A conceptual use-cases mapping framework for IoT-based smart building management

Abstract

Smart buildings aim to enhance user satisfaction and optimize operations through efficient facility management, employing IoT technology as a key enabler. IoT relies on sensors to collect building data, process information, and trigger actions via actuators. Despite the proliferation of IoT devices, there's a notable absence of a comprehensive framework for smart building management (SBM) in existing literature. While previous SBM frameworks focused on software, network, or data collection aspects, none address the classification of use cases for IoT devices, which form the backbone of these frameworks. The absence of a framework leads to a lack of standardized descriptions and contextual awareness of use cases, hindering research on SBM and its goal of maximizing beneficial outputs. This study addresses this gap by introducing a multidimensional conceptual framework for mapping potential IoT device use cases within the context of academic buildings. The proposed framework consists of four dimensions: (1) IoT device name and categorization, (2) building components, (3) building smartness dimensions, and (4) smart building management objectives. The study provides a detailed visual and textual representation of the framework, which is validated through four use cases, demonstrating its promising applicability in SBM. Initial observations from the framework implementation indicate its effectiveness in mapping existing sensors and identifying new potential use-cases and providing a tool for understanding and advancing the integration of IoT devices in smart buildings. This framework has the potential to serve as a communication tool for fostering collaboration among different research institutes and universities, contributing to the development of strategic SBM research programs.