# US 11,442,424 B2 · Building management system with dynamic channel communication > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,442,424 B2 - Document ID: US11442424B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/345,412 - Filed: 2021-06-11 - Published: 2021-09-30 - Granted: 2022-09-13 - Earliest claimed: 2017-03-24 - Assignees: Johnson Controls Tyco IP Holdings LLP - Applicants: Johnson Controls Tyco IP Holdings LLP - Inventors: Youngchoon Park; Vaidhyanathan Venkiteswaran; Sudhi R. Sinha; Karl F. Reichenberger - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11442424B2 ## CPC - G05B 19/052: {Linking several PLC's} - G05B 15/02: electric - G05B 19/0421: {Multiprocessor system} - H04L 12/2814: {Exchanging control software or macros for controlling appliance services in a home automation network (arrangements for maintenance or administration involving configuration of the network and network elements H04L41/08)} - H04L 2012/285: {Generic home appliances, e.g. refrigerators} - G05B: CONTROL OR REGULATING SYSTEMS IN GENERAL; FUNCTIONAL ELEMENTS OF SUCH SYSTEMS; MONITORING OR TESTING ARRANGEMENTS FOR SUCH SYSTEMS OR ELEMENTS (systems for controlling or regulating non-electric variables G05D; systems for regulating electric or magnetic variables G05F; control devices or systems insofar as characterised by mechanical features only G05G) - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) ## 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. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method comprising: generating, by a processing circuit, agents for a plurality of building devices; defining, by the processing circuit, at least one zone relating to a physical area of a building, the physical area of the building included within a second physical area of the building relating to a second zone; generating, by the processing circuit, a communication channel associated with the at least one zone and a second communication channel associated with the second zone, wherein the physical area is included within the second physical area; and managing, by the processing circuit, registration of one agent to the communication channel, wherein the one agent is configured to communicate over the communication channel in response to being registered to the communication channel, wherein messages of the communication channel are published in the second communication channel. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising publishing, by the processing circuit, the messages of the communication channel in the second communication channel based on a hierarchy, the hierarchy indicating that the physical area is included within the second physical area. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of building devices comprise at least one of a building sensor, an heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) device, a building controller, a lighting controller, or a security device. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the one agent communicates over the communication channel by at least one of publishing messages or receiving messages published by other agents on the communication channel. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4, further comprising storing, by the processing circuit, published messages of the communication channel in a database. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of building devices are provided in a physical space of the building, the physical space relating to at least one of a floor, a room, or partitioned area of the building. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, further comprising: defining, by the processing circuit, a building control zone associated with a control circuit, the control circuit relating to regulating operation of an HVAC device in response to data point values of a building sensor; and generating, by the processing circuit, the communication channel for the building control zone and register, to the communication channel, a sensor agent for the building sensor and an HVAC device agent for the HVAC device. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, wherein the sensor agent for the building sensor is configured to publish the data point values to the communication channel, wherein building controller agent for a building controller is configured to receive the data point values and to publish messages to the communication channel for controlling operation of the HVAC device based on the data point values, and wherein the HVAC device agent for the HVAC device is configured to receive the messages published from the communication channel. ### Claim 9 A building system comprising one or more memory devices having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to: generate agents for a plurality of building devices; define at least one zone relating to a physical area of a building, the physical area of the building included within a second physical area of the building relating to a second zone; generate a communication channel associated with the at least one zone and a second communication channel associated with the second zone, wherein the physical area is included within the second physical area; and manage registration of one agent to the communication channel, wherein the one agent is configured to communicate over the communication channel in response to being registered to the communication channel, wherein messages of the communication channel are published in the second communication channel. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The building system of claim 9, wherein the instructions cause the one or more processors to publishes the messages of the communication channel in the second communication channel based on a hierarchy, the hierarchy indicating that the physical area is included within the second physical area. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The system of claim 9, wherein the plurality of building devices comprise at least one of a building sensor, an heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) device, a building controller, a lighting controller, or a security device. ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) The system of claim 9, wherein the one agent communicates over the communication channel by at least one of publishing messages or receiving messages published by other agents on the communication channel. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The system of claim 12, wherein the instructions cause the one or more processors to store published messages of the communication channel in a database. ### Claim 14 (depends on 9) The system of claim 9, wherein the plurality of building devices are provided in a physical space of the building, the physical space relating to at least one of a floor, a room, or partitioned area of the building. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The system of claim 14, wherein the instructions cause the one or more processors to: define a building control zone associated with a control circuit, the control circuit relating to regulating operation of an HVAC device in response to data point values of a building sensor; and generate the communication channel for the building control zone and register, to the communication channel, a sensor agent for the building sensor and an HVAC device agent for the HVAC device. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The system of claim 15, wherein the sensor agent for the building sensor is configured to publish the data point values to the communication channel, wherein building controller agent for a building controller is configured to receive the data point values and to publish messages to the communication channel for controlling operation of the HVAC device based on the data point values, and wherein the HVAC device agent for the HVAC device is configured to receive the messages published from the communication channel. ### Claim 17 (depends on 9) The system of claim 9, wherein the instructions cause the one or more processors to: receive, from a computing device associated with a user, data relating to a physical location of the computing device and to generate a geolocation zone based on the physical location of the computing device; and generate a computing device agent for the computing device. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The system of claim 17, wherein the instructions cause the one or more processors to register the computing device agent corresponding to the computing device to the communication channel in response to determining at least a portion of the geolocation zone overlaps with at least a portion of the physical area of the building. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The system of claim 18, wherein the computing device agent corresponding to the computing device is configured to publish a message to the communication channel indicating a presence of the computing device within the physical location of the building. ### Claim 20 A building system comprising: one or more memory devices having instructions stored thereon; and one or more processors configured to execute the instructions causing the one or more processors to: generate agents for a plurality of building devices; define at least one zone relating to a physical area of a building, the physical area of the building included within a second physical area of the building relating to a second zone; generate a communication channel associated with the at least one zone and a second communication channel associated with the second zone, wherein the physical area is included within the second physical area; and manage registration of one agent to the communication channel, wherein the one agent is configured to communicate over the communication channel in response to being registered to the communication channel, wherein messages of the communication channel are published in the second communication channel.