Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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FACILITY OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT AND DISTRIBUTED SYSTEM
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
The present application claims priority to U.S. provisional application Serial
No.
61/952,243, filed 03/13/2014, the entire contents of which are herein
incorporated by
reference.
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present disclosure relates to management of facility operations, and more
specifically, to a distributed system that is used to manage the facility
operations.
DISCUSSION OF THE RELATED ART
Operating mission critical facilities may involve monitoring numerous building
functions and equipment on a regular basis. If an individual performing such
monitoring
observes that equipment is operating outside of its designed limits, various
steps may
need to be taken to correct the situation.
Further, comparison of equipment data with benchmark values can provide a
reasonable indication that equipment is close to failing or that it is
operating near or
exceeding its designed limits.
In the event of emergencies, facility component maintenance shutdowns, or
other
site specific events, facility engineers may be required to complete complex
switching
procedures.
SUMMARY
According to an exemplary embodiment of the invention, a distributed system
for
managing a facility includes one or more clients connecting to and
communicating with a
server system. The server system may comprise a single device or a system of
devices.
Collectively the server system includes a memory and processor. The server's
memory
includes a server program, a database and a file system. The server program is
configured
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to manage access to the data in the memory, and to perform data processing on
the data
within the database. The database is configured to store collected information
from client
sources. The file system is configured to store procedures, documents and
other files
pertaining to the facilities, their functions and/or their components. The
processor is
configured to execute the server program.
Each client to the server includes an interface, a memory and a processor. The
client's memory includes a client program. The client program is configured to
enable a
user to gather and enter data about facilities, their functions and their
components to its
internal database and synchronize the data with the server-system. The client
program
provides an interface which enables a user to be presented with, enter and
modify
information about facilities, their functions, their statuses, and their
components. The
client program stores the entered data in the client's memory and the server
system's
memory. The client processor is configured to execute the client program.
The client program's interface may enable the user to input information by
providing a selectable option, which upon selection prompts the user to
identify the
facility components with an identifier. The client may further include a
camera and the
selection may control the camera to capture images and video of the facility
component
that is linked to the identifier. The client may further include a microphone
and the
selection may control the microphone to capture audio for the facility
component that is
linked to the identifier. The interface may enable the user to enter the
information by
providing a data entry field that identifies a data parameter of the facility
components and
enable the user to enter data for the data parameter. The entered data for the
data
parameter of the facility components may be stored along with a timestamp in
the client's
memory and the server system's memory.
The server program and the client program may be configured to perform an
analysis of the data that has been entered for the data parameter of the
facility
components along with previously entered data to predict a future value of the
data. The
client program's interface may be configured to present a graph of the
analyzed data and
the predicted value on the display. The client program and the server program
may be
configured to compare the entered data for the data parameter of the facility
components
against a normal operating range to determine whether the facility components
are
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functioning properly. The client program's interface may be configured to
provide a
sensory warning if it is determined that any one of the facility components is
not
functioning properly. A sensory warning may be delivered via a visual
notification, a
vibration, and/or a sound.
The client may further comprise a wireless transceiver and the client program
may
upload information to a server's remote database using the wireless
transceiver. The
client may include a wireless transceiver and the application may be
configured to control
the transceiver to communicate with a radio tag identifying the facility
components, and
instruct the interface to automatically present a sensory warning containing
the
information. The radio tag may be a near field communication (NFC) tag or a
radio
frequency identification (RFID) tag.
According to an exemplary embodiment of the invention, a distributed system
for
managing a facility includes a server with a memory, and a processor, and a
client with a
client program interface, a memory, and a processor. The server's memory and
the
client's memory include a program. The client program is configured to present
sensory
information through an interface. The interface may guide a user in a step-by-
step fashion
through a procedure associated with the facility. The processor is configured
to execute
the program.
The procedure may be one of a standard operating procedure, an emergency
action procedure, an emergency operating procedure, a maintenance procedure, a
method
of procedure, or other procedure required to operate the facility. The
procedure may
include a plurality of textual steps, and the interface may present a current
one of the
textual steps and a selectable option to indicate that the current one step
has been
completed. Upon the user selecting the option, the program may control the
interface to
present a next one of the steps on the display.
The client program may be configured to control the interface to indicate to
the
user that the procedure has been completed upon the user selecting the option
that
corresponds to a last one of the steps. The client program may be configured
to receive
the procedure from a server's database using the client's wireless
transceiver. The client
program may store a record in the client's memory indicating that the
procedure has been
completed. The client program may be configured to send a message across a
network
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using the client's wireless transceiver when the procedure has been completed.
The
message may be sent via electronic mail, a short message service (SMS) text
message, a
multimedia message server (MMS) message, or a social network message.
According to an exemplary embodiment of the invention, a method of using a
distributed system to manage a facility includes: utilizing, by the client,
an interface
upon receiving a start command from a user of the client, wherein the
interface enables
the user to enter and view information about facility components within the
facility,
determining, by the client, whether the entered information is outside an
operating range
for the facility components, and presenting through an interface of the
client, a warning if
the information is determined to be outside the operating range.
The method may further include the client wirelessly sending a message
including
the warning over a network. The message may be sent via an e-mail, a short
message
service (SMS) text message, an MMS message, or a social network message across
the
network. The method may further include the client wirelessly communicating
the
entered information over a network to a remote database. The method may
further
include the client wirelessly receiving the viewed information over a network
from a
remote database.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
A more complete appreciation of the present disclosure and many of the
attendant
aspects thereof will be readily obtained as the same becomes better understood
by
reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection
with the
accompanying drawings, wherein:
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a client according to at least one
exemplary embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary screen for a walkthrough function of a
possible
graphical user interface (GUI) of the system.
FIG. 3 illustrates another exemplary screen for the walkthrough function.
FIG. 4 illustrates an exemplary screen for a trending function of a possible
GUI.
FIG. 5 illustrates another exemplary screen for the trending function.
FIG. 6 illustrates a data flow based on use of the walkthrough function
according
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to an exemplary embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 7 illustrates a data flow based on use of the trending function according
to an
exemplary embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 8 illustrates a data flow based on use of an operations manager function
of
the interface according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 9 illustrates exemplary communications between the system and the cloud.
FIG. 10 illustrates a data synchronization model according to an exemplary
embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 11 illustrates an example of the system performing data synchronization.
FIG. 12 illustrates an NFC/RFID communication by the system according to an
exemplary embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 13 shows an example of a computer system capable of implementing the
method and apparatus according to embodiments of the present disclosure.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
In describing exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure illustrated in
the
drawings, specific terminology is employed for sake of clarity. However, the
present
disclosure is not intended to be limited to the specific terminology so
selected, and it is to
be understood that each specific element includes all technical equivalents
which operate
in a similar manner.
A facility engineer, operator, manager, or owner may utilize at least one
embodiment of the invention as a tool for collecting and analyzing facility
operational
data. The data may also be associated with training simulations incorporated
as part of
the same system. In at least one embodiment, the invention presents a user
with an
interface having data entry fields, into which facility components and
facility operation
data can be input. Once the data has been entered, at least one embodiment of
the
invention stores the data into a database where it may be compared against
nominal
benchmark values and analyzed for trends or anomalies.
Exemplary embodiments of the invention facilitates data collection from
facility
components in a facility such as an Unintenuptible Power Supply (UPS), a Power
Transfer Switch (PTS), a Computer Room Air Conditioner (CRAC) units,
Generators,
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Boilers, Electrical Switchgear, or any other types of facility components that
may be
included in a facility's core infrastructure. Exemplary embodiments of the
invention may
simplify routine operational tasks and provide access to a knowledgebase
customized
with site specific facility documentation and benchmark data. Having this
detailed
documentation and benchmark data on hand can be an invaluable asset,
especially when
inevitable facility component failures occur. Further, during emergencies,
human error
may be mitigated and life safety may be increased by keeping documentation
always on
hand for personnel so it can be accessed easily when it is needed most.
Exemplary embodiments of the invention will be described below with respect to
a client. However, the invention is not limited to being applied to a mobile
client. For
example, the invention may be applied to stationary computer systems such as a
main
frame computer, a workstation, a desktop computer system, etc.
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an exemplary client 100 in which an
exemplary embodiment of the invention may be applied. As an example, the
client may
be tablet computer, a mobile phone (e.g., a smartphone), a personal digital
assistant
(PDA), a laptop computer, a wearable device (e.g., computerized watches,
computerized
glasses), a cloud based server, etc.
Referring to FIG. 1, the client 100 includes an application processor 110, a
presentation subsystem 120, a connectivity subsystem 130, a sensor subsystem
140, an
input/output subsystem 150, a memory 160, and a power management system 170.
The
client 100 may omit any one of the illustrated elements shown in FIG. 1 or may
include
additional elements.
The application processor 110 may be configured to execute a computer program
that launches the interface, which enables a user to enter data about facility
components
in one or more facilities, and interprets the entered data to provide feedback
to the user.
The computer program may be stored in memory 160. The computer program will be
discussed in more detail below.
The presentation subsystem 120 may include a sensory based notification
mechanism (which may be a visual display, audio speakers, a vibrating
mechanism, etc.).
The subsystem 120 may include an interface that may enable a user to interact
with the
application. The interface may be a tactile interface, a biometric interface,
or an auditory
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recognition interface, or any combination between them. The presentation
subsystem
120 may include an interface (e.g., an HDMI interface) for output of display
images to a
remote display, television, etc.
The connectivity subsystem 130 enables the client to communicate with other
devices (e.g., a mainframe, a workstation, a server, a database, a desktop
computer, a
tablet computer, another client, etc.). The connectivity subsystem 130
includes a wireless
transceiver that enables the client 100 to wirelessly communicate with the
other devices.
The connectivity subsystem 130 may include the technology (e.g., suitable
hardware
and/or software) to exchange data wirelessly (e.g., using radio waves) over a
computer
network (e.g., the Internet). This technology may enable Wi-Fi communications
based on
the IEEE 802.11 standard, Bluetooth communications, Near Field Communications
(NFC), Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), Infrared, etc.
The sensor subsystem 140 may include one or more sensors, such as an ambient
light sensor, a proximity sensor, a global positioning system (GPS), a
compass, an
accelerometer, a gyroscope, etc.
The input/output (I/O) subsystem 150 may provide an interface to input
devices,
such as an external keyboard and a mouse, and an interface to an output device
such as a
printer. The I/O subsystem 150 may include a digital camera controlled by the
applications processor 110 or by a controller of the I/O subsystem 150 for
capturing
images and videos. The images and videos may be stored in a memory or a buffer
of the
I/O subsystem 150 or the memory 160.
The memory 160 may be embodied by various types of volatile or non-volatile
memory devices. For example, the memory 160 may include flash memory, such as
an
SD card, an MMC card, an eMMC card, hard drive, etc.
The power management subsystem 170 may include a battery, an interface for
receiving power from an external power source, software and/or hardware to
manage
power usage of the client 100, etc. The power management subsystem 170 may
include
an AC power adaptor for receiving power in a wired manner or a Wireless Power
Receiver for receiving power in a wireless manner.
The interface may be used to facilitate the day to day operational tasks
associated
with running a mission critical facility (e.g., a power plant, or data center)
to reduce
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downtime, streamline benchmarking, enable data collection, and analysis.
Embodiments of the invention may provide several tools for data collection,
data
trending, data visualization, document management, and interactive operational
procedures including Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), Emergency Action
Procedures (EAPs), Emergency Operating Procedures (EOPs), Maintenance
Procedures
(MPs), Method of Procedures (MOPs) and other facility documentation. An SOP
may
include best practice approaches or a set of step-by-step instructions for the
day-to-day
operation of the equipment (e.g., the facility components). An EAP may include
step by
step actions which must be done in case of an emergency. For example, an EAP
could
include a backup plan to aid facility management act swiftly and appropriately
to
determine/assess/solve the problem and prevent future occurrences of the same
problem.
An EOP may be designed to alleviate guess work and confusion by establishing a
systematic approach for responding to emergencies. The EOP may provide
instructions
and guidelines for addressing a crisis or natural disasters that may occur. An
MP may
include guidelines for maintenance to be performed on a specific equipment
(e.g., a
facility component) or system. An MOP may include step-by-step procedures and
conditions, including responsible personnel who should be contacted or be
present,
documentation, etc.
FIG. 2 illustrates an example of a possible graphical user interface (GUI)
200.
Referring to FIG. 2, the GUI 200 includes a walkthrough mode 210 that is
selected to
enable the user to configure their facility into separate rooms. Each of the
rooms may be
represented by selectable room buttons 211. When the user selects one of the
room
buttons 211, the electrical and mechanical apparatuses that are associated
with the
selected room will appear (see FIG. 3). Each room button 211 may provide a
graphical
indicator indicating whether the room has already been configured (e.g., a
check) or has
yet to be configured (e.g., an 'x' or a blank box). However, the invention is
not limited
thereto. For example, the graphical indicators illustrated in FIG. 2 are
merely examples,
as other graphical symbols or text may be used to convey the same information.
The user
may also upload facility floor layout plans to be used for navigation of this
screen. The
user may configure areas of the floor layout plan to correspond to rooms
within the
system. Selecting the room from this view will display the electrical and
mechanical
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apparatuses as previously described.
Selection on one of the available room buttons 211 brings up a new interface
screen that enables the user to enter a new facility component that is housed
within the
corresponding room, or view/edit facility components that were previously
entered (e.g.,
either manually or automatically). Further, one or more of the facility
components in the
rooms may be pre-loaded automatically using default facility component
templates or site
templates. The default facility component template may be used by the GUI 200
to
provide the user with a list of available facility components. Custom facility
component
fields may also be created by the user and/or added to the default facility
component
template. In this way, each room may be configured to accommodate a unique
facility
component setup (e.g., UPS, PTS, switchgear, generator, power distribution
unit PDU,
boiler, chiller, etc.).
FIG. 3 illustrates an exemplary screen of the GUI 200 when the walkthrough
mode 210 is selected. This screen enables a user to be guided through a
facility
walkthrough room by room, clearly indicating data values that may be recorded
for each
facility component. In the example shown in FIG. 3, the screen includes the
name of the
room 212, an image 213 of the selected facility component or the room, a data
entry pane
214, and buttons 215 for selecting one of the available facility components in
the room.
The image 213 and the room name 212 are optional. The buttons 215 may
include labels that identify the corresponding facility components, which can
be revised
as necessary by the user. When the client 100 includes a camera, the image 213
(or a
video) may be captured using the camera. The room name 212 field may edited by
the
user to identify the room.
The data entry pane 214 includes one or more parameters and data entry fields
corresponding to the parameters associated with the selected facility
components. For
example, the parameters and corresponding data entry fields for a UPS could
include its
current battery voltages, currents, power levels, power quality, temperatures,
statuses,
alarms, etc. In an exemplary embodiment of the invention, the data fields can
be one of
various field types, such as numeric (e.g., integer or decimal), a text
string, an array of
choices, or a checkbox. The text string may be input via a keyboard interfaced
with the
input/output subsystem 150 or a touch screen of the presentation subsystem
120. For
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example, the array of choices may be a selectable list box or dropdown menu
with
selectable items. Each item may be associated with or return a unique integer
value when
selected that corresponds to an index into an array that stores the items of
the list/menu.
The data field may also be a label with one or more selectable arrow buttons
that allow
the user to increment or decrement the value on the label by a predefined
amount.
Selection on the checkbox may be stored as an integer representing whether the
checkbox
has been checked (e.g. 1) or unchecked (e.g., 0).
The application may maintain a data structure or object that corresponds to a
facility component, which may comprise one or more of the above-described data
fields.
The equipment object (or facility component object) may include data regarding
its name,
type, image file location, its collection of fields, and a collection of
document references.
When an object is used, it may include access methods (e.g., object methods)
that can be
called by the system to set its data and read its data. The name may be a
string
representation of the name of the equipment/facility component (e.g., "Ferro-
Resonant
UPS", "Line-Interactive UPS", etc.)
The image file location is the string representation of an absolute or
relative file
path of the image file (e.g., a .png, jpg) that may either be located within
the client's
memory file system, or its appropriate location on a remote server's memory
file system
that visually describes the equipment/facility component, which may have been
captured
by a camera of the client 100. The collection of fields is a collection of
field objects that
pertains to the equipment/facility components. Likewise, the collection of
documents is a
collection of strings that point to the absolute or relative file path of the
documentation
files that may either be located within the client's memory file system, or
its appropriate
location on a remote server's memory file system that describe the structure,
use,
properties, or maintenance of the specific equipment/facility component.
Both fields and equipment/facility components may be used as collections
within
a facility room, which the system can maintain using a room object. Room
objects are
facility component objects that have data regarding the name, image file
location, a
collection of fields, and a collection of documents for the particular room.
Room objects
may also have a collection of equipment/facility components, as mentioned
previously,
which is literally a collection of equipment/facility component objects whose
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collection interfaces are spatially located within that room area. In
addition, room objects
may have data pertaining to its representation in the walkthrough data
collection. For
example, a room object may include a flag that indicates whether or not the
room is
required to be checked during a specific scheduled walkthrough, as well as
data denoting
the percentage of fields within the room and the fields within the
equipment/facility
components of the room that may have been completed (whether problematic or
not) over
all the fields within the room and its equipment/facility components.
Fields, equipment/facility components, and rooms may be used as collections
within a facility area, which the client 100 can maintain using an area
object. An area is a
specific dimension of facility space that separates the total collection of
facility rooms
into smaller collections. Each area object may have a name and an image file
location for
a picture representing that area. Areas are not only limited to different
areas within the
facility building itself, but also include rooftops and outside areas of a
facility.
Fields, equipment/facility components, rooms, and areas may be used as
collections within a facility, which the client 100 can maintain using a
facility object. The
facility object itself may have a name, address, image file location, a
collection of all its
area objects, and a collection of all the actual document objects pertaining
to the entire
facility. All of the rooms and equipment/facility components may have a
reference to the
facility's master list of documents in order to link themselves to a specific
document or
collection of documents.
Fields, equipment, rooms, areas, and facilities may be used as collections
within a
client profile, which the client 100 can maintain using a software license
object. The
software license object itself may have an organization name, owner, license
key, a
collection of all its facility objects, and a collection of all the user
objects working for or
within the facility. Users of the application may be represented within the
client 100
using user objects. The user object itself may have a name and privileges.
The data entered into the fields may be stored in database in a memory of the
client 100 (e.g., 160) and/or in remote database. When a session is saved to
the database,
every room within the facility may be stored as a database table. A time stamp
may be
applied to each and every walkthrough session. Each record in that table may
contain as
columns every single field from that room and its equipment/facility
components, as well
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as the time stamp of the walkthrough session. Every time a walkthrough session
is saved,
it may either overwrite the latest record within the table, or insert a new
record into the
table. If the current session being saved is a new session, it may insert a
new record, but
if it is a continued session that was previously saved it may overwrite the
last record
saved.
Each walkthrough session is saved in a manner which the client 100 may
maintain
using a walkthrough session object. The walkthrough session object itself may
have a
timestamp for when the session began and a timestamp for when the session
ends, the
user which performed the walkthrough session, and the data collected.
During walkthrough sessions, users may record information as comments attached
to facility components. These comments may be maintained by the client 100 as
a
comment object. The comment object itself may contain a title, a message, a
timestamp,
an image, a user as an author, and a sound file.
When the application is started, it may first retrieve the stored object-
oriented data
from the device memory, which may be encoded. The encoded data for the
facility and its
areas, rooms, equipment/facility components, fields, users, comments,
walkthrough
sessions and documents may be decoded and recreated at runtime, after a user
attempting
to login to the application has been authenticated. Afterwards, if any
synchronization to a
remote database is to be made, the last record from each table in the local
database (e.g.,
each table may refer to a specific room within the facility) may update the
values of all
the fields within the facility's field objects. Also, as far as data analysis
is concerned, an
entire set of records across multiple timestamp ranges may be imported into
the
application from the remote database for the sake of viewing, analyzing, and
reporting
trends throughout time across equipment/facility components and fields.
Data from a record set may be collected as an array of arrays (a two-
dimensional
array). In an exemplary embodiment, the first position of the two-dimensional
array
refers to the index of the record retrieved, uniquely identified by its
timestamp, while the
second position of the two-dimensional array refers to the column of the
record retrieved.
An embodiment of the application may point to and retrieve a specific data
field collected
from any time. In an exemplary embodiment, multiple record sets are obtained,
one for
each database table (e.g., one for each room), which a user may choose any
collected data
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field from any time as far as the database record set allows.
The client 100 may compare the entered parameter data against stored
thresholds
or previously entered data to determine whether an error has occurred. The
thresholds
may include a Maximum Threshold and a Precise Threshold.
Data fields that conform to the Maximum Threshold may not exceed the nominal
value (Xnominal). Warnings may be displayed on the GUI 200 when the data
(Xactual)
falls outside a tolerance value (PA) as shown by the following Equation 1:
Xactual > Xnomimal ¨ (Xnominal * T%) (1).
For example, if the tolerance value is 10%, the actual temperature of a boiler
is
200 degrees, and the nominal value is 250 degrees, since an actual of 200 is
not above
250 ¨(250 * 0.1) (i.e., 200 is not above 225), no warning would be displayed.
However,
if the temperature had risen to 226 degrees in this example, a warning would
have been
displayed.
The client 100 may also, or instead, average the previous logged
data/parameter
with the current entered parameter data, and compare this average value with a
corresponding threshold to determine if a warning should be displayed. For
example, if
the current boiler temperature was entered at 226 degrees, but the prior 4
samples have
the temperature at 200 degrees, since the overall average temperature is less
than 226, no
warning would be displayed. The amount of samples used for this averaging may
vary
and be a configurable parameter.
Data fields that conform to the Precise Threshold must not rise above or fall
below the nominal value by more than the tolerance value. The GUI 200 may
display a
warning when data is outside of the tolerance as shown by the following
Equation 2:
Xactual > Xnominal + Xnominal * PA AND Xactual < Xnominal ¨ Xnominal * 7% (2).
If the value of the data field is beyond the threshold, then the value of the
field is
out of range and the system may alert the user. For example, if the tolerance
value is
10%, the actual temperature of the boiler is 100 degrees, and the nominal
value is 140
degrees, a warning would be displayed because an actual of 100 is less than
140 ¨ 140 *
0.1 (e.g., 100 is less than 140-14). However, if the boiler temperature rises
to 150 degrees
a warning would not be displayed since it lower than 140 + 140 * 0.1.
If it has been determined that a warning is to be displayed, the client 100
may
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notify the user to take corrective action to maintain the facility components
before a
failure occurs. The notification may appear as a visual on the GUI 200 or as
audible alert.
For example, parameter data for facility components that is outside of the
threshold limits
may be marked with visual cues. Further, different levels of alerts may be
present. For
example, a low level alert may become an elevated alert if new data is entered
outside of
a user configurable normal tolerance threshold. Since the error may have been
caused by
a data entry error, the user can choose to commit the data with the value as
is, or edit the
data before it is committed.
The notifications may be managed by selecting the configurations tab 230. For
example, the interface 200 enables the user to indicate who should be
contacted, the form
used for the contact (e.g., SMS text message, MMS message, e-mail, social
network
message, etc.). For example, in addition to presenting the user of the client
100 with a
visual or audible notification, the client 100 can notify the site
administrator via an
automatically generated email, text message, social network message, etc. The
client
program may enable the user to set the system into a training mode that
prevents the
application from sending a message to a remote party if it is determined that
the facility
components are not functioning properly. The client and server may include a
wireless
transceiver and the client and server may send a message using the wireless
transceiver if
it is determined that a facility component is not functioning properly.
The client program may be configured to delete its locally stored data about
the
facility when it determines that the mobile system has left the facility.
The user may record comments in the comment field 216 for each room for each
facility component within the room. When the camera is present, it may be used
to record
one or more pictures that are automatically associated with the comment. The
comments
and associated pictures may be stored on a database of the client 100 or a
remote
database. For example, if the user notices that the temperature of the boiler
is too high, he
can provide a corresponding comment and snap a photo of the instrument panel
of the
boiler showing the elevated temperature.
Once sufficient data has been captured by the client 100, the user may select
the
trending mode 220 to access a visual representation of all data. In this
visual
representation, each data field may be graphed against its threshold limits
and an
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estimated prediction trend line may be illustrated to show if and when the
thresholds may
be exceeded.
Analysis of the data may reveal opportunities for the user to take corrective
action
to maintain facility components before a failure occurs. The trending may
identify spikes
and dips in recorded data as anomalies. The anomalies may be used as a basis
of analysis
where related data fields are analyzed for anomalies occurring during the same
time
period. Correlation between anomalies occurring during the same time period
may
provide a basis for corrective actions to locate and address the issue.
The client 100 may trend data input by the user during a walkthrough data
collection session. The data trending activity fragment may first retrieve
historic data
from the device database up to a specified range of time defined by the user,
by means of
the data retrieval mechanism detailed previously. The data trending activity
fragment
may then calculate the positive and negative slopes of the sinusoidal curves
that were
created by the obtained information. The data trending activity fragment may
be able to
calculate transients (voltage spikes, current spikes, brownouts) by using the
trends
generated by the data collected. If such problematic transients are implied by
the
generated trends, the data trending feature may pinpoint the facility
components or
location of the issue within the facility.
The trending mode 220 may also be used to generate a report of the collected
data
stating a brief analysis of said trends or anomalies, and may also include a
printout of the
data the selected fields in graphical and tabular format.
As shown in FIG. 4, interface displayed by selecting the trending mode 220 may
include an equipment label 221 identifying the equipment (e.g., a facility
component), an
overlay button 222, and a toggle button 223. The arrows to the left and right
of the
equipment name 221 may be used to advance to a preceding or subsequent piece
of
equipment in the room. The trending mode 220 interface may also enable the
user to
specify equipment data fields and date ranges to be displayed on the graph for
comparison of past and present data. The toggle button 223 can be used to
toggle the
view of the data between the graphical view and a tabular view.
The overlay button 222 can be used to view an overlay of projected equipment
loading values to identify trends in data that was collected, as shown in FIG.
5. As an
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example, the graph 224 can display one data parameter of a piece of equipment
over
time, and against the threshold or capacity limits, and an estimated (e.g.,
extrapolated)
trend line will show if and when the thresholds may be exceeded. This
information may
aid the user in identifying system capacity trends as new facility components
are added to
the facility. The user may select equipment data fields to be displayed and
analyzed on
the data trending graphs. These graphs may be overlaid on the same set of axes
for data
comparison. The interface 200 may highlight increasing and decreasing trends
for the
user.
In the portfolio mode 250, the client 100 may be configured to generate
reports of
the collected data, a brief analysis, and an overview of the data that was
entered for
selected fields. The client 100 may enable the user to generate a full report
based on the
entered data. The system may be able to manage multiple facilities data,
functionalities
and components.
The document library mode 240 can be selected to access one or more documents
such as SOPs, EAPs, EOPs, MPs, MOPs, drawings, schematics, or other relevant
documentation associated with facility components in the corresponding room or
the
facility. These documents may be accessed in a "step by step" mode of the
interface 200
on a display of the presentation subsystem 120 that guides the user through
each step in a
procedure of a corresponding one of the documents. For example, text of the
steps that
have been completed and the subsequent steps can be displayed on the display,
where the
next step to be completed can be emphasized (e.g., highlighted in a different
color,
underlined, etc.). The interface 200 may enable the user to mark each step as
complete.
For example, the interface 200 may provide a check box next to each step that
can be
selected when the user has finished that part of the procedure. The user may
also be
notified if a step has been skipped. The "step by step" mode may reduce
confusion
during an emergency by guiding the user in a high stress environment, which
may also
increase safety.
The user may also access electrical and mechanical one-line diagrams and other
various important operational drawings including floor layouts, etc. These
documents
may also be used to facilitate practice simulations that may reduce risk and
improve life
safety.
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The document library mode 240 may be selected to provide personnel with
immediate access to important facility drawings (e.g., electrical one line
diagrams, floor
plans, and mechanical drawings, etc.), emergency operating procedures, and
other
pertinent information to keep operations running smoothly. This document
library mode
240 is not limited to providing emergency related information, as it may also
provide
pertinent information on switching procedures, technical maintenance programs,
and
other operations procedures, facility one lines, and other facility
infrastructure drawings
including SOPs, EAPs, EOPs, MPs, MOPs, etc. Further, other documentation may
be
imported from a remote server and saved into the application locally, which
allows use of
the data without network connectivity.
The Simulation mode 260 may be selected to simulate one or more functions of
the client 100. Selection of the simulation mode 260 may present a screen that
enables a
trainee to run one or more available training scenarios or a site
administrator to create the
training scenarios. As an example, the training scenarios may used to teach
the trainee
how to use the client 100 or to simulate conditions that would be predicted to
occur based
on data entered by a user. For example, a training scenario could be a
walkthrough of a
room full of several facility components (e.g., pieces of equipment) in a
room, where the
trainee is expected to enter parameter data (e.g., boiler temperature, battery
voltage, etc.)
for each corresponding component/piece. If the trainee enters parameter data
that is
outside of expected thresholds, they would receive an alert that is similar to
the actual one
that would have been received during normal operation. However, since this is
merely a
simulation, the site administrator would not receive a notification (e.g., e-
mail, text, etc.)
of the alert.
FIG. 6 illustrates a flowchart that explains a data flow due to selection of
the
walkthrough mode 210 according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention.
Referring to FIG. 6, data for a walkthrough list is retrieved from a database
(S601) and
displayed on the interface 200 (S602). The displayed walkthrough list may
include the
list of rooms that are available, which as an example, could be selectable
buttons (see 211
of FIG 2). An event handler may be running in the background to determine
whether the
user has selected one of the room buttons (S603). Once a room has been
selected, it may
be displayed by the interface 200 along with data entry fields and various
choices, such as
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cancel, submit, comment, etc. (S604).
If the cancel choice is selected, the current walkthrough of the room is
discarded
(S605), and the method returns to the display of the initial walkthrough list
(S602) so the
user can select a different room.
Once the user has entered the required data into the data entry fields (e.g.,
current
temperature of boiler, current voltage of UPS, etc.) for a facility component
(e.g., a piece
of equipment) of the room, and the user selects the submit choice, a
submission handler
operates on the submitted data (S606).
The submission handler determines whether there are errors in the data (S607).
If
there are no errors, the method returns to the displayed room to enable the
user to enter
data for another facility component (e.g., piece of equipment) in the room
(S603). Data
that is entered without an error may be parameter data entered within
established
threshold ranges or values for the corresponding facility component. If the
data is outside
of the threshold range or of an invalid format (e.g., letters entered where
numbers
expected), an erroneous data handler operates on the data to determine the
type of error
(S608). The erroneous data handler can give the user an opportunity to change
the data or
can immediately send a corresponding error message to a notification handler.
When the
erroneous data handler gives the user a chance to change the data, it can
cause the
interface to display an indication to the user that parameter data for the
data entry field of
the facility component is in an improper format or is outside the acceptable
range or
threshold. If the user re-submits the same data, the erroneous data handler
can then
automatically send out the error message to the notification handler. The
notification
handler may be configured to send (e.g., via e-mail, text, social network,
etc.) the error
message to one or more responsible parties (S609).
During the data entry of the facility component, the user can use a comment
choice to enter personal comments on the facility component, and/or capture a
picture or
video of the facility component that can be sent to the notification handler
for forwarding
to the one or more responsible parties (S610). The user can enter the
comments/pictures/videos without having the notification handler automatically
forward
them. However, if an error is later encountered due to entry of parameter data
for the
facility component, the notification handler can include these
comments/pictures/videos
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along with the error message it receives from the erroneous data handler in a
notification
it sends to the responsible party.
FIG. 7 illustrates a flowchart that explains a data flow due to selection of
the data
trending mode 220 according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention.
Referring to
FIG. 7, the interface presents 200 to the user the available data fields
(e.g., input current
of UPS-1 over time) that can be selected for a facility component (e.g., a
piece of
equipment) for trending (S701). The interface 200 may include a choice that
enables to
the user to select one or more additional data fields to trend (e.g., input
current of UPS-2)
and overlay against the previously selected data fields to trend (S702). If no
additional
fields are selected, or if the user only wants to trend the one selected data
field, the data
associated with the selected data fields is read/loaded from a database
(S703). The
application then analyzes the data (S704). This data analysis may include
identification of
anomaly points within each data set, including abnormal spikes and valleys
detected in
the data, as well as points where the data has exceeded its thresholds. In
addition, each
data set's anomalies can be compared to another data set's anomalies in the
client 100 to
identify anomalies within corresponding time periods. These comparisons may
then be
displayed to the user where they may be correlated with regional data such as
weather,
temperature, and humidity data, or other third party data sources over the
time periods of
each anomaly.
The application may also perform an extrapolation on the data on to predict
the
future values of the data for the equipment (S704). For example, if the power
of the UPS
has been steadily increasing by 5% every month, and the UPS is currently at
75%
capacity, the application could predict that the UPS will become overloaded in
5 months.
The application can present the data for one of the selected data fields onto
a graph, and
also overlay this with the data of the other selected data fields (S706). The
interface 200
enables a user to generate a printable report (707) and export to a file
(e.g., a pdf) that is
saved (S708) or to merely save the data (S709). Once the user is done viewing
the
trended data, the interface 200 enables the user to start a new data trending
session
(S701).
FIG. 8 illustrates a flowchart that explains a data flow due to selection of
the
document library mode 250 according to an exemplary embodiment of the
invention.
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Referring to FIG. 8, the interface 200 enables the user (e.g., via an event
handler) to
select a new document for subsequent viewing (S801). Next, the interface 200
enables
the user to view the document in a step-by-step view (e.g., smartmode). If the
user
decides they do not want the step-by-step view, the interface 200 presents the
user with
the document (S803). If the user decides they want the step-by-step view,
instructions for
a single step or paragraph of the document are presented to the user (S804).
The interface
may include a handler to determine whether the user needs additional
information to
complete the step (S805). For example, the interface 200 may include a
selectable choice
that is monitored by the handler to determine whether the user wants access to
the
procedure documentation related to the current step of the procedure. For
example, if the
user selects this choice, the interface 200 can present the document to the
user (S806). If
the user does not require access to the document or has already reviewed the
document,
after performing one step of the procedure (e.g., placing the UPS in bypass,
hitting the
boiler reset, etc.), the user indicates to the interface that the step has
been completed
(5807). For example, the step displayed on the interface 200 may include a
selectable
checkbox that is selected by the user to indicate the step has been completed.
The
application can automatically determine whether the procedure has been
completed
(S808). For example, if the procedure has 4 steps, and all 4 steps were
checked by the
user, the application may assume that the procedure was completed, and may
return to an
initial state to enable the user to select a new document (5801). If the
procedure has not
been completed, the application advances to the next step of the procedure
(S809) and
displays the set of instructions for the next step (5804).
The interface 200 enables a user to import procedures into the system and
configure the step-by-step view (smart mode) for the corresponding document.
The step-
by-step view may include detailed instructions including what to do, a brief
description,
and expected results. The smart mode may also be integrated with a simulation
training
module, which may be launched using the simulation mode 260.
Special document types that are procedure-enabled may allow users to view each
step in a procedure, as well as its supplemental information. A document
procedure may
be generated based off of existing document text for standard, maintenance,
and
emergency operation procedures. Each step may become its own node within the
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procedure-enabled documentation. Additionally, each node may be modified to
best
represent the facility's needs, by users who have managerial or administrative
access. All
changes to the nodes themselves may be logged by timestamps and the user
identification
of the manager or administrator who modified it.
A node may be placed within an array that is indexed based on its step number,
and can link to an array of image file strings as well as a list of text
strings to be included
as extra information to aid with the step completion process. The client 100
may iterate
through the arrays based on user interaction. Once a step is completed, the
present
invention may show the next step is readily available. Visual notifications
may be
displayed as steps are completed.
The database may log the user, begin and end timestamps and completion
information for each procedure they may have to go through. The database may
log user
activity on the interface 200, which may be accessed by privileged users, such
as an
administrator or a manager. Each smart procedure may also link its nodes to
dynamic
facility one-line drawings. As steps are completed, the drawings will update
to visually
represent the changes made to the system.
The client 100 may support one-lines, which are special document types that
allow for alteration of their visual output based off of user interaction with
values and
procedures in a 'real-time' virtual environment. Visual aspects of each one-
line are
graphical objects representing that specific part of the one line. The user
may modify
facility component states, which may in turn modify the object whose values
are linked to
the changes made by the user. The object may then have its values changed
accordingly.
At the time of the next recreation of the one-line representation, each object
may be
redrawn visually representing the new drawing state. Each graphical object may
contain
data representing its connection points, nodes, shape, and colors, which are
all
configurable and alterable through user interaction.
The user may switch between the modes of the interface 200 and the client 100
and save the state of the currently selected mode locally so that when the
interface 200 is
restarted, the correct mode is displayed.
The application that launches the interface 200 may be represented on the
display
of the presentation subsystem 120 by a selectable graphical icon. When the
icon is
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selected, prior to enabling the user access to the functions of the interface
200, the user
may be prompted to enter a login name/identifier and a password that
corresponds to one
or more accounts maintained by the application. The application may support
different
layers of accounts, where some accounts have access to more features of the
interface
200 than others. For example, the administrator may have access to all
features whereas a
trainee could have access only the simulation mode 260, etc. This layered
access may be
secured by multiple authorization methods including encrypted passphrases,
hardware
keys, iris scan, user fingerprint, and facial recognition.
In at least one embodiment of the invention, the client 100 synchronizes all
collected data with a centralized, secure database (e.g., encrypted) that may
be located on
a remote server. For example, updates to data generated on one client 100 may
be
uploaded to the remote database. The remote database may then update other
devices(s)
with the updated data. The data may include facility configurations, collected
facility
component data, facility documentation, document association properties with
facility,
equipment, and/or rooms, or training simulations.
The remote server or client 100 may also aggregate data from various third
party
data sources including electrical system metering devices, mechanical system
metering
devices, facility alarms and alerts, security systems, and weather data. This
data may be
used for analytics and for basic viewing.
The remote server or database may host a library containing generic
manufacturer
data, equipment manuals, and other documentation that may be accessed by any
of the
clients 100.
The clients 100 may communicate with the remote server via a private network
where all interactions may be encrypted. The users of the clients 100 may
access all
information via a locally cached database for locations that do not have
network access.
For example, if network access is not available, the application will locally
cache data on
the device's internal storage (e.g., memory 160). Once network access is
restored, the
application may synchronize the locally stored data with the remote database
automatically.
FIG. 9 shows interactions between the system for managing a facility 100 and
the
remote database 1101, according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention.
The
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database may be located on the cloud. Referring to FIG. 9, the client program
is started
on the client 100 (S901). For example, an icon may be present on a display of
the client
100 that is selected with a stylus or a finger to start the client program
that is executed by
processor 110.
Next, the client program reads data from local memory (e.g., 160) on the
client
100, which may be encoded (S902) and the client program constructs virtual
facility
representations of the read data using data objects (S903). For example, if
the read data
includes facility components for different rooms and different floors, the
client program
may create facility component objects for each facility component, room
objects for each
room, and floor/area objects for each floor/area. A room object may link to
its associated
facility component objects. For example, each object may include an object
identifier,
and thus a room object that stores several facility components could store an
object
identifier for each facility component object it contains. Similarly, a
floor/area object may
link to its associated rooms by storing an object identifier for each room
object. Similarly,
a facility object may be created that links to its associated floors/areas by
storing an
object identifier for each floor/area object it contains.
If there is a connection to database 1101, the client program reads the latest
database table records pertaining to the facility virtualization from the
database 1101 into
memory 160 (S905), updates all object references with the synced data from the
database
1101 (S906), and displays any notifications or time-sensitive events stored in
the
database (S907).
Saving data entered into the client 100 to the database 1101 may include
converting recent facility information changes into context values compatible
with the
database 1101 (S908) and querying the database to update or insert new records
into the
corresponding data tables (S909).
FIG. 10 shows a data synchronization model according to an exemplary
embodiment of the invention, which shows exemplary interactions between the
database
1101, the facility 1102, a live building system 1103, an analyst 1104,
facility
management personnel 1105, and the system for managing a facility 100.
As shown in FIG. 10, after data is entered by the facility engineer using the
client
100 during a walkthrough of the facility 1102, the client 100 may upload the
data to the
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database 1101, and data entered into the database 1101 by other similar
clients 100, a live
building system 1103, or the facility management personnel 1105 may be sent to
one or
more of the clients 100, for update of their local databases. The live
building system 1103
may include facility management, electrical, mechanical, and surveillance
systems. The
data analyst 1104 may access (e.g., read or update) the central database 1101
from a
remote computer. The facility management personnel 1105 may update the central
database 1101 from a remote computer (e.g., with various facility component
configurations or documentation).
FIG. 11 shows exemplary communications between the remote database 1101, the
clients 100 used by an engineer and a facility manager, the facility itself
1102, and other
remote computers 1103.
The application may periodically or on request retrieve a snapshot of data for
one
or more rooms of the current facility a room of equipment stored in the remote
database
for local storage. For example, if two users are performing data collection on
different
rooms/floors/areas of the facility, the periodical or on request retrieval
allows the current
user to work with the most current up to date data.
The database can be access restricted, and customized by the user such that
certain accounts only have access to certain files and documents. Further, the
information
on the database may be encrypted and password protected. For example, even
though an
account may have access to the database, it may not have access to all tables
of the
database or certain data fields. The application may be configured to detect
if the device
has moved outside of the facility, and erase all locally cached data. The
application may
also transmit GPS location data so that the user may recover the device.
In an exemplary embodiment of the invention, the application implements three
levels of access control. For example, the first level is an administrator
level, which has
access to all features of the interface 200 (e.g., all modes). This access
level allows the
user to configure facilities and facility components, perform walkthroughs
(e.g., enter
parameter data for facility components), view the data trending mode 220, view
the client
portfolio 250, and access all data in the document library mode 240. The
second level is a
facility personnel level, which has access to perform the walkthroughs, select
the data
trending mode 220, and access the manager mode 220. The third level is a view-
only
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level which has access only to the data trending mode 220.
In an exemplary embodiment of the invention, the client 100 (e.g., via
connectivity subsystem 130) utilizes radio signals (e.g., NFC, RFID, etc.) to
perform
various automated actions. For example, each room and/or facility component
may be
equipped with an NFC tag to be used as a physical check that personnel have
physically
entered the room and viewed the equipment. Scanning the tag may also activate
the data
collection screen for that particular room or equipment. For equipment that is
equipped
with wireless metering devices, scanning the tag may cause the client 100 to
interface
with the metering device to automatically download the latest data readings.
In an exemplary embodiment, the client 100 determines that it has entered a
particular room when it passes an NFC or RFID tag (e.g., on a doorway of a
room or
elsewhere in the room), and then automatically loads a walkthrough for that
room and its
associated equipment. For example, an NFC or RFID tag may be affixed to the
room that
includes a unique identifier that distinguishes the room from the other rooms
in the
facility that is read by the client 100.
FIG. 12 illustrates a method that may be run after the client 100 connects to
facility components using NFC or RFID, according to an exemplary embodiment of
the
invention. The method may include verifying facility component tag information
is
compatible with the software of the client 100 (S1201). Next, a virtual object
can be
opened in memory appropriate to an identifier (ID) of the facility component
(S1202). If
no ID exists in memory, NFC/RFID data can be used to create new facility
components
as virtual objects. Further, the virtual facility components' field data can
be updated
according to the data retrieved from the facility components' NFC/RFID tag
(S1203).
Lastly, the user can be prompted to verify, modify, or discard data
initialized by the
facility components' NFC/RFID connection with the NFC/RFID device (S1204). If
one
of these four steps fails, the current connection can be dropped and a new
connection can
be attempted.
As discussed above, embodiments of the invention may be applied to a mobile
system. However, the invention is not limited thereto, and may be applied to
any
computer system, such as illustrated in FIG. 10 or FIG. 13. The computer
system
referred to generally as system 1000 may include, for example, a central
processing unit
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(CPU) 1001, random access memory (RAM) 1004, a printer interface 1010, a
display unit
1011, a local area network (LAN) data transmission controller 1005, a LAN
interface
1006, a network controller 1003, an internal bus 1002, and one or more input
devices
1009, for example, a keyboard, mouse etc. As shown, the system 1000 may be
connected
to a data storage device, for example, a hard disk, 1008 via a link 1007.
Please note that while a particular graphical user interface (GUI) 200 is
depicted
in FIGs. 2-5, embodiments of the inventive concept are not limited thereto as
the GUI
200 may be changed in various ways. For example, one or more of the
illustrated modes
may be omitted, additional modes may be present, selection of modes may be
accomplished in a different manner from that illustrated, and different
interactive or
descriptive graphical elements may be used from those illustrated (e.g.,
labels may have
different text, buttons may have different size, shapes, colors, etc., text
fields may be
replaced with drop down menus, lists, etc.). Furthermore, the interface may
not be a
graphical user interface. The interface may be non-graphical and rely on other
means of
interaction (e.g., voice control).
Exemplary embodiments described herein are illustrative, and many variations
can be introduced without departing from the spirit of the disclosure or from
the scope of
the appended claims. For example, elements and/or features of different
exemplary
embodiments may be combined with each other and/or substituted for each other
within
the scope of this disclosure and appended claims.
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