System and method for transmitting data from instrument to application disconnected from instrument

Abstract

A data transfer system for transferring data from one or more instruments to one or more applications is provided. A data transfer system includes a data transfer computing device including at least one processor in communication with at least one memory device. The at least one processor is programmed to receive an action to retrieve an optical code corresponding to an application among the one or more applications, retrieve data requested by the application from the one or more instruments, and encode the data into the optical code. The data includes data of the one or more instruments at a moment of the action. The one or more applications are disconnected from the one or more instruments.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure generally relates to industrial applications, and more particularly, to transmitting data from instruments in industrial applications. Background Art

[0002] Industrial instruments, such as field devices (e.g., measurement devices, actuator devices, power drives, or power generation or distribution devices), perform critical functions in industrial processes in industrial plants, such as the refining and / or distribution of oil, power generation, or other processes. It is desirable to perform maintenance and services on the instruments, such as diagnostics, monitoring, and life prediction, to ensure the quality operation of the process. Data from the instruments is needed to facilitate these services. However, accessing data from the instruments requires physical access, which is often impractical or may disrupt the normal operation of the instruments. Known systems and methods are disadvantageous in some aspects for meeting the needs of industrial applications and need improvement. Summary of the Invention

[0003] In one aspect, a data transmission system for transmitting data from one or more instruments to one or more applications is provided. The data transmission system includes a data transmission computing device that includes at least one processor communicatively coupled to at least one memory device. The at least one processor is programmed to receive an action of obtaining an optical code corresponding to an application among one or more applications, retrieve data requested by the application from one or more instruments, and encode the data into the optical code. The data includes data of the one or more instruments at the moment of the action. The one or more applications are disconnected from the one or more instruments.

[0004] In another aspect, a computer-implemented method for transmitting data from one or more instruments to one or more applications is provided. The method includes receiving an action of obtaining an optical code corresponding to an application among one or more applications and retrieving data from one or more instruments, where the data includes data of the one or more instruments at the moment of the action. The method further includes encoding the data into the optical code. The one or more applications are disconnected from the one or more instruments.

[0005] In another aspect, one or more non-transitory machine-readable storage media for transmitting data from one or more instruments to one or more applications are provided. The one or more non-transitory machine-readable storage media include a plurality of instructions stored thereon that, when executed, cause the system to receive an action of obtaining an optical code corresponding to an application among one or more applications, retrieve data from one or more instruments, and encode the data into the optical code. The data includes data of the one or more instruments at the moment of the action. The one or more applications are disconnected from the one or more instruments. Brief Description of the Drawings

[0006] These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present disclosure will become better understood when the following detailed description is read with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which like characters represent like parts throughout the drawings.

[0007] Figure 1A is a schematic diagram of an example data transmission system.

[0008] Figure 1B is a flowchart of an example method of data transmission.

[0009] Figure 2 is Figure 1A an example data transmission system of the system shown in

[0010] Figure 3 is Figure 1A another example data transmission system of the system shown in

[0011] Figure 4 is Figure 1A another example data transmission system of the system shown in

[0012] Figure 5 is a block diagram of an example user computer device.

[0013] Figure 6 is a block diagram of an example server computer device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0014] The present disclosure includes systems and methods for transmitting data from instruments in industrial applications. Some aspects of the methods are obvious and some are discussed explicitly in the following description.

[0015] Industrial instruments such as field devices and analyzers perform critical functions in the industrial processes of an industrial plant. The instruments are connected to an automation system that runs automation / control communication and / or additional software applications that allow human users and automation systems to interact with the devices. The primary software is used to perform the primary functions of the instrument, such as control, engineering, or asset management. The primary software includes device drivers and other device-specific software. In the case of field devices, the primary software is typically based on FDI or FDT technology, where the device vendor provides a device driver that can run on any vendor's system. For both analytical and field devices, the connection to a SCADA application for local site management has a similar function of communicating between devices from different vendors. For other devices, a remote browser user interface (UI) provides access to the device via a local communication network. These software applications are part of the factory operation and maintenance and are protected in a protected communication network isolated from the outside world. Additionally, the instrument may not have a visual display and / or is relatively isolated in an industrial facility with access restrictions, such as a factory, substation, or pipeline.

[0016] Instrument vendors or other service providers often need data from the instrument from time to time to provide instrument services to customers, such as device verification, inventory management, asset management, remote diagnosis, and digital twins. Retrieving instrument data is usually cumbersome. It may involve regular hot work permits or the connection of a secondary communication interface. Due to the isolation of the communication network for the instrument, it is usually difficult or not allowed for the vendor to access the data using secondary communication or the primary software. Due to the critical nature of industrial applications and the high security of the communication network settings, accessing the instrument from a device outside the communication network is restricted.

[0017] Figure 1A is a schematic diagram of an example data transmission system 100. In the example embodiment, the data transmission system 100 includes a data transmission computing device 102. The data transmission computing device 102 is configured to communicate with an instrument 104. The instrument 104 can be a field device used in an industrial process in an industrial plant, such as the refining and / or distribution of oil, power generation, or other processes. The field device is described as an example for illustrative purposes only. The instrument 104 can be any device used in an industrial application, such as a measurement device, an actuator device, a power drive, power generation, or a device for power generation or distribution or a device for a motor. The instrument 104 performs critical functions in the industrial process of an industrial plant. For example, the instrument 104 can be a measurement device configured to measure physical and / or chemical properties at various locations in the factory. The instrument 104 may not have a visual display. In known methods, it can be via a field tool 206 (see the description later Figure 2)Retrieve data from instrument 104. A physical line or wireless connection (such as Bluetooth) is required to establish communication between the field tool 206 and the instrument 104. For security reasons, the use of the field tool 206 is restricted to the site of the instrument 104.

[0018] In an example embodiment, data from the instrument is transmitted to a higher-level device or application, such as the main software 208 (see Figures 2 - 4 ). The main software 208 includes a controller 210, engineering 212, or asset management 214. The main software 208 is linked to the instrument 104 and performs the main purpose of the instrument 104. For example, if the instrument 104 is a temperature transmitter participating in a control loop. The data is the temperature measured by the temperature transmitter. The corresponding main software 208 can be a controller that performs control based on the temperature. Communication between the instrument 104 and the main software 208 is typically carried out via wired communication and can also be carried out via wireless communication. The communication network 116 formed by the instrument 104 and the main software 208 is isolated from external connections or devices, and wired or wireless communication with devices outside the communication network 116 is prohibited.

[0019] For the supplier of the instrument 104, data of the instrument 104 is required to service the instrument 104. For example, the supplier needs data from the instrument 104 to determine how long the remaining life of the instrument 104 is, whether maintenance is required, and what maintenance services are needed. The main software 208 can be operated by a supplier different from the supplier of the instrument 104. More importantly, for security reasons, it is generally not allowed to use the main software 208 to obtain data from the instrument 104 for servicing. The factory protects the key processes of the instrument 104, such as the data delivered from the measuring instrument 104 to the control system. Any additional software or connection to the local communication network 116 will pose security problems to the factory and is generally not permitted.

[0020] In known methods, data is retrieved by physical access to the instrument. However, physical access to the instrument is usually not available. For example, the instrument may be inside a fuel tank. For an instrument with physical access, a laborious work permit is usually required, that is, a permit allowing a person with appropriate security clearance to access the site. The authorized person connects an auxiliary device (such as the field tool 206) to the instrument and reads information about the instrument through the auxiliary device. Since the factory may contain a relatively large number of instruments, the access is cumbersome and time-consuming. In addition, the access may disrupt the main use of the instrument 104 and the operations performed in industrial applications.

[0021] In contrast, the systems and methods described herein use optical codes to securely transfer data from an instrument outside of the communication network 116. The data transfer is unidirectional, eliminating the risk that the instrument 104 or the primary software 208 will be overwritten or altered. The data is dynamically updated and packaged to suit the particular use of the application 118. The data is input into the application 118 and further processed. The data can be relayed and / or further transferred to the application 118 on a cloud-based computing device.

[0022] In an example embodiment, the data transfer system 100 includes a data transfer computing device 102 configured to facilitate transferring data from an instrument 104 out of the communication network 116 to an external application 118. The data transfer computing device 102 can be a computing device implemented with the primary software 208 ( Figure 2 ), or a computing device separate from the computing device with the primary software 208 (see Figure 3 and Figure 4 ). The data transfer computing device 102 is located within the closed communication network 116 of the instrument 104. The data transfer computing device 102 includes a user interface 120. The data transfer computing device is configured to generate an optical code 122. The optical code 122 is displayed on the user interface 120. An example optical code 122 can be a 2D visual code, such as a bar code, a dynamic cluster, a QR code, or a movie of a 2D visual code. A movie of a two-dimensional visual code has a larger storage space than a single two-dimensional visual code. The data is encoded in the optical code 122. The optical code 122 is suitable for being read by an optical reader 124, such as a mobile device equipped with a scanner suitable for reading optical codes, such as a cell phone or a tablet computer. A suitable scanner can be a camera or a bar code reader.

[0023] In an example embodiment, the optical code 122 is dynamically updated. Upon receiving an action to acquire the optical code 122 (such as scanning the optical code 122 with an optical scanner, e.g., the action of placing a camera above the optical code 122), the data transfer computing device 102 is configured to retrieve data from the instrument at the moment of that action, package the data in a desired format, and encode the data into the optical code 122. There may be a delay of up to one minute from the moment the optical code 122 is scanned by the optical reader 124 until the data is retrieved and packaged into the optical code 122. The user may not perceive this delay. The data is not pre-stored on the data transfer computing device 102, but is retrieved upon the action of acquiring the optical code 122 and corresponds to the moment of that action. Thus, the data retrieved by scanning the optical code 122 is dynamically updated and reflects the state of the instrument at the moment the optical code 122 is acquired.

[0024] In an example embodiment, the data transfer computing device 102 is configured to generate a plurality of optical codes 122. Different applications 118 may request different data from the instrument 104, or request different groups and / or subgroups of data from the instrument 104. A menu 126 is provided on the user interface 120 and lists the optical codes 122, each optical code 122 corresponding to a specific application 118. For example, the optical codes 122 may include an optical code 122-1 for process values, an optical code 122 for verification, and an optical code 122-n for diagnostics. Different optical codes 122 encode the data required for a specific application 118 and may include different data. The optical code 122 for process values may include data of the instrument 104 in various processes. The optical code 122 for verification may include data reflecting the performance of the instrument 104 and may be used to compare with specifications and verify the performance of the instrument 104. The optical code 122 for diagnostics may include fault data of the instrument 104 and may be used to determine problems and the causes of problems in the operation of the instrument 104. In some embodiments, the data may be packaged in the format requested by the specific application 118. For example, the data may be packaged into a table or a chart, which is the format requested by the application 118.

[0025] In an example embodiment, the data is retrieved by scanning the optical code 122. The data may be processed by the application 118 and / or transmitted to the application 118. In some embodiments, the optical reader 124 only relays the data encoded in the optical code 122 to the application 118 for display, recording, and / or further processing.

[0026] In an example embodiment, the application 118 may be implemented on the optical reader 124. Additionally or alternatively, the application 118 may be implemented on a device separate from or remote from the optical reader 124 and communicate with the optical reader 124 via wired or wireless communication. The application 118 may be a mobile application or a web application. The application 118 may be directly accessed at the optical reader 124. For example, the optical reader 124 is a mobile device, and the application 118 is a mobile application running on the optical reader 124 or a web application accessible to the optical reader 124.

[0027] In an example embodiment, application 118 can process data encoded in optical code 122 and provide output and feedback to a user of application 118. The data can be processed for verification, diagnosis, recording, printing, and / or other service purposes. The data can be used to generate a digital twin of instrument 104, which can be used to simulate, design, monitor, and / or diagnose instrument 104. Application 118 can upload some or all of the data in optical code 122 and / or the data processed by application 118 to other applications 118. The other applications 118 can be located on the same device as optical reader 124, on a device separate from or remote from optical reader 124, or in the cloud. The other applications 118 can further process the data. The output from the other applications 118 can be provided back to application 118 on optical reader 124 and delivered to the user through the user interface of application 118 on optical reader 124. In some embodiments, data can be retrieved periodically by scanning with optical reader 124 at a predetermined interval or a user-defined interval. The periodically retrieved data can be compiled into historical data for monitoring and / or diagnosing the performance of instrument 104. The historical data can also be presented to the user, where comparisons or predictions can be provided. For example, the lifespan of instrument 104 can be provided to the user based on the historical data.

[0028] The systems and methods described herein are superior to transmitting data via a link. For security reasons in industrial applications, links are generally not permitted. Additionally, a link does not transfer data but only provides a link for displaying the data. Using the data requires additional steps or manual recording or transmission. In contrast, an optical code facilitates directly feeding data into another application. The optical code maintains the integrity of the timestamp of the data, where the data is dynamically updated. The optical code encapsulates the data and prevents human error when transmitting the data. For example, data of instrument 104 (such as an instantaneous parameter set) can be recorded, stored, and printed by a simple scan to obtain a snapshot of all or part of the data of instrument 104, thereby eliminating human error in recording and transmitting the data. The retrieval of data from instrument 104 to a SCADA or FDI system, from the SCADA / FDI system to the cloud, and from the cloud back to the device saves labor. Thus, providing an optical code incorporating the data helps eliminate the additional steps or human error associated with manual transmission.

[0029] In addition, transmitting data using the optical code 122 is secure and convenient. The transmission is unidirectional, only from the instrument 104 to the optical reader 124 outside the communication network 116, thus eliminating the security risk of overwriting or changing from external devices. The transmission is convenient because it does not require a physical or wireless connection. The user does not need to clip a physical cable to the instrument 104 to establish a wired connection, nor does the user need to enter credentials to establish a wireless connection. Instead, the user can retrieve data by simply scanning the optical code 122.

[0030] The software application implemented on the data transmission computing device 102 is separate from the instrument 104, but is located inside the boundary of the isolated communication network 116 of the instrument 104. This software application acts as an agent for accessing information via the optical code 122, enabling the optical reader 124 to scan and capture data for use by the supplier's software application, which is separate from the main software 208 for operating the instrument 104. Thus, a temporary one-way bridge to the isolated communication network 116 is provided and helps to transfer the data of the instrument 104 to the supplier software application, thereby providing additional value to the customer, such as the service and maintenance of the instrument 104. The security boundary of the automated system is maintained, and the communication network 116 remains secure and protected. The supplier of the instrument 104 can service the instrument 104 without having to visit in person, thus greatly reducing costs and labor and improving the efficiency and effectiveness of providing services. The systems and methods described herein also facilitate obtaining data without disturbing the operation of the instrument 104. The systems and methods described herein meet the long-term needs of security-conscious customers because the systems and methods do not pose any security issues due to physical or wireless connections.

[0031] Figure 1B is a flowchart of an example method 150 for data transmission from an instrument to an application. The application 118 is disconnected from the instrument 104, where the instrument 104 is located within the communication network 116 isolated from the application 118 and is not connected to the application 118 via a physical connection or wireless communication except for the unidirectional transmission via the optical code 122. In an example embodiment, the method 150 includes the action of receiving 152 an optical code corresponding to an application among one or more applications. The action of obtaining the optical code may include scanning the optical code. The method 150 also includes retrieving 154 data from one or more instruments. The data includes the data of the one or more instruments at the moment of this action. The method 150 also includes encoding 156 the data into the optical code.

[0032] Figure 2An example data transfer system 100 - FDI is shown. In an example embodiment, method 150 is implemented in any application that complies with the Field Device Driver Integration (FDI) standard, such as an FDI device driver. The FDI device driver is depicted as an example for illustrative purposes only. The device driver can be programmed using other technologies, such as Field Device Technology Device Type Manager (FDT / DTM) technology. FDI is a standardized communication technology used in process automation for connecting and communicating with field instruments over wires. The FDI driver pairs with the field instrument 104, enabling the field instrument 104 to operate seamlessly with the host software 208 system of any vendor. Method 150 and the instructions for performing method 150 are included in the FDI driver of the instrument 104. The optical code 122 can be accessed on the host software 208 or a computing device that has installed the FDI device driver 202 of the instrument 104. The FDI device driver 202 includes a user interface through which a user can browse the diagnostic values, configurations, and other information of the instrument 104.

[0033] In operation, the instrument 104 performs its operations and communicates with connected devices or systems through a communication mechanism such as command / response or data publishing. The communication protocol can be Modbus. The device driver 202 based on FDI technology (or based on FDT / DTM) uses the FDI package (or DTM) of the instrument 104 that has been imported by the device driver 202 to interact with the instrument 104. The device driver 202 provides access to data from the instrument 104 through an instrument - vendor - specific user interface 120. The device driver 202 is typically used to configure, monitor, maintain, and / or diagnose the instrument 104. An example device driver 202 is the Field Information Manager (FIM). The FDI package (or DTM) or software application of the instrument 104 includes logic to extract the required data from the instrument 104 and format the data into the optical code 122. The FDI package (or DTM) can include a user interface 120 that presents a menu to the user. The user can use the user interface 120 to access various data sets through the dynamically generated optical code 122. An optical reader 124, such as a mobile phone, tablet, or laptop, scans and captures the optical code 122 and provides the data encoded in the optical code 122 to an application 118, such as a vendor software application. The application 118 can run on the same optical reader 124, another device accessible via wired or wireless communication, or a cloud - based computing device. The application 118 further processes the data and provides actions and / or feedback based on the processing.

[0034] Figure 3Another example data transfer system 100 - SCADA is shown. In an example embodiment, method 150 and the instructions for performing method 150 are implemented on a data transfer computing device 102 connected to instrument 104. The data transfer computing device 102 communicates with instrument 104 in a format specified by a Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) communication protocol. Data is retrieved from the instrument and formatted or packaged according to the SCADA communication protocol. Data from instrument 104 is transmitted using a SCADA communication protocol such as Modbus or OPCUA (Unified Architecture).

[0035] Figure 4 Another example data transfer system 100 - r is shown. In an example embodiment, method 150 and the instructions for performing method 150 are implemented on a data transfer computing device 102 that is remote from instrument 104 but within the isolated communication network 116 of instrument 104. The instrument may not have a visual display on instrument xxx or the main software xxx. Instrument 104 is accessed via a web browser on data transfer computing device 102. The web page displays access to the data of instrument 104, such as menu 126 and optical codes 122 for different applications 118.

[0036] The computer - implemented methods discussed herein may include more, fewer, or alternative actions, including actions discussed elsewhere herein. The method may be implemented via one or more local or remote processors, transceivers, and / or sensors (such as processors, transceivers, and / or sensors mounted on a mobile device or associated with smart infrastructure or a remote server) and / or via computer - executable instructions stored on a non - transitory computer - readable medium or media.

[0037] Furthermore, the computer systems discussed herein may include more, fewer, or alternative functionality, including functionality discussed elsewhere herein. The computer systems discussed herein may include or be implemented via computer - executable instructions stored on a non - transitory computer - readable medium or media.

[0038] At least a portion of the methods described herein may be implemented in any suitable computer device 800 and the software implemented therein. The data transfer computing device 102 may be any suitable computer device 800 and the software implemented therein. Figure 5is a block diagram of an example computer device 800. In an example embodiment, the computer device 800 includes a user interface 804 that receives at least one input from a user. The user interface 804 may include a keyboard 806 that enables a user to input relevant information. The user interface 804 may also include, for example, a pointing device, a mouse, a stylus, a touch-sensing panel (e.g., a touchpad and a touch screen), a gyroscope, an accelerometer, a position detector, and / or an audio input interface (e.g., including a microphone).

[0039] In addition, in an example embodiment, the computer device 800 includes a presentation interface 817 that presents information to the user, such as input events and / or verification results. The presentation interface 817 may also include a display adapter 808 coupled to at least one display device 810. More specifically, in an example embodiment, the display device 810 may be a visual display device, such as a cathode ray tube (CRT), a liquid crystal display (LCD), a light-emitting diode (LED) display, and / or an "electronic ink" display. Alternatively, the presentation interface 817 may include an audio output device (e.g., an audio adapter and / or a speaker) and / or a printer.

[0040] The computer device 800 also includes a processor 814 and a memory device 818. The processor 814 is coupled to the user interface 804, the presentation interface 817, and the memory device 818 via a system bus 820. In an example embodiment, the processor 814 communicates with the user, such as by prompting the user via the presentation interface 817 and / or receiving user input via the user interface 804. The term "processor" generally refers to any programmable system, including systems and microcontrollers, reduced instruction set computers (RISC), complex instruction set computers (CISC), application-specific integrated circuits (ASIC), programmable logic circuits (PLC), and any other circuit or processor capable of performing the functions described herein. The above examples are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the definition and / or meaning of the term "processor" in any way.

[0041] In an example embodiment, the memory device 818 includes one or more devices that enable information, such as executable instructions and / or other data, to be stored and retrieved. Additionally, the memory device 818 includes one or more computer-readable media, such as but not limited to dynamic random access memory (DRAM), static random access memory (SRAM), solid state disks, and / or hard disks. In an example embodiment, the memory device 818 stores (but is not limited to) application source code, application object code, configuration data, additional input events, application states, assertion statements, verification results, and / or any other type of data. In an example embodiment, the computer device 800 may also include a communication interface 830 coupled to the processor 814 via a system bus 820. Additionally, the communication interface 830 is communicatively coupled to a data acquisition device.

[0042] In an example embodiment, the processor 814 may be programmed by encoding operations using one or more executable instructions and providing the executable instructions in the memory device 818. In an example embodiment, the processor 814 is programmed to select a plurality of measurements received from a data acquisition device.

[0043] In operation, the computer executes computer-executable instructions embodied in one or more computer-executable components stored on one or more computer-readable media to implement aspects of the invention described and / or illustrated herein. Unless otherwise specified, the order of execution or performance of the operations in the embodiments of the invention described and illustrated herein is not essential. That is, unless otherwise specified, the operations may be performed in any order, and the embodiments of the invention may include more or fewer operations than those disclosed herein. For example, it is contemplated that performing or executing a particular operation before, concurrently with, or after another operation is within the scope of aspects of the invention.

[0044] At least a portion of the methods described herein may also be implemented with a server computer device 1001. Figure 6 An example configuration of the server computer device 1001 is illustrated. The server computer device 1001 also includes a processor 1005 for executing instructions. For example, the instructions may be stored in a storage area 1030. The processor 1005 may include one or more processing units (e.g., in a multi-core configuration).

[0045] The processor 1005 is operatively coupled to a communication interface 1015 such that the server computer device 1001 can communicate with a remote device or another server computer device 1001. For example, the communication interface 1015 may receive data from an optical reader 124 via the Internet.

[0046] The processor 1005 may also be operably coupled to a storage device 1034. The storage device 1034 is any computer-operable hardware suitable for storing and / or retrieving data. In some embodiments, the storage device 1034 is integrated within the server computer device 1001. For example, the server computer device 1001 may include one or more hard disk drives as the storage device 1034. In other embodiments, the storage device 1034 is external to the server computer device 1001 and may be accessed by multiple server computer devices 1001. For example, the storage device 1034 may include multiple storage units, such as hard disks and / or solid state disks in a redundant array of independent disks (RAID) configuration. The storage device 1034 may include a storage area network (SAN) and / or a network attached storage (NAS) system.

[0047] In some embodiments, the processor 1005 is operably coupled to the storage device 1034 via a storage interface 1020. The storage interface 1020 is any component capable of providing the processor 1005 access to the storage device 1034. The storage interface 1020 may include, for example, an advanced technology attachment (ATA) adapter, a serial ATA (SATA) adapter, a small computer system interface (SCSI) adapter, a RAID controller, a SAN adapter, a network adapter, and / or any component that provides the processor 1005 access to the storage device 1034.

[0048] At least one technical effect of the systems and methods described herein includes (a) retrieving data from an instrument in an isolated communication network to an application outside the communication network without adding a second communication channel; (b) dynamically updating an optical code encoding data from the instrument; (c) securely and conveniently transferring data from the instrument to the application; and (d) transferring data from the instrument to the application for further processing and feedback.

[0049] Example embodiments of systems and methods for data transfer are described in detail above. The systems and methods are not limited to the specific embodiments described herein, but rather the components of the system and / or the operations of the method may be utilized independently of other components and / or operations described herein. Additionally, the described components and / or operations may also be defined in or used in conjunction with other systems, methods, and / or devices and are not limited to being practiced solely using the systems described herein.

[0050] As used herein, an element or step recited in the singular and preceded by the word "a" or "an" should be understood as not excluding plural elements or steps, unless expressly stated to the contrary. In addition, a reference to "an example" or "one example" of the present disclosure is not to be construed as excluding the existence of additional examples that also incorporate the recited features. Further, with respect to the terms "comprising," "having," "including," and variations thereof used herein, these terms are intended to be inclusive in a manner similar to the term "including" as an open transitional word and do not exclude any additional or other elements.

[0051] Although specific features of various embodiments of the present invention may be shown in some figures and not in others, this is for convenience only. In accordance with the principles of the present invention, any feature in one figure can be referenced and / or claimed in combination with any feature in any other figure.

[0052] This written description uses examples to disclose the present invention, including the best mode, and also enables any person skilled in the art to practice the present invention, including making and using any device or system and performing any incorporated method. The patentable scope of the present invention is defined by the claims and may include other examples that occur to those skilled in the art. Such other examples are intended to fall within the scope of the claims if they have structural elements that do not differ from the literal language of the claims, or if they include equivalent structural elements that do not differ substantially from the literal language of the claims.

Claims

1. A data transfer system for transferring data from one or more instruments to one or more applications, the data transfer system comprising a data transfer computing device, the data transfer computing device comprising at least one processor in communication with at least one memory device, wherein the at least one processor is programmed to: receiving an action of acquiring an optical code corresponding to an application among the one or more applications; retrieving data requested by the application from one or more instruments, wherein the data includes data of the one or more instruments at the time of the action; and encoding said data into said optical code, The one or more applications are disconnected from the one or more instruments.

2. The data transmission system of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is configured to execute computer executable instructions programmed in a device driver for the one or more instruments.

3. The data transmission system of claim 1 , wherein to retrieve the data from the one or more instruments, the at least one processor is further programmed to: A Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) protocol is used to communicate with the one or more instruments. 4 . The data transmission system according to claim 1 , wherein the data transmission computing device is remote from the one or more instruments and is located in a communication network of the one or more instruments.

5. The data transmission system of claim 1 , wherein the optical code comprises a two-dimensional (2D) visual code, and the at least one processor is further programmed to: Receiving an action of acquiring the 2D visual code; and The data is encoded into the 2D visual code.

6. The data transmission system according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the optical code comprises a film of a 2D visual code, and the at least one processor is further programmed to: An action of receiving a movie for acquiring the 2D visual code; and The data is encoded into a movie of the 2D visual code.

7. A computer-implemented method for transferring data from one or more instruments to one or more applications, the method comprising: receiving an action of acquiring an optical code corresponding to an application among the one or more applications; retrieving data from the one or more instruments, wherein the data includes data of the one or more instruments at the time of the action; as well as encoding said data into said optical code, The one or more applications are disconnected from the one or more instruments.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, further comprising: The data is processed by the application.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, further comprising: relaying, by the application, the data to another application; as well as The data is processed by the other application.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, further comprising: Feedback is provided based on processing of the data.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, wherein retrieving the data further comprises: Data requested by the application is retrieved from the one or more instruments.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, wherein the method further comprises: The data is packaged into a format requested by the application.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, wherein: Receiving the action further comprises receiving an action of acquiring the optical code comprising a two-dimensional (2D) visual code; and Encoding the data further comprises encoding the data into the 2D visual code.

14. A computer-implemented method according to any one of claims 7 to 13, wherein: The act of receiving further comprises an act of acquiring the optical code of the film including the 2D visual code; and Encoding the data further comprises encoding the data into a movie of the 2D visual code.

15. One or more computer-readable storage media for transferring data from one or more instruments to one or more applications, comprising a plurality of instructions stored on the one or more computer-readable storage media that, in response to being executed, cause a system to: receiving an action of acquiring an optical code corresponding to an application among the one or more applications; retrieving data from the one or more instruments, wherein the data includes data of the one or more instruments at the time of the action; and encoding said data into said optical code, The one or more applications are disconnected from the one or more instruments.

16. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 15, wherein the plurality of instructions, in response to being executed, further cause the system to: The data requested by the application is retrieved from the one or more instruments.

17. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 15, wherein the plurality of instructions are programmed into a device driver for the one or more instruments.

18. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 15, wherein the plurality of instructions, in response to being executed, further cause the system to: A Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) protocol is used to communicate with the one or more instruments.

19. One or more computer-readable storage media according to claim 15, wherein the plurality of instructions, in response to being executed, also cause the system to display access to the one or more instruments on a web page on a data transmission computing device, the data transmission computing device being remote from the one or more instruments and located in a communication network of the one or more instruments.

20. One or more computer-readable storage media according to any one of claims 15 to 19, wherein the plurality of instructions, in response to being executed, further cause the system to: Receiving an action of acquiring the optical code of the film including a two-dimensional 2D visual code; and The data is encoded into a movie of the 2D visual code.

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