Building Analytic Device

Abstract

An information analytic system including an extraction unit that interacts with a multi-layered digital representation of a building and extracts digital representation of mechanical and electrical devices from the digital representation, a correlation unit that correlates each mechanical and electrical device to at least one other mechanical and electrical device that is in mechanical or electrical communication with the mechanical or electrical device, and a rule application unit that applies at least one rule to each mechanical and electrical device based on the correlations to other devices.

What is claimed: 
     
         1 . An information analytical system including:
 an extraction unit that interacts with a multi-layered digital representation of a building and extracts digital representations of mechanical and electrical devices from the digital representation;   a correlation unit that correlates each mechanical and electrical device to at least one other mechanical and electrical device that is in mechanical or electrical communication with the mechanical or electrical device; and   a rule application unit that applies at least one rule to each mechanical and electrical device based on the correlations to other devices.   
     
     
         2 . The information analytical system of  claim 1  wherein the extraction unit also extracts at least one digital representation of a room in the building. 
     
     
         3 . The information analytical system of  claim 2  wherein at least one mechanical device is a temperature sensor in a room. 
     
     
         4 . The information analytical system of  claim 1  including an interface unit that associates each mechanical and electrical device with an associated control device. 
     
     
         5 . The information analytical system of  claim 4  wherein the control device initiates at least one control strategy based on the rule applied. 
     
     
         6 . The information analytical system of  claim 1  wherein the correlation unit associates a cost with the application of the at least one rule. 
     
     
         7 . The information analytical system of  claim 1  wherein each of the at least one rule is categorized based on the type of correlation between the devices. 
     
     
         8 . The information analytical system of  claim 1  wherein the multi-layer digital representation of the building is a computer aided drafting file. 
     
     
         9 . The information analytical system of  claim 8  wherein the multi-layer digital representation of the building includes descriptions of each mechanical and electrical device. 
     
     
         10 . The information analytical system of  claim 1  wherein the wherein the multi-layer digital representation of the building includes correlations between each mechanical and electrical device and a space. 
     
     
         11 . A method of analyzing building related information via an information analytical system, the method including the steps of:
 extracting a digital representation of mechanical and electrical devices from the digital representation via an extraction unit that interacts with a multi-layered digital representation of a building;   correlating each mechanical and electrical device to at least one other mechanical and electrical device that is in mechanical or electrical communication with the mechanical or electrical device; and   applying at least one rule to each mechanical and electrical device based on the correlations to other devices.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , further including the step of extracting at least one digital representation of a room in the building. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein at least one mechanical device is a temperature sensor in a room. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , further including the step of associating each mechanical and electrical device with an associated control device. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , further including the step of initiating at least one control strategy based on the rule applied. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 11 , further including the step of associating a cost with the application of the at least one rule. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 11 , further including the step of categorizing each rule based on the type of correlation between the devices. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the multi-layer digital representation of the building is a computer aided drafting file. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the multi-layer digital representation of the building includes descriptions of each mechanical and electrical device. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the multi-layer digital representation of the building includes correlations between each mechanical and electrical device and a space.