Patents Assigned to Johnson Controls Technology
  • Publication number: 20210191343
    Abstract: Systems and methods for training a surrogate model for predicting system states for a building management system based on generated data from a simulation model are disclosed herein. The simulation model is calibrated for a building of interest. The building of interest includes building equipment operable to control a variable state of the building. The simulated data of system states are generated using the calibrated simulation model. A surrogate model is trained based on the simulated data of system states from the calibrated simulation model. System state predictions are generated using the surrogate model. The surrogate model is re-trained based on updated operational data. An updated series of system state predictions is generated using the re-trained surrogate model.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 23, 2019
    Publication date: June 24, 2021
    Applicant: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventors: Young M. Lee, Zhanhong Jiang, Kirk Drees, Michael Risbeck
  • Publication number: 20210191353
    Abstract: A building automation system (BAS) with microservice architecture. The system includes a server platform configured to perform various operations within the building automation system. The server platform includes a microservices platform configured to execute various processes within the BAS. The microservices platform includes a plurality of nodes where each node is configured to run one or more services as separate processes. The microservices platform further includes a message bus configured to control communication between processes and an orchestration network configured to control communication between the plurality of nodes. The server platform further includes a common data model (CDM) shared between the plurality of nodes where the CDM consists of metadata of the BAS. The server platform further includes a container orchestration platform configured to manage and control the plurality of nodes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 9, 2021
    Publication date: June 24, 2021
    Applicant: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventors: Gregory B. Cebasek, Joshua A. Edler, Peter J. Hazelberg, Kunal Saini, Jonathan M. Schwabe, Matthew T. Trawicki, Michael G. Welch
  • Publication number: 20210191826
    Abstract: A method of software gateways of a building, the method including generating a ledger file including a description of a first software gateway, wherein the ledger file further includes first point assignments for the first software gateway and second point assignments for a second software gateway, wherein a first computing system implements the first software gateway and a second computing system implements the second software gateway and communicating the ledger file to the first software gateway and the second software gateway. The method further including managing, by the first software gateway, first points of the first point assignments based on the ledger file and managing, by the second software gateway, second points of the second point assignments based on the ledger file and determining, by the second software gateway, a status of the first software gateway based on the description of the first software gateway of the ledger file.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 18, 2020
    Publication date: June 24, 2021
    Applicant: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventors: Pravin J. Duraisingh, Sujith J. Ebenezer, Sankeeth K. Chinta, Sudhi R. Sinha
  • Publication number: 20210191342
    Abstract: Systems and methods for training a reinforcement learning (RL) model for HVAC control are disclosed herein. A calibrated simulation model is used to train a surrogate model of the HVAC system operating within a building. The surrogate model is used to generate simulated experience data for the HVAC system. The simulated experience data can be used to train a reinforcement learning (RL) model of the HVAC system. The RL model is used to control the HVAC system based on the current state of the system and the best predicted action to perform in the current state. The HVAC system generates real experience data based on the actual operation of the HVAC system within the building. The real experience data is used to retrain the surrogate model, and additional simulated experience data is generated using the surrogate model. The RL model can be retrained using the additional simulated experience data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 23, 2019
    Publication date: June 24, 2021
    Applicant: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventors: Young M. Lee, Zhanhong Jiang, Viswanath Ramamurti, Sugumar Murugesan, Kirk H. Drees, Michael James Risbeck
  • Publication number: 20210190364
    Abstract: Systems and methods for training a reinforcement learning (RL) model for HVAC control are disclosed herein. Simulated experience data for the HVAC system is generated or received. The simulated experience data is used to initially train the RL model for HVAC control. The HVAC system operates within a building using the RL model and generates real experience data. A determination may be made to retrain the RL model. The real experience data is used to retrain the RL model. In some embodiments, both the simulated and real experience data are used to retrain the RL model. Experience data may be sampled according to various sampling functions. The RL model may be retrained multiple times over time. The RL model may be retrained less frequently over time as more real experience data is used to train the RL model.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 23, 2019
    Publication date: June 24, 2021
    Applicant: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventors: Young M. Lee, Zhanhong Jiang, Viswanath Ramamurti, Sugumar Murugesan, Kirk H. Drees, Michael James Risbeck
  • Patent number: 11041652
    Abstract: A system including a valve positioned in a conduit, wherein the valve is configured to change fluid flow through the conduit. The system includes an actuator having a motor that is configured to selectively rotate the valve toward a desired valve orientation. The system is configured to receive a request for a desired valve orientation, control the motor to move the valve into the desired valve orientation, and sense a condition corresponding to a current valve orientation following movement by the motor. The system is configured to determine if the sensed condition indicates that the current valve orientation matches the desired valve orientation from the request, and, responsive to determining that the current valve orientation does not match the desired valve orientation from the request, control the motor to selectively rotate the valve in a direction to move the valve towards the desired valve orientation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2021
    Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventor: Russell T. Jenks
  • Patent number: 11042144
    Abstract: A system for managing communication between building management system (BMS) devices includes a memory and a controller. The memory includes instructions stored thereon. The controller is configured to execute the instructions to implement an agent manager, a zone manager, and a channel manager. The agent manager is configured to generate an agent for each of the BMS devices. The zone manager is configured to define at least one zone relating to a physical location zone or a building control zone. The channel manager is configured to generate a communication channel associated with the at least one zone. The channel manager is further configured to manage registration of an agent to the communication channel, wherein an agent is configured to communicate over a communication channel in response to being registered to the communication channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2021
    Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventors: Youngchoon Park, Vaidhyanathan Venkiteswaran, Sudhi R. Sinha, Karl F. Reichenberger
  • Patent number: 11042139
    Abstract: A Building Management System (BMS) includes a plurality of building subsystems and communications interface. The building subsystems include device(s) for controlling aspect(s) of the building subsystem. The communications interface receives commands from a cloud-based controller and a local client device. The commands from the cloud-based controller and local client device are structured to modify setting(s) for a device of the building subsystems. A BMS controller receives, via the communications interface from the cloud-based controller, a command for modifying a setting of a device for a first building subsystem. The BMS controller identifies a local setting of the device provided by the local client device. The BMS controller identifies a priority of the command from the cloud-based controller in relation to a priority of the local setting. The BMS controller controls the device based on the respective priorities.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2021
    Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventors: Sandeep Dinkar Deshpande, Kaustubh Devasthali, Prathamesh Sunil Yadav, Rajesh Nayak
  • Patent number: 11041647
    Abstract: A refrigerant leak management system includes a return inlet assembly and a purge exhaust outlet assembly. The system also includes a sensor configured to detect refrigerant proximate an air handling enclosure of a HVAC unit. The system further includes a controller configured to control the system to drive air from a conditioned interior space of a building into an external environment via the purge exhaust outlet assembly when the sensor detects the refrigerant proximate the air handling enclosure by: actuating the return inlet assembly to close the return inlet assembly, actuating the purge exhaust outlet assembly to open the purge exhaust outlet assembly, and activating a reversible supply fan of the HVAC unit in a reverse direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2021
    Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventor: Jamie Weinert
  • Patent number: 11041653
    Abstract: A method for managing failures in multiple nodes of a building management system includes selecting a second building management system node from the building management system nodes to perform a computing job to determine one or more values for the building management system. The method includes sending the computing job to the second building management system node for the second building management system node to determine the one or more values for the building management system, receiving progress messages from the second building management system node, wherein the progress messages indicate the status of the second building management system node for determining the one or more values, and selecting a third building management system node from the plurality of building management system nodes to perform the computing job in response to the progress messages indicating that the second node has failed to determine the one or more values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2021
    Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventor: Andrew J. Przybylski
  • Patent number: 11041651
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to an energy recovery system for a heating, ventilation, and/or air conditioning (HVAC) system. The energy recovery system includes a nozzle having a flow passage with an inlet passage and an outlet passage that is narrowed relative to the inlet passage, in which the nozzle is configured to couple to a condenser and receive an air flow into the flow passage from a condenser fan. The energy recovery system further includes a wind turbine disposed within the outlet passage of the flow passage and having a first axis of rotation, and a generator that is external to the nozzle and that includes a shaft with a second axis of rotation. The generator is coupled to the wind turbine, such that the first axis of rotation is aligned with the second axis of rotation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2021
    Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventor: Mahmoud S. E. ElSaadany
  • Patent number: 11042138
    Abstract: A processor is configured to receive an electronic item comprising an object signature and corresponding to a building infrastructure item, such as space, equipment, monitoring point, etc. The processor is configured to validate the object signature, including determining, based on the object signature, a data source associated with the building infrastructure item. For each of the plurality of data objects from the data source, where each data object corresponds to a particular installation of the building infrastructure item, the processor is configured to determine a signature suffix associated with a current version and/or current configuration of the particular installation. The processor is configured to generate a validated object signature, including appending the signature suffix to the object signature. The processor is configured to identify a target computing system and transmit the validated object signature to the target computing system (e.g.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2021
    Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventors: Abhigyan Chatterjee, Kaustubh Devasthali, Braja Majumdar, Rajesh C. Nayak, Fajil Sutar, Mukul Vashisth
  • Patent number: 11042171
    Abstract: A building management system is configured to modify an environmental condition of a building. The building management system includes a valve assembly, an actuator device, and a network sensor device. The actuator device includes a motor, a drive device driven by the motor and coupled to the valve assembly, and a controller coupled to the motor. The controller includes a microprocessor and a control application configured to enable closed loop control of the valve assembly. The network sensor device is communicably coupled to the actuator device and configured to measure an environmental property. The control application is configured to perform the closed loop control of the valve assembly based on an input control signal from a mobile device and the measured environmental property from the network sensor device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2021
    Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventors: Kirk H. Drees, Herbert J. Doll, Gerald A. Duenkel, Marcello Passoni, Russell T. Jenks, Duane S. Freimuth, Kyle M. Bero, Kevin A. Weiss, Abu Bakr Khan
  • Patent number: 11041648
    Abstract: A control system for a heating, ventilation, and/or air conditioning (HVAC) system includes control circuitry having a storage device and a microcontroller. The storage device is configured to store faults. The microcontroller is configured to monitor for a condition of the HVAC system associated with a fault, store a fault in the storage device when the condition is detected, identify whether a duration of time that the fault has been stored in the storage device exceeds a threshold time period, and clear the fault from the storage device when the duration exceeds the threshold time period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2021
    Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventors: Brian D. Rigg, Shaun B. Atchison
  • Patent number: 11041679
    Abstract: An energy recovery wheel includes a frame positioned within a passage of a heating, ventilation, and/or air conditioning (HVAC) system. The frame is configured to rotate about an axis of the passage relative to the HVAC system and includes an opening that is configured to transmit an air flow. The energy recovery wheel also includes a heat transfer element coupled to the frame and positioned within the opening, where the heat transfer element is permeable and configured to transition between a closed orientation to occlude the opening and direct the air flow across the heat transfer element and an open orientation to substantially unblock the opening and mitigate interaction between the air flow and the heat transfer element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2021
    Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventors: Sriram Ramanujam, Shashank B. Kadam, Karan Garg, Rammohan Sethuraj
  • Patent number: 11042924
    Abstract: A building management includes building equipment operable to affect a variable state or condition of a building and a controller. The controller is configured to identify one or more facility improvement measures (FIMS), each of the FIMS representing a potential upgrade or addition to the building equipment. The controller is further configured to perform a design of experiments analysis to determine a plurality of combinations of the FIMS, each combination including one or more of the FIMS and a level for each FIM in the combination. The controller is configured to generate an objective function based on the combinations of the FIMS. The objective function indicates an economic value as a function of the FIMS and optimize the objective function to determine an optimal combination of the FIMS.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2021
    Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventors: Matthew J. Asmus, Graeme Willmott
  • Publication number: 20210181703
    Abstract: A self-perturbing extremum-seeking controller for a plant that includes at least a static portion includes a processing circuit. The processing circuit is configured to obtain a value of a performance variable characterizing a performance of the plant. The processing circuit is configured to determine a sign of a gradient of the performance variable with respect to an input to the static portion of the plant. The processing circuit is configured to adjust a control input for the plant using the sign of the gradient, and provide the control input to the plant to affect the performance variable.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 11, 2019
    Publication date: June 17, 2021
    Applicant: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventors: Carlos Felipe Alcala Perez, Timothy I. Salsbury, John M. House
  • Publication number: 20210182228
    Abstract: A device for use in a building management system (BMS) includes a base hardware component that provides communication between the equipment and a first network associated with the BMS. The base hardware component includes a processor and a memory. The device further includes a modular hardware component connected to the base hardware component and a modular software component stored in the memory that recognizes the modular hardware component connected to the base hardware component and provides communication between the equipment and a second network using the modular hardware component. The processor executes a control application to control operation of the equipment based in part on data received from the equipment and data received from at least one of the first network and the second network.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 26, 2021
    Publication date: June 17, 2021
    Applicant: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventors: Sudhanshu Dixit, Hunter R. Hobgood, Dinesh Trikha, Ezra M. Imes
  • Publication number: 20210185074
    Abstract: A system and method for managing the security health of a network devices interconnected with each other in a service provided in an entity. The security health of the networked device is evaluated by determining a cyber risk score for the entity having a plurality of devices. A first set of data from individual network devices and a second set of data including risk data from an external data source are collected by a data collector. The collected data is normalized into a format which can be further correlated by a correlation engine. The correlating step enables to determine cyber risk scores for the individual network devices. The cyber risk score for the entity may further be determined by aggregating the individual cyber risk scores of the individual network devices. The risk scores are displayed by a web-based user interface which is enabled by an application programming interface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 29, 2020
    Publication date: June 17, 2021
    Applicant: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventors: William M. Fitzgerald, Miguel Morillo Iruela, Silviu G. Sosiade, Vincent P. Hamilton, Seán Phillips
  • Publication number: 20210180811
    Abstract: A method of controlling signal transmission in a building control system including measuring a number of signal values associated with an environmental variable using a sensor of a wireless device, dynamically determining, by the wireless device, a noise threshold based on the number of signal values, combining a first signal value and a second signal value of the number of signal values using a mathematical relationship to determine a result associated with the first signal value and the second signal value, and periodically transmitting the first signal value from the wireless measurement device to a controller in response to the result exceeding the noise threshold.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 12, 2019
    Publication date: June 17, 2021
    Applicant: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventors: Timothy I. Salsbury, John M. House, Carlos Felipe Alcala Perez