Smart building device discovery and control

A method of performing automated building control in a building comprising smart environment devices configured to sense and control a building environment, but where the smart environment devices operate using different protocols, the method comprising:

• transmitting messages in a plurality of different protocols across a communications network to each of a plurality of devices in a building;
• based on device responses received responsive to the transmission of the messages, identifying a protocol suitable for communicating with each of the plurality of devices and further identifying each of the plurality of devices as belonging to a device type category selected from a plurality of device type categories each being associated in memory with a specific desired maximum polling time, the specific desired maximum polling time representing a time interval in which it is desired to poll devices of the associated device type category at least once;
• identifying, based on the desired maximum polling time for each device of the plurality of devices, a target maximum polling time defining a time interval in which it is desired for all building devices in the plurality of devices to be polled at least once;
• for each device in the plurality of devices, sending a set of one or more queries to the device;
• for each device in the plurality of devices, receiving a set of one or more responses from the device according to the identified protocol suitable for communicating with the device;
• based on an error rate of the queries and the responses to each of the plurality of devices, determining a functional query frequency range for each device in the plurality of devices, the functional frequency range identifying a range of query frequencies at which queries can be made to each device such that each device functions in accordance with predetermined performance criteria, the functional query frequency range bounded by a maximum polling frequency above which the device ceases to function in accordance with the predetermined performance criteria;
• based on the target maximum polling time and the functional query frequency ranges, identifying a device polling scheme such that each device is polled at a frequency between a rate corresponding to the maximum polling time and the functional query range;
• and
• polling the devices in the plurality of devices according to the identified polling scheme.

A building control system comprising:

• a plurality of smart environment devices configured to sense and control a building environment, but where the smart environment devices operate using different protocols;
• and
• a polling management service, wherein the polling management service is configured to perform the following:
• transmitting messages in a plurality of different protocols across a communications network to each of a plurality of devices in a building;
• based on device responses received responsive to the transmission of the messages, identifying a protocol suitable for communicating with each of the plurality of devices and further identifying each of the plurality of devices as belonging to a device type category selected from a plurality of device type categories each being associated in memory with a specific desired maximum polling time, the specific desired maximum polling time representing a time interval in which it is desired to poll devices of the associated device type category at least once;
• identifying, based on the desired maximum polling time for each device of the plurality of devices, a target maximum polling time defining a time interval in which it is desired for all building devices in the plurality of devices to be polled at least once;
• for each device in the plurality of devices, sending a set of one or more queries to the device according to the identified protocol suitable for communicating with the device;
• for each device in the plurality of devices, receiving a set of one or more responses from the device;
• based on an error rate of the queries and the responses to each of the plurality of devices, determining a functional query frequency range for each device in the plurality of devices, the functional frequency range identifying a range of query frequencies at which queries can be made to each device such that each device functions in accordance with predetermined performance criteria, the functional query frequency range bounded by a maximum polling frequency above which the device ceases to function in accordance with the predetermined performance criteria;
• based on the target maximum polling time and the functional query frequency ranges, identifying a device polling scheme such that each device is polled at a frequency between a rate corresponding to the maximum polling tim and the functional query range;
• and
• polling the devices in the plurality of devices according to the identified polling scheme.