[0001] The invention relates to an online training method and system.

[0002] The KONNEX (KNX) protocol is an open standard in building control. The KNX association offers certification including online theoretical exams, however, practical exams are taken locally and require attendance at a certified training center.

[0003] Existing online training solutions do not offer downloading individual address and/or using diagnostic tools according to the KNX specifications. Also, the user (trainee) cannot obtain realistic practice pressing various control buttons of the various KNX products. Current solutions offer only certification on-site and training with limited functionalities. Thus, a complete online system is needed that would allow users to obtain KNX certification including theoretical and practical exams and product training. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0004] The present invention provides an online training system for a KNX electrical installation, the system comprising: an online training platform (OTP) accessible by a user via a communication network, a demo comprising a plurality of devices and a camera. The system further comprises a BAI gateway (Building Automation Intelligence Gateway or simply gateway) operatively coupling one or more demos to the OTP. The OTP includes access to the engineering tool software (ETS) offered by the KNX organization for the user to design the electrical installation of the demo, a demo booking tool allowing the user to select one or more demos from a list of available demos at a particular date and time, and a camera tool suitable for providing the user an online view on a computer screen of a real time top view of the selected demo taken by the demo camera. The system further comprises means for the administrator of the OTP to provide a user interface of virtual buttons on the user’s screen for controlling the actual control demo buttons. In an embodiment the administrator of the OTP may position the virtual control buttons on the actual control buttons of the demo as they appear in a video image of the demo on the user’s screen. The user can control the actual control buttons with the virtual control buttons. A virtual button may simulate the short/long function of a short/long push button of the demo. The OTP also comprises a web application software for presenting webpages of the website for the user and the administrative page for the website’s configuration to the OTP administrator.

[0005] The gateway simulates real push buttons of the demo using hardware proxies of the real buttons. It transfers and translates all signals from virtual parts in the user’s screen to the programming button, and various control buttons of the demo products. More specifically the gateway is a hardware including a microprocessor (any type) circuit, shift registers circuit and relays circuit. The relay output may be wired to the contacts of the real push button, or to the programming buttons of KNX products, or to the manual buttons of the actuators, or to the parts which trigger movement/presence detectors, door/window magnetic contacts and brightness/wind speed of weather station, or to the power terminal contacts of actuators. So, the user is able to press every real button or any other part in the real demo through the virtual button in the screen. Also, the user can trigger any movement/presence detector, any brightness sensor, any door/window magnetic contact, or trigger a wind speed by pressing a virtual button.

[0006] The invention system allows a user to interact real time with a demo, see a real time video of the demo, and operate the demo actual control buttons by using virtual buttons on the user’s screen.

[0007] These and other advantages of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art of the invention from the following drawings and detailed description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0008] FIGS. 1 and 2 show a KNX certification and a product training demo, respectively. [0009] FIGS. 3 and 4 depict configurations of an online training system.

[0010] FIG. 5 is a camera view of a demo.

[0011] FIG. 6 depicts a flow chart of a method of the invention.

[0012] FIGS. 7, 7A, and 7B depict configurations of the gateway.

[0013] FIG. 8 shows an interface for the OTP administrator to manage the demos, their relays and buttons.

[0014] FIGS. 9 and 10 show administrator interfaces for creating a demo.

[0015] FIGS. 11 and 12 show user interfaces for a demo.

[0016] FIG. 13 is a configuration example of the gateway.

[0017] FIG. 14 is an enlarged view of two devices of a demo.

[0018] FIG. 15 shows a configuration of the training system.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0019] Referring now to FIG. 1, an electrical diagram of a KNX certification demo with more than 5 devices may comprise the bus power supply module 29V DC (10) directly connected to the KNX bus line (11), as well as a line coupler (12), a switch actuator (13), a blind actuator (14), a dimmer actuator (15), a USB interface (16), a 2-gang push button (17) and a push button with room control temperature (18). ETS (110) with lite or professional license is accessible via the OTP server (100) for insertion of more than 5 devices, parameterization, configuration, and download of individual address and application program to the KNX devices of the demo.

It is noted that that in an embodiment the OTP may be installed in a desktop computer rather than in a server. Load (LI) is connected to switch actuator (13), load (L2) is connected to dimmer actuator (15) and R1 up (R1U), and R1 down (RID) are connected to blind actuator (14). All actuators (13,14,15) and push buttons (17, 18) are connected to the bus (11). The server (or desktops) (100) is connected to the USB interface (16) via a USB port for communication and commissioning with the installation and the BAI Gateway (112) for communication with push buttons, with programming buttons of every product, hand and manual buttons of every actuator and buttons triggering movement/presence detectors, door/window magnetic contacts or brightness and wind speed sensors. More specifically the BAI gateway is a hardware which may include a microprocessor (any type) circuit, shift registers circuit and relays circuit having a plurality of relays. The relay output of the relays may be wired to corresponding contacts of the real push buttons of switches, to the programming buttons of KNX products, to the manual buttons of actuators, to the parts which trigger movement/presence detectors, door/window magnetic contacts and brightness/wind speed of weather station, to the power terminal contacts of actuators and the like. The user is able to press every real button or any other part in the real demo through the virtual buttons in the screen. Also, the user can trigger any movement/presence detector, door/window magnetic contacts and any brightness sensor or trigger a wind speed by pressing a virtual button. The movement/presence detector is triggered when a halogen lamp close to detector is turned on. So, the user as long as press a virtual button on the screen, the lamp is activated and the detector is activated. In an embodiment, instead of virtual buttons which are positioned on top of the actual buttons of the various control switches on the video image of the demo, the user may open a user interface which shows the push buttons of the demo and the user may practice by selecting and pressing them via the user interface while at the same time watching rea time the lighting of the corresponding LEDS and lamps on the demo via the video image.

[0020] The user may press (e.g., by mouse clicking a corresponding virtual button in the user’s screen) the programming button (114) of a demo product, and monitor its programming LED (115), to download/unload individual address application program into the product. Monitoring the programming LED means that the user can see the LED whether is on or off or is blinking. Likewise, the user can also press push buttons, manual/hand buttons of actuators, and the manual buttons of special physical KNX sensors (e.g., presence/movement detector, weather station, door/window door/window magnetic contacts). The user may perform a short/long press of a short/long push button and also the user can monitor the status feedback LEDs of the push button. The user may use ETS diagnostic tools for finding errors in the demo. As the diagnostics function of ETS requires direct bus access, the PC or notebook must be connected to the KNX installation via an interface (USB or IP). During fault location, it is extremely advisable to work systematically.

[0021] FIG. 2 shows a product training demo with 20 devices (excluded the power supply 29V DC), a video image of which is shown in FIG. 5. However, only some of the actual devices of FIG. 5 are presented in FIG. 2 because of space considerations. Referring now to FIG. 2, the training demo may comprise a WiFi router/Ethernet switch (221) connected via IP HomeLynk (220) to the KNX bus line (222). A bus power supply module 29V DC (20) is directly connected to the KNX bus line (222), as well as to a 24/12x switch/blind actuator (21), a 2x blind actuator (22), a 4x250W dimmer actuator (23), a heating actuator (24), a 4x binary input 10V (25), a fan coil actuator (26), a 4x switch actuator with current detection (27), a logic module (28), 4 white push buttons 4-gang (29,210,211,212), 2 push buttons 4- gang with temperature room controller (213,214), a weather station (215), a movement detector (216), a presence detector with light control (217), a presence detector (218), a DALI interface (219) and a HomeLynk (220). FIG. 2 shows a plurality of loads indicated by the small circles denoted by symbols Y (yellow), R (Red), G (Gray), BL (Blue), and BR (Brown). The yellow loads may represent lamps, the brown a roller motor, the red heating valves, the blue cooling valves, and the grey fan speed. Various loads L4, LI 5, L8, L2, L7, solar boiler 3b, garden watering GW4a, swimming light 4b, S2, S3, Ll l, L12, L13, L14, electric boiler 8a, ventilation 8b and bathroom ventilation 9a are connected to 24x/12 switch/blind actuator (21). R1 up, R1 down, R2 up and R2 down are connected to 2x blind actuator (22). LI, SI, L10 and L9 are connected to 4x250 dimmer actuator (23). HI, H2, H3, H4, Cl and C2 are connected to heating actuator (24). Fan speed 1, fan speed 2, fan speed 3, heating valve and cooling valve are connected to fan coil actuator (26). L6, pool pump, L5 and L3 are connected to 4x Switch actuator with current detection (27). It is noted that the OTP doesn’t need all these loads to be operational. The OTP may be in function even with one load. The loads are shown to help the user see visually the results of the programming. All loads are protected by a circuit breaker 10 A. Binary input (25) logic module (28), DALI interface (219), Homelynk (220), actuators (21,22,23,24,26,27), push buttons (29,210,211,212,213,214), weather station (215), movement detector (216), presence detector with light control (217) and presence detector (218) are connected to the bus (222). ETS (110) is installed in a server/desktop (224) with lite or professional license for creating project with more than 5 devices, parameterization, configuration, and download individual address and application to the KNX device. It is noted that the ETS (110) and the server/desktop (19, 224) in FIGS 1 and 2 may be the same for all the demos. The server/desktops (224) is connected to the Homelynk (220) via Ethernet port for communication/commissioning with a demo and the gateway (112) for communication with the product push-buttons, product programming buttons, hand/manual buttons of actuators, and trigger buttons for movement/presence detectors, door/window magnetic contacts and brightness/wind speed of weather station. The server/desktop communicates with the demos via the gateway (112).

[0022] Referring to FIG. 3, the online training system may include an OTP accessible as a web application in a server/desktop(100), a plurality of training demos (310) for certification and a plurality of product training demos (320), the server/desktop (100) may have virtual machines running ETS, and gateway (112) for operatively connecting each demo to the OTP in the server/desktop (100). A product training demo may be customized for the products of various manufacturers (MF1-MF3). More than one training demo may be offered for the products of a manufacturer. Training demos for similar products of different manufacturers may be different or may be the same. A training demo may include products of two or more manufacturers. Users 40 may access the OTP in the server/desktop (100) via a network (e.g., the world wide web and remote desktop connection) for training on a demo on an individual basis, i.e., each demo is accessed by a single user at each time.

[0023] Referring to FIG. 4 a training system and method is illustrated for a user 40 of the inventive OTP (100) (also referred to as the server/desktop). The OTP employs user interface application software (User Interface, see FIGs 11,12) that allows the user to interface with a demo (300) via the gateway (112) (gateway, see FIGs. 11,12) and the ETS. As shown in FIG. 15, the demo (300) may for example include a KNX push button (KNX Push Button) and an actuator (Actuator). The ETS may, for example, run on Windows platform-based computers. The user (40) may create an account and login to the web application or to server/desktop via remote connection. The user may then select a specific subscription according to the user’s training needs. If the user selects demo training, then the user will be prompted to book the demo for a particular day and time according to the availability of the demo using a demo booking tool. The user may receive credentials (e.g., user id and temporary password) for access to the OTP for the selected services from the system by email (e.g., the booking tool of the OTP). Some functionalities available to the user may include selecting the screen resolution, attending the e-learning and completing the exercise in simulation mode, implementing a practical exercise in ETS with more than 5 devices from scratch by creating a building structure, adding the desired products in the rooms of the building, and programming the products. Programming a product involves downloading the individual address and application program to the product. The individual addresses are automatically assigned by ETS in ascending order in the respective current line of the project, when the user inserts a product. Some important steps of designing project with ETS is to set the parameters of the KNX products according to requirements, to create group addresses, to link the group objects of the KNX products with the group addresses, and to assign the individual address to the devices of the project.

[0024] In order to download the individual addresses into the devices, it is necessary to click on “Download Individual address” in the ETS. After starting the download process, the “Pending Operations” view opens in the side bar. You are now requested by ETS to press the corresponding programming buttons of the devices. The progress of the download process is then displayed in this view. A KNX device is only fully functional once the application (parameters and links of the group objects of the KNX products with the group addresses) has been loaded into the KNX device in addition to the unique address (individual address). The download of the program can be started by clicking on the menu icon “Download” or via the right mouse button and clicking on “Download”. The current progress of the download can be tracked using the text and status bar.

[0025] For example, each individual address for each KNX product may be downloaded by pressing the programming button of the product by a click of the user’s mouse on a virtual button. Moreover, the system allows the administrator to add/design visible virtual buttons for the user to be able to interact with push buttons, manual/hand buttons of actuators, programming buttons, and sensors (e.g., presence/movement detectors). The administrator may configure the gateway by adding one or more demo groups. A demo group may include a plurality of identical demos for products of one manufacturer or for mixed products of two or more manufacturers. The administrator may assign a plurality of exercises for each demo group. The demos in each group may have exactly the same configuration and the administrator may assign the same number of virtual buttons and relays for each of the demos of the same demo group. Then, the administrator may create a plurality of exercises for each demo by enabling or disabling the virtual buttons.

[0026] On top of every demo there is a camera. The camera may be, for example, an IP camera 2.0MP. The user via the camera has a clear and accurate video image of the demo, for example, the user may see the video image shown in FIG. 5. The user can control the camera from his computer to zoom in and out on any part of the demo. The virtual buttons may be accessed via the user interface as shown in FIGS. 11,12. In an embodiment, the virtual buttons may be positioned on the corresponding actual demo buttons as they appear on the video image of the demo on the user’s screen.

[0027] Referring to FIG. 5, an image of a training demo is shown as viewed on the user’s computer screen by the demo’s IP camera. The reference numerals are for describing the various parts of the demo, but these numbers do not appear on the user’s screen. A bus power supply module 29V DC is directly connected to the bus line, as well as a 24/12x switch/blind actuator (21), a 2x blind actuator (22), a 4x250W dimmer actuator (23), a heating actuator (24), a 4x binary input 10V (25), a fan coil actuator (26), a 4x switch actuator with current detection (27), a logic module (28), 4 white push buttons 4-gang (29,210,211,212), 2 push buttons 4-gang with temperature room controller (213,214), a weather station (215) a movement detector (216), a presence detector with light control (217), a presence detector (218), a DALI interface (219) and a HomeLynk (220). Loads L4, L15, L8, L2, L7, solar boiler, garden watering, pool pump, S2, S3, Ll l, L12, L13, L14, electric boiler, ventilation and bathroom ventilation are connected to 24x/12 Switch/blind actuator (21). R1 up, R1 down, R2 up and R2 down are connected to 2x Blind actuator (22). LI, SI, L10 and L9 are connected to 4x250 Dimmer actuator (23). HI, H2, H3, H4, Cl and

C2 are connected to Heating actuator (24). Door/window magnetic contacts MCI, MC2 and MC3 are connected to Binary input (25). Fan speed 1, fan speed 2, fan speed 3, heating valve and cooling valve are connected to fan coil actuator (26). L6, Pool pump, L5 and L3 are connected to 4x Switch actuator with current detection (27). All loads are protected by a circuit breaker 10 A. Binary input (25) logic module (28), DALI interface (219), Homelynk (220), actuators (21,22,23,24,26,27), push buttons (29,210,211,212,213,214), weather station (215), movement detector (216), presence detector with light control (217) and presence detector are connected to the bus. As a person skilled in the art would understand by looking at FIGS 2 and 5, each load is connected to a respective actuator via a channel which can be seen more readily in the schematic of FIG. 2. For example, the symbol L4 la describes a lamp load L4, and the la indicator describes that the lamp L4 is connected to the channel la of the switch/blind actuator (21). Likewise, SB 3b refers to a solar boiler which is connected to the channel 3b of the switch/blind 24x actuator. Lamps L9 4, L10 3, LI 1 and SI 2, are connected to dimmer actuator (23) via channels 4, 3, 1, and 2, respectively, which are not shown in FIG. 5.

[0028] The ETS with lite or professional license may be installed in a server/desktop (100) for parameterization, configuration, download of individual address and application program to the KNX device. The server (100) communicates with the demos via the Gateway. The server (100) may be connected to the Homelynk (220) via Ethernet port for communication and commissioning with a KNX installation and a Gateway (112) e.g., for communication with push-buttons of KNX push buttons, with programming buttons of every KNX product, hand and manual buttons of every KNX actuator and buttons to trigger KNX movement/presence, detectors door/window magnetic contacts and brightness/wind speed of weather station..

[0029] The programming button and programming LED of a typical KNX product (actuator and sensor), as well as the manual buttons of actuators and status LED of actuators and push buttons, are shown. A more detailed view of a four-gang push button is shown in FIG. 14. Every product in the demo is provided with a unique individual address. This allows to forward “programming telegrams” including new application and parameter data generated via the ETS to the device via the bus. The user prepares a device to accept its address by pressing the programming button of the device. Once the programming button is pressed, then the programming LED of the device is blinking. The individual address is permanently assigned to the device using the ETS. Once the individual address is assigned, all required data (application, configuration, parameters, group address assignments) may be forwarded via the bus to the device.

[0030] Referring FIG. 6 a user may select a certification package (basic or advanced or HVAC specialist) with multiple exercises in simulation mode (e-learning with interaction like in ETS) with connection to a demo for creating the exercises to real KNX devices, or a product training package (basic or advanced or professional) with multiple exercises in simulation mode (e-learning with interaction like in ETS) with connection to a demo for creating the exercises to real KNX devices, or only booking time for connection to demo without any exercise.

[0031] In step 2, the system asks for payment. The system asks the user if they have a discount coupon in step 3. If the user has a discount coupon, inserts the coupon info (such as a coupon code) in step 4 and then moves to the final payment step 5. If the user has no coupon, the user moves to step 5 directly.

[0032] In step 6 the system then activates the user, e.g., by sending an email with credentials to the user’s email. In step 7 the system checks if the user has bought a certification or products training package. If the user has bought a certification or products training package, then in step 8 the user may then attend a course in try simulation mode meaning that the user may complete the course in a step by step process. If the user makes more than a predetermined allowable number of mistakes in each step, then the course may not proceed and the user may have to repeat the steps. The user proceeds with the tests (step 9). The tests may include practical and theoretical questions for the user. If the user has booked only time for connection to demo, the user moves to step 10.

[0033] In step 10, the user connects to the server/desktop and creates a project or projects (exercise or exercises) using the ETS with lite or professional license. Also, the user may select his screen resolution. The user may, for example, download an individual address and application program to the devices. A minimum installation has one sensor (push-button, movement detector, thermostat, weather station) and one actuator. The sensor sends the information to the bus and the actuator receives the info and functions according to the received info. In step 11, the user may interact with a product e.g., by clicking his mouse on the device, to trigger a corresponding sensor. The device can be any device in the physical training demo which has been simulated in the OTP. For example, the user may click on a virtual push button and trigger a movement detector or the speed of a fan.

[0034] In step 12, the user may see the results of the project via an IP camera. Also, the user may use diagnostic tools to find errors in the installation. If the user will be disconnected from the platform and then is reconnected it is not necessary to download the application program. The application program is already in the devices from the previous downloading. He has to re-download only if he wants to make changes in the program application.

[0035] FIG. 7 illustrates an example of a KNX demo integrated with the gateway (112) and the OTP (server) 100. In an embodiment, illustrated in FIG 7A, the OTP (100) may include a web application (100A) and a server/desktop application (100B). The web application (100A) may include software for presenting the user webpages to the user and the administrative webpages for the website configuration to the OTP administrator. The web application (100A) may comprise a learning management content tool (LMCT) for the administrator to create subscriptions, assign exercises and demos, upload new exercises, upload new courses, a user login function, a payment function, an e-learning management tool, and the like. The server application (100B) may comprise a database with the configuration (enable virtual buttons) of virtual demos, the assignment to demos, an ETS tool (ETS) with lite or professional license used for establishing a KNX project and performing configuration debugging on all equipment on the KNX bus. The server application may also comprise a virtual demo application DA including a user demo interface (see FIGS. 11 and 12) and an administrator demo interface (see FIGS. 10 and 11). The virtual demo application DA may include user interface with virtual buttons corresponding to the actual control buttons of the demos (see FIGS. 11 and 12). In an embodiment the virtual buttons may be positioned on top of corresponding actual buttons appearing on the video image of the demo on the user’s screen, and may be transparent and sized to match the size and shape of the image of the actual buttons in the user screen so they do not alter the image of the actual buttons. [0036] The user may login to the virtual demo application DA and access the ETS tool

(ETS), an IP camera (IPC) for monitoring a demo D1 or D2 and control the demo via the virtual buttons via the user interface (see FIGS. 11 and 12). The gateway (112) may employ +5V external power supply and may be connected to the OTP (100) via USB or Ethernet. Further, the core processor of the present gateway may use a processor (112B) of the AVR architecture and the PHY chip connection of the Ethernet 802.3. The gateway (112) allows a user to interact real time with the demo by controlling the operation of the devices of the demo by clicking on the virtual buttons on the user’s computer screen and the user can see the results, real time, on the video image of the demo on the user’s screen. The gateway (112) may include a series of relays module (112A) connected with (112B) suitable for receiving the messages of virtual buttons and for parsing the message to the actual control buttons of the demo depending on an exercise demo configuration.

[0037] Referring now to FIGS. 8 to 10 the creation of a demo configuration from the OTP administrator is shown. The administrator may manage the demos by accessing the server/desktop application of FIG. 8. The server/desktop application includes a list of the demos, the relays, and the virtual buttons of each demo. The various exercises assigned to each demo in the list are also included. The functions (actions) of each virtual button are also included in this webpage.

[0038] The administrator may login in the server/desktop to configure the BAI gateway. An example of the administrator interface of a demo for controlling the outputs-relays of the gateway of the demo is shown in FIG. 9. The administrator selects for every virtual push button and any virtual relay the assignment to an output-relay, as well as the function of the push button (toggle, push-button). Referring to FIG. 9, there are shown six push buttons (switches, 1.1.9, 1.1.10, 1.1.10,1.1.11,1.1.12,1.1.13, and 1.1.14) one weather station (1.1.15), one movement detector (1.1.16), one presence detector (1.1.17) and eight actuators which are a 24x switch (1.1.1), a 2x blind (1.1.2), a 4x dimmer (1.1.3), a 6x heating (1.1.4), a 4x binary input (1.1.5), a fan coil (1.1.6), a 4x switch (1.1.7), and a logic module (1.1.8). Each push button and actuator has a plurality of buttons (indicated by the numerals 1-24). The administrator interface also shows five door/window magnetic contacts. The administrator creates the outputs database of every virtual demo using this administrator interface in the server or a computer desktop. The administrator using an administrator interface can add and configures the real relays (which are nor visible to the user) for enabling the user to activate the actuator’ s outputs and their control buttons for a demo based on the configuration of each demo exercise. Also, the administrator configures the virtual push buttons for the user to have access to the specific real KXN push buttons for a demo based on the configuration of each demo exercise. The administrator may give access to all KNX products. In FIG. 10 a configured interface from the administrator is illustrated. For example, if the exercise needs only one 4-gang push button, the brightness sensor and wind speed sensor of the weather station and the 8 outputs of the 24x switch actuator on/off, and the rest KNX products of a demo will be out of operation. In FIG. 11 an interface for the user is illustrated. The user will have access only to these push buttons of the demo, for which has given the administrator demo exercise. In FIG. 12 the configurated interface for the user is illustrated, as result from the configurated interface from the administrator in figure 10. The user has access only to one 4-gang push button, to the brightness sensor and wind speed sensor of the weather station and to the 8 outputs of the 24x switch actuator on/off. As long as the user presses a push button the push button in the interface will be shown with some color (e.g., red) and the real KNX push button is pressed for the corresponding period time.

[0039] The administrator may control the configuration and activation of relays for every exercise which is assigned to a demo using the administrator interface in the server/desktop shown in FIG. 9. The administrator can add as many relays as may be needed and may select the initial state of each of them. If an exercise uses only 8 channel s-outputs of a switch on/off actuator then the administrator can activate only these 8 channel s-outputs via these virtual relays by preventing electric power to the rest channels-outputs. The administrator activates the virtual buttons for an exercise assigned to a demo using the administrator interface in the server/desktop of FIG. 9. The administrator activates only the virtual buttons to which the user needs access for a selected exercise.

[0040] The OTP maintains a database of the virtual buttons and outputs-relays (relays) of the gateway for every demo. The various control buttons, (e.g., programming buttons of the switches, actuators, manual/hand push buttons of actuators, push buttons of KNX switches and the like, push buttons in orders to trigger movement/presence detectors, door/window magnetic contacts, brightness sensor and wind speed sensor) the user needs to access (via the virtual buttons on their screen) may be wired to the gateway relays. The gateway may receive all information from the user interface in the OTP and send to the products in the demo a pulse to activate the button of each product. In operation, each gateway relay may receive a signal from the corresponding virtual button and transfer the signal as a pulse to a corresponding actual button wired to the relay. This way as long as the user is clicking on a virtual button the corresponding actual button is activated also for the same time.

[0041] In another embodiment, the gateway may receive all information from the virtual demo in the server/desktop and send to the products in the demo a KNX command to trigger the KNX sensors (push buttons, movement/presence detectors, door/window magnetic contacts, weather station, etc.), as all programming buttons of sensors and actuators.

[0042] An example of a configuration of the gateway (112) is provided in FIG. 13. The Gateway uses +5 V external power supply and is connected to server (5) via USB or Ethernet. The core processor of the Gateway uses a processor of the AVR architecture and the PHY chip connection of the Ethernet 802.3. The gateway realizes interaction with the KNX system. The gateway configuration module receives the messages of virtual buttons and parses the message to push buttons, actuator’s manual buttons, actuator’s channel outputs, actuator’s hand buttons, and programming buttons of the KNX products depending on the exercise configuration.

[0043] FIG. 14 is an example of a 4-gang push button (4-gang = 8 push buttons) with reference code MTN617419 and a Schneider blind acutator 2x/10A with reference code MTN649802. It is noted that MTN617419 corresponds to the devices (29), (210), (211), (212) of FIGS. 2 and 5 and MTN649802 corresponds to device (22) in FIGS. 2 and 5. It is also noted, that the user can operate manual buttons only if before activates a corresponding hand button. So, the procedure is 1) press the hand button and then turn on the hand LED, and 2) then the user can operate the manual buttons. If the user tries to press manual buttons without pressing the hand button then there is no operation of manual buttons. In this example of FIG. 14, we connect 2 LEDs in every output instead of a roller. Therefore we have 2 yellow LEDs (Y) for roller 1 and 2 green LEDs (G) for roller 2, as shown in FIG. 5. In this example the roller R1 may be controlled up/down with two push- buttons(l and 2). A long press of the push-button sets in motion. A short press of the button stops the movement or moves the roller in one step. Both status-LED show the actuator relay status (roller in motion = Actuator LED 5 on). It is noted that in some of the KNX products the programming LED may be on the back of the device, in which case the device is modified by the system admin to have the LED on its front so it can be seen on the user’s screen via the camera of the demo.

[0044] A user can create a KNX installation and program the individual KNX products in the installation by login in to the OTP via his laptop. The user may select product training and/or certification training. The user may run the ETS with lite or professional license avaialble via the OTP and activate the demo camera tool. Using the ETS the user may create a project of training or certification following the structured methodology of the ETS program.

[0045] Generally, the user may create a new project using a new project button under an overview tab of the ETS and may create a building structure including building parts and floors and products. To insert a product with the corresponding application, the user may select the product in the list view of a catalogue window with the mouse. In the example of FIG. 14 we added devices from KNX manufacturers database in the building structure (the blind actuator MTN649802 and the push button MTN617419). Individual addresses are assigned using the ETS in ascending order in a respective current line. The user may change the individual addresses. The user may insert parameters into the devices, e.g., both the MTN649802 and MTN617419 devices using the ETS. For example, selection of movement direction for each push button, or insert travel time of the roller in the roller actuator.

[0046] In operation, by pushing a virtual button, the user instructs the microprocessor of the gateway to close the output relay of the gateway connected to the corresponding actual control button of the product. This way the contact of the actual button closes. Hence, for the time the virtual button is pressed the actual control button also stays pressed. This technique allows simulation of a short/long operation which depends from the time the actual button stays pressed. Thus, if for example, the user has programmed a control button for operation A for a short pressing of the control button and operation B for a long pressing of the control button using the ETS, then the user can operate this actual control button by pressing the exact same way the virtual button because the gateway transfers the pressing of the virtual button to the actual control button for the same time. The actual control button stays pressed for the time the virtual button stays pressed. The pushing of the virtual button may be performed by the user by clicking his computer mouse on the virtual button. Continuous clicking of the mouse translates to continuous pressing of the virtual button. [0047] The user may then download individual address to push button MTN617419 and then to blind actuator MTN649802. After selecting the “Download individual address” for MTN617419 option and then for MTN649802, the ETS checks whether the device already exists on the bus and then asks the user to press the programming button of push button MTN617419. Unlike existing on line training programs, the user may press with his mouse on the virtual push button corresponding to the the programming button of the push button MTN617419 and the LED indicates which device is on programming mode and can accept individual address. So the user can press the programming button to start the downloading process. After the downloading of the individual address the LED is off. The user may download the application program to push button MTN617419. To do this, there is no need to press the programming button. As noted also earlier, the user needs to press the programming button only to download the individual address. After that the user can download the application program without pressing the programing button. The press of the programing button is necessary only for downloading the individual address.

[0048] A KNX device is only fully functional once the application has been loaded into the KNX device in addition to the unique address (i.e., the device’s individual address). To load the application, the corresponding KNX devices are marked in the Buildings, Topology, Group Addresses or Devices View of the ETS. Thereafter the download of the program may be started by clicking on the menu icon “Download” or via the right mouse button and clicking on “Download”. The current progress of the download may be tracked using the text and status bar. The user may check if the exercise is performed correctly, by pressing long time the push button 1 and check if the roller is moving up and then pres the button 2 long and check if the roller is moving down. Also, by short pressing of push button 1 and 2 the roller should be stoped or moved a step at a time.

[0049] The user may use diagnostic tools in the ETS and monitor KNX telegrams, for example, by pressing long the buttons 1 or 2 of FIG. 14 for detecting error in the motion of the roller. If the roller is not moving up or down then the user should find the errors using diagnostic tools and monitoring bus traffic. The ETS program shows the information about the recorded telegrams in the form of a table.

[0050] If the user will be disconnected from the platform and then is reconnected it not necessary to download the application program. The application program is already in the devices from the previous downloading. He has to redownload only if he wants to make changes in the program application. [0051] For preventing the user to block the devices of the demo, the system does not allow the user to set project password and Bus Coupling Unit (BCU) key in the ETS software. [0052] Referring now to FIG. 15, an embodiment of the present invention training system may include the OTP (100) operably connected via gateway (112) to an actuator (360) and a KNX push button (362) of a demo (300). The actuator (360) and the push button (362) may correspond to the products MTN617419 and MTN649802 of FIG. 14. The OTP (100) may be in a server or a desktop. The OTP (100) may include an administrator interface (101) and a user interface (102). The gateway (112) may include a microprocessor (112M) and a plurality or relays R1 to Rn. Each relay may be connected via a wire to a manual button (1) and (2), a programming button (3), a hand button (5), or a KNX push button (31,32,33,34,35,37,38) of (362). The numerals 31 to 38 in the KNX push button represent the real KNX push button of the MTN617419 KNX push button. The numerals in the actuator represent (1) a manual button, (2) a manual button, (3) a programming button, (4) a programming led, (5) a hand button and (6) a terminal output. The first lead of the terminal output (6) is connected to a roller for the Up movement. The second lead of the output (6) of the actuator is connected via wire to the relay R15 of the gateway. The third lead of the terminal output (6) is connected to a roller for the Down movement. The fourth lead of the output (6) of the actuator is connected via wire to the relay R16 of the gateway. The relay R11 is connected to the manual button (1) of the actuator, relay R12 to the manual button (2), relay R13 t the programming button (3), relay R14 to the hand button (5). The (4) programming LED is blinking when the user presses the programming button. The LED (5) is on when the roller is in motion. The relay R9 of the gateway is connected to the programming button of the KNX push button. Relay R1-R8 are connected to KNX push buttons 31-38. [0053] Unlike existing online KNX training systems and methods, the invention provides the user “real press” control button experience. Unlike existing systems, the invention recognizes short and long pressing of the virtual button. Hence, for example, if the user programs a KNX button to switch a first lamp with short press and a second lamp with a long press the invention allows the user to press short and long the KNX button online as if the user was performing this task physically on site.

[0054] Although the invention has been described with specific embodiments for KNX system training, it should be understood that the same principles can be used for other systems with other protocols (e.g. BACnet, Enocean, Zigbee, LON,). It is also noted that the invention is suitable for training for any product and not only the ones discussed in the specific embodiments, such as for example, inverters, soft-starters, PLC etc.

[0055] Also, although the invention has been implemented with a gateway wired to push buttons, programming buttons, hand buttons, manual buttons and to other control parts, it should be understood that the principles of the invention can be implemented only with software and wireless communication avoiding the wires from relays to KNX devices. [0056] One more advantage of the present invention system and method is that it can be used also by a user who wishes to be a KNX manufacturer and wishes to build a KNX compatible product for programming the KNX chip which is needed for rendering the hardware compatible with a KNX bus, i.e., for making a product compatible with the KNX protocol. In an embodiment, demos may also use non-KNX devices from several manufactures by employing a KNX stack (software module) that can convert the non- KNX devices to ETS programmable devices like real KNX devices.

[0057] One more advantage is that the user doesn’t need to have in his laptop/desktop the ETS installed. In fact, the ETS with lite or professional license is accessible via OTP server/desktop. Also, if the user will be disconnected from the platform and then is reconnected it is not necessary to download the application program. The application program is already in the devices from the previous downloading. The user has to redownload only if he wants to make changes in the program application.