Abstract:
A mobile device with a graphical user interface for remotely monitoring and/or remotely interacting with a configurable building automation systems (BAS). In particular, the mobile device receives status data from the BAS, the graphical user interface displays the status data on the mobile device, and the graphical user interface allows a user to monitor any of the areas, including devices, associated with the BAS.

Description:
FIELD 
       [0001]    This disclosure generally relates to a mobile device with a graphical user interface for remotely monitoring and/or operating a building automation system. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    A Building automation system (BAS) is used to coordinate, manage, and automate control of diverse environmental, physical, and electrical building subsystems, particularly HVAC and climate control, but also including security, lighting, power, and the like. 
         [0003]    Hardwiring and programming of a BAS can create a robust fixed system customized for a particular installation. However, monitoring and maintenance of the BAS are still generally labor-intensive tasks that vary with each system implementation. In a common scenario, a user managing a building site must be at the location of the BAS and use a computer or other device hardwired to the BAS. If there is an issue with how the BAS is operating, the user managing the building site must physically be at the BAS to monitor the issue and to resolve the issue. If the user is not physically at the BAS location and receives notification that there is an issue with the 
         [0004]    BAS, generally, the user must physically go to the BAS location to monitor and to resolve the issue. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0005]    The embodiments described herein relate to a mobile device for interacting with a BAS remotely. Preferred embodiment relate to the mobile device for interacting with HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) related aspects of the BAS. 
         [0006]    The mobile device comprises a processor in communication with a memory, a network interface, and a touchscreen. The processor executes instructions for a graphical user interface (GUI) and displays the GUI on the touchscreen. The GUI a screen portion (or screen) and a navigation bar. The navigation bar includes a plurality of icons, each of the icons being associated with an interactive screen. When a user selects one of the icons of the navigation bar by touching the touchscreen, the selection is detected by the processor and the processor processes the associated interactive screen to be displayed in the screen of the GUI. 
         [0007]    The processor is configured to receive data in real time from the BAS via the network interface. Data received in real time includes status data of the BAS or any areas associated with the BAS. 
         [0008]    The term “area” describes, for example, but is not limited to, one or more of a component, a device, a unit, a system, a subsystem, a controller, a space, a building, a room, etc. The component may be the condenser or the evaporator, the unit may be a chiller, the system can be a HVAC system or circuit, the subsystem can be a control system for the HVAC system. The phrase “associated with a BAS” means something that is connected to, is a part of, is controlled by, is monitored by, and/or controls the BAS. 
         [0009]    Status data includes condition data of the area associated with the BAS. The condition data includes, but are not limited to, space temperature, space temperature setpoint, variance of space temp from setpoint, discharge air temperature, supply water or air temperature, space humidity, space power status, space light status, space airflow, and/or alarms for the space. Further, condition data includes equipment data, such as the operating information and setpoints for air handlers such as, but not limited to, duct static pressure, heating and cooling capacity, discharge air temperature and flow, and supply fan control, and for chillers such as, but not limited to, running mode, running capacity, evaporator leaving water temperature, chilled water setpoint, demand limit setpoints and active heating or cooling setpoints. Further, condition data includes system data, such as the operating information and setpoints for area systems such as, but not limited to, the same type of data as for spaces, economizing and humidity management, outdoor air conditions, optimal start conditions, night purge functions, and data about its space and equipment member participants; for chiller plant systems such as, but not limited to, chilled water data for sensors, request, return, pump, supply and cooling rate, chiller rotation schedule and priorities, and chiller operation shutdowns, lockouts, and delays, and data about its chiller equipment member participants; and for variable air systems such as, but not limited to, space temperature minimum and maximum settings, duct static optimization, ventilation optimization, calibration management, common space commands, and data about its space and air handler member participants. Further, condition data includes point data for user created points in the system such as their current value, their service state and values, the minimum and maximum values, and their alarm trigger conditions. Further, condition data includes override data for any of the above-mentioned controllable data including whether the setpoints can be overridden, are currently being overridden and at what priority level, and whether the override is permanent or will expire and at what time. Further, condition data includes schedule data including, but not limited to the schedule that is active to run at any time of any day, the normal schedule for any time and the exception schedules being applied for that time, and the transition values each time the schedule is expected to change, whether a schedule has optimization settings for start and stop times, and all the member equipment that is participating in the active schedule. 
         [0010]    The processor can determine whether the data received is associated with a listing of one or more preselected areas stored in the memory, and the GUI displays the listing of one or more preselected areas and the data associated with the one or more preselected areas in the interactive screen. 
         [0011]    In an embodiment, the GUI of the mobile device is configured to receive a user operation for adding a new area to the listing of one or more preselected areas by touching the touchscreen, wherein this user operation is communicated to the processor, and the new area is displayed in the screen, added to the listing of the preselected areas. 
         [0012]    In another embodiment, the mobile device includes a GUI configured to receive a user operation to add a type of data for one more preselected areas by touching the touchscreen. That is, the GUI allows a user to select a type of information, as data, of an area that is to be displayed in the GUI. Accordingly, the GUI can display multiple icons, wherein the icons are for the same area, but each icon displays a different type of data about the area. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0013]    Referring now to the drawings in which like reference numbers represent corresponding parts throughout. 
           [0014]      FIG. 1  is a cartoon diagram of a building automation system (BAS) connected to a mobile device according to one embodiment. 
           [0015]      FIG. 2  is a schematic diagram of a mobile device according to one embodiment. 
           [0016]      FIG. 3  is a graphical user interface diagram for a mobile device according to an embodiment. 
           [0017]      FIG. 4  is a graphical user interface diagram for a mobile device according to an embodiment. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0018]    The embodiments described herein are directed to a mobile device with a GUI for remotely monitoring and/or operating a building automation system. 
         [0019]      FIG. 1  shows a cartoon of a system  10  including an embodiment of a BAS  100  that includes a hardwired network  101  that uses a communication standard or protocol to link various subsystems, such as a system control unit  102   a,  a unit control device  102   b,    102   c,  and/or other devices  102   d,    102   e,    102   f,  and provide a system-wide user access and control from a computer  103  hardwired to the network. The BAS  100  is connected to the internet  105 , and includes a network security device  106 , such as a firewall, that secures and protects the BAS  100  from unwanted intrusion via the internet  105 . 
         [0020]    The embodiment includes a mobile device  110  connectable to the BAS  100  via the internet  105 , accessing the BAS  100  through the network security device  106 . The mobile device  110  can connect to the BAS  100  via a local wireless connection  112 . The local wireless connection  112  can be established behind the network security device  106 , so that the mobile device  110  can connect to one or more of the components or devices  102   a - f  of the BAS  100  without requiring the communication between the mobile device  110  and the BAS  100  to go through the network security device  106 . 
         [0021]    The mobile device  110  can connect to the BAS  100  via the internet  105  using cellular, 3G, 4G, or other wireless communication protocol. The mobile device  110  can connect to the BAS  100  via the local wireless connection  112  using WiFi, bluetooth, or other wireless communication protocol. The mobile device  110  can connect to the BAS  100  using a combination of the internet  105  and local wireless connection  112 . 
         [0022]      FIG. 2  shows an illustrated schematic diagram of an embodiment of a mobile device  110 . The mobile device  110  includes a processor  120  in communication with a network interface  122  and a touchscreen  124 . The touchscreen  124  is a combination display and a human-computer interface device. The touchscreen  124  displays images as instructed by the processor  120 . The touchscreen  124  can detect user input via touch or contact by a human finger or a stylus device, and sends the input to the processor  120 . A memory  126  is in communication with the processor  120 , and the memory  126  stores instructions for an operating system that is executed by the processor  120 . The memory  126  can also store instructions for a computer program that is executed by the processor  120 . The computer program includes a GUI for remote operation of a BAS  100 . 
         [0023]    Embodiments of the mobile device  110  include, but are not limited to, a smartphone, an iPhone, an iPad, an iPod, an Android phone, an Android tablet, a Windows phone, a Windows tablet, etc. Embodiments of the operating system include, but are not limited to, iOS, Android OS (e.g. Donut, Eclair, Gingerbread, Honeycomb, Ice Cream Sandwich, Jelly Bean, etc.), Windows, etc. Embodiments of the computer program include, but are not limited to, software for mobile device  110 s commonly called an “App” or “Mobile App,” a script written in a scripting language, etc. 
         [0024]    According to an embodiment, a GUI is displayed on the touchscreen  124  when the computer program instructions are executed by the processor  120 , the GUI displays information to a user and also provides various input points for the user to interact with the GUI so that the user is allowed to provide input, such as operational commands or data request, which is sent to the processor  120 . The processor  120  can then process the input according to the computer program instructions being executed and can communicate with the memory  126  and/or network interface  122  to provide data to be displayed on the touchscreen  124 . 
         [0025]    An embodiment of a computer program is stored on a computer readable medium, wherein the computer program includes computer readable instructions that can be executed by a processor  120  to display a GUI on a touchscreen  124  configured to provide data output on the touchscreen  124 , and at the same time, receive operational input for remotely monitoring and/or operating a BAS  100 . The data output provided can be in real time, as the data is received from the BAS  100  to the mobile device  110  via the network interface  122  of the mobile device  110 . 
         [0026]    Accordingly, a user of the mobile device  110  can be located almost anywhere and monitor and/or interact with the operation of the BAS  100 , as long as the mobile device  110  can wirelessly connect to the BAS  100 . Further, the mobile device  110  with the GUI displays multiple icons, wherein the icons show the area being monitored and the status of the data set by the user. This allows the user to quickly view multiple areas of the BAS  100  for monitoring multiple information of multiple devices and/or spaces in real time, as all of the data is sent from the BAS  100  to the mobile device  110  in real time. 
         [0027]      FIG. 3  shows an illustration of an embodiment of a mobile device  110  for remote operation and/or monitoring of a BAS. The mobile device  110  has a touchscreen  124  displaying a GUI  200  which includes a screen portion  202  (or screen) and a navigation bar portion (or navigation bar)  204 . The navigation bar  204  includes a plurality of icons  206   a,    206   b,    206   c,    206   d,    206   e,  wherein each of the icons  206   a - e  are associated with an interactive screen, so that when one of the icons is selected by touching the touchscreen  124 , the interactive screen associated with the selected icon is displayed in the screen  202  of the GUI  200 . For example,  FIG. 3  shows the icon  206   d  having been selected, and the interactive screen  207  that is associated with the icon  206   d  being displayed in the screen  202  of the GUI  200  on the touchscreen  124  of the mobile device  110 . 
         [0028]    It is to be understood that the term icon describes a computer generated graphic image that is used in the GUI for displaying information and/or for allowing a human to interact with the mobile device  110 . 
         [0029]    The screen  202  shows a list  300  of interactive icons  302   a,    302   b,    302   c,    302   d.  Each of the icons  302   a - d  is associated with an area that is associated with the BAS. Icon  302   a  is associated with a Cafeteria space of a building that is controlled by the BAS. The data that is being received from the BAS via the network device of the mobile device  110  and processed by the processor of the mobile device  110  to be displayed as a status display  304   a  in the screen  202  of the GUI  200  is a temperature setpoint for cooling the Cafeteria, shown to be set at 75.7° F. If this information is somehow changed, the status display  304   a  will show the change. Icon  302   b  is associated with a Classroom space of the building that is controlled by the BAS. The data that is being received from the BAS via the network device of the mobile device  110  and processed by the processor of the mobile device  110  to be displayed as a status display  304   b  in the screen  202  of the GUI  200  is a discharge air flow value, shown to be at 518.3 cfm. If this information is changed, the status display  304   b  will show the change. 
         [0030]    Icon  302   c  and Icon  302   d  are both associated with a Chiller equipment that is controlled by the BAS. Icon  302   c  shows a status display  304   c  as being an actual running capacity of the Chiller equipment. This is shown to be at 70.0%. If this information is changed, the status display  304   c  will show the change. On the other hand, Icon  302   d  shows a status display  304   d  as being an evaporator leaving water temperature of the Chiller equipment. This is shown to be at 44.7° F. If this information is changed, the status display  304   d  will show the change. 
         [0031]    The GUI of the mobile device  110  is configured to receive a user operation to add or delete an area to be monitored and a type of data to be monitored. The user operation is performed by selecting the EDIT icon  306 . 
         [0032]    The icons  302   a - d  are selectable via touching the touchscreen  124 . When one of the icons  302   a - d  is selected, the GUI  200  changes what is shown in the screen  202  to a status page associated with the selected icon. For example, selecting icon  302   a  will navigate to the Space Status page for Cafeteria, selecting icon  302   b  will navigate to a Space Status page for Classroom  101 , and selecting on icons  302   c,    302   d  will navigate to the Chiller Equipment Status page for Chiller 1. Thus, deeply nested information in the GUI that would generally require three or more “clicks” to access can be elevated using the GUI  200  so that the information can be accessed within two “clicks” of the GUI  200 . 
         [0033]      FIG. 4  shows an example of an interactive screen  400  displayed in the screen  202  of the GUI  200  for the mobile device  110  when the icon ( 302   b ) from  FIG. 3  is selected. The interactive screen  400  is an example of the Space Status page for Classroom  101 . 
         [0034]    Accordingly, the interactive screen  400  shows real time conditions  402  of Classroom  101  that is an area associated with the BAS. The real time conditions  402  are from real time data sent from the BAS, received by the network interface of the mobile device  110 , processed by the processor of the mobile device  110 , and displayed on the touchscreen  124  of the mobile device  110  within the GUI  200 . The receipt of alarm data  404  is displayed in the interactive screen  400 . 
         [0035]    Alarm data  404  includes data that reports to the mobile device  110  a particular condition of the BAS or the area that is associated with the BAS, such as, but is not limited to, one or more of a component, a device, a unit, a system, a subsystem, a controller, a space, a building, a room, etc. The component may be the condenser or the evaporator, the unit may be a chiller, the system can be a HVAC system or circuit, the subsystem can be a control system for the HVAC system. The alarm data can include undesirable conditions of an area of a building, such as the space being too warm or too cold. The alarm data can include variance of an area&#39;s temperature from a setpoint for the area&#39;s temperature that was previously set, for example, according to the BAS&#39;s operation schedule. The alarm data can include other types of data for sending a notification to the mobile device. 
         [0036]    Because the interactive screen  400  is one of the interactive screens accessible via the icon  206   c  for “Spaces,” i.e. Space Status interactive screens for areas associated with the BAS, the navigation bar  204  can show that the interactive screen  400  displayed in the screen  200  is associated with the icon  206   c  by highlighting the icon  206   c.  That is, the icon  206   c  is indicated visually to be different from the icons  206   a,    206   b,    206   d,    206   e  that are also displayed in the navigation bar  204  of the GUI  200  to stand out therefrom. 
         [0037]    With regard to the foregoing description, it is to be understood that changes may be made in detail, especially in matters of the construction materials employed and the shape, size and arrangement of the parts without departing from the scope of the present invention. It is intended that the specification and depicted embodiment to be considered exemplary only, with a true scope and spirit of the invention being indicated by the broad meaning of the claims.