Patent Description:
Building equipment systems are known to enhance the life and/or safety of occupants, and/or protect and preserve articles, in a building. In some applications, a multitude of building equipment systems may be generally managed by a building management system configured to monitor, locally report-out, and/or control the various equipment systems. Examples of such building equipment systems may include a ventilation and cooling (HVAC) system, an elevator system, a security system, various safety system (e.g., fire protection), lighting systems, and others. In some applications, such equipment systems may be pre-existing and decades old. Such pre-existing systems and other, may have limited electronic capabilities. For example, such systems may have limited, or non-existing, remote communication capability, self-monitoring and data archiving capability, remote control capability, diagnostic capability and/or other capabilities. Improvements in the ability to easily and cost effectively upgrade or enhance the capabilities of building equipment system(s) is desirable.

<CIT> discloses a method of establishing a wireless connection between a mobile device and a facility system device, and configuring the facility system device based on a user input. <CIT> discloses a dongle that connects to a vehicle's OBD port to enable wireless monitoring and control via mobile devices and cloud services. It transmits data like diagnostics, GPS, and lock status, and allows remote commands (e.g., unlock doors).

A method of using a dongle according to one aspect of the invention is provided as described by claim <NUM>.

Optionally, the sending of the parameter data is facilitated by Blue Tooth.

Optionally, the sending of the parameter data is facilitated by Wi-Fi.

Optionally, the sending of the parameter data is facilitated by global system for mobile (GSM).

Optionally, the building equipment system is an elevator system.

Optionally, the method includes sending a service command by a user of a mobile device, wirelessly receiving the service command by the dongle, and downloading the service command from the dongle to the processor.

Optionally, the service command is remotely sent through a cloud server.

Optionally, the service command is remotely sent through a mobile application.

Optionally, the dongle facilitates wireless connectivity between the building equipment system and a mobile device.

Optionally, the building equipment system is an elevator system and the remote communication enables uploading of data from the elevator system and to the mobile device.

Optionally, the data is an elevator floor map.

However, it should be understood that the following description and drawings are intended to be exemplary in nature and non-limiting.

Referring to <FIG>, an exemplary embodiment of a building management system <NUM> is integrated into, electronically communicates with, and/or may generally include building equipment <NUM>, managing local control circuitry <NUM>, remote (i.e., remotely located) control circuitry <NUM>, and a dongle <NUM>. The local and remote control circuitry <NUM>, <NUM> may each include respective processors <NUM>, <NUM>, respective storage mediums <NUM>, <NUM>, and respective user interfaces <NUM>, <NUM>. The building equipment <NUM> may include an elevator system <NUM>, a security system <NUM>, a safety system <NUM> (e.g., fire and/or smoke detection system), a HVAC system <NUM>, and others. Each system <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, may include respective control circuitry <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM> that may be local. The control circuitry <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM> may each include respective processors <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, and respective storage mediums <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>. The control circuitry <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM> may be computing devices. The storage mediums <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM> may be computer readable and writable, and may include hard disk drive storage, nonvolatile memory (e.g., flash memory or other electrically-programmable-read-only memory configured to form a solid state drive), volatile memory (e.g., static or dynamic random-access-memory), and others. The processors <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM> may be based on one or more microprocessors, microcontrollers, digital signal processors, baseband processors, power management units, audio codec chips, application specific integrated circuits, and others. It is understood and contemplated that any one or more of the control circuitry <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM> may perform part or all of the functions of the other control circuitry. Therefore, many different configurations of the control circuitry is plausible.

The building equipment <NUM>, the local control circuitry <NUM> and the dongle <NUM> may be generally located at, or inside, a building <NUM>. The managing, local, control circuitry <NUM> may communicate with the building equipment <NUM> over pathways (see arrow <NUM>) that may be hard wired or wireless. The remote control circuitry <NUM> is a part of a cloud remotely located from the building <NUM> and may communicate with the managing local control circuitry <NUM> and/or the equipment control circuitry <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM> over pathways (see arrow <NUM>) that may be hard wired or wireless. In one example, the remote control circuitry <NUM> may be located at a different building or facility.

In one embodiment, the processor <NUM> of the managing, local, control circuitry <NUM> may monitor and/or control higher functions of the various systems <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM> based on prescribed parameters and/or operating conditions of one system that may impact, influence, or assist desired operating conditions of another equipment system. The local control circuitry <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM> of the respective systems <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM> may monitor and control lower level operating functions such as monitoring specific parameters, processing the data, and accordingly controlling specific hardware of the particular system.

In another embodiment, the building equipment <NUM> may include just one system, such as the elevator system <NUM>. In this embodiment, the managing, local, control circuitry <NUM> may not be required, or may be part of the local control circuitry <NUM> of the elevator system <NUM>.

The processors <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM> may each include a universal serial bus (USB) port <NUM> adapted to receive respective dongles <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM> that may be smart dongles. Any one or more of the dongles <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM> may generally function as a retrofit device adapted to, for example, upgrade capabilities of the building equipment <NUM>. Referring to <FIG> and to simplify explanation, the dongles <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM> will be described with reference to the elevator dongle <NUM>. It is, however, understood that the remaining dongles may be similar. The dongle <NUM> may include a processor (e.g., microprocessor) <NUM>, a storage medium <NUM>, a transmitter <NUM>, and a receiver <NUM>. The transmitter <NUM> is configured to transmit wireless signals indicative of conditions of the elevator system <NUM>, wherein the elevator system may not otherwise have the ability to communicate. The receiver <NUM> is configured to receive signals from, for example, the remote control circuitry <NUM>. In one example, the dongle <NUM> may receive firmware from the remote control circuitry <NUM> intended for download to the control circuitry <NUM> of the elevator system <NUM>. In another example, the processor <NUM> of the dongle <NUM> may be configured to execute software stored in the storage medium <NUM> that facilitates the extraction of operating data from the control circuitry <NUM> of the elevator system <NUM> and storing the operating data in, for example, the storage medium <NUM> until it is retrieved by, for example, a serviceman via the remote control circuitry <NUM>. It is contemplated and understood that the dongle may include a Graphic Liquid Crystal Display (GLCD) and navigation keys. Also, the transmitter <NUM> and receiver <NUM> may be clubbed considering hardware design perspectives.

In yet another embodiment, any two or more of the dongles <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM> may execute internal software or may receive external commands causing the dongles to communicate with one another. Such communication may enable the sharing of data that may improve operating conditions of any of the systems <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>.

Referring to <FIG>, one embodiment of a building management system <NUM> is illustrated wherein the processor <NUM> and the storage medium <NUM> of the remote control circuitry <NUM> are part of a cloud <NUM> (i.e., cloud server) and the remote user interface <NUM> may be located in or part of a mobile service vehicle <NUM>. In one example, the user interface <NUM> may be a smart cellular telephone. The wireless signal <NUM> may be facilitated by any one of a Blue Tooth application, a Wi-Fi application, and a global system for mobile (GSM) application.

Referring to <FIG>, a method of operating the building management system <NUM> may include block <NUM> that entails connecting at least one dongle <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM> to a respective USB port <NUM> of the respective system <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM> of the building equipment <NUM>. At block <NUM>, utilizing the remote control circuitry <NUM> to communicate with at least one of the systems <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM> via the respective dongle <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>. At block <NUM>, software (e.g., firmware) may be downloaded from any one of the dongles <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM> to the respective processor <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>. At block <NUM>, data (e.g., operating parameter data) may be uploaded from any one of the systems <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM> and to the respective storage medium <NUM> of the respective dongle <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>.

Referring to <FIG>, another method of operating the building management system <NUM> may include block <NUM> that entails connecting at least one dongle <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM> to a respective USB port <NUM> of the respective systems <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM> of the building equipment <NUM>. At block <NUM>, utilizing the remote control circuitry <NUM> to communicate with at least one of the systems <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM> via the respective dongle <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>. At block <NUM>, software (e.g., firmware) may be downloaded from any one of the dongles <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM> to the respective processor <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>. At block <NUM>, parameters of at least one of the systems <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM> may be monitored, as enabled by the downloading of the software. At block <NUM>, parameter data associated with the monitoring of the parameter is sent to a cloud server <NUM> via a wireless transmitter <NUM> of the associated one of the dongles <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>. At block <NUM>, a command (e.g., service command) may be wirelessly sent by a user of the user interface <NUM> of the remote control circuitry <NUM>, which may be a mobile device. At block <NUM>, the associated dongle <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM> wirelessly receives the command via the receiver <NUM>. At block <NUM>, the command may be downloaded from the associated dongle <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM> and to the respective processor <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>.

Referring to <FIG>, another method of operating the building management system <NUM> may include block <NUM> that entails connecting at least one dongle <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM> to a respective USB port <NUM> of the respective systems <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM> of the building equipment <NUM>. At block <NUM>, utilizing the remote control circuitry <NUM> to communicate with at least one of the systems <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM> via the respective dongle <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>. At block <NUM>, the respective system <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM> sends data to the mobile device <NUM> via the respective dongle <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>.

In one example, the mobile device <NUM> may be carried by a service repairman. A dongle <NUM> may be plugged into the elevator system <NUM>. In operation, the mobile device <NUM> may communicate with the elevator dongle <NUM>. The dongle <NUM> may then send a command to the elevator equipment circuitry <NUM> (e.g., processor <NUM>) requesting the processor <NUM> to upload an elevator floor map to the dongle. The dongle <NUM> may then wirelessly transmit the data, relative to the elevator floor map, to the mobile device <NUM>. The repairman may be in the building to service any type of equipment, or provide any maintenance service, that may or may not be related to elevators.

Claim 1:
A method of using a dongle (<NUM>) comprising:
connecting the dongle (<NUM>) to a USB port (<NUM>) of a building equipment system (<NUM>);
remotely communicating (<NUM>) with the building equipment system via the dongle;
downloading (<NUM>) firmware from the dongle and to a processor (<NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>) of the building equipment;
monitoring (<NUM>) a parameter of the building equipment system enabled by the downloading of the firmware; and
sending (<NUM>) parameter data associated with the monitoring of the parameter to a cloud server (<NUM>) by a wireless transmitter (<NUM>) of the dongle.