Procedure for commissioning a sensor for process and automation technology via a mobile device

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for commissioning a sensor (10) for process and automation technology, in which as many tasks and computing processes as possible are outsourced to a mobile device (20), e.g. a smartphone, during the configuration for mobile radio communication (1), and then a finished, locally optimal configuration of the mobile radio connection is transferred to the sensor (10) in a very energy-efficient manner, preferably via an NFC or Bluetooth data connection (3).

Description

The invention relates to a method for commissioning a sensor for process and automation technology via a mobile radio device and in this case in particular to the simple and energy-efficient configuration of the sensor.A sensor or measuring device for process and automation technology is used for detecting a physical variable and essentially comprises a sensor element, an electronics unit for evaluating and / or processing the measurement signals generated by the sensor element, and an electrical interface via which the measuring device is supplied with energy and the generated measurement signals can be picked up by a superordinate control unit.The sensor element, also referred to as a measurement pickup, serves for the detection and conversion of a physical measured variable of a process value into a measurement signal. In process technology, the measurement pickup serves in particular for detecting pressure, temperature, flow or throughflow or filling levels of a medium in a container. In addition, there are still further applications in automation technology, wherein optical, capacitive and inductive proximity switches or proximity sensors and oscillation monitoring systems are mentioned here by way of example.In addition to cable-bound sensors, in which the signal transmission and the energy supply take place via a corresponding cable connection, wireless sensors are also known. These have an autonomous energy supply, for example by a battery unit, and transmit the measurement signals via a wireless data connection into an end system. The advantage of such wireless sensors is in particular that they can be used at particularly exposed positions and can easily be retrofitted to inventory installations (so-called retrofit).US 2005 / 0151719 A1 discloses a method and a system for installing and monitoring a proximity sensor. The data generated by the sensor may be transmitted from the sensor to a mobile device (e.g., a PDA, laptop, etc.) having a processor to process the data and a graphical user interface, where the data may be displayed and edited by a user of the mobile device to accurately position the sensor and the target for installation and maintenance. The data may eventually be stored in a database that the mobile device can access.DE 10 2014 106 409 A1 discloses a system for configuring and monitoring a position sensor which serves for determining a position position, angular position, rotational speed and / or speed of a machine component. The system comprises at least the position sensor and a configuration unit for configuring and monitoring the position sensor. The configuration unit is connected to the position sensor via a first data connection and to at least one operating device via a second data connection. The operating device serves for receiving, storing and transmitting configuration data of the position sensor. The configuration unit can have a web server for data transmission and can be used for controlling various parameters of the position sensor.From US 2018 / 02271 A1 a sensor registration method is known, comprising generating mapping information associating port information with sensor information. The port information identifies a port of a first communication device to which a sensor is connected, and the sensor information includes a sensor type.US 2023 / 0412455 A1 discloses a system for automatic in situ calibration of sensors in IoT systems (Internet of Things). Emulators are included which generate calibration setpoint values and memory units in which the data necessary for the calibration are stored. By monitoring the sensor outputs during normal operation, calibration losses or data integrity problems can be detected. If such a problem is detected, automatic calibration can be carried out.US 2024 / 0078892 A1 discloses a method and devices for managing sensors and data processing devices. The reception of an image of a sensor from a mobile device is described. The image contains a QR code. The sensor is identified on the basis of the QR code. Based on the identification of the sensor, the sensor is added to a list of sensors.One challenge is the start-up of wireless sensors with autonomous power supply via mobile radio, since it requires a lot of energy. The reasons for this are, in particular, intensive computing work of the sensor in the search and selection of mobile radio providers and mobile radio networks, the download and installation of firmware updates and the dialing into an external end system, for example a cloud computer. When these processes are performed by the sensor itself, they are at the expense of battery capacity. On the other hand, wireless sensors must be particularly energy-efficient in order to ensure the longest possible running time.It is the object of the invention to improve the startup of, in particular, wirelessly operating sensors with regard to the energy requirement.The object is achieved according to the invention by a method having the features of claim 1. Advantageous embodiments of the invention are specified in the dependent claims.The core of the invention is to offload as many tasks and computing processes as possible to a mobile radio device, for example a smartphone, during startup, and thus to conserve the battery of the sensor.The invention is based on a sensor that comprises at least two communication interfaces and a memory unit. A first communication interface is configured to communicatively connect the sensor to a mobile radio device, and a second communication interface is configured to communicatively connect the sensor to an external end system via a cellular network. A storage unit is also provided for storing sensor-specific identification data. The mobile radio device likewise comprises two communication interfaces, of which a first communication interface is configured to communicatively connect the mobile radio device to the sensor as a counterpart to the first communication interface of the sensor, and a second communication interface is configured to establish a mobile radio connection.According to the invention, the startup process comprises the following method steps. First, a wireless data connection is established between the sensor and the mobile radio device via the respective first communication interfaces, preferably via an NFC or Bluetooth connection. Via this data connection, the sensor identification data and the data necessary for the mobile radio communication of the sensor are transmitted from the sensor to the mobile radio device. On the basis of these data, the mobile radio simulates the sensor and initializes the sensor on the external end system, for example a cloud computer, via the mobile radio connection of the mobile radio. The initialization includes, among other things, the enabling or licenseing of the sensor, the updating of the sensor to the current firmware, a designation of the sensor for unique identification and discoverability, a parameterization of the sensor, for example with regard to the frequency of transmission, etc., and the establishment of a connection of the sensor to the external end system. The mobile radio device then advantageously determines a suitable mobile radio network and / or a suitable mobile radio provider and / or a suitable mobile radio frequency band.After initialization, the mobile radio device terminates the simulation of the sensor and the mobile radio connection with the external end system and transmits the information about the ascertained mobile radio network and / or the ascertained mobile radio provider and / or the ascertained mobile radio frequency band from the mobile radio device to the sensor via the data connection of the first communication interfaces. With these data, the sensor finally establishes its own mobile radio connection of the sensor with the external end system via its second communication interface, without having to pass through the energy-intensive self-configuration process itself.This method significantly improves the startup of a sensor, which operates in particular wirelessly, with regard to the load on its battery unit, since during this all energy-intensive processes are transferred to a mobile radio device, for example a smartphone, and finally a finished, on-site optimal configuration of the mobile radio connection is transmitted to the sensor in a very energy-saving manner, preferably via an NFC or Bluetooth data connection.The invention is explained in more detail below on the basis of an exemplary embodiment with reference to the drawing.FIG. 1 schematically shows the structure for carrying out the method according to the invention. The starting point is a wireless sensor 10, which has an autonomous power supply by a battery unit, not shown in detail, and is intended to transmit its measurement data via a mobile radio connection 1 to an external end system, in particular a cloud computer. A communication interface 12 is provided for this mobile radio communication. In order for this mobile radio communication to be possible, the communication interface 12 requires diverse configuration data, in particular information relating to the mobile radio network, mobile radio provider and mobile radio frequency band, which are dependent on the location of use of the sensor 10 and the sensor 10 therefore cannot be preconfigured. If the sensor 10 itself fetches these configuration data during the connection set-up, this process is comparatively energy-intensive, which ultimately results in the battery capacity being at the expense of the original but provided for the longest possible operating duration of the sensor 10 in the measurement mode. This is followed by the method according to the invention.Instead of the sensor 10 configuring itself with respect to the mobile radio communication, as many tasks and computing processes as possible are transferred to a mobile radio device 20, for example to a smartphone, during the startup, and the battery of the sensor 10 is thus saved.For this purpose, a wireless data connection 2 is initially established between the sensor 10 and the mobile radio device 20 via communication interfaces 11, 21 respectively provided for this purpose, preferably via an NFC or Bluetooth connection. Via this data connection 2, the sensor identification data, which are stored in a memory unit 13 in the sensor 10, and the data necessary for the mobile radio communication of the sensor, in particular the data of a SIM card, are transmitted from the sensor 10 to the mobile radio 20. On the basis of these data, the mobile radio device 20 simulates the sensor 10 and initializes the sensor 10 on the external end system 3 via the mobile radio connection 1 of the mobile radio device 20.Compared to the external end system 3, the mobile radio device 20 so to speak acts as if it were the sensor 10 itself and then searches for the best configuration as if the sensor 10 itself were to establish the mobile radio connection.The determined configuration data relating to the mobile radio network, mobile radio provider and mobile radio frequency band are then transmitted from the mobile radio 20 via the wireless data connection 2 to the sensor 10, so that the sensor 10 or its communication interface 12 provided for the mobile radio communication is configured as a result in such a way as if the sensor 10 had obtained this configuration data even when the mobile radio connection is set up. Using these configuration data, the sensor 10 can then directly establish a separate mobile radio connection 1 with the external end system 3 via the communication interface 12 and transition to the intended (measurement) operating mode.List of reference characters1 Mobile radio network 2 Wireless data connection 3 External end system, cloud computer 10 Sensor 11 First communication interface of sensor 12 Second communication interface of sensor 13 Storage unit 20 Mobile radio device, smartphone 21 First communication interface of mobile radio device 22 Second communication interface of mobile radio device

Claims

Method for commissioning a sensor (10) for process and automation technology, wherein the sensor (10) comprises at least two communication interfaces (11, 12) and a storage unit (13), wherein a first communication interface (11) is configured to communicatively connect the sensor (10) to a mobile radio device (20), and a second communication interface (12) is configured to communicatively connect the sensor (10) to an external end system (3) via a mobile radio network (1), and identification data of the sensor (10) are stored in the storage unit (13), wherein the mobile radio device (20) likewise comprises two communication interfaces (21, 22), of which a first communication interface (21) is configured to communicatively connect the mobile radio device (20) to the sensor (10), and a second communication interface (22) is configured to establish a mobile radio connection (1), characterized bythe following method steps: - establishing a wireless data connection (2) between the sensor (10) and the mobile radio device (20) via the two first communication interfaces (11, 21); - transmitting the sensor identification data and the data necessary for the mobile radio communication of the sensor (10) from the sensor (10) to the mobile radio device (20); - the mobile radio device (20) simulates the sensor (10) on the basis of the received data and determines a suitable mobile radio network (1) and / or a suitable mobile radio provider and / or a suitable mobile radio frequency band; - initializing the sensor (10) on the external end system (3) via the mobile radio connection (1) of the mobile radio device (20); the mobile radio device (20) terminates the simulation of the sensor (10) and the mobile radio connection (1) with the external end system (3) and transmits the information about the ascertained mobile radio network (1) and / or the ascertained mobile radio provider and / or the ascertained mobile radio frequency band from the mobile radio device (20) via the wireless data connection (2) to the sensor (10); a mobile radio connection (1) of the sensor (10) with the external end system (3) via the second communication interface (12) of the sensor (12) on the basis of the information about the mobile radio network (1) and / or mobile radio provider and / or mobile radio frequency band previously transmitted by the mobile radio device (20).Method according to claim 1, wherein the data connection (2) is an NFC or Bluetooth connection.Method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the mobile radio device (20) is designed as a smartphone or tablet computer.Method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the external end system (3) is designed as a cloud computer.

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