Automated Point Mapping Generation

Abstract

Tools and techniques are described to automate creation of point mapping diagrams between controllers and controlled resources. After receiving a defined space diagram (which may be input using a graphical interface of the controller, or by other means), resource locations and resource wiring requirements (which may be done automatically), a wiring diagram including point mapping between the resources and any necessary controllers is generated. If resources need to be moved, a new wiring diagram and/or point mapping can be regenerated.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A computer-implemented method comprising:
 accepting a defined space representation into a controller, the controller comprising a processor, memory, and a user interface;   accepting a unit model from a list of predefined models displayed on the user interface, the unit model having wiring requirements and location within the defined space representation;   accepting a constraint;   calculating placement of the controller within the defined space representation based at least partially on the constraint;   determining a wiring route between the controller and the unit model based at least in part on the defined space representation; and   determining point mapping between the controller and the unit model based in part on the wiring requirements.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein accepting a constraint comprises accepting a constraint input by a user. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising displaying the point mapping on the user interface. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the unit model comprises a labeled unit attribute, and wherein the labeled unit attribute is capable of being displayed on the user interface. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising calculating number of controllers needed based at least partially on the constraint. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the constraint comprises minimizing labor, minimizing hardware, maximizing labor, maximizing hardware, or specifying fill rate of hardware. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 3 , further comprising a second controller and wherein the user interface is configured to allow a user to input a request to move the unit model to the second controller, and wherein the request rebuilds the wiring route and the point mapping. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the controller further comprises a wiring module with a terminal wiring requirement, the controller operationally able to allow a user to modify the terminal wiring requirement of the wiring module, producing a modified wiring requirement, and upon such action the controller is operationally able to check the modified wiring requirement to determine match between the modified wiring requirement and a wiring requirements of a resource to be connected to a terminal associated with the wiring module. 
     
     
         9 . A system which generates point mapping, the system comprising: a controller with a processor; a memory in operable communication with the processor; a user interface associated with the controller, a program residing in memory, the program allowing input of controller information and modification of controller terminals, including instructions residing in the memory, which are executable by the processor to perform a method which includes:
 accepting a defined space representation into the controller;
 accepting a unit model from a list of predefined models displayed on the user interface, the unit model having wiring requirements and location within the defined space representation; 
   
       accepting a constraint;
 calculating placement of the controller within the defined space representation based at least partially on the constraint; 
 determining a wiring route between the controller and the unit model based at least in part on the defined space representation; and 
 determining point mapping between the controller and the unit model based in part on the wiring requirements. 
 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the program residing in memory allowing modification of controller wiring terminals modifies a controller terminal. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the program residing in memory allowing modification of controller wiring terminals modifies a controller terminal based on user input. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11 , further comprising a second controller and wherein the user interface is configured to allow a user to input a request to move the unit model to the second controller, and wherein the controller or the second controller rebuilds the wiring route and the point mapping. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 9 , further comprising a second controller, and wherein the calculating placement of the second controller within the defined space representation is based at least partially on the constraint. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 9 , further comprising modifying wiring terminals based on a user request. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein modifying the controller wiring terminal comprises the controller sending a signal to a module associated with the controller; the module modifying its hardware to match requirements of the user input. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the user input comprises input indicating a user moving a unit model to a new location within the module. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the user input comprises input indicating a user inputting information into a user interface screen associated with the controller. 
     
     
         18 . A non-transient storage medium configured with code which upon execution by a controller having one or more processors coupled with memory-stored instructions performs a point mapping generation method, the method comprising:
 accepting a defined space representation into a controller, the controller comprising a processor, memory, and a user interface;   
       accepting a unit model from a list of predefined models displayed on the user interface, the unit model having wiring requirements and location within the defined space representation; 
       accepting a constraint; 
       calculating placement of the controller within the defined space representation based at least partially on the constraint; 
       determining a wiring route between the controller and the unit model based at least in part on the defined space representation; and 
       generating point mapping between the controller and the unit model based in part on the wiring requirements. 
     
     
         19 . The non-transient storage medium of  claim 18 , further comprising the controller modifying a control point terminal on the controller to match at least a portion of requirements of the point mapping. 
     
     
         20 . The non-transient storage medium of  claim 18 , further comprising the controller modifying a controller wiring terminal on a module associated with controller to match at least a portion of requirements of the point mapping.