Mass flow controller with near field communication and/or USB interface to receive power from external device

• US 10,114,387 B2
• Filed: 03/07/2014
• Issued: 10/30/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.
• Original Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.
• Inventors: Ellec, Christophe, Banares, Berwin
• Primary Examiner(s): Suryawanshi, Suresh
• Application Number:
  US14/772,868
• Publication Number:
  US 20160018829A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,698 Days
• Field of Search: 700282
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 7/0635 by action on throttling means G05D7/0688, G05D7/0694 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

The disclosed embodiments include several embodiments of a mass flow controller and methods for configuring a mass flow controller. For example, in one embodiment, the method includes automatically displaying a current configuration parameter, such as, but not limited to, a MacID and/or baud rate, in response to receiving power, from an external device, at a communication interface, such as, but not limited to, a near-field communication interface and/or a universal serial bus communication interface of the mass flow controller. The method adjusts the configuration parameter based on user input and stores the configuration parameter in memory while being powered by the external device.

Claims

1. A mass flow controller comprising:

an inlet for receiving fluid;

a flow path in which the fluid passes through the mass flow controller;

a near-field communication component configured to communicate with an external device and to receive power from the external device to power at least one of a memory, a configuration setting logic component, and a display of the mass flow controller;

a mass flow sensor for providing a signal corresponding to mass flow of the fluid through the flow path;

an valve for regulating a flow of the fluid out of an outlet of the mass flow controller; and

at least one processing component configured to execute instructions to perform operations comprising controlling the valve based on a desired mass flow rate;

wherein the near-field communication component is configured to cause the logic component to automatically execute another set of instructions to perform operations comprising;

adjusting a configuration parameter based on received input.

2. The mass flow controller of claim 1, wherein the logic circuit is further configured to execute instructions to perform operations further comprising:

automatically displaying the current configuration parameter in response to receiving power at NFC communication interface of the mass flow controller from an external device; and

storing the configuration parameter in memory while being powered by the external device.

3. The mass flow controller of claim 2, wherein the configuration parameter is a media access control identifier of the mass flow controller.

4. The mass flow controller of claim 2, wherein the configuration parameter is a baud rate of the mass flow controller.

5. The mass flow controller of claim 2, wherein adjusting the configuration parameter based on user input is performed in response to receiving user input from one or more push buttons located on the mass flow controller.

6. The mass flow controller of claim 2, wherein adjusting the configuration parameter based on user input is performed in response to receiving the configuration parameters from the external device.

18. The mass flow controller of claim 1, wherein the logic compenent is further configured to execute instructions to perform operations further comprising reading the configuration parameter and communicating the configuration parameter to the external device.

19. The mass flow controller of claim 18, wherein the logic component is further configured to execute instructions to perform operations further comprising receiving an adjusted value for the configuration parameter from the external device.

7. A mass flow controller comprising:

an inlet for receiving fluid;

a flow path in which the fluid passes through the mass flow controller;

a universal serial bus communication component configured to communicate with an external device and to receive power from the external device to power at least one of a memory, a configuration setting logic component, and a display of the mass flow controller;

a mass flow sensor for providing a signal corresponding to mass flow of the fluid through the flow path;

an valve for regulating a flow of the fluid out of an outlet of the mass flow controller; and

at least one processing component configured to execute instructions to perform operations comprising controlling the valve based on a desired mass flow rate

wherein the universal serial bus communication interface causes the logic component to automatically execute another set of instructions in response to receiving the power from the external device to perform operations comprising;

adjusting a configuration parameter based on received input.

8. The mass flow controller of claim 7, wherein the logic circuit is further configured to execute instructions to perform operations further comprising:

automatically displaying the current configuration parameter in response to receiving power at a USB communication interface of the mass flow controller from an external device; and

storing the configuration parameter in memory while being powered by the external device.

9. The mass flow controller of claim 8, wherein the configuration parameter is a media access control identifier of the mass flow controller.

10. The mass flow controller of claim 8, wherein the configuration parameter is a baud rate of the mass flow controller.

20. The mass flow controller of claim 7, wherein the logic component is further configured to execute instructions to perform operations further comprising:

reading the configuration parameter;

communicating the configuration parameter to the external device; and

setting an adjusted configuration parameter in response to receiving the adjusted configuration parameter from the external device.

11. A method for configuring a mass flow controller, the method comprising:

receiving power from an external device over a communications interface to power at least one of a memory, a configuration setting logic component, and a display of the mass flow controller;

executing a set of instructions specific to the logic component in response to receiving power from the external device;

automatically displaying, in response to executing, a current configuration parameter;

adjusting the configuration parameter based on user input; and

storing the configuration parameter in memory while being powered by the external device.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the configuration parameter is a media access control identifier of the mass flow controller.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the configuration parameter is a baud rate of the mass flow controller.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the communication interface that provides power to the mass flow controller is a near-field communication interface.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the communication interface that provides power to the mass flow controller is a universal serial bus communication interface.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein adjusting the configuration parameter based on user input is performed in response to receiving user input from one or more push buttons located on the mass flow controller.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein adjusting the configuration parameter based on user input is performed in response to receiving the configuration parameters from the external device.