FIELD

The present disclosure relates to controllers automatically controlling devices. More specifically, to controllers using a self-healing controller network to control devices.

BACKGROUND

Controlling buildings is a huge problem because the amount of computing power required to determine the best device usage is so large. In the past, buildings react to actions that have already happened—for example, a thermometer drops to a low level, which turns on a furnace. To optimize a building, one must look into the future, not just react to the past. However, buildings are complex systems with hundreds of sensors, and hundreds of devices that can be controlled, which leads to billions or even trillions of possible states that must be accounted for. Trying to run such complex programs in a cloud computing environment, even if it can be done, leads to serious bandwidth and latency issues.

SUMMARY

This summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the Detailed Description section. This summary does not identify required or essential features of the claimed subject matter.

In general, one innovative embodiment comprises using distributed building automation controllers to compute building operating behavior within a defined space. The defined space has a device, a sensor, and an operating characteristic. The operating characteristic may a single state, such as temperature, or may be a combination of states, such as what temperature a human would perceive—a comfort state. The device has a device characteristic, which is the state its is in (on/off/intermediate), a state that it can be in, etc. The sensor has data associated with it. The defined space has at least two controllers in it, one of which can control the device and accept data from the sensor. The first controller and the second controller are operationally able to run the computer program. The computer program can determine desired device behavior based on the desired defined space operating characteristic, the sensor data, and the device characteristic.

In an innovative embodiment, distributed defined space controllers compute defined space operating behavior. The distributed defined space controllers each have at least one processor coupled with memory-stored instructions, one of the distributed defined space controllers is designated as a master controller. The defined space also has a sensor and a device, the device coupled to one of the controllers. The sensor senses a sensor state value then passes that value to the master controller. The master controller determines which device in the defined space will modify the state of defined space to meet a desired state in the defined space. To do so, the master controller determines which device must be modified to modify the state. It then determines which controller directly controls the device, and passes the information on to the controller. The controller can then send instructions to the device so that it modifies state of the defined space.

The foregoing and other embodiments can each optionally include one or more of the following features, alone or in combination. Additional features and advantages will become apparent from the following detailed description of illustrated embodiments, which proceeds with reference to accompanying drawings.

