DE102013003061A1 - Method for operating building automation system comprising multiple building automation objects, involves assigning one of multiple building automation objects to two building automation object groups of different types - Google Patents

Abstract

The method involves assigning one of the multiple building automation objects (10 to 14) to two building automation object groups (20,21) of different types, where different power management functions are assigned to the two building automation object groups. The building automation objects include a sensor object, an actuator object and a control object. A type of a building automation object group is a topological group, a functional group, an organizational group or a logical group. Independent claims are included for the following: (1) a computing unit for executing the method; and (2) a computer program stored in a machine-readable storage medium for executing the method.

Description

The present invention relates to a method for operating a building automation system comprising a plurality of building automation objects and a computing unit for carrying out the same.

State of the art

The present invention is concerned with building automation and in particular with possibilities for energy management. In the DE 10 2006 061 705 A1 is in this context as an example, a space heating or a room cooling in response to an outdoor temperature or sun protection measures, such as automatic blinds, whose operations are performed in response to sunlight. Also, monitoring of a closed state of doors and windows by means of door and window contacts and also a monitoring of the state of door and window locks is important for the automation of buildings. Thus, a room heating can be influenced by the closed state of a window. It makes sense in the sense of an economic handling of energy resources, for example to throttle the space heating in an open window or switch it off completely.

In buildings, the energy management can be specified purely controlled, d. H. there are z. B. the ability to turn off energy consumers or put in lower energy conditions. The controlled specification can take place in time, d. H. Timers (eg timers) can be used that control energy modes (eg switching to a night mode via a timer). In addition to this time specification, manual presetting of an energy status (eg switching to a holiday operation by hand) is also possible.

It is desirable to improve the operation of building automation systems.

Disclosure of the invention

According to the invention, a method for operating a building automation system comprising several building automation objects with the features of patent claim 1 is proposed. Advantageous embodiments are the subject of the dependent claims and the following description.

A building automation system usually has at least one building automation controller (eg PLC) with a plurality of building automation objects connected to it, for example via a bus, in particular sensor objects (eg for temperature, light, air humidity, etc.) and actuator objects (eg. As valves, motors, ...). Within the scope of the invention, at least one building automation object is assigned at the same time at least two building automation object groups of different types. The types preferably include topological groups (eg, room, sector, building, location), functional groups (eg, temperature, light, production facility), organizational groups (eg, company, department, cost center), and logical groups (eg assignment to a specific building automation control in distributed control concepts). The group assignment of the building automation objects can take place, for example, via user inputs (as part of an operating program on a computer, eg control panel or PC) or also via reading out information stored in the building automation object. This can be information stored during commissioning and / or during production ("electronic nameplate") of the building automation object. An electronic nameplate can be used in particular for assignment to a functional group. Information that allows automatic assignment to a topological group, organizational groups and / or logical groups can be entered in particular by the commissioning engineer in the object.

Advantages of the invention

The group assignment improves the operation of a building automation system by both operating modes and energy management functions can be assigned as needed to the individual building automation objects as well as the requirements (and thus misuse probabilities) to the operator through the group-dependent configuration and representation.

The assignment to at least two groups of different types advantageously also allows at least two different views or representations (in the context of the operating program on the arithmetic unit) to the building automation objects. For example, a heating element is assigned to a topological group "room" and an organizational group "department". This allows the representation in the view "topological group" and at the same time in a further view "organizational group" (eg for organizational accumulated consumption billing). Preferably, it is possible to switch between the views during operation. Preferably, the views are automatically generated in the user interface based on the group assignment. Further preferably, the operating program also offers the possibility that the operator himself defines views using one or more group assignments (cf.

Other types of views may include hybrids of various of the basic forms of views described above. In particular, this may include a hierarchy of different types of groups. For example, in an additionally defined view, a level with topological grouping in building floors, then a level with topological grouping in rooms and then a level with functional grouping in actor types can take place. This would then, for example, as in 2 Illustrated look. There the top three hierarchical levels consist of topological groups (building, floor, room) and the fourth of a functional group. Underneath, the objects are arranged.

Likewise, views comprising hybrid forms at least from topological and organizational groups are advantageous.

In particular, the hierarchy allows the energy management function of a hierarchically subordinate building automation object group to be assigned to a hierarchically subordinate building automation object group.

If an energy acquisition is assigned as the energy management function, group-dependent evaluations of the energy consumption are possible. For example, aggregation of the energy consumers may occur in a topological group as well as in an organizational group (eg energy consumption of a department that is distributed over several topological nodes). The already described hybrid forms are also advantageous here.

If an energy mode is assigned as the energy management function, flexible energy management methods become possible (specification of energy-saving states):
Preferably, for a group, a so-called "direct mode" specification can be made in which a specific energy mode is specified. This is particularly advantageous for reducing energy consumption in uninhabited periods, e.g. As by holidays, weekends or factory holidays by time / calendar function can be specified.

Further preferably, for a group also a so-called "Pause Time Mode" - "Pause Time Wakeup Mode" provision can be made, in which instead of an energy mode known framework conditions for interruptions (such as length of the break, minimum pause duration, allowable reactivation, etc .). The building automation system then automatically puts the objects of the group in question into an energy mode that fulfills the general conditions. For further details, see the post-published DE 10 2012 025 194.7 referenced, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein. This power mode default is especially beneficial for unplanned pauses.

Preferably, at least one building automation object group energy mode is defined, which serves as a kind of intersection of the energy modes of the building automation objects of the building automation object group. Usually, each building automation object supports individual power modes. A respective power mode is characterized, for example, by a required power in the energy mode, a time to reach the power mode, a required energy to reach the power mode, a minimum / maximum dwell time in the power mode, a time to exit the power mode, and / or a required energy to end the energy mode. In order to be able to specify an overall energy mode for all building automation objects of the building automation object group, at least one building automation object group energy mode is advantageously defined automatically by the arithmetic unit and / or a building automation control when defining the building automation object group.

The computing unit or the building automation control expediently first forms new virtual group energy modes from the different energy modes of all connected objects ("energy mode object i"). Each virtual group energy mode consists of one energy mode of each object, as shown in the following table, for example. It can also be provided that a group energy mode is not provided for all possible combinations of object energy modes. Example table: Group Power Mode 1 2 ... n Energy mode object 1 1 2 n - 1 Energy mode object 2 1 1 n + 1 ... ... Energy mode object n 1 2 n - 5

For further details, see the post-published DE 10 2012 025 228.5 referenced, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein.

Preferably, a power management function may include reducing power spikes. Power peaks can cause considerable additional costs (eg, costs for the maximum electrical connection value of a factory). Power peaks are caused, among other things, by the simultaneous operation of several large energy consumers as well as the switching on and off of large energy consumers. Therefore, a time sequence in which building automation objects of a building automation object group are switched on or off is preferably determined in order to avoid power peaks. Preferably, here framework conditions, such. Example, a time window for the production and / or a time window for a system startup taken into account.

Preferably, a power management function may include the communication of the building automation object group with the power generator in the sense of a so-called smart grid. As a result, building automation objects can be switched on at particularly cost-effective times, as far as possible. Preferably, here framework conditions, such. Example, a time window for the production and / or a time window for a system startup taken into account.

All mentioned conditions are preferably specified by user input (in the context of the operating program on the arithmetic unit).

An arithmetic unit according to the invention, for. As an operating device and / or a building automation control of a building automation system is, in particular programmatically, configured to perform a method according to the invention.

Also, the implementation of the invention in the form of software is advantageous because this allows very low cost, especially if an executing processing unit is still used for other tasks and therefore already exists. Suitable data carriers for the provision of the computer program are in particular floppy disks, hard disks, flash memories, EEPROMs, CD-ROMs, DVDs and the like. a. m. It is also possible to download a program via computer networks (Internet, intranet, etc.).

Further advantages and embodiments of the invention will become apparent from the description and the accompanying drawings.

It is understood that the features mentioned above and those yet to be explained below can be used not only in the particular combination indicated, but also in other combinations or in isolation, without departing from the scope of the present invention.

The invention is illustrated schematically by means of exemplary embodiments in the drawing and will be described in detail below with reference to the drawing.

figure description

1 schematically shows a preferred building automation system, as the invention may be based.

2 shows an exemplary view according to a preferred embodiment of the invention, in which a hierarchy of three topological and one functional group is included.

Detailed description of the drawing

In 1 is a preferred building automation system, as can be based on the invention, shown schematically and with 1 designated. The building automation system 1 has a PLC here 2 as a building automation control on which several building automation objects 10 . 11 . 12 . 13 . 14 over a bus 3 , eg a fieldbus (CAN, sercos) or installation bus (eg European Installation Bus EIB, Local Operating Network ION, Local Control Network LCN). In the building automation objects 10 . 11 . 12 . 13 . 14 , ... are sensor objects (eg for temperature, light, air humidity,) and actuator objects (eg light sources, switches, valves, motors, heaters, ...).

The building automation objects can also have one or more control objects, in particular intelligent preprocessing subsystems, such as eg. B. PLC, to which in turn sensors and / or actuators are connected or by which sensors or actuators are managed. Preferably, therefore, at least one sensor object and / or at least one actuator object are subordinated to a control object. The lower-level objects themselves are in each case assigned to one or more building automation object groups of different types. Such preprocessing subsystems may include a hybrid of sensors and actuators. The basics of subordinate intelligent subsystems, for example, also in the mentioned DE 10 2012 025 228.5 explained. These subsystems can then also contain several functional properties, for example, a lower-level PLC can manage both thermal consumers (heaters) and ventilation consumers and additional air flow meter, these can then be assigned to several building automation groups.

By bus 3 is an arithmetic unit 4 , here a PC with corresponding computer program, connected to the configuration, operation and monitoring of the building automation system 1 serves and is set up accordingly programmatically. In particular, the PC is used 4 as HMI (human machine interface) and shows a user interface 40 which receives input from an operator and outputs visual and / or audible output.

The operator is by means of the user interface 40 capable of visualizing the building automation objects visualized on the user interface 10 . 11 . 12 . 13 . 14 , ... to assign different (in particular any number) groups of different types. In 1 is shown that the building automation objects 10 . 11 and 12 a building automation object group 20 and the building automation objects 11 . 12 . 13 and 14 a building automation object group 21 assigned. For example, it is the building automation object group 20 around a topological group "floor 1" and at the building automation object group 21 to a logical group "Department A". It is only indicated for the sake of clarity that an object can be simultaneously assigned to several different groups of the same kind.

It is understood that further building automation object groups, not shown, can be defined, in particular one or more topological groups (eg all objects of a room, floor, etc.), functional groups (eg all objects of one type (e.g. Light)), organizational groups (eg all objects of a department, cost center) and logical groups. One or more building automation objects are simultaneously assigned to multiple building automation object groups.

The defined building automation object groups 20 . 21 , ... now in the context of the invention, different functions, as described above, be assigned, whereby a finely chiselled, needs-based control of the individual building automation objects is possible. In particular, the functions include energy mode presets and / or energy consumption captures, which can also be displayed and evaluated in a group-dependent manner. In the context of the invention, an equally finely chiseled representation of the building automation objects on the arithmetic unit 4 possible, with multiple views being available that are defined automatically and / or by the operator.

QUOTES INCLUDE IN THE DESCRIPTION

This list of the documents listed by the applicant has been generated automatically and is included solely for the better information of the reader. The list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA assumes no liability for any errors or omissions.

Cited patent literature

• DE 102006061705 A1 [0002]
• DE 102012025194 [0014]
• DE 102012025228 [0017, 0029]

Claims (17)

Method for operating a building automation system ( 100 ) comprising a plurality of building automation objects ( 10 . 11 . 12 . 13 . 14 ), wherein at least one ( 11 . 12 . 13 ) of the plurality of building automation objects at least two building automation object groups ( 20 . 21 ) of different types, wherein the at least two building automation object groups ( 20 . 21 ) are assigned different power management functions. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of building automation objects ( 10 . 11 . 12 . 13 . 14 ) comprise a sensor object, an actuator object and / or a control object. The method of claim 1 or 2, wherein said at least one ( 11 . 12 . 13 ) of the plurality of building automation objects is a control object to which at least two further building automation objects are subordinate. The method of claim 3, wherein the at least two further building automation objects each comprise at least two building automation object groups ( 20 . 21 ) are assigned to different types. Method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein a type of the building automation object group ( 20 . 21 ) is a topological group, a functional group, an organizational group and / or a logical group. Method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the at least two building automation object groups ( 20 . 21 ) are hierarchically arranged such that a hierarchically subordinate building automation object group is assigned the power management function of a hierarchically superior building automation object group. Method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the at least one ( 11 . 12 . 13 ) of the plurality of building automation objects based on information stored in the building automation object of at least one of the at least two building automation object groups ( 20 . 21 ). The method of claim 7, wherein the information is stored during start-up and / or during production of the building automation object. Method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the different power management functions comprise a power detection and / or a power mode setting. Method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein for the building automation objects ( 10 . 11 . 12 . 13 . 14 ) of at least one of the at least two building automation object groups ( 20 . 21 ) a building automation object group power mode is defined. Method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the different power management functions include a function for reducing power peaks and / or a function for communication of the building automation object group with a power generator. Method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein framework conditions for the different power management functions are given. Method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein for the at least two building automation object groups ( 20 . 21 ) creates a common view. Method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein for the at least two building automation object groups ( 20 . 21 ) each generates its own view. Arithmetic unit ( 2 . 4 ), which is adapted to perform a method according to any one of the preceding claims. Computer program with program code means which cause a computer unit to carry out a method according to one of claims 1 to 14 when executed on the computer, in particular according to claim 15. A machine-readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon according to claim 16.

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