Remote management of field devices in a manufacturing plant
First Claim
1. A method of enabling an operator to remotely manage a plurality of field devices designed to implement a process in a plant, said plant further containing a field device management station (FDMS) coupled to said plurality of field devices by a control network, said method comprising:
- providing a wireless connection from a first client, wherein said wireless connection provides communication between said first client and said FDMS;
enabling said operator to issue a first command from said first client to a first field device contained in said plurality of field devices;
transferring said first command from said first client to said FDMS on said wireless connection;
forwarding said first command from said FDMS to said first field device on said control network, whereby said operator manages said plurality of field devices using said first client;
providing a wire-based connection between a second client and said FDMS;
transferring another command from said second client to said FDMS on said wire-based medium, said another command being directed to a second device contained in said plurality of field devices; and
forwarding said another command from said FDMS to said second field device, whereby commands from said first client and said second client are channeled through said FDMS.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A client connected to a field device management station (FDMS) by a wireless path. An operator can issue commands to any field devices from the client. As a result, the operator can manage the field devices from any remote location. In addition, the FDMS may be connected to other clients by wire-based paths as well. As a result, commands from both wire-based and wireless clients may be channeled through the FDMS, thereby simplifying tracking of various of configuration changes and status of the field devices. According to another aspect of the present invention, the wireless client is connected to a field device by a wire-line medium. Connectivity between FDMS and field devices is established through wireless client, thereby providing path redundancy (in addition to control network).
-
Citations
19 Claims
-
1. A method of enabling an operator to remotely manage a plurality of field devices designed to implement a process in a plant, said plant further containing a field device management station (FDMS) coupled to said plurality of field devices by a control network, said method comprising:
-
providing a wireless connection from a first client, wherein said wireless connection provides communication between said first client and said FDMS;
enabling said operator to issue a first command from said first client to a first field device contained in said plurality of field devices;
transferring said first command from said first client to said FDMS on said wireless connection;
forwarding said first command from said FDMS to said first field device on said control network, whereby said operator manages said plurality of field devices using said first client;
providing a wire-based connection between a second client and said FDMS;
transferring another command from said second client to said FDMS on said wire-based medium, said another command being directed to a second device contained in said plurality of field devices; and
forwarding said another command from said FDMS to said second field device, whereby commands from said first client and said second client are channeled through said FDMS. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 7)
-
-
6. (canceled)
-
8. A field device management station (FDMS) enabling management of a plurality of field devices, said plurality of field devices being coupled to said FDMS by a control network, said FDMS comprising:
-
a wireless interface providing connectivity to a first client by a wireless medium; and
a data manager block receiving a first command from said first client on said wireless medium, said first command being directed to a first field device contained in said plurality of field devices, said data manager forwarding said first command from on said control network, wherein said first command is issued by an operator such that said operator manages said plurality of field devices using said first client, a wire-line interface providing connectivity to a second client by a wire-line based medium, said data manager block receiving a second command from said second client by said wire-line based medium, said second command being directed to a second field device contained in said plurality of devices, said data manager block forwarding said second command to said second field device on said control network. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
-
-
14. A computer readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions for causing a field device management station (FDMS) to enable management of a plurality of field devices, said plurality of field devices being coupled to said FDMS by a control network, wherein execution of said one or more sequences of instructions by one or more processors contained in said FDMS causes said one or more processors to perform the actions of:
-
receiving a first command from said first client on a wireless medium, said first command being directed to a first field device contained in said plurality of field devices; and
forwarding said first command on said control network to said first field device, wherein said first command is issued by an operator such that said operator manages said plurality of field devices using said first client;
receiving a third command from a third client on a wire-line based medium, said third command being directed to a third field device contained in said plurality of devices; and
forwarding said third command to said third field device on said control network. - View Dependent Claims (15, 17)
-
-
16. (canceled)
-
18. A computer readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions for causing a client to enable remote management of a plurality of field devices, said plurality of field devices being coupled to a field device management station (FDMS) by a control network, wherein execution of said one or more sequences of instructions by one or more processors contained in said client causes said one or more processors to perform the actions of:
-
sending a first command to said FDMS on a wireless medium, said first command being directed to a first field device contained in said plurality of field devices; and
receiving a first response on said wireless medium from said FDMS;
wherein said first command is issued by an operator such that said operator manages said plurality of field devices using said first client;
wherein said client is connected to a second field device by a path, sending a second command to said FDMS on said wireless medium, said second command being directed to a second field device contained in said plurality of field devices;
receiving said second command from said FDMS on said wireless medium; and
forwarding said second command to said second field device on said path after said receiving from said FDMS.
-
-
19. (canceled)
Specification