JP7748051B2 - Building Management Systems - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to, for example, a building management system that manages buildings via an information and communications network.

For example, Patent Document 1, cited below, discloses an invention related to a network-distributed building management system. In the invention disclosed in Patent Document 1, as described in paragraph 0017 and Figure 1, building equipment is monitored from a communication terminal (1) such as a personal computer via an existing network (L1) such as the Internet and a building server (2).

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-134120

However, when renovating a building, work is required to replace existing equipment (including sensors and switches) with new ones. Conventional network systems such as those disclosed in Patent Document 1 and conventional building management systems can manage equipment designed to support common communication standards, but are unable to support a wider variety of equipment. For example, the invention disclosed in Patent Document 1 requires the selection of equipment control devices for each manufacturer (paragraph 0009). Furthermore, when considering the management of modern intelligent buildings or multi-building management, the number of monitoring points becomes enormous, making conventional technology incapable of supporting comprehensive building management.

The purpose of this invention is to provide a building management system that enables more effective building management.

In order to achieve the above object, the building management system according to the present invention comprises:
Multiple types of equipment classified into multiple management items;
a sensor device capable of detecting a plurality of types of detection items;
The system includes at least a first tier device and a second tier device among a first tier device, a second tier device, a third tier device, and a fourth tier device, which are arranged in ascending order as higher tiers;
It is possible to define a plurality of item systems, with at least one of the management items being one item system,
A building management system, wherein the plurality of item systems include at least an air conditioning system, a lighting system, an alarm system, and an energy system,
A plurality of the sensor devices are provided,
A plurality of the sensor devices
capable of outputting digital information to the first layer device according to at least one wireless communication standard;
A sensor device group spanning a plurality of the item systems is configured ,
The facility equipment includes the sensor device,
The first layer device assigns an IP address for identification to the facility device,
The second layer device creates a database of the information transmitted from the first layer device, including at least the IP address and the management item.

The above invention makes it possible to provide a building management system that enables more effective building management.

1 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a schematic diagram of a building management system according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of a wireless sensor device. 10 is a flowchart illustrating an outline of a procedure for creating a database. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an outline of information in a database.

<Outline of building management system according to embodiment>
The following describes a building management system according to an embodiment of the present invention. The building management system according to this embodiment enables centralized management or distributed control of various management items such as air conditioning, lighting, sanitation, alarms (security), energy, etc., from inside or outside the building, or from a remote location.

The building management system of this embodiment includes various equipment within a building. The equipment includes various types of equipment such as air conditioners, lighting equipment, doors, etc. The equipment also includes sensors such as temperature sensors that detect the temperature within a room, humidity sensors that detect humidity, illuminance sensors that detect the illuminance of lighting equipment, and contact sensors that detect whether a door is open or closed.

Facility equipment also includes air conditioner control panels and remote controls (remote controllers), lighting control panels and remote controls, and various wall-mounted switches (switches).Furthermore, facility equipment can also include current transformers, power monitors, circuit protectors, power supply units, compact gateways, and other electrical equipment used to monitor power usage.

These are examples of facility equipment, and other equipment commonly used in building management can also be included in the facility equipment of this embodiment.

In this embodiment of the building management system, based on the information collected by each piece of equipment, the building manager who monitors the building's equipment and general users of each piece of equipment (such as employees of tenants who use a floor or section) can select equipment and enter instructions (commands) using their own personal mobile information terminals (such as smartphones or tablets).

Furthermore, in the building management system of this embodiment, the types of software (including application software) used for building management are kept to a minimum by integrating the system. In addition, the building management system of this embodiment comes standard with a monitoring system that enables overall monitoring.

This may seem obvious, but with conventional building management systems, it was difficult to collect information across the board (horizontally across the board) and provide integrated services to building managers and general users of facility equipment, regardless of differences in the specifications of various information (signal standards, communication standards, OS (operating systems), programming languages, etc.) between manufacturers and vendors. The building management system of this embodiment makes this possible.

More specifically, the building management system of this embodiment aims to "liberate from in-building monitoring rooms (central monitoring rooms)." This means that it is possible to do away with the central monitoring rooms that have traditionally been installed in buildings, or to minimize the number of personnel involved in central monitoring, such as to just one person.

In conventional building management systems, a central monitoring room was essential within the building. Furthermore, each piece of installed equipment was independently managed for various management items, such as air conditioning, lighting, sanitation, alarms, and energy. As mentioned above, for example, the invention disclosed in Patent Document 1 above requires the selection of facility control equipment by manufacturer (paragraph 0009). For this reason, even if the control of equipment could be integrated vertically (vertically) in the system configuration, it could not be integrated horizontally (cross-sectionally), and was therefore fragmented, regardless of differences in the specifications of various information between manufacturers and vendors.

Figure 1 shows a schematic diagram of the building management system 10 of this embodiment. The diagram shows an example of multiple systems (item systems) related to facility equipment. Shown in Figure 1 are an air conditioning-related system 12, a lighting and outlet system 14, a sanitary and plumbing system 16, a status and alarm system 18, and an energy system 20.

Air conditioning-related system 12 represents a system (group) of multiple air conditioning-related equipment such as air conditioners, temperature sensors, humidity sensors, etc.

The lighting and outlet system 14 represents a system of equipment related to lighting fixtures, illuminance sensors, and equipment connected to commercial power sources. The sanitary and plumbing system 16 represents a system of multiple equipment related to sanitary and plumbing facilities, such as toilets, washrooms, and hot water heaters.

The status/alarm system 18 represents a system of multiple equipment related to responding to door opening/closing, earthquakes, intrusion by unauthorized persons, etc. The energy system 20 represents a system of multiple equipment such as sensors and switches related to monitoring the amount of electricity used (power consumption), solar power generation, fuel consumption, etc.

Here, the classification of item systems is not limited to the above example. For example, multiple systems may be combined, such as "air conditioning, lighting, and outlet system." They may also be separated into separate systems, such as "lighting system," "outlet system," "sanitary system," and "plumbing system." They may also be divided into systems such as "air conditioning 1," "air conditioning 2," "lighting 1," and "lighting 2."

In the various item systems described above (air conditioning system 12, lighting and outlet system 14, sanitary and plumbing system 16, status and alarm system 18, energy system 20, etc.), it is common for equipment from a variety of manufacturers and vendors to be used. For this reason, in the past, each manufacturer and vendor in each item system had to hoard information and communications resources, and when renovating or constructing a building, it was necessary to order work from a contractor designated by the manufacturer or vendor.

Furthermore, each manufacturer and vendor often uses common signaling and communication standards. For this reason, it is possible to build a management system using common signaling standards, communication standards, OS, programming languages, etc. for each manufacturer and vendor. Furthermore, if equipment that is pre-defined to support multi-protocol communication standards is used, it is possible to handle only that equipment in an integrated manner. However, in these cases, it is necessary to install a server compatible with the manufacturer or vendor and build a management system.

For example, if equipment from multiple manufacturers or vendors is used in one item system (such as air conditioning-related system 12), it was necessary to install multiple servers for each item system and build multiple management systems.

Furthermore, for example, if the manufacturer or vendor was the same for each item system (air conditioning-related system 12, lighting and outlet system 14, sanitation and plumbing system 16, status and alarm system 18, energy system 20, etc.), it was necessary to install a server for each item system and build a management system.

As such, integration by manufacturer or vendor (vertical integration in system configuration) is relatively easy, but integration across each item system (air conditioning-related system 12, lighting and outlet system 14, sanitary and plumbing system 16, status and alarm system 18, energy system 20, etc.) (horizontal integration in system configuration) is not easy. Furthermore, in conventional building management systems, IT (information technology) and OT (operational technology) are separate.

The building management system 10 of this embodiment, shown in Figure 1, integrates the equipment items related to various management items and performs appropriate cloud computing, making it possible to eliminate the need for a central monitoring room. The building management system 10 of this embodiment allows various management items to be monitored remotely from the building manager's mobile information terminal 22, such as a smartphone or tablet, without the need to install numerous application software. As a result, there is no longer a need to tie people down in the central monitoring room, making it possible to reduce the number of personnel required for management and labor costs.

In addition, the building management system 10 of this embodiment allows general users, such as tenant employees, to remotely operate specified management items from a mobile information terminal 24, such as a smartphone or tablet, without having to install a large number of application software.

<Hierarchical structure>
As shown in FIG. 1, the building management system 10 according to this embodiment has a hierarchical structure broadly divided into five levels, Level 0 to Level 4. Level 0 is the sensor level, Level 1 is the sensor controller (micro edge device) level, Level 2 is the application edge device level, and Level 3 is the integrated controller (integrated edge device) level. Level 4 is the enterprise edge server level. Each level is explained below.

<Level 0: Sensor>
The lowest level hierarchy of the building management system 10 is the sensor. Conventionally, in order to convert various types of analog information such as temperature and humidity into digital information, it was necessary to provide a sequencer and set thresholds for each type of information to manage it.

The data sent from the sensor is formed as a single block, incorporating various elements such as thresholds, current values, range conversion, etc. In other words, the data is processed within a sequencer, thresholds are set by designers or workers, and only a portion of the output data is used for building management.

One characteristic of conventional building management systems is that they simply physically connect devices together using a specific serial bus (RS485). Communication is carried out using the serial bus (RS485) interface, and signal processing is performed using a communications chip that does not have a CPU. As a result, conventional building management systems only have limited functionality and lack intelligence.

In the building management system 10 according to this embodiment, a wireless intelligent sensor device (hereinafter referred to as a "wireless sensor device") 30, as shown in Figure 2, is used as a Level 0 sensor. The wireless sensor device 30 is capable of detecting multiple types of detection items (physical quantities) (for example, five types: temperature, humidity, illuminance, acceleration, and contact).

Wireless sensor devices 30 are used in multiple systems (e.g., air conditioning system 12, lighting/outlet system 14, sanitation/plumbing system 16, status/alarm system 18, energy system 20, etc.). Furthermore, there are multiple models of wireless sensor devices 30, each of which communicates wirelessly using its own communication standard. Therefore, wireless sensor devices 30 include those that communicate wirelessly using different communication standards. Furthermore, whether or not a wireless sensor device 30 is designed to support multiple protocols is not an issue.

Wireless sensor devices 30 are installed, for example, on the walls, ceilings, and doors of a building, and wirelessly transmit detected information to a Level 1 sensor controller (described below). It is possible to use a combination of various wireless sensor devices 30 provided by multiple manufacturers and vendors.

As shown in Figure 2, the wireless sensor device 30 internally includes a temperature sensor unit 32, a humidity sensor unit 34, an illuminance sensor unit 36, an acceleration sensor unit 38, and a contact sensor unit 40. Furthermore, the wireless sensor device 30 includes a CPU 42, a memory unit 44, an information format conversion unit 46, an information input unit 48, a wireless communication unit 50, and a power generation unit 52.

The temperature sensor unit 32 is equipped with a temperature sensor and can detect, for example, the temperature of the air in a room. The humidity sensor unit 34 is equipped with a humidity sensor and can detect, for example, the humidity of the air in a room. The illuminance sensor unit 36 is equipped with an illuminance sensor and can detect, for example, the brightness of a room.

The acceleration sensor unit 38 is equipped with an acceleration sensor and can detect, for example, impacts transmitted to a wall. The contact sensor unit 40 is equipped with a contact sensor (magnetic contact sensor) and can detect, for example, the opening and closing of a door.

Various common sensors can be used as the temperature sensor, humidity sensor, illuminance sensor, acceleration sensor, and contact sensor provided in the wireless sensor device 30.

The wireless sensor device 30 uses the EnOcean communications standard, which uses energy harvesting technology to generate power and transmit it wirelessly. In the wireless sensor device 30, the power generated by the power generation unit 52 (photovoltaic power generation in this case) supplies the power necessary for the normal operation of the CPU 42 and sensor units 32, 34, 36, 38, and 40.

The wireless sensor device 30 can select which detection function to use for which detection item. The wireless sensor device 30 can also use all detection functions simultaneously.

The detection function to be used is set by storing information identifying the selected detection function (detection function identification information) in the memory unit 44. Storing the detection function identification information can be performed using an external communication device capable of wireless communication.

Examples of the external communication device mentioned above include mobile information terminals such as smartphones and tablet terminals (mobile information terminals 22, 24, etc.). In this case, specific application software can be installed on the mobile information terminal and used by operating this application software. Examples of specific application software include an administrator device management app used by the building administrator and a general user device management app.

In the wireless sensor device 30, the CPU 42 processes information to convert signals from the sensor units being used (at least some of the sensor units 32, 34, 36, 38, and 40) into information in industrial units, generating digital data. In the wireless sensor device 30, the generated digital data is used to create wireless packets, which are then sent to the level 1 sensor controller (micro edge device), which will be described later.

For sensors that detect continuous quantities, such as the temperature sensor unit 32, humidity sensor unit 34, and illuminance sensor unit 36, information is transmitted at predetermined intervals (e.g., every few tens of seconds to three minutes). Furthermore, information related to the signals of the acceleration sensor unit 38 and contact sensor unit 40 is transmitted when acceleration or contact (such as contact pressure) large enough to reach a predetermined threshold is detected.

The longer the information transmission interval for the temperature sensor unit 32, humidity sensor unit 34, illuminance sensor unit 36, etc., the more the amount of information transmitted can be reduced. Information related to the temperature sensor unit 32, humidity sensor unit 34, and illuminance sensor unit 36 may be transmitted within the above-mentioned specified time, or information related to the temperature sensor unit 32, humidity sensor unit 34, and illuminance sensor unit 36 may be transmitted in sequence at each of the above-mentioned specified time intervals.

In conventional building management systems, wireless information communication has often been avoided due to issues such as the need for frequent battery replacement and wireless signal interruptions. The building management system 10 of this embodiment solves these battery issues associated with wireless communication by using energy harvesting technology.

Note that the power generation unit 52 used in energy harvesting technology is not limited to photovoltaic power generation, and may also be, for example, thermoelectric power generation, electromagnetic wave power generation, vibration power generation, etc.

In thermoelectric power generation, for example, a thermoelectric conversion element (an element that converts heat to electricity) that utilizes the Seebeck effect (the phenomenon in which temperature differences are converted into voltage) is used to convert the temperature difference between objects into voltage. For example, heat generated by air conditioning units or pipes in buildings is converted into electrical energy.

In electromagnetic wave power generation, for example, the energy of radio waves emitted by a wireless LAN within a building is converted into direct current using a rectifying antenna to generate electricity.

In vibration power generation, pressure generated by vibration is converted into electricity via piezoelectric elements or other devices. For example, pressure sensors are installed on the floors of a building, and the pressure generated when people walk down the aisle or due to vibration is converted into electrical energy.

In this embodiment, the building management system 10 uses a wireless switch (not shown) as the switch for turning the lights on and off. The wireless switch has a built-in switch mechanism and wireless communication unit, and uses energy harvesting technology to wirelessly transmit information indicating the state of the switch mechanism to the outside.

When an administrator or general user operates the wireless switch with their fingers, on/off information is transmitted wirelessly using induced electromotive force. The wireless switch can be installed on a wall using screws or a magnetic sheet.

By using wireless switches, lights can be turned on and off without the need for wiring. Because no wiring is required, there are no restrictions on where switches can be placed, allowing for greater freedom in switch placement. In addition, no batteries are required, which also eliminates the need for the time-consuming task of changing batteries.

As described above, by using as many wireless sensor devices 30 and wireless switches as possible for the necessary sensors and switches, the work of running wires to connect the sensors and switches that make up the end of the system to the sequencer is eliminated. This makes it easier to install sensors and switches.

A large number of sensors and switches are included in the aforementioned items 12, 14, 16, 18, and 20. The number of sensors and switches used in a single building will vary depending on factors such as the number of rooms on each floor, but the more intelligent the building, the greater the number.

For this reason, when renovating or constructing a building with many rooms or a highly intelligent building, the labor hours (number of personnel x time) required to wire sensors and switches can be considerable. Therefore, by using wireless sensor devices 30 and wireless switches, much of the wiring work can be eliminated, making it possible to significantly reduce labor hours.

Traditionally, the work content and man-hours required for wiring work have tended to be left to the discretion of the work site, which has been a major factor in inaccurate estimates of construction time and labor costs. For example, the wiring between sensor devices and sequencers, or between sequencers and the above-mentioned devices, has often been decided at the discretion of the work site. Furthermore, the number of sensor devices installed can reach hundreds to hundreds of thousands, depending on the type and size of the building. Furthermore, labor costs account for a large portion of the cost of renovating or constructing a building. Therefore, reducing the man-hours required for wiring will significantly contribute to cost reduction.

Note that in the building management system 10 according to this embodiment, not all sensors and switches are limited to being wireless; some sensors and switches may send signals to a sequencer or the like via a wired connection. Furthermore, the other electrical devices mentioned above may include those that communicate wirelessly and those that communicate via a wired connection.

<Level 1: Sensor Controller (Micro Edge Device)>
The digital data transmitted from each wireless sensor device 30 is received by a sensor controller (micro edge device 60) at level 1. The sensor controller is configured by the micro edge device 60.

In the building management system 10 of this embodiment, multiple micro edge devices 60 are used depending on conditions such as the size and number of buildings to be managed. Figure 1 shows three micro edge devices 60 as an example. One micro edge device 60 can be associated with, for example, 100 or more (up to approximately 200) wireless sensor devices 30, as well as sequencers connected to wired sensors and switches (not shown). One micro edge device 60 can process data for approximately 100 to 200 monitoring points.

Conventionally, for example, when controlling blinds installed on windows in a building, a dedicated controller for blinds (dedicated controller) was used. The dedicated controller executed a blind control program and performed processing related to controlling the blinds. In other words, control of the controlled object (in this case, the blinds) was completed within the control system consisting of the blinds and the dedicated controller.

Traditionally, building management systems have monitored and controlled many management items related to air conditioning, lighting, sanitation, security, energy, etc. As mentioned above, the control (monitoring control) of these management items has typically involved the use of a variety of signal standards, communication standards, operating systems, programming languages, etc., depending on the equipment used, the equipment's manufacturer, model, etc.

Furthermore, in the technical field of building management, there are various standards related to IT (information technology) and OT (operational technology), and because the content of these standards varies, it was not possible to connect a wide variety of sensors, including existing sensors and sensors selected by building construction companies, to a single controller so that they could communicate with each other.

In contrast, in the building management system 10 of this embodiment, the analog data (data collected by the wireless sensor devices 30), which is the starting point for all information, is digitized by the Level 0 wireless sensor devices 30 themselves. Digital information from multiple wireless sensor devices 30 is aggregated in one micro edge device 60.

Wireless sensor devices 30 include those that communicate information using the same digital wireless communication standard and those that communicate information using different digital wireless communication standards. The micro edge device 60 is configured to be able to handle a large number of communication standards (communication protocols) (e.g., 150 or more).

The micro edge device 60 can handle information from multiple wireless sensor devices 30 by converting it into a common communication standard (here, IP (Internet Protocol)) for each communication standard adopted by the wireless sensor devices 30. In other words, the micro edge device 60 inputs signals of different communication standards and outputs signals of a unified common standard. The micro edge device 60 assigns IP addresses to associated equipment and identifies them using the IP addresses.

Each micro edge device 60 functions as a gateway that aggregates signals of different communication standards and outputs a signal of common specifications. By providing a large number of micro edge devices 60 according to the size and number of buildings to be managed, it is possible to form a large-scale gateway group consisting of multiple gateways. Note that other gateways (subdivided gateways) may exist between each item system 12, 14, 16, 18, 20 and the micro edge device 60. The gateway group here also includes gateways that exist as separate equipment from the micro edge device 60. The relationship (positioning) between the micro edge device 60 and the gateway is that the micro edge device is superior and the gateway is subordinate.

The micro edge device 60 collects information from the wireless sensor device 30, organizes the necessary information, and transmits it to the upper application edge device 62 (level 2). At the micro edge device 60 hierarchy (level 1), for example, a micro edge device group 60A is made up of a large number of micro edge devices 60. Conceptually, the micro edge device group 60A can be considered to be included in the gateway group mentioned above.

The micro edge device group 60A performs gateway functions, converting data and sending unified specification information (information in a patterned format) to the associated application edge device 62 on the upper layer.

In this way, the analog data digitized by the wireless sensor devices 30 and sequencers undergoes preliminary processing in the micro edge device 60, where it is converted into information with standardized specifications and sent to higher levels. In the micro edge device 60, the information digitized by the terminal wireless sensor devices 30 undergoes preliminary processing for database creation at Level 2.

The micro edge device 60 is not shown in the figure, but may be equipped with, for example, a CPU, memory, wireless communication unit, etc., and convert multi-protocol digital information into a common communication standard through processing such as time division or information conversion.

<Level 2: Application Edge Devices>
The application edge device 62 is located in the upper layer (level 2) of the micro edge device 60. The application edge device 62 is responsible for collecting data for each management item (application) such as the building's air conditioning, electricity, sanitation, central monitoring, etc.

As mentioned above, data from the sensors (level 0) is aggregated in the micro edge device 60 (level 1), and the data digitized by the sensors (level 0) is sent from the micro edge device 60 (level 1) to the application edge device 62 (level 2).

Depending on the size of the building to be managed, for example, one application edge device 62 is installed for approximately 100 micro edge devices 60. In a so-called small to medium-sized building, the entire building can be managed with one application edge device 62. In this case, levels 3 and 4, described below, can be omitted.

The application edge device 62 is equipped with a central monitoring function. This central monitoring function performs processing for monitoring and controlling the energy management system (EMS) and enables the obtained information to be provided to external devices. The central monitoring function unit processes information such as power consumption in real time based on the information collected by each wireless sensor device 30, visualizes it statistically, and outputs it as displayable information. In other words, the energy management system (EMS) monitoring and control system is built into the application edge device 62.

As shown in Figure 3, in the application edge device 62, the information sent from the micro edge device 60 is read into database creation software (S (step) 11), and a database is automatically created (S12). Furthermore, a productivity tool is used to set individual recognition data (parameter settings, etc.).

The productivity tool was developed as one of the application software programs used in the building management system 10 of this embodiment. The productivity tool will be described later. Various common software programs can be used for creating databases.

As shown in Figure 4, the created database records various attributes (including properties) of the collected data. Recorded attributes include information such as IP address, building name, floor, area, management item, information type, information acquisition date, and information acquisition time. In addition, in the case of sensor information, information such as the detected values of each sensor (detection value information) and on/off information is also included.

Conventionally, setting data registration into intelligent sensors and micro edge devices 60 required manual entry of each piece of data. This type of work not only required a lot of time and effort, but also required an understanding of the data's characteristics and mechanisms. With the building management system 10 of this embodiment, a database is created automatically, making it possible to register data without manual work or the need for understanding mechanisms.

Furthermore, the application edge device 62 can use the central monitoring function unit to output information for statistically visualizing and displaying information such as temperature, humidity, and power consumption collected from each piece of equipment in real time based on databased information. The output information is displayed on a display device or mobile information terminal connected to the building manager's PC (personal computer) via an Internet line (public wireless communication line and public wired communication line) 68. A connection to the central monitoring application software is made via a browser installed on the building manager's PC or mobile information terminal.

The aforementioned EMS (Energy Management System) visualizes information. In other words, the information collected from sensors and various devices such as lighting, air conditioning, sanitation, and energy does not create value if it simply exists. Value is created only when this data (information) is classified by type, only the necessary parts and times are compiled, statistically processed, and then displayed on a screen.

The EMS in the building management system 10 of this embodiment is configured to allow electricity usage to be viewed in a variety of graphs. Of course, it is also possible to view the amount of electricity used for each of the various pieces of equipment being used.

Generally, 65% of the energy consumed in a building is air conditioning and lighting. If air conditioning and lighting, which are left on all the time, could be controlled based on the surrounding environment, such as outside temperature and sunlight, and the presence or absence of people in the room, significant energy savings could be achieved.

Analyzing power usage also requires analyzing multiple factors, such as equipment operating status, temperature, and outside air temperature. The building management system 10 in this embodiment is capable of displaying trend data for energy management. Trend data can capture large amounts of data in increments of as little as one second, making it ideal for energy analysis.

Using such an EMS, it is possible to analyze energy usage by energy type and energy over time. Furthermore, it is possible to select equipment and perform settings and display status in real time.

The aforementioned productivity tool automatically collects information from sensors, switches, and other equipment installed on the same network and stores it in a database (Figure 4). Each piece of setting information can then be efficiently registered in the created database.

Previously, in order to collect information from each device and sensor in a building, such as lighting fixtures, air conditioning, and sanitary equipment, and to display and control current usage status, it was necessary to configure each and every device and its functions individually.

For example, not only in huge buildings with hundreds of thousands of contact points (monitoring points), but even for just a few hundred points, the settings had to be configured one by one by hand, which took a huge amount of time. Furthermore, status management to check the current status of that information also required a lot of effort.

The building management system 10 of this embodiment uses the productivity tools described above to solve these problems. By using the productivity tools, tasks that previously took tens of days just to set up can now be completed in a matter of minutes. What's more, the data to be registered can be set up by downloading it from a remote location. The productivity tools not only greatly simplify construction work, but also significantly reduce construction costs.

<Level 3: Integrated Controller (Integrated Edge Device)>
Many application-specific systems (application-specific systems) are installed within a building, such as air conditioning, electricity, sanitation, and central monitoring. The integrated controller (integrated edge device 64) in the building management system 10 of this embodiment integrates these application-specific systems and sequentially transmits the received information to higher-level systems via an Internet line (public wireless communication line and public wired communication line) 68. A LAN (local area network, internal network) is also used as appropriate for transmitting information.

In the building management system 10 of this embodiment, the hardware and software of the integrated controller (integrated edge device 64) are configured so that a single unit has the processing power to manage a building with a floor area of 100,000 square meters. 100,000 square meters is 10 hectares, equivalent to a 316m x 316m floor, or a 40-story building with each floor measuring 50m x 50m. In this way, a single integrated controller (integrated edge device 64) can manage a considerable scale of building.

<Level 4: Enterprise Edge Server>
In the building management system 10 of this embodiment, a hierarchy of enterprise edge servers 66 (level 4) is constructed above micro edge devices 60 (level 1), application edge devices 62 (level 2), and integrated edge devices 64 (level 3). All of these devices and servers are configured using computer equipment, but the main differences between them are their performance as computer equipment (processing capacity, processing speed, etc.) and the way in which memory areas are used.

Conventionally, there were significant restrictions on the number of monitoring points, but the enterprise edge server 66 in the building management system 10 of this embodiment can use unused slots and increase the number of CPUs to address insufficient performance as the size or number of buildings under management increases. Performance can also be improved by replacing the board with one equipped with a CPU with higher processing power.

Furthermore, the enterprise edge server 66 uses computer equipment capable of configuring a VM (Virtual Machine). By configuring a VM, it is possible to multiplex (in this case, duplicate) the management system.

VMs are isolated from the rest of the system and are built to coexist on the same hardware. VMs allow multiple different operating systems (OS) to run simultaneously on a single computer device.

For example, when upgrading a building management system, it may be necessary to continue using an old operating system (OS) such as Windows NT (registered trademark) or XP, which is no longer being introduced in recent years, even after the upgrade.

In conventional building management systems, the monitoring server relies on the OS, so if a higher-level device is changed, all lower-level devices must also be changed to match the higher-level device. As a result, even if you try to update the system while maintaining at least some of the lower-level devices, you are still dragged down by the old system and have to keep the old OS.

In the building management system 10 of this embodiment, the enterprise edge server 66 can be configured as a virtual server. Therefore, when a new enterprise edge server 66 is installed, it is possible to run a variety of operating systems in parallel on the enterprise edge server 66. For example, it is possible to run Linux (registered trademark) and Windows NT (registered trademark) in parallel.

As a result, when upgrading a building management system, it is possible to leave the lower-level equipment in place and replace only the upper-level equipment with new equipment. What's more, it is possible to build systems that support multiple operating systems. This concept itself represents a new approach that differs from conventional methods. And because the old OS can be left in the VM, replacing server equipment when upgrading the system is much easier than before.

The benefits of using the Enterprise Edge Server 66 are significant. Not only does it reduce the size of the equipment that makes it possible, but it also makes it easier to carry out repairs that occur every specified period of time (approximately every seven years).

Previously, repairing a large-scale system required a full day to back up, save, and reload the system. Furthermore, because the work had to be done for each server, the entire repair process took several days.

In the building management system 10 of this embodiment, this problem is solved by using an enterprise edge server 66, making it possible to perform equipment modifications (replacement, addition, etc.) using hot swapping (with the power on) without shutting down the system. To enable equipment modifications using hot swapping, the enterprise edge server 66 can be configured in a duplicated configuration for redundancy. In this case, one enterprise edge server 66 is operated while the other enterprise edge server 66 is modified.

<Function of edge devices>
<<Distributed System>>
One of the major features of the building management system 10 according to this embodiment is that it allows for easy expansion of the number of monitoring points by appropriately combining wireless communication and internet communication. Conventional building management systems have a limit on the number of monitoring points, ranging from a few thousand to tens of thousands at most. When attempting to advance intelligent building management or multi-building management that manages multiple buildings, management capacity easily reaches its limits. With conventional building management systems, when introducing a system that exceeds the limit on the number of monitoring points, it is necessary to create a special program and bridge multiple servers.

In the building management system 10 of this embodiment, the enterprise edge server 66 constitutes a virtual server, making it easy to increase processing power by adding more CPUs. This makes it possible to build a huge building management system by utilizing hard disks (storage means), which are considered an infinite resource.

Another major feature of the building management system 10 is that it is a distributed system. For example, one server can be split into two. Although the servers are split, it is not necessary to collect all data in one place; the data is distributed and can be retrieved as needed (collected on demand). In other words, there is no need to connect all servers.

By performing the necessary operations when necessary, it is possible to collect the necessary data from multiple servers. In the building management system 10 of this embodiment, for example, if a command such as "I only want data A, data B, and data C" is entered into a PC or mobile information terminal, the necessary data will be output. The building management system 10 of this embodiment operates as if it were being processed by a single computer.

Most conventional building management systems are client-server type and are unable to operate in this way. Conventional building management systems cannot be distributed and have had to be large systems. One of the features of the building management system 10 of this embodiment is that it has been designed to overcome this limitation.

<<Utilizing Edge Servers>>
Conventional building management systems aggregate data in a single server and manage it centrally. This makes the system itself large. However, the building management system 10 of this embodiment decentralizes the system by using edge servers. Although the system is decentralized, data can be viewed on demand by entering a command such as "I want to view specific data from the micro edge device 60."

<<Unified Data Format>>
Another feature of the building management system 10 of this embodiment is that all information management is performed in a unified format. As described above, data is automatically collected in a unified format by using the wireless sensor devices 30. Furthermore, this format is common to all four types of edge devices (the micro edge device 60, the application edge device 62, the integrated edge device 64, and the enterprise edge server 66) mentioned above.

The data format structure handled by the micro edge device 60 (level 1) is the same as that of the higher-level application edge device 62 (level 2), integrated edge device 64 (level 3), and enterprise edge server 66 (level 4). This allows higher-level edge devices to inherit data from higher-level edge devices.

In this way, data in a unified format is created and utilized for a variety of management items (various applications such as air conditioning, electricity, sanitation, central monitoring, etc.). By utilizing data in a unified format, it becomes possible to build an entirely integrated building management system 10, just as if combining toy blocks with a common connection structure to create the desired structure.

<Utilizing the cloud>
<<Remote monitoring>>
The building management system 10 of this embodiment utilizes the cloud. This allows building supervisors and general users to receive building management services using public communication networks without having to have their own servers or storage devices. One of the reasons for using the cloud in this way is to enable remote monitoring.

However, if digitized data from multiple lower-level devices is uploaded directly to a higher-level device, the amount of communication traffic on the higher-level device receiving the data could increase, potentially resulting in a decrease in data processing speed.

The inventors' knowledge is that when using the cloud for building management, of the data collected from the site (the end of the building management system 10) using sensors and switches, the data that should actually be uploaded to the cloud is actually a few percent (for example, around 3%) of the total collected data. This few percent could be, for example, EMS (energy management system), energy data, or FMS (facility management system). Adequate building management can be achieved simply by collecting this data, for example, once every 30 minutes or once an hour.

The data required for building management is static data, rather than data that changes dynamically from moment to moment. For building management, simply collecting and accumulating static data at regular intervals is sufficient. For this reason, as will be described later, building management is carried out using a combination of on-premise data collection and cloud data collection.

<<On-premise/Cloud>>
Cloud services are currently the mainstream of information processing services. When it comes to cloud services, it is often thought that simply collecting large amounts of data and accumulating big data is sufficient, but when applied to building management systems, it has been difficult to build an effective building management system even if a huge amount of data is actually collected.

One of the reasons why it was difficult to build an effective building management system was that it was difficult to know how to handle the information that had been collected, and in some cases, more than 90% of the data that had been collected did not even need to be used.

Even if 100% of the data collected on-site (at the end of the building management system 10) is uploaded to the cloud, more than 90% of that data will not be used unless some kind of problem occurs.

Uploading data to the cloud incurs communication costs, CPU usage fees, and requires storage space (also known as "usage space") to store the information uploaded to the cloud. If storage space large enough to store all generated data were to be secured, the size of the storage space would likely exceed the gigabyte or terabyte mark, reaching petabytes or more. Furthermore, the storage capacity of the cloud is enormous, and naturally, maintaining and managing the cloud requires enormous costs.

The building management system 10 of this embodiment therefore makes it possible to build an effective building management system by utilizing edge devices (systems that perform preprocessing on-site) and appropriately using on-premise data processing and cloud services.

In the building management system 10 of this embodiment, instead of uploading all data to the cloud, selected data is uploaded to the cloud. Under normal circumstances, only static data is selectively uploaded, and only when a specific condition is met (for example, when an alarm is issued) is other data (for example, historical data) used from the on-premise data.

By doing this, for example, when an alert is issued, it is possible to execute a processing program to investigate the cause by referencing on-premise data from the time period when the event that caused the alert occurred. This also reduces communication volume and storage space, and improves communication and response speeds.

<<Technology Integration>>
The building management system 10 of this embodiment is equipped with various devices and tools (application software) to utilize collected data in the cloud or on-premise. These devices and tools do not exist individually but work together. These devices and tools are essential for maximizing system performance.

<Central monitoring function>
<<Achieving diverse visualization through the fusion of IT and OT>>
The main purpose of a building management system is to centrally monitor and control the status of devices installed in a building. Conventionally, such overall management has been difficult. However, the building management system 10 of this embodiment combines various techniques to achieve overall management. For example, the total amount of power consumed over a specified period (designated period) and the total amount consumed by each device are visualized. This makes it possible to check when, where, which device is using how much power, and so on.

<<Visualization of lighting, temperature, humidity, etc.>>
In the building management system 10 of this embodiment, with regard to lighting, it is possible to display on the screen in a specific manner not only the lighting status, but also the on/off status and dimming control status, etc. With regard to the indoor environment, it is possible to display on the screen in a specific manner (such as a heat map), the indoor CO2 concentration, temperature, humidity, etc.

<<Visualization of the environment - trend graph>>
In the building management system 10 of this embodiment, the temperature, humidity, illuminance, etc. can also be displayed on the screen as trend graphs.

<<Usage status and linked applications>>
In the building management system 10 of this embodiment, it is possible to display schedules, operation history, forms, earthquake warning systems, cloud applications, and the like on the screen.

<Remote monitoring function>
<<Cloud monitoring system that enables multi-building management>>
In the building management system 10 of this embodiment, various types of equipment related to air conditioning, lighting, sanitation, alarms, and energy in a building can be monitored and controlled via a mobile information terminal such as a smartphone or tablet. Furthermore, monitoring and control can be performed via a mobile information terminal from a remote location away from the building.

Mobile information terminals can connect to and use building management application software via an installed browser. An easy-to-use, responsive management screen is provided via the mobile information terminal's browser.

As mentioned above, only static data is stored in the cloud, while less frequently used dynamic data is stored on edge devices. This means that the cloud uses less space, reducing costs and improving response.

<<Realizing CBM>>
In multi-building management, where multiple buildings are managed, it is important to know which building is experiencing a failure (abnormality). Conventionally, continuous monitoring has been performed to constantly check for abnormalities. In contrast, the building management system 10 of this embodiment implements "preventive maintenance" (CBM: Condition Based Maintenance), which periodically collects data and takes action only when an abnormality occurs.

If an abnormality is detected based on the data collected periodically, an alarm will be sent to the mobile information terminal. Furthermore, by specifying the building where the alarm occurred and drilling down, it is possible to grasp the situation in more detail, even from a remote location. When drilling down, data linked to the attributes of the building where the alarm occurred is selected, and various pre-defined analyses are performed.

<Smart Palm (trademark registration pending) that enables monitoring and control from the palm of your hand>
The building management system 10 of this embodiment utilizes the latest technology to realize an intelligent tool for controlling lighting and air conditioning that is suitable for the new era. Smart Palm (trademark registration pending), which is provided to building managers and general users via a browser, realizes remote control (remote operation) for both lighting and air conditioning on a mobile information terminal, making it possible to control and monitor lighting and air conditioning in an office. Smart Palm (trademark registration pending) is a tool that provides operability as if the palm of your hand were a switch.
<<Remote monitoring across networks possible>>
In the building management system 10 of this embodiment, by using a mobile information terminal such as a smartphone or tablet, it is possible to control the building management system from anywhere, without being bound by restrictions such as location or time.

<<Lighting and air conditioning control>>
In the building management system 10 of this embodiment, air conditioning, lighting, etc. can be directly controlled using a mobile information terminal. Therefore, for example, to change the temperature of the office lighting or air conditioning, it is no longer necessary for an office employee to go to a wall switch.

For example, when it comes to lighting, the system has been built so that all lights on a floor can be turned on/off all at once or in groups. The system has also been built so that dimming, which increases or decreases brightness, can be controlled from the comfort of your own hand.

Smart Palm (trademark registration pending), which is provided via a browser, has the ability to display electricity usage by floor, group, and lighting unit, for example. This means that you can check the amount of electricity usage within a given area via your mobile information terminal.

<<Settings and QR Code Generation>>
In the building management system 10 of this embodiment, once lighting and air conditioning groups have been set, they can be changed using a mobile information terminal. This eliminates the need to have an air conditioning contractor or system installer change the groups on a weekend when the tenants in the building are closed.

When performing such tasks, a QR code (registered trademark) is distributed to a predetermined group administrator in a group of general users for setting management, for example, to control lighting and air conditioning. The QR code (registered trademark) is then distributed by the group administrator to other group members. The group is made up of a predetermined range of general users (which may include building managers and other managers) for whom settings are permitted. The range of lighting for which settings are permitted is determined using the lighting design tool described below.

The distributed QR code (registered trademark) is displayed on a display device or mobile information terminal connected to the group member's PC. The QR code (registered trademark) is read by the camera on another group member's mobile information terminal, and a URL or other information is displayed. The URL or other information is linked to a settings change site for the corresponding application edge device 62.

When a group member selects a URL, etc., a settings change site for the corresponding application edge device 62 is displayed on the group member's mobile information terminal. On the settings change site, the group member operates the settings of the facility device whose settings they want to change.

This allows general users to change lighting and air conditioning groups via a browser without having to install application software for changing settings.

<<Multiple projects can be set up>>
Settings made via a mobile information terminal can be saved as a project. Multiple projects can be saved. This makes it possible, for example, to change settings for different time periods, or to change lighting or air conditioning groups between weekdays and weekends. This eliminates the need to install new switches or control panels on the wall to change groups. It also eliminates the need to connect wiring to the switches or control panels and run it inside the wall or under the floor. Furthermore, users can change settings in-house without having to hire a contractor.

<<Lighting design tool>>
When installing lighting fixtures, important considerations include how many devices should be installed on each floor and how to group the installed lights with the switches that turn the power on and off. If the design is overly detailed, the control will become complicated and many control mechanisms will be required. Conversely, if the design is overly coarse, waste will occur, for example, with lights being turned on in places where no one is present.

For this reason, a lighting design tool has been developed as one of the application software components of the building management system 10 of this embodiment. The lighting design tool allows, for example, a building supervisor to connect to the application edge device 62 (level 2) and perform design operations within the displayed lighting design tool site.

<Inventions that can be extracted from the embodiments>
From the embodiments described above, the following inventions can be extracted.
(1) Multiple types of facility equipment (air conditioners, lighting equipment, doors, sensors such as wireless sensor devices 30, switches, other electrical equipment, etc.) classified into multiple management items (air conditioning, lighting, sanitation, alarms, energy, etc.),
a sensor device (such as a wireless sensor device 30) capable of detecting multiple types of detection items (such as temperature, humidity, illuminance, acceleration, and contact);
The system includes at least a first tier device and a second tier device among a first tier device (such as a micro edge device 60), a second tier device (such as an application edge device 62), a third tier device (such as an integrated edge device 64), and a fourth tier device (such as an enterprise edge server 66), which are in ascending order of tiers;
It is possible to define multiple item systems (such as an air conditioning-related system 12, a lighting and outlet system 14, a sanitary and plumbing system 16, a status and alarm system 18, and an energy system 20) with at least one of the management items as one item system,
A building management system, wherein the plurality of item systems include at least an air conditioning system, a lighting system, an alarm system, and an energy system,
A plurality of the sensor devices are provided,
A plurality of the sensor devices
outputting digital information to the first tier device according to at least one wireless communication standard;
A building management system that comprises a group of sensor devices spanning multiple item systems.
(2) The first tier device is
Able to convert digital information of a plurality of wireless communication standards (e.g., convert to IP),
converting the digital information from the sensor device group from the wireless communication standard adopted by the sensor devices into digital information of a common communication standard (such as IP) that is a common communication standard, and transmitting the digital information by wireless communication;
The second tier device,
receiving digital information of the common communication standard from the first layer device;
The building management system according to (1) above, wherein information collected from a plurality of the sensor devices is compiled into a database based on digital information collected from the plurality of the sensor devices.
(3) When the second tier device is not provided with the third tier device,
When a request for a specific management item (such as air conditioning) is made from a user's terminal device (such as the mobile information terminal 22 or 24) via a public wireless communication line (such as the Internet line 68), the system selects pre-processing information (such as the air conditioning temperature and room humidity information) necessary for responding to the user from the databased information,
The building management system described in (2) above provides provided information (such as an air conditioning temperature setting screen that allows the air conditioning temperature to be set by operating a mobile information terminal 22, 24) which is information about the specific management item based on the pre-processing information to the user's terminal device via the public wireless communication line using the common communication standard.
(4) When a plurality of second-tier devices are provided, one third-tier device is provided for each of the plurality of second-tier devices;
When the fourth tier device is not provided, the third tier device
When a request for a specific management item (such as air conditioning) is made from a user's terminal device (such as the mobile information terminal 22 or 24) via a public wireless communication line (such as the Internet line 68), the second layer device is requested to select and send pre-processing information (such as the air conditioning temperature and room humidity information) necessary for responding to the user from the information stored in the database,
A building management system as described in (2) above, in which, based on the pre-processing information sent from the second hierarchical device via the public wireless communication line using the common communication standard, provided information (such as an air conditioning temperature setting screen that allows the air conditioning temperature to be set by operating a mobile information terminal 22, 24) which is information about the specific management item is provided to the user's terminal device via the public wireless communication line using the common communication standard.
(5) When a plurality of second-tier devices are provided, one third-tier device is provided for the plurality of second-tier devices,
When a plurality of third-tier devices are provided, the fourth-tier device is provided;
The fourth layer device is
When a request for a specific management item (such as air conditioning) is received from a user's terminal device (such as the mobile information terminal 22 or 24) via a public wireless communication line (such as the Internet line 68), the second-level device is requested via the third-level device to select and transmit pre-processing information (such as the air conditioning temperature and room humidity information) necessary for responding to the user from the databased information;
The third layer device is
relaying the unprocessed information transmitted from the second layer device via the public wireless communication line in accordance with the common communication standard to the fourth layer device;
The fourth layer device is
A building management system as described in (2) above, in which, based on the pre-processing information relayed by the third layer device, provided information (such as an air conditioning temperature setting screen that allows the air conditioning temperature to be set by operating a mobile information terminal 22, 24), which is information about the specific management item, is provided to the user's terminal device via the public wireless communication line using the common communication standard.
(6) A building management method carried out by the building management system described in (1) to (5) above.
(7) An invention in which the "building management system" in (1) to (5) above is replaced with a "building management device."

<Others>
It should be understood that those skilled in the art can make various changes, substitutions, and alterations thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

10: Building management system 12: Air conditioning-related system 14: Outlet system 16: Plumbing system 18: Alarm system 20: Energy system 22, 24: Portable information terminal 30: Wireless sensor device 60: Micro edge device 60A: Device group 62: Application edge device 64: Integrated edge device 66: Enterprise edge server

Claims (5)

Multiple types of equipment classified into multiple management items;
a sensor device capable of detecting a plurality of types of detection items;
The system includes at least a first tier device and a second tier device among a first tier device, a second tier device, a third tier device, and a fourth tier device, which are arranged in ascending order as higher tiers;
It is possible to define a plurality of item systems, with at least one of the management items being one item system,
A building management system, wherein the plurality of item systems include at least an air conditioning system, a lighting system, an alarm system, and an energy system,
A plurality of the sensor devices are provided,
A plurality of the sensor devices
capable of outputting digital information to the first layer device according to at least one wireless communication standard;
A sensor device group spanning a plurality of the item systems is configured ,
The facility equipment includes the sensor device,
The first layer device assigns an IP address for identification to the facility device,
The second hierarchical device creates a database of information transmitted from the first hierarchical device, including at least the IP address and the management item . The first tier device comprises at least
A digital information device capable of converting and processing digital information of a plurality of wireless communication standards,
converting the digital information from the group of sensor devices into digital information conforming to a common communication standard, which is a common communication standard, from the wireless communication standard adopted by the sensor devices, and transmitting the digital information by wireless communication;
The second tier device,
receiving digital information of the common communication standard from the first layer device;
The building management system according to claim 1 , wherein the information collected from the plurality of sensor devices is compiled into a database based on the digital information collected from the plurality of sensor devices. When the third tier device is not provided, the second tier device
When a request for a specific management item is received from a user's terminal device via at least a public wireless communication line, pre-processing information necessary for responding to the user is selected from the information stored in the database;
The building management system of claim 2, wherein based on the pre-processing information, provision information which is information about the specific management item is provided to the user's terminal device via the public wireless communication line using the common communication standard. When a plurality of second-tier devices are provided, one third-tier device is provided for the plurality of second-tier devices,
When the fourth tier device is not provided, the third tier device
When a request related to a specific management item is received from a user's terminal device at least via a public wireless communication line, the second layer device is requested to select and send pre-processing information necessary for responding to the user from the information stored in the database,
providing information that is information about the specific management item based on the pre-processing information sent from the second layer device via the public wireless communication line according to the common communication standard;
The building management system according to claim 2 , wherein the information is provided to the user's terminal device via the public wireless communication line in accordance with the common communication standard. When a plurality of second-tier devices are provided, one third-tier device is provided for the plurality of second-tier devices,
When a plurality of third-tier devices are provided, the fourth-tier device is provided;
The fourth layer device is
When a request related to a specific management item is received from a user's terminal device at least via a public wireless communication line, the second layer device is requested via the third layer device to select and transmit pre-processing information necessary for responding to the user;
The third layer device is
relaying the unprocessed information transmitted from the second layer device via at least the public wireless communication line in accordance with the common communication standard to the fourth layer device;
The fourth layer device is
A building management system as described in claim 2, wherein based on the pre-processing information relayed by the third layer device, provided information which is information about the specific management item is provided to the user's terminal device at least via the public wireless communication line using the common communication standard.