3914 results about "Field device" patented technology

A wireless field device is disclosed. The field device includes a wireless communications module and an energy conversion module. The wireless communications module is configured to wirelessly communicate process-related information with another device. The energy conversion module is coupled to the wireless communications module. The energy conversion module is configured to couple to a thermal source, and to generate electricity from thermal potential energy in the thermal source.

Smart graphic elements are provided for use as portions or components of one or more graphic displays, which may be executed in a process plant to display information to users about the process plant environment, such as the current state of devices within the process plant. Each of the graphic elements is an executable object that includes a property or a variable that may be bound to an associated process entity, like a field device, and that includes multiple visualizations, each of which may be used to graphically depict the associated process entity on a user interface when the graphic element is executed as part of the graphic display. Any of the graphic element visualizations may be used in any particular graphic display and the same graphic display may use different ones of the visualizations at different times. The different visualizations associated with a graphic element make the graphic element more versatile, at they allow the same graphic element to be used in different displays using different graphical styles or norms. These visualizations also enable the same graphic element to be used in displays designed for different types of display devices, such as display devices having large display screens, standard computer screens and very small display screens, such as PDA and telephone display screens.

A system and method provide for the creation and operation of real-time enterprise-wide, personalize supervisory and control data acquisition systems. Personalized SCADA applications are constructed from a virtual application service and a personal agent framework using simple drag and drop operations or other high level action. The virtual application service includes a communications gateway that communicates with disparate and non-interoperable systems and external field devices to communicate low level time data collected from such systems into the application environment transforming the collected data in a single common data format. The virtual application service includes application cells that receive the reformatted data and process it to provide high level analysis and context, storing the processed data in an object server. The object server provides a unified, hierarchical object model for all of the data received from the underlying devices and systems. The virtual application service communicates with personal agent frameworks containing presentation cells and service agents. The service agents are representative of the virtual application service, and provide the personal agent framework with access to the object server to receive and send data from the object server to the presentation cells. The presentation cells subscribe to the object server's data objects via the service agent. Presentation cell provide a graphical representation and mapping of data objects and hence underlying devices and systems, to allow a user to manage and control such systems.

An elevated mesh network supported and operably coupled to street lamps can be used to remotely monitor and control field devices. The packet transceiver modules of the mesh network can also be coupled to sensors that monitor operation of a street lamp as well as environmental conditions. The elevated mesh network supported by street lamps can use RF links to couple with one or more remote field devices that also have packet transceiver modules. The elevated mesh network can also include a communications gateway that couples the elevated mesh network to an asynchronous communications system. The communications gateway is a store and forward system that can periodically connect to the asynchronous communications system in order to upload compressed data derived from the remote field devices. The asynchronous communications system can connect the elevated mesh network to a back-end computer system that may monitor, diagnose, and control the remote field devices.

A mobile terminal is arranged to communicate over a cellular communication system with a control system connected to a plurality of field devices in an industrial process, in order to remote control, configure or monitor the field devices. The mobile terminal accesses through a dedicated data connection established over the cellular communication system an interactive user interface associated with the control system and arranged to utilize the configuration, control and management data of the control system. In the preferred embodiment, the interactive user interface is provided by a World Wide Web server.

A handheld communicator wirelessly interfaces or communicates with individual devices in a process control system, such as field devices, controllers, etc., to wirelessly perform monitoring, maintenance, configuration and control activities with respect to those devices. The wireless handheld communicator includes a housing adapted for handheld operation, a processing unit disposed within the housing, a computer readable memory disposed within the housing and coupled to the processing unit and a display, a keypad and a radio frequency transceiver. The handheld communicator may be adapted to communicate with a host system to receive information needed to communicate with various field devices in the process plant and may then be used to wirelessly communicate with each of the various field devices directly while in close proximity to the field devices to perform monitoring and configuration activities with respect to the field devices. Thereafter, information obtained from the field devices may be wirelessly communicated to the host system or to a repository, such as a data historian or a configuration database.

A system for measuring and analyzing radio frequency power proximate and within a wireless field device mesh network. A centralized software module (CSWM) collects and analyzes values from one or more wireless devices of the wireless field device mesh network representing received RF power measurements on an assigned RF channel and values representing corresponding times of the received RF power measurements. Each wireless device measures received RF power on the assigned RF channel at times other than during reception of a signal resulting in transmission by the wireless device of either an acknowledgment signal or a non-acknowledgement signal. Values representing the received RF power measurements and the corresponding times of the received RF power measurements are determined from the stored received RF power measurements and corresponding times and then discarded. These values are stored within the wireless device until successfully reported. A network manager coordinates communication between the wireless devices and synchronizes the corresponding times of received RF power measurement throughout the wireless field device mesh network.

A wireless power and communication unit for field devices is configured to connect to a field device and provide operating power and wired digital communication between the unit and the field device. RF circuitry in the unit is configured for radio frequency communication. In one embodiment, power supply circuitry in the unit includes one or more solar power cells that convert solar energy into electricity to power both the unit and the field device. The unit interacts with the field device in accordance with a standard industry communication protocol. The unit communicates wirelessly with an external device, such as a control room, based upon the interaction with the field device.

A control system uses a wireless mesh network to provide communication between a host computer and field devices. Performance of the wireless mesh network is monitored by collecting network performance data from each node, such as the nodes with which it is communicating, received signal strengths over links to different nodes, the number of errors occurring on each link, and how frequently communication is occurring with each of the other nodes. A visual network map is generated using performance statistics based on the data gathered from the nodes of the wireless mesh network. The visual network map allows a user to determine the routes that messages take through the wireless mesh network, diagnose potential problems, and make adjustments to improve network performance.

A portable communicator for operating a field device. The portable communicator is configured to communicate with the field device to configure and / or analyze performance of a field device in an efficient manner. In some embodiments, the portable communicator includes an intuitive user interface that allows the user to perform a relatively limited set of preconfigured procedures on a field device. The portable communicator may communicate with the field device via a wire and / or wirelessly. In one embodiment, the portable communicator is a Bluetooth-enabled smartphone, a PDA, a pocket PC, or any Bluetooth-enabled generic mobile communication device. The portable communicator may communicate with the field device via a wireless communication unit (e.g., Bluetooth modem) coupled to the field device. In a process plant environment, in which the field device is coupled to a controller, the portable communicator may communicate with the field device without communicating with the controller.

The invention provides improved methods and apparatus for control using field and control devices that provide a virtual machine environment and that communicate via an IP network. By way of non-limiting example, such field device can be an “intelligent” transmitter or actuator that includes a low power processor, along with a random access memory, a read-only memory, FlashRAM, and a sensor interface. The processor can execute a real-time operating system, as well as a Java virtual machine (JVM). Java byte code executes in the JVM to configure the field device to perform typical process control functions, e.g., for proportional integral derivative (PID) control and signal conditioning. Control networks can include a plurality of such field and control devices interconnected by an IP network, such as an Ethernet.

A multi-mode communication system for a mobile phone includes a plurality of antennas, a plurality of matching networks, each matching network connected to a respective one of said plurality of antennas, a plurality of near field devices, each near field device connected to a respective one of said plurality of matching networks, each pair of near field device and its associated matching network operative to either load modulate its antenna or generate an active magnetic field via its antenna, a plurality of switches, with one of said switches positioned between each of said matching networks and its respective antenna, and a controller for controlling the switched state of said plurality of switches such that one or more of said near field devices and their respective matching networks are selectively coupled to their respective antennas.

A process controller implements an overall, user-developed control strategy in a process control network that includes distributed controller and field devices, such as Fieldbus and non-Fieldbus devices. A user defines the control strategy by building a plurality of function blocks and control modules and downloading or installing user-specified portions of the control strategy into the Fieldbus devices and the non-Fieldbus devices. Thereafter, the Fieldbus devices automatically perform the downloaded portions of the overall strategy independently of other portions of the control strategy. For example in a process control system that includes distributed field devices, controllers and workstations, portions of the control strategy downloaded or installed into the field devices operate independently of and in parallel with the control operations of the controllers and the workstations, while other control operations manage the Fieldbus devices and implement other portions of the control strategy.

The present invention provides a field device whereby the device's additional information can be transmitted wirelessly without the need for battery replacement or external wiring. The present invention also provides a field device whereby the firmware of a wireless module in the field device can be developed at minimum cost and whereby it can be made easy to link the firmware to applications, such as an asset management system, on the host system side. The field device in accordance with the present invention is installed in a plant, factory, or the like, connected to a higher-order distributed control system through a signal line, configured to input or output 4-20 mA signals, and comprised of: an RF unit for transmitting or receiving radio signals; and a power supply block for accumulating extra electric currents when the block is neither transmitting nor receiving radio signals; wherein electric currents accumulated in the power supply block are supplied to the RF unit so as to be used as electric power for transmitting or receiving radio signals.

The embodiments relate to tamper protection of a field device. The method includes: checking whether manipulation of the field device has taken place; outputting a non-manipulation certificate in case a negative inspection result is determined; transferring the non-manipulation certificate; a registration device checking the non-manipulation certificate; determining an active status of the field device in case the non-manipulation certificate is valid; checking the field device by querying the status of the field device; transferring field device data to the monitoring device; and accepting the field device data if the field device has an active status. The invention further relates to a monitoring system for a field device and a use.

An arrangement, storage medium, and method are provided for accessing monitoring data from a storage arrangement of a processing system using a Web Service, in which the monitoring data is associated with a field device. For example, the monitoring data may be in an Extensible Markup Language (“XML”) format, and a Simple Object Access Protocol can be used to access a particular portion of the monitoring data from the database. Moreover, based on the monitoring data, the field device can be replaced before problems arise therewith.

The invention relates to device diagnostics in industrial processes comprising field devices employing a field bus. A remote diagnostics device (1) is placed in connection with a process device (2), separate from the field devices and the field bus. The remote diagnostics device comprises diagnostics electronics which collects diagnostics data relating to the process device, and a transmitter part for wireless (17) transmission of the diagnostics data to a near-by field device. The field device comprises a receiver part (41) for wireless (17) reception of the diagnostics data from said remote diagnostics device (1). A field device control unit (430) analyses the received diagnostics data and transmits a diagnostics report over a field bus interface (44) and the field bus to a diagnostics computer.

A field device for use in an industrial process control or monitoring system includes terminals configured to connect to a two-wire process control loop. The loop carries data and provides power to the field device. RF circuitry in the field device is provided for radio frequency communication. A power supply powers the RF circuitry using power received from the two-wire process control loop.

A system that employs a chosen one of a plurality of presentation selections to present information from a field device. The system has a field device interface that configures the field device in accordance with the chosen presentation selection. A control configurator programs the field device interface in accordance with the chosen presentation selection.

An interface module for use in a process monitoring and control system has an Ethernet port, a controller, and at least one segment I / O module. The Ethernet port is adapted to send and receive signals in an Ethernet protocol over a cable comprising a plurality of wires and to receive a voltage potential from at least one pair of the plurality of wires. The controller is coupled to the Ethernet port and powered from the received voltage potential. The at least one segment I / O module is coupled to the controller and is adapted to couple to an associated field device segment with at least one attached field device. The at least one segment I / O module is adapted to interact with the at least one attached field device on the associated field device segment.

A method of providing a wireless extension to a plant automation network connected to a plurality of wired devices, each wired device performing a process control function, includes connecting a plurality of wireless devices to the plant automation network, each of the plurality of wireless devices adapted to communicate with at least another one of the plurality of wireless devices via at least one respective wireless connection; and providing access to each of the plurality of wireless devices from a host disposed in the plant automation network, such that the host accesses the plurality of wired devices and the plurality of wireless devices using a common communication scheme.

Systems and methods may enable first incident responder management and support. System and methods enabled by software may utilize communications networks and location based systems such as the Global Positioning System (GPS) to locate the incident and response units, and to relay and share critical incident management information for use by other emergency response operators associated with an emergency scene. Maps and icons may be accessed and utilized over devices in the field. Software modules enable a system operator to use maps and a selection of user interface objects such as custom icons symbolizing a list of responders (police, fire, rescue, military) called forward and may designate specific geographic positions for managing a crisis.

A field device includes diagnostic circuitry adapted to measure a characteristic related to a process control and measurement system. The measured characteristic is used to provide a diagnostic output indicative of a condition of the process control and measurement system. The measured characteristic can be provided to a diagnostic module that operates upon the measured characteristic to predict, or otherwise model, a condition of the process control and measurement system.

A redundant fieldbus system provides power and communications in a parallel physical configuration between the host system and attached field devices irrespective of any single point failure in the network. In case of a fault, the redundant fieldbus system automatically eliminates the faulty section of the network, switches power and communications to the healthy portion of the network and terminates the network for signal integrity. A device coupler for the system may include a fault detector coupled to an auto-termination circuit that terminates a fieldbus cable when a fault is detected. The device coupler may include fault detection and isolation coupled to each set of spur terminals used to connect field devices to the device coupler. A field device for the system may include circuitry for deselecting a faulty cable while maintaining connection to a healthy cable.

An elevated mesh network supported and operably coupled to street lamps can be used to remotely monitor and control field devices. The packet transceiver modules of the mesh network can also be coupled to sensors that monitor operation of a street lamp as well as environmental conditions. The elevated mesh network supported by street lamps can use RF links to couple with one or more remote field devices that also have packet transceiver modules. The elevated mesh network can also include a communications gateway that couples the elevated mesh network to an asynchronous communications system. The communications gateway is a store and forward system that can periodically connect to the asynchronous communications system in order to upload compressed data derived from the remote field devices. The asynchronous communications system can connect the elevated mesh network to a back-end computer system that may monitor, diagnose, and control the remote field devices.

A wireless process device for use in an industrial process control or monitoring system comprising includes a power source configured to power the process device. Diagnostic circuitry is configured to diagnose operation of process device and provides a diagnostic output. Wireless communication circuitry transmits information over a wireless communication link.

A tracking system is described having at least two mobile transmitter / receivers (“transceivers”) which sense and respond to at least one tracking transceiver. The signals sent to and received from the mobile transceivers are analyzed to get a distance (range) that each is from the tracking transceiver. This can be converted into a position relative to the mobile transceivers. If there are enough transceivers, and at least one knows its absolute location, the absolute location of the mobile transceivers may be determined. Existing smartphones, cellphones, Wi-Fi routers, Bluetooth devices, and near-field devices that have on-board processors, can be modified to run executable code to implement the current invention. They may communicate using at least one of the modalities for tracking. These may be implemented in tracking the position and orientation of moving devices, such as a head-mounted display for virtual / Augmented Reality, automobiles, packages in a package delivery truck. The system may also be implemented to identify and keep track of the last known location of various objects.

A method or apparatus automatically configures a control module for synchronous execution on a Fieldbus segment of a process control network by determining if all of the critical function blocks of a particular control module can be assigned to FOUNDATION® Fieldbus field devices or to the I / O device associated with a particular Fieldbus segment. If so, the method or apparatus automatically assigns the function blocks of the control module, which would otherwise be scheduled to execute in a controller, to the I / O device for the Fieldbus segment. This technique enables all of the critical or necessary function blocks within the control module to execute in one macrocycle of the Fieldbus segment, thereby executing synchronously on a Fieldbus segment. This operation, in turn, increases the overall execution rate of the control module with respect to control modules that have function blocks split between a controller and field devices on a Fieldbus segment, which has been the traditional manner of configuring control modules implemented using devices on a Fieldbus segment.