Wireless device, sensor unit, wireless unit, and method for setting wireless device

• US 10,212,656 B2
• Filed: 10/24/2013
• Issued: 02/19/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Yokogawa Electric Corporation
• Original Assignee: Yokogawa Electric Corporation
• Inventors: Yamaji, Masato
• Primary Examiner(s): Wendell, Andrew
• Assistant Examiner(s): Soltanzadeh, Maryam
• Application Number:
  US14/062,546
• Publication Number:
  US 20140120843A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,944 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 11/245 Housings for sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 21/00 Measuring or testing not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0209 in terminal devices terminal devices per se H04W88/02

Abstract

A wireless device may include a sensor unit and a wireless unit. The sensor unit may include: an input/output unit that measures or manipulating a state quantity in a process; a first local communication unit that performs local communication to transmit/receive measurement results or manipulation commands for the input/output unit; and a first supply unit that supplies power to the input/output unit and the first local communication unit. The wireless unit may include: a wireless communication unit that transmits/receives the measurement results or the manipulation commands for the input/output unit; a second local communication unit that performs local communication with the first local communication unit to transmit/receive the measurement results or the manipulation commands for the input/output unit; and a second supply unit that supplies power to the wireless communication unit and the second local communication unit.

Claims

1. A wireless device comprising a sensor unit and a wireless unit that is detachable from the sensor unit,

the sensor unit including:

an input/output unit configured to perform at least one of measurement and manipulation of a state quantity in a process;

a first local communication unit configured to perform local communication with a second local communication unit included in the wireless unit to transmit measurement results by the input/output unit to the second local communication unit or receive manipulation commands for the input/output unit from the second local communication unit; and

a first supply unit configured to supply power to the input/output unit and the first local communication unit; and

a first storage unit configured to store a wireless unit setting information that defines operations of the wireless unit;

the wireless unit including;

a wireless communication unit configured to transmit/receive data to/from outside via a wireless network;

the second local communication unit configured to perform the local communication with the first local communication unit to receive the measurement results by the input/output unit from the first local communication unit or transmit the manipulation commands for the input/output unit to the first local communication unit;

a second supply unit configured to supply power to the wireless communication unit and the second local communication unit;

a second storage unit configured to store the wireless unit setting information;

wherein the sensor unit further includes a first controller configured to read the wireless unit setting information out of the first storage unit and transmit the wireless unit setting information through the first local communication unit to the wireless unit.

2. The wireless device according to claim 1, wherein the first and second local communication units perform the local communication contactlessly.

3. The wireless device according to claim 2, wherein

the sensor unit includes a first casing that houses at least the input/output unit and the first supply unit, and

the wireless unit includes a second casing that houses at least the wireless communication unit and the second supply unit.

4. The wireless device according to claim 3, wherein

the first casing includes a first signal transmission unit configured to allow transmission of signals to and from the first local communication unit housed in the first casing and the second local communication unit housed in the second casing,

the second casing includes a second signal transmission unit configured to allow the transmission of the signals to and from the first local communication unit housed in the first casing and the second local communication unit housed in the second casing, and

the sensor unit and the wireless unit are joined together such that the first signal transmission unit formed in the first casing and the second signal transmission unit formed in the second casing can transmit and receive the signals.

5. The wireless device according to claim 3, wherein

one of a first signal transmission unit, configured to allow transmission of signals from the first local communication unit housed in the first casing, and a second signal transmission unit, configured to allow transmission of signals from the second local communication unit housed in the second casing, is formed in a first one of the first and second casings, and

one of the first local communication unit, arranged near the second signal transmission unit formed outside the first casing and in the second casing, and the second local communication unit, arranged near the first signal transmission unit formed outside the second casing and in the first casing, is connected via a cable to a second one of the first and second casings.

6. The wireless device according to claim 1, wherein the sensor unit and the wireless unit include storage units configured to store at least one of first setting information to be set in the sensor unit and second setting information to be set in the wireless unit.

7. The wireless device according to claim 6, wherein the first and second local communication units are configured to be capable of transmitting/receiving the first and second setting information in addition to at least one of the measurement results by the input/output unit and the manipulation commands for the input/output unit.

8. The wireless device according to claim 1, wherein

the first supply unit includes a first power source configured to supply power to be supplied to the input/output unit and the first local communication unit, and

the second supply unit includes a second power source configured to supply power to be supplied to the wireless communication unit and the second local communication unit.

9. The wireless device according to claim 1, wherein

the first supply unit includes a first power source configured to supply power to be supplied to the input/output unit and the first local communication unit, and

the second supply unit is configured to receive the power supplied from the first power source to supply the power to the wireless communication unit and the second local communication unit.

10. The wireless device according to claim 1, wherein

the second supply unit includes a second power source configured to supply power to be supplied to the wireless communication unit and the second local communication unit, and

the first supply unit is configured to receive the power supplied from the second power source to supply the power to the input/output unit and the first local communication unit.

11. The wireless device according to claim 1, wherein

the first supply unit is configured to supply power supplied from an external power source to the input/output unit and the first local communication unit, and

the second supply unit is configured to supply power supplied from the external power source to the wireless communication unit and the second local communication unit.

12. The wireless device according to claim 11, wherein the external power source is configured to supply power to both the first and second supply units.

13. The wireless device according to claim 11, wherein

the external power source is configured to supply power to a first one of the first and second supply units, and

a second one of the first and second supply units, which the external power source does not supply power to, is configured to receive power from the first one of the first and second supply units, which the external power source supplies power to.

14. The wireless device according to claim 9, wherein the sensor unit and the wireless unit include at least one of a first power transmission unit, configured to contactlessly transmit power between the first and second supply units, and a second power transmission unit, configured to contactlessly receive power from the external power source.

15. The wireless device according to claim 14, wherein the first power transmission unit is configured in a single structure with the first and second local communication units.

16. The wireless device according to claim 14, wherein one of the sensor unit and the wireless unit includes an accumulation unit configured to accumulate power received by one of the first supply unit and the second supply unit.

17. A method for setting a wireless device including a sensor unit and a wireless unit that is detachable from the sensor unit, the sensor unit including an input/output unit, a first local communication unit, a first supply unit, a first storage unit, and a first controller, and the wireless unit including a wireless communication unit, a first local communication unit, a second supply unit, and a second storage unit, the method comprising:

performing, by the input/output unit, at least one of measurement and manipulation of a state quantity in a process;

performing, by the first local communication unit, local communication with the second local communication unit included in the wireless unit to transmit measurement results by the input/output unit to the second local communication unit or receive manipulation commands for the input/output unit from the second local communication unit;

supplying, by a first supply unit, power to the input/output unit and the first local communication unit;

storing, into the first storage unit, a wireless unit setting information that defines operations of the wireless unit; and

transmitting/receiving, by the wireless communication unit, data to/from outside via a wireless network;

performing, the second local communication unit, the local communication with the first local communication unit to receive the measurement results by the input/output unit from the first local communication unit or transmit the manipulation commands for the input/output unit to the first local communication unit;

supplying, by the second supply unit, power to the wireless communication unit and the second local communication unit;

storing, in to the second storage unit, the wireless unit setting information;

reading, by the first controller, the wireless unit setting information out of the first storage unit; and

transmitting, by the first controller, the wireless unit setting information through the first local communication unit to the wireless unit.

18. A method for setting a wireless device, including a sensor unit and a wireless unit that is detachable from the sensor unit, wherein the sensor unit includes an input/output unit;

a first local communication unit;

a first supply unit;

a first storage unit; and

a first controller, and wherein the wireless unit includes a wireless communication unit;

a first local communication unit;

a second supply unit; and

a second storage unit, the method comprising;

performing, by the sensor unit, at least one of measurement and manipulation of a state quantity in a process;

performing, by the wireless unit, wireless communication via a wireless network, including;

registering first setting information to be set in the sensor unit, and second setting information to be set in the wireless unit;

registering the first and second setting information registered in the wireless unit, in the sensor unit;

performing, by the first local communication unit, local communication with the second local communication unit included in the wireless unit to transmit measurement results by the input/output unit to the second local communication unit or receive manipulation commands for the input/output unit from the second local communication unit;

supplying, by the first supply unit, power to the input/output unit and the first local communication unit;

storing, into the first storage unit, a wireless unit setting information that defines operations of the wireless unit;

transmitting/receiving, by the wireless communication unit, data to/from outside via a wireless network;

performing, the second local communication unit, the local communication with the first local communication unit to receive the measurement results by the input/output unit from the first local communication unit or transmit the manipulation commands for the input/output unit to the first local communication unit;

supplying, by the second supply unit, power to the wireless communication unit and the second local communication unit;

storing, in to the second storage unit, the wireless unit setting information;

reading, by the first controller, the wireless unit setting information out of the first storage unit; and

transmitting, by the first controller, the wireless unit setting information through the first local communication unit to the wireless unit.