 is anchored by an enterprise server
engine (ESE) 20. BAS
and ESE 20 comprise a versatile and robust processor-based control system with
a
5 communications protocol-agnostic head-end that operably supports the
management of HVAC
and other subsystems in one or more buildings from a central location internal
to or remote from
any of the buildings. BAS 10 is preferably networked for user accessibility,
such as via one or
more computer devices 22 or any other hardware, firmware, or software user
interface means
communicatively coupled to a communication network. One embodiment of a user
interface is
10 described in more detail below. In one embodiment, BAS 10 is user-
accessible via either or both
a computer system on an Intranet 32 or the Internet 30 as a web-enabled
application running on a
web server. The web and network applications provide operational services for
HVAC and other
subsystems.
In one embodiment, BAS 10 is capable of supporting and integrating legacy,
current, and
next generation components and subsystems. BAS 10 is further able to support
common vendor
or manufacturer systems as well as competitor systems by intelligently
identifying the systems
and/or subsystems and facilitating integration into the dynamically extensible
architecture of
BAS 10. This flexibility enables the architecture of BAS 10 to support added
applications and
new control panel and subsystem types and versions without recompilation and
reissue, and to
extend, customize, and tailor BAS 10 to specific needs in a particular
implementation. Further,
dynamic extensibility enables a complex system to provide enhanced versatility
and usability.
Returning to the aforementioned book analogy, the BAS of the present invention
is a
library of books, rather than a single, inflexible, permanently bound book as
in the prior art.
Each end device of the BAS of the invention brings its own book to the
library. Each book is not
bound but is rather loose-leaf, easily able to accept additions or revisions.
A reader therefore
does not need to rely on a single, large, inflexibly bound book that must
repeatedly be rewritten
and rebound to accommodate update or additions and that comprises chapters in
multiple
languages requiring translation according to a potentially limited dictionary
or by a manual
translator. Instead, the library includes a multi-lingual librarian (the ESE)
to access individual
books as needed, wherein the books are always up-to-date. As new books are
added to the
library, existing books are automatically updated by the librarian to
incorporate information
gleaned from the newer material. Further, the library includes a card catalog
that not only
describes the individual books but references interrelations and similarities
among multiple
books in the library. The card catalog is also automatically updated as new
books are added to
the library. The BAS of the invention essentially creates an automated
librarian who can consult
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an individual book, speak any necessary language, and learn new languages on
the fly, as
needed. This way the BAS of the invention can be thought of as an infinite or
universal Turing
machine, whereas previous BASs can only be classified as finite machines.
Referring again to FIG. 1, each device 22 is communicatively coupled with BAS
10,
which is preferably a dynamically extensible and customizable BAS. The dynamic
extensibility
of BAS 10 enables a user to utilize the user interface to customize and
control BAS 10 without
the need for reprogramming or recompiling code.
The user interface of BAS 10 may be provided by virtually any device 22 with a
visual
display and a communicative connection to BAS 10, Some examples of such
devices are a
personal desktop, laptop, or portable computer (PC); a portable or personal
digital assistant
(PDA); a cellular phone; and other similar devices. Typically, the connection
between device 22
and BAS 10 is provided by the Internet 30, an Intranet system 32, and/or some
other local or
wide area communication network, although other means of connection and
combinations of
connections are also possible. For example, if an Internet-enabled cellular
phone is used, the
connection comprises, at least in part, a wireless cellular communication
network.
Within BAS 10, an enterprise server engine (ESE) 20 operably provides a
communicative
link between device(s) 22 and one or more field devices, end devices, and/or
control/sensor
means 40, 41, 42, 44, and 46 within BAS 10 to implement installation, setup,
integration,
control, and support functions and tasks. For example, ESE 20 provides an
interface for
device/object 40, 42, 44, and 46 setup parameters, including IP address,
subnet mask, gateway,
and name of server for each, where applicable. ESE 20 further provides a
methodology and/or
utility to set up and customize user interface 160 web pages, which can
include both templates
and individual pages, and to serve and publish graphics and content to web
pages.
In one embodiment, ESE 20 comprises software, firmware, hardware, and/or other
programming means for selectively implementing a dynamic extensibility
capability for the BAS
that establishes communications with and control of the plurality of end
devices over the
plurality of communication protocols, for selectively implementing an
automatic configuration
capability for the BAS that supports addition of end devices to the plurality
of end devices by
determining at least one characteristic of each end device, and for assembling
a relational
directory of at least a portion of the plurality of end devices based at least
in part on the at least
one characteristic. In another embodiment, ESE 20 comprises hardware,
firmware, and/or
software programming means for assembling static and dynamic information about
at least a
portion of the plurality of end devices and about the spaces, systems,
subsystems, buildings,
campuses associated with the plurality of end devices, and software, firmware,
and/or hardware
database means for storing the static and dynamic information and the at least
one characteristic
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of each end device The database means may also store a relational directory.
These and other
features of ESE 20 are described in more detail below.
FIG. 2 is a diagram of an operating architecture of BAS 10 according to one
embodiment.
In dynamically extensible and scalable BAS 10, objects exist in a hierarchical
or class structure.
For example, data objects, site objects, and panel objects are interrelated
and can be relatively
defined, with the objects including or associated with respective object
definitions 58, such as
type, version, vendor, and the like, that are stored in a database 60 and
interpreted by BAS 10
within an application engine/framework 62 with ESE 20 to determine how the
particular object
is to be handled by BAS 10. Internal meta-object management 50, data object
management 52,
site management 54, and panel and communications management 56 representations
interface
application engine/framework 62 with external sources and entities to manage
objects within
BAS 10. A web server 64 then interfaces with BAS 10 via application
engine/framework 62 to
an external interface. The external user interface according to one embodiment
of the invention
is presented via an Internet 30, intranet 32, or other communication network
using a web browser
66.
The main data entities of BAS 10 are depicted in FIG. 3. At a very basic
level, each site
110 is a collection of one or more panels 112 (panel objects), and each panel
112 is a collection
of one or more objects, which may need extensions 130 for operability within
BAS 10. Site 110
can be an individual site, i.e., a single building, or a list of sites managed
by ESE 20. Site 110
also includes information for background tasks. Panel(s) 112 is a single panel
112 or a list of
panels known for site 110 and the information needed by ESE 20 to manage those
particular
panels. This information can include panel type, version, vendor, and ignore
flags in one
embodiment. Object(s) 120 is a list of objects that exist in each panel 112
and is used for
navigation, display, and management. Object extension(s) 130 is information
kept on ESE 20
that is specific for each object 120 as described by the metadata associated
with object 120.
Object extensions 130, for example, are used to drive user interface 160 for
determining things
such as to which family a specific object belongs when an object is in a
different family by the
object configuration.
Integration of site 110 or object 120 into BAS 10 is accomplished via a
discovery process
in one embodiment. For example, a new panel object 112 (panel 40 in FIG. 1) is
installed at a
location and is to be incorporated into BAS 10. ESE 20 operably executes one
or more
algorithms that discover the new panel object 112 (panel 40) within BAS 10 and
subsequently
analyze existing programming to first determine whether panel object 112 is in
fact new, or
whether panel object 112 was previously discovered within BAS 10. Upon
determining that
panel object 112 is a new addition, ESE 20 subsequently obtains any relevant
or necessary
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information, such as vendor, version, and supported protocol(s), from and
about panel object 112
in order for panel 40 to be integrated into BAS 10 and performs on-going
reconfiguration. In
other embodiments, integration of site 110 or object 120 into BAS 10 is
manually initiated
and/or accomplished.
During a discovery or manual integration process, ESE 20 may obtain a high or
low level
of information about an object. In one situation, a first newly discovered
object is determined by
ESE 20 to be a familiar object, such as from a common vendor or one that is
similar to or the
same as one or more known objects within BAS 10. This determination is
generally made by
ESE 20 based at least in part upon information provided by the discovered,
self-describing
object. ESE 20 is therefore be able to obtain or learn a higher level of
information about the first
newly discovered object and establish more sophisticated communications with
the object,
automatically and without user intervention. A second newly discovered object,
in contrast, may
be unfamiliar to ESE 20 or less familiar than the first discovered object
because the second
object is associated with a different vendor, operates a new version, or has
some other
characteristic that has not previously been incorporated into BAS 10.
Generally, ESE 20 is able
to establish communications, albeit lower level, with objects like the second
newly discovered
object. User-supplied information may be necessary, however, to add an
unfamiliar object to
BAS 10 or to supplement information obtained during the discovery process in
order to establish
higher level or even basic communications.
Further, user-supplied information may optionally and selectively be provided
to BAS
10, in particular ESE 20, for user convenience and management purposes. For
example, in one
embodiment BAS 10 and ESE 20 also allow user definition of attributes for a
given site for
grouping or other purposes. In one embodiment, at a minimum, each site 110 is
associated with
a geographical and a type attribute and a search function is provided to allow
users to search for
sites or groups of sites. ESE 20 further preferably accommodates the addition,
removal, and
general management of entire sites 110 within BAS 10.
These and other customization and management tasks are carried out by a user
through
the user interface. In general, the user interface is visually presented by
device 22,
communicatively facilitated by ESE 20. The user interface presents BAS 10
information
relevant to buildings, sites, or spaces managed by BAS 10 in the form of
linked web-enabled
pages including interactive tables with buttons and links. Referring also to
FIG. 2, device 22
includes web browser 66, which is operatively, communicatively coupled with
web server 64, to
load and display the user interface.
General information about spaces within buildings in BAS 10 typically includes
the types
of equipment in the space, temperature, setpoints, variance from setpoints,
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equipment is providing heating or cooling. Specialized or custom equipment may
provide other
information. Some or all of the general information is available for viewing
in the user interface.
The information displayed can also be updated to current status by activating
a button. Other
building spaces can be accessed through links to navigate within the user
interface. The user
interface can be tailored to a specific end device being represented. For
example, ESE 20 and
the user interface can assemble information from definitions provided to ESE
20, from self-
describing end devices, from information read from end devices, and from
manually
programmed end devices to create user interface pages. The pages can be
created from
templates, with elements and information added or removed according to the
assembled
information.
Typical conditions describing the spaces include temperature, flow rates,
occupancy,
modes (heating or cooling), equipment status, and outdoor air temperature and
humidity.
Equipment conditions refer to the condition of specific equipment in a space.
Equipment can be
viewed individually or as part of subsystem groups. Information about a
subsystem group, for
example, can be displayed in the user interface directly, such as in a tabular
form with links to
the specific equipment in the group. More information about equipment
conditions can be
accessed through links. The collection of data can also be user customized.
Other space
conditions and values may be viewed by following intuitive links. In one
embodiment,
information pertaining to BAS 10 can be manually updated by a user through the
user interface.
Referring to FIGS. 4, 5A, and 5B, one embodiment of user interface 160
includes a home
or main page 200 from which a plurality of additional pages can be accessed.
Information
displayed on the pages accessible via user interface 160 generally relates to
certain broad
categories, such as data points relevant to the status of spaces and
equipment. Information can
also be organized by priority in pages that show various alarms triggered by
space and
equipment conditions that vary from predetermined standards. The information
and pages
include, at a high level within BAS 10, content such as a hierarchical
building index or relational
directory 230 and a find buildings feature 228, and a set of navigation tables
202. Directory 230
is a navigable directory of pages within user interface 160. Navigation tabs
202 are not unique
to home page 200 and will generally be provided on most pages within user
interface 160 to
enable quick and efficient navigation. Tabs 202 include a user interface home
page tab 204, an
enterprise alarms tab 206, a user preferences tab 208, and an administration
tab 210. In
accordance with the user customizability of user interface 160, in other
embodiments home page
200 can include additional, fewer, and/or other tabs as a user desires. Other
options related to
the general customization of the display and behavior of user interface 160
itself are also
available.
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The portions of user interface 160 accessible via tabs 222, 224, and 226 are
relevant to
the overall navigation and functionality of user interface 160. Home page tab
204 provides a
convenient link back to home page 200 during user navigation within user
interface 160. Alarms
tab 206 corresponds with alarm portion 222, preference tab 208 corresponds
with preferences
portion 224, and administration tab 210 corresponds with administration
portion 226, which are
described in more detail below. Through these portions, pages, tabs, and user
interface 160 in
general, a user can navigate within interface 160 and can add, edit,
categorize, customize, and
control BAS 10 by executing commands, often initiated by command buttons or
links within
pages. Activating these buttons navigates the user within one or more pages
through which the
user may carry out tasks and effect a wide variety of customizations. A user
can also customize
the behaviors and operation of user interface 160 itself.
The features described above may be illustrated by reference to the following
examples
of how user interface 160 may be navigated and utilized to customize and
control BAS 10. In
one embodiment, after connecting with BAS 10 and completing any required
security routines,
such as logging in, password input, and authentication of credentials, a user
reaches home page
200.
Home page 200 has many general features in common with other pages of user
interface
160, including linking, manipulating data onscreen, and providing an interface
through which
BAS 10 may be customized. Home page 200, like other pages seen by a user,
includes both
content, such as buildings index 230, and navigation tools, such as tabs 202.
In the particular
case of index 230, content and navigation tools are integrated, as buildings
within index 230 are
displayed as hyperlinks that direct a user to a building summary page for the
selected building.
Building summary pages are described in more detail below.
Instead of or in addition to the hyperlinks of index 230, home page 200 may
include a
navigable customized graphic, such as building map 231 depicted in FIG. 5B.
Map 231 can be
integrated with index 230, depicted on a distinct page reachable by hyperlink
from home page
200 (as shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B), or depicted on home page 200 instead of
textual index 230
in various embodiments of the invention. Map 231 is preferably navigable,
wherein a user may
select a particular building to be directed to that building's page.
Home page 200 includes a search input field 228 for executing searches of
building
directory 230 and its subdirectories. Interface 160, by web server 64 and
browser 66 in
cooperation with a database, can cache user visits to an interactions with
specific pages and
directories and provide a list 238 of this cached information to enable a user
to quickly return to
a frequently visited page. Interface 160 also permits a user to import custom
page links by a link
242 on home page 200. Custom links can also be removed through link 244.
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Building index 230 is a dynamically extensible and customizable content and
navigation
feature of home page 200. Index 230 is preferably organized hierarchically or
in some other
manner intuitive to or specified by a user. For example, user interface 160 by
default can list
buildings alphabetically. With minimal information from a user, however, user
interface 160 can
group buildings geographically, such as by ZIP code. A user may also customize
index 230 by
specifying another attribute by which to arrange the buildings, such as a
name, term, or building
number. In a school district, buildings can be arranged by user-specified
type, such as primary,
elementary, and high school. A user can then easily locate and select a
building from the
directory by clicking a link to that building, either directly or after
expanding the index directory
until the building of interest is found.
Alternatively, a user may use find field 228 to search for and locate system
buildings in a
searchable database. In one embodiment, if a user enters a search term or
string in field 228 and
an exact match is found, user interface 160 will display a building summary
page for the match.
Building summary pages are described in more detail below.
In one embodiment when a building link within directory 230 or map 231 has
been
selected, a user is directed to a building-specific summary page 250 as shown
in FIG. 7A.
Similar to home page 200, building summary page 250 includes content and
navigation tools.
Navigation tools include building information tabs 252. Building information
tabs 252 include a
summary tab 254, which links to summary page 250; an alamis tab 256; a spaces
tab 258; an
equipment tab 260; a subsystems tab 262; a schedules tab 264; a data logs tab
266; and an
advanced tab 268. These tabs and the information to which each links within
user interface 160
will be described in more detail below, but generally are presented on a
plurality of pages within
user interface 160 that include similar content in order to provide a
consistent, easily navigable
format. Building information tabs 250 are preferably dynamic, based upon the
data and
information discovered and/or available for the particular building featured
on summary page
250, or the particular space or equipment on other pages of user interface
160.
In general, the content of building summary page 250 relates to building
equipment and
building spaces. Building equipment includes panels, HVAC units, and other
electrical and
mechanical systems related to operations within the building. Building spaces
are rooms, floors,
or other areas within the building that are managed, controlled, or affected
by the equipment.
Both spaces and equipment are relevant to the operation of BAS 10 and are of
interest to users of
user interface 160.
In particular, the content of building summary page 250, and other pages of
user interface
160, includes status critical information. The content of summary page 250
therefore includes an
alarm summary portion 310 and a spaces summary portion 330 in one embodiment
to quickly
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synopsize events and provide status items of note to users. User interface 160
intuitively
presents certain status critical information in proximity to other related or
important information.
Referring to FIG. 7B, alarm summary portion 310 includes alarms associated
with the
building summarized on page 250 of FIG. 7A. Summary portion 310 provides a
tabular
organization of more detailed information related to each alarm that improves
a user's ability to
assess and respond to alarms, including an alarm severity level 312,
occurrence time 314, type
316, alarm details 318, and an alarm source 320. Within alarm summary portion
310, relevant
equipment and information can be automatically hyperlinked to other portions
of user interface
160. For example, alarm source 320 can be hyperlinked to an equipment summary
page (refer,
for example, to FIGS. 11A and 11B and the related discussion below) for the
equipment from
which the alarm is originating.
Referring to FIG. 7C, spaces summary portion 330 includes information related
to spaces
within the building of summary page 250 to enable to a user to view current
settings, view
current status and operations, and quickly link to more detailed information
about a space.
Spaces summary portion 330 includes a user customizable space name 332, an
equipment type
identifier 334, a sensed space temperature 336, a current space temperature
setpoint 338, a
calculated variance 340, and an operational mode 342. Calculated variance 340
is a difference
between current space setpoint 338 and sensed space temperature 336.
In FIG. 7C, spaces summary portion lists the twenty-five spaces having the
greatest
variance between setpoint and sensed temperature (not all twenty-five are
visible in the
screenshot of FIGS. 7A and 7C). The degree of variance from setpoint directs
the user's
attention to space conditions most likely to require attention. A user can
specify that more or
fewer spaces be included in spaces summary portion 330 by selecting a link
346. In other
embodiments of the invention, and according to the user customization features
of user interface
160, a user can specify which particular spaces are summarized in spaces
summary portion 330,
rather than including spaces based upon a setpoint variance.
Referring to FIGS. 7A-D, the content of page 250 can include both static and
dynamic
information related to the building. Static information includes a building's
location and contact
information 270 in one embodiment. Static and dynamic information can also be
integrated on a
building floor plan reachable through floor plan link 272. In FIG. 7D, a
building floor plan page
274 comprises a static building layout diagram 276 that includes dynamic
building space status
information in one embodiment. For example, occupied rooms 278 can be depicted
in a first
color, while a room 280 associated with an alarm or registering a comfort
complaint within BAS
10 can be shown in a second color. Another room 282 for which a status has
been altered or a
comfort complaint remedied can be highlighted in yet another color by which a
user can quickly
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locate a relevant space and determine a current status at a glance. A
particular room may then be
selected to reach a space page, equipment page, or alarm log, for example.
Dynamic information included on summary page 250, floor plan page 274, and
other
pages within user interface 160 can be updated in a plurality of ways. On page
250, alarm
summary portion 310 and space summary portion 330 include dynamic information
which can
be automatically updated, or refreshed, periodically. In one embodiment, the
dynamic
information can be updated by BAS 10 and ESE 20 every ten minutes, although a
more or less
frequent refresh may occur in other embodiments or may be user-defined within
set parameters.
More frequent updates place a higher burden on BAS 10 and therefore, in one
embodiment, a
user may select from refresh rates predetermined not to have a detrimental
affect on BAS 10
performance.
Dynamic information may be updated on demand. An on-demand refresh of alarm
summary portion 310 can be user initiated by activating a refresh alarms link
322, and an on-
demand refresh of spaces summary portion 330 can be initiated by activating
refresh spaces link
344. Certain priority features of user interface 160, like alarms, which are
important to the
performance, safety, and integrity of BAS 10 operation, are associated with an
automatic and
dynamic prompt, such as new alarms prompt 324. To minimize impact on BAS 10
bandwidth
performance, ESE 20 can provide prompt 314, alerting a user that a manual
refresh may be
helpful, rather than frequently updating alarm summary portion 310 even if no
updated
information is available.
From summary page 250, a user may access yet more detailed information about
the
spaces of the selected building. FIG. 8 shows schematically how a user can
navigate from
summary page 250 in one embodiment of the invention. From summary page 250 and
other
pages displayed by user interface 160, vertical tabs alarms 256, spaces 258,
equipment 260,
subsystems 262, schedules 264, data logs 266, and advanced 268 provide quick
navigation links.
As previously mentioned, a user can navigate from within alarm summary portion
310 and
spaces summary portion 230 of building summary page 250. For example,
selecting a space
(332) from spaces summary portion 230 takes a user to a spaces page associated
with the
selected space. An example spaces page 350 is depicted in FIG. 9A. Spaces page
350 includes a
spaces status table 352, shown in detail in FIG. 9B, which lists information
about the subject
space.
Within BAS 10, spaces can be grouped and defined according to BAS 10 default
rules or
user customized rules, and this information can be presented at-a-glance
proximate status critical
and other important information regarding equipment, or a building, space,
system, or
subsystem. Refer also to the discussion above regarding home page 200 and
building index 230,
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and to page 380 of FIG. 11A and page 394 of FIG. 12. For example, a nation-
wide retailer may
choose to group its stores by geographic or sales region, by store type or
format, by time zone, or
by some other characteristic. BAS 10 may default to grouping spaces by
geographic location. In
one embodiment, a current group to which the subject space of page 350 belongs
is provided as a
group link 353 next to the heading "Member Of." Group link 353 can also be
used to determine
what or whom is responsible for a particular building, space, equipment, or
system. Link 353
also provides navigation to other group members and information. Group
information may be
dynamically discovered by ESE 20 if group, parent, and/or child information is
provided, shown,
or exposed during set-up or discovery. A user is therefore able to quickly
ascertain the relevant
group to which a space belongs and, by selecting group link 353, retrieve a
page of user interface
160 that provides a group summary and group editing capabilities. By way of
example, the
national retailer previously mentioned could edit the setpoints related to all
of its locations in a
particular time zone to accommodate an earlier opening time for a holiday
sale, by changing the
values group-wide on a single page, rather than editing the information
individually for each
group member.
A user can also dynamically create and edit groups, as the group assignments
are not
fixed and do not require customized programming. Referring also to FIGS. 1 and
6, ESE 20
operating application 70 discovers buildings 72. Through the discovery
process, ESE 20 learns
standard attributes 74 about the building and its panels and equipment.
Standard attributes 74
are stored in database 60. ESE 20 and applications 70 then can formulate a
default building
index 230 based upon standard attributes. As mentioned above, a user can
provide custom
attributes 75 to ESE 20 and applications 70 via user interface 160. Custom
attributes are also
stored in database 60. A user can then specify at any time a custom building
index 230 based on
custom attributes 75 or a combination of standard attributes 74 and custom
attributes 75. Index
230 and related groups can be changed and immediately implemented by ESE 20
for display in
user interface 160 should an attribute 74, 75 be edited or updated or a new
building discovered.
Further, ESE 20 can dynamically and automatically update groups and index 230
for newly
discovered buildings if common standard or custom attributes 74, 75 are found.
User interface 160 can also relay information regarding a space occupancy
status. An
occupancy indicator 354, a schedule indicator 355, and a next event indicator
356 are provided
on page 350. This information can be helpful for maintenance, scheduling,
and/or value
alteration purposes. For example, a user may not want to edit certain
setpoints while a space is
occupied but rather wait until the space is unoccupied. Or, a user may desire
to determine or
update scheduling information related to occupancy.
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Schedule indicator 355 also provides a user with at-a-glance control
information, such as
whether equipment is controlled by a main schedule or is under a special
schedule. A main
schedule is a primary set of operating characteristics for entities operating
within BAS 10, such
as buildings, spaces, equipment, devices, systems, and subsystems. In one
embodiment, a main
schedule controls basic operations and set points. Special schedules may be
implemented to
accommodate limited run or short term changes, such as for a holiday, to
accommodate
maintenance or a special event, or for some other reason. Special schedules
are preferably used
for short term or temporary chances overriding the main schedule to prevent
special schedules
from being left active unintentionally. Special schedules also provide a way
to schedule
temporary events or occurrences without having to alter the main schedule.
Next event indicator
356 provides a brief schedule preview of the next event scheduled for the
equipment. Providing
group member, occupancy, control, and event information proximately and on
page 350 enables
a user to quickly determine current and impending status information for
equipment without
having to access multiple pages or navigate to find desired information.
Referring to FIGS. 9A and 9B, spaces table 352 includes a space condition
portion 358
and a system status portion 359. Spaces table 352 thus includes information
likely to be status
critical and of greatest interest to a user first accessing user interface 160
to spaces page 350.
Spaces table 352 presents space condition portion 358 and system status
portion 359 proximate
each other, enabling a user to quickly assess a space status, access
additional information, and
edit set points, if desired.
Space condition portion 358 includes available space conditions 360, current
sensed
conditions 362, new value fields 364, and data log selectors 366 in one
embodiment. System
status portion 359 includes similar information. Current sensed conditions 362
can include
temperature, humidity, and other real-time sensed values. In one embodiment,
spaces table 352
includes a real-time sensed temperature value and displays a current active
setpoint. A user can
alter a desired heating or cooling temperature setpoint easily and
conveniently within user
interface 160 by entering the desired value in a corresponding new value field
364 and
instructing BAS 10 to apply the new values by selecting button 368. BAS 10 can
incorporate the
update immediately without system interruption or recompilation.
Regarding data log selectors 366, the manner in which data is collected can be
use
customized using a "set up data logs" sequence. By checking a log data box 316
corresponding
to specific equipment and activating a set up data logs button 326, the user
can set data collection
intervals and adjust the time period for the collections. Instead of a date
range as the time period
for collections, the user may alternatively select a fixed number of samples
for collection. An
example data log sequence is depicted in FIG. 10.
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An equipment summary page 380 is depicted in FIG. 11A. Pages of user interface
160
relevant to specific equipment, similar to building summary page 250 and space
summary page
350 described above, are accessible when the user selects equipment tab 260 or
otherwise
navigates within user interface 160. Similar to as described above with
respect to selecting a
space from space summary portion 330 of building summary page 250 to navigate
to space
summary page 350, selecting an alarm source (320) from alarm summary portion
310 of FIGS.
7A and 7B also directs a user to an equipment summary page 380. It will be
appreciated by
those skilled in the art that there typically are several ways to navigate to
any given page in user
interface 160; certain navigation paths are described herein in order to
define an overall
organization, layout, and flow of one embodiment of user interface 160.
On page 380, various categories of available equipment appear as subheadings
382 below
tab 260, such as "Chiller," "Air Handler," and "Programmable Controller."
Selecting a desired
subheading 382 directs the user to a list of the specific units within each
category from which a
particular equipment unit can be selected to display an equipment status page.
As previously described above with reference to FIGS. 9A and 9B, current
status values
and setpoints are displayed on page 380 in equipment status summary portion
384, as well group
data 353, 354 and links 386 to additional information regarding the subject
equipment. For
example, equipment status page 340 relates to a chiller. Referring to FIGS.
11A and 11B, chiller
status summary portion 384 is divided into a chiller condition portion 388 and
a status portion
390 and lists static and real-time dynamic information about the specific
chiller, such as current
values 392 for various aspects of the chiller's status and performance. An
equipment graphic
page 381, reachable via an equipment graphic link 386, is depicted in FIG.
11C. Equipment
graphic page 381 also includes static and dynamic graphics and text related to
particular
equipment and systems and spaces associated with the equipment.
Pages and links similar to those described above are also provided for other
categories of
equipment in BAS 10. In FIG. 11A, chiller status page 380 was depicted, but
other status pages
for other equipment, such as air handlers, are also included in user interface
160. An example air
handler status page 394 of user interface 160 is depicted in FIG. 12. Similar
customized status
pages within user interface 160 may also be used for any other equipment
controlled or managed
by BAS 10. For example, certain new values can be substituted by the user,
including setpoints,
heat/cool mode, and discharge air temperature, as previously described, for
programmable
equipment controlled by BAS 10. BAS 10 can accept new values on-the-fly,
without requiring
code recompilation, system restart, or some other disruption or suspension of
normal activity of
BAS 10.
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Referring briefly to FIG. 7A, subsystems tab 262 provides links to portions
and pages of
user interface 160 that display information related to equipment systems and
subsystems of BAS
10. For example, FIGS. 13A-C depict an example subsystem summary page 400 of
user
interface 160 related to a chiller plant. Although page 400 relates
specifically to a chiller plant,
the equipment choice of this example is arbitrary and the general features of
page 400 are
generally relevant within user interface 160 and BAS 10 to virtually any
equipment system or
subsystem. Different values and information will be relevant to different
equipment systems;
accordingly, some variation from the particular examples depicted in and
described with
reference to FIGS. 13A-C will exist on other equipment system pages. As
previously described
with respect to other pages of user interface 160, page 400 includes status
tables related to
equipment subsystems, including subsystem status portion 402. Subsystem
summary page 400
also includes an equipment status portion 404.
Custom screens and pages such as page 400 of are presented in user interface
160 to
simplify the information presented regarding complex systems and subsystems.
Raw data and
information not edited and tailored for presentation via user-intuitive page
400 could be
overwhelming and therefore not useful to the average user. From page 400,
however, a user may
view status critical information and access more detailed data and information
about
sophisticated systems and subsystems as needed.
Subsystem status portion 402 as depicted in FIGS. 13A and 13B includes
information
about a chiller plant, which is one or more chiller units operating as a
group. The information
includes current static and dynamic values 406 relating to chiller plant
conditions and current
operational information 408. A static value 406 is, for example, a current
setpoint, while a
dynamic value 406 in table 362 is a return or supply water temperature.
Operational information
408 provides scheduling and maintenance information and user control features.
For the chiller
plant of page 400, chiller rotation 410, addition 412, and subtraction 414 can
be scheduled, with
current schedules 416 displayed on page 400. In general, schedules define
relationships between
objects in BAS 10, time, and/or other objects in BAS 10. A user can define or
alter schedules
related to an object in one embodiment of the invention. A user can also
manually implement or
force rotation, addition, or subtraction as needed or desired through page 400
and through other
pages of user interface 160. Basic operational status information is also
provided.
Page 400 further displays equipment status portion 404, which includes
equipment
identifier links 418 for each chiller as depicted in FIGS. 13A and 13C.
Identifier links 418 can
be user customized names or default system values obtained during a discovery
or integration
process. In the example of page 400, three chillers of BAS 10 are identified
as Chiller 1, Chiller
2, and Chiller 3. The equipment identifiers are hyperlinked (418) to other
portions and pages of
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user interface 160. For the chillers listed in equipment status portion 404 of
page 400,
equipment identifier links 418 direct a user back to an equipment page 380
(refer to FIG. 13A)
for the individual chillers. A user may also manually control values and
settings for selected
chillers through status portion 404, for example by selecting a button or link
420, marking a
selector field 422, making a selection from a drop-down menu 424, or by other
information
editing or entry means. For the chiller plant of page 400, a user can apply
new values 426,
initiate a failure reset 428, or make a particular chiller within the chiller
plant available or
unavailable 430.
Similar sets of pages are provided for other equipment subsystems of BAS 10,
such as a
heat pump loop and variable air subsystems. The pages for these equipment
subsystems may
also be configured to display information specific to a particular subsystem.
For example, as
shown in FIG. 14, a variable air page 440 includes tabular information 442
identified and sorted
according to user customized information 444. In this case, the information is
sorted by a
person's name. The person may be a maintenance or managerial person
responsible in some
way for a space, or the person can be associated with the space in another
manner, such as by
physical office or workspace assignment. A user can therefore customize page
440 and other
pages with associations, identifiers, and references that are familiar, making
BAS 10 more easily
understood and manageable via user interface 160.
The descriptions and depictions of the above-described specific pages set
forth by
example the general functionality and operation of BAS 10, in particular user
interface 160, and
are a context within which the following description of use of user interface
160 can be
understood according to one embodiment. As previously mentioned, a variety of
user
customization and control features are provided by user interface 160. Through
links on pages
displaying space and equipment information, the user can change setpoints,
control data logging,
and create custom pages.
Administration link 210 directs the user to an administration portion 226 of
user interface
160 comprising a series of pages that are organized as shown in FIG. 15 in one
embodiment.
Administration portion 226 of user interface 160 provides administrative
customization and
control of BAS 10, which generally relates to the addition or removal of the
data shown on the
various equipment pages, the ability to manage users of the system, install
new buildings,
manage alarm routing, and view system tasks, as previously described.
In one embodiment, BAS 10 provides user access at more than one level. High-
level
users can manage the level of access granted to other users in administration
portion 226 through
managing users portion 226A. Other user management options may also be
available. Level
access can be controlled via a user login, password, and/or other user
identification processes. A
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user is generally a person whose duties typically relate to monitoring or
controlling BAS 10
without having to engage in programming or the recompilation of software code.
A high-level,
or administrative, user is typically a user who generally has a higher level
of access to system
controls and customization functions. For example, an administrative user may
be provided with
a login code that authorizes access to pages that a general user could not
access. Despite this
greater access, however, an administrative user, like a general user, will not
normally be
expected to engage in reprogramming or recompiling to customize user interface
160 or BAS 10.
Administration portion 226 of user interface 160 can be wholly or partially
available to users
based upon their level of administrative access. Administration portion 226 of
user interface 160
also includes utilities for installing buildings 226B, managing alarm routing
226C, viewing
system tasks 226D, and performing advanced tasks 226E, such as configuration
of system
parameters, creating and managing custom attributes, creating schedules, and
customizing pages
viewable in user interface 160.
An example building installation page 518 is depicted in FIG. 16. The dynamic
extensibility of BAS 10 provides for the periodic discovery, addition, or
uploading of new
buildings or panels. Page 518 includes a progress and status portion 519 for
each of the
buildings undergoing the installation process, which includes information
regarding the status of
the communications between ESE 20 and the new building (or panel) and the
number of panels
loaded out of the total number of panels.
A user can also view and manage system tasks 226D. Advanced tasks 226E are
shown in
more detail in FIG. 17. Advanced tasks 226E include the customization of
system pages 502, the
management of custom attributes of buildings 504, the management of alarm
settings 506, and
the management of schedule application settings 508.
Customization of system pages 502 includes both content and layout control
options.
Referring to FIG. 18, a system customization page 510 includes user selectable
options for
customizing the display of buildings in the index on home page 200.
Customization can be
carried out by a user by selecting the desired number of index levels 512 and
assigning a
corresponding number of general and special grouping attributes 514, 516. With
one index level,
the buildings are grouped according to one general attribute. When two index
levels are used,
the buildings are grouped by a special attribute within a general attribute.
The grouping
attributes 514, 516 are relevant to the display and arrangement of buildings
in building index 230
(see FIG. 5A) and are included as group link 353 (see FIG. 9A), for example.
The number of
index levels determines how the special and general attributes affect the
arrangement and
appearance of index 230. With no index levels, all buildings are displayed
together in
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alphabetical order in index 230 according to a default setting of BAS 10 and
user interface 160 in
one embodiment.
Other page customizations relate to the links available on home page 200 and
the
addition or removal of data shown on equipment pages and equipment subsystem
pages.
Referring to FIG. 19, a customize system page 520 is depicted. Page 520
specifically relates to
adding or removing data to be shown on equipment or subsystem pages (refer,
for example, to
FIGS. 11A, 12, and 13A described above), but the format is exemplary of and
generally relevant
to adding or removing data on home page 200 or on other pages of user
interface 160. A user
first selects the equipment or subsystem data to be customized at 522. Then,
the user is directed
to a table showing all currently displayed data points, as well as default
display settings, for that
equipment or subsystem, such as on page 524 in FIG. 20. The user may customize
the display
by selecting or deselecting data points in selection table 526 as desired.
A user may also add or remove links to home page 200 and to other pages of
user
interface 160 by importing and removing custom links. The custom links added
may be to other
pages of user interface 160, or internal links. The links added may also be
external, such as to
web or Intranet pages. A user may desire to link to a news or weather site
publicly available on
the Internet. A user may also link to non-public pages or information. For
example, if BAS 10
relates to a college campus, a user may link to an internal campus event
calendar or information
page, such as a staff and faculty directory. The custom links can be added to
pages of user
interface 160 to integrate virtually any information a user deems helpful to
management of BAS
10.
User interface 160 therefore provides ways in which the user can streamline
interface 160
to include only those links relevant to the user's task. Further, BAS 10
allows each user of
interface 160 to customize the pages and links according to their preferences
and tasks in one
embodiment. Therefore, users responsible for different tasks or having varying
duties can create
their own custom user interface 160. BAS 10 serves and loads the proper custom
user interface
160 by saving and associating the customizations with a user identifier, such
as by a logon
routine. In another embodiment, only an administrative user can customize
interface 160 in this
manner, providing a single user interface 160 for standard level users.
A related customization function accessible via through advanced tasks 226E
concerns
custom attributes of buildings 504. Referring to FIG. 20, a custom building
attributes
management page 530 allows a user to create and manage the custom attributes
both for
buildings currently managed by BAS 10 and for buildings yet to be discovered.
In one
embodiment, four types of attributes 532 may be used. A first type of
attribute 534 has two
choices; two mutually exclusive values are defined that require a choice. A
second type 536 is a
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fixed list, where a choice is made either from the list or entered manually. A
third type 538 is an
expandable list, which is an initial list that may be supplemented by the
user. A fourth type 540
is a free form value, which is a unique value for a building that a user can
create. When creating
custom building attributes, the user may assign a new attribute as a default
value for all newly
discovered buildings and may also select the attribute for use in customizing
the building index
on home page 200.
Referring to FIGS. 22A-C, an important aspect of BAS management and control is
the
efficient receipt and handling of system alarms 506. The management of and
response to alarms
in BAS 10 may be user customized according to one embodiment of the invention,
generally
available through alarm tab 206 (refer to FIG. 5A, for example).
Navigation within user interface 160 to the alarm mapping pages according to
one
embodiment is represented in FIG. 23. Alarms tab 256 has a map priorities sub-
tab 257 that
directs a user to an alarm management page 550, such as that shown in FIGS.
22A-C, on which
the user may select a panel type 552, view a list 553 of panels of different
types, and map alarm
priorities 554 based on panel priorities. Page 550 also allows the user to add
new panel types
556, as shown in FIG. 24.
Alarm mapping refers to the assignment of priority levels to the panels based
on panel
type. In one embodiment, a user can specify alarm priorities to be assigned
both to system
panels and panels that have not yet been discovered by the system. By
assigning alarm priorities
for panels not yet discovered, user interface 160 gives the user control over
how the dynamic
extensibility of BAS 10 will be implemented in the context of future panel or
building additions
to the BAS.
Alarms are generated by BAS 10 in a variety of situations, such as when
variances in
temperature and other variances from predetermined setpoints are recorded. In
one embodiment,
BAS 10 alarm handling can be user customized. For example, alarm notifications
may
automatically be sent to one or more designated email or text message
accounts. Audio or other
text and visual notifications can also be automatically sent by BAS 10, such
as to pagers, cellular
phones, network broadcast messages, and the like. Within user interface 160,
and in addition to
or instead of email messages, alarms can also be displayed in tabular or list
form on a building
summary page.
According to alarm routing 226C, a user can also route email notifications for
certain
panel types that may be discovered by ESE 20 in the future. The routing and
display of alarms
may be customized by matching alarm attributes to one or more specific email
recipients. Alarm
attributes can relate to the type of alarm, time of alarm, alarm trigger,
alarm location, occurrence
or repetition of multiple alarms, patterns of alarms, or some other
characteristic or combination
23
CA 02620073 2014-03-07
of characteristics. Thus, in one example, a user who is the manager of a
particular building at a
site within BAS 10 can be designated within BAS 10 to receive alarm
notifications for each
alarm related to that building. In another example, a site manager and each
member of the
electrical maintenance staff of a building can be designated to receive alarm
notifications related
to electrical faults in that building. In yet another example, different alarm
notification recipients
and formats can be user customized based on the time of day or the day of the
week. During the
day when a user is generally interacting with user interface 160 directly via
device 22, a tabular
display on a building summary page can be specified. After hours, email and/or
paging
notifications can be used instead of or in addition to alarm notifications in
user interface 160.
Alarm handling and priorities may also be customized in advance for panels to
be
discovered by BSE 20. Future panels may be assigned alarm priority status
based on user
preferences. A user may assign a general alarm priority or response based upon
panels currently
known in and any to be discovered in a particular building. Alarm priorities
can also be assigned
based upon panel characteristics. If a panel having a characteristic is later
discovered, BAS 10
can automatically assign priority or handle alarms based upon the user-
selected characteristic.
In another embodiment, BAS 10 can assign priority and manage alarms by
default, by
associating newly discovered panels as the same as or similar to known system
panels and
assigning like management features. For example, a user customizes the
handling of alarms for a
particular panel by specifying a response procedure. In the future if a new
panel is discovered by
BAS 10 and if the newly discovered panel shares characteristics with the panel
for which a
response has been set, BAS 10, in the absence of instructions or customization
relating to the
newly discovered panel, can similarly handle alarms for the newly discovered
panel.
The invention therefore makes available a variety of user customizable
management tools
related to user interface 160 to improve efficiency and operability of BAS 10.
The scope
of the claims should not be limited by particular embodiments set forth
herein, but should be
construed in a manner consistent with the specification as a whole.
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