Method of temperature sensing

• US 20060047480A1
• Filed: 08/31/2005
• Published: 03/02/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Watlow Electric Manufacturing Company
• Original Assignee: Watlow Electric Manufacturing Company
• Inventors: Steinhauser, Louis P., Culbertson, David P., McNutt, Leon J., Schuh, William C., Lenz, Gary A., Fennewald, Kenneth F.
• Granted Patent: US 7,630,855 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/183
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 1/024 for remote indication
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 1/026 arrangements for monitoring a plurality of temperatures, e.g. by multiplexing
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 1/028 arrangements for numerical indication
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 15/00 Testing or calibrating of thermometers
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 3/14 in respect of space
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31211 Communicate diagnostic data from intelligent field device controller to central
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/0254 based on a quantitative model, e.g. mathematical relationships between inputs and outputs; functions: observer, Kalman filter, residual calculation, Neural Networks

Abstract

A method of diagnosing a temperature sensing system having a temperature sensor, a field processing module coupled to the temperature sensor, a bitbus, a fieldbus, and an auxiliary processing module communicating with the bitbus and the fieldbus. The method includes generating a temperature characteristic at the temperature sensor, processing the temperature characteristic at the field processing module, and generating field operating data including a temperature diagnostic parameter as a function of the temperature characteristic. The method also includes communicating the field operating data including the temperature diagnostic parameter over the bitbus from the field processing module to the auxiliary processing module, generating at the auxiliary processing module auxiliary field data as a function of the received field operating data, and communicating the auxiliary field data over the fieldbus.

Claims

1. A method of diagnosing a temperature sensing system, the system including a temperature sensor, a field processing module coupled to the temperature sensor, a bitbus, a fieldbus, and an auxiliary processing module communicating with the bitbus and the fieldbus, the method comprising:

generating a temperature characteristic at the temperature sensor;

processing the temperature characteristic at the field processing module;

generating field operating data including a temperature diagnostic parameter as a function of the temperature characteristic;

communicating the field operating data including the temperature diagnostic parameter over the bitbus from the field processing module to the auxiliary processing module;

generating at the auxiliary processing module auxiliary field data as a function of the received field operating data; and

communicating the auxiliary field data over the fieldbus.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining a sensed temperature as a function of the temperature characteristic and the temperature diagnostic parameter.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the sensed temperature is determined as a function of an EMF-to-temperature relationship defined, at least in part, by the temperature diagnostic characteristic.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining a thermal characteristic of the temperature sensor as a function of the temperature characteristic.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein generating the temperature characteristic is responsive to a field operating event.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the field operating event is selected from the group consisting of a change of a state, a change of a mode, a change of a status, a failure, a change of a field parameter, a change of the field operating characteristic, a time rate of change of a temperature characteristic (a first derivative), a value of a field parameter exceeding a threshold, an alarm, a comparison, an alert, and a value of the field operating characteristic exceeding a threshold.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein generating the temperature characteristic is generating the field operating characteristic in at least one of a bar code format, a radio frequency identification format, a data matrix, and a smart card format.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the field operating data is generated to include the temperature diagnostic parameter.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing in memory of the field processing module at least one field administrative parameter.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein storing in the memory includes storing two related field administrative parameters.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein at least one of the stored field administrative parameters is the temperature diagnostic parameter.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising storing the temperature characteristic in the memory.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the field processing module includes a microprocessor for processing the temperature characteristic and a field diagnostic component including at least one of an algorithm, a program, an artificial intelligence module, a modeling module, a mapping, a graphical analysis, a rule, a comparator, and a look-up table.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein the processing the temperature characteristic is within the field processing module and generating the field operating data includes generating the temperature diagnostic parameter as a function of an algorithm selected from the group consisting of a neural network, an empirical data, a numerical data, a look-up table, a fuzzy logic circuit, a neural fuzzy circuit, a polynomial algorithm, a residual life algorithm, an artificial intelligence module, a wavelet, a modeling module, and a statistical function.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein the temperature diagnostic parameter is elected from the group consisting of an operational diagnostic, a device calibration, a system administration, and a system operation.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising performing at the field processing module at least one operational function selected from the group consisting of a diagnostics, a trouble shooting method, a statistical process control (SPC) computed parameter, a fault detection, a fault isolation, a root cause, a setting, a limit, a threshold, a calibration, a failure prediction, a maintenance procedure, a validation, a verification, a traceability, an auto-configuration, an architecture alignment, a fingerprint, an identification, a biometric identification, a theoretical modeling, a self-administration, a self-tuning rule, an operational device control.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the operational function is associated with at least one of the temperature sensor, the field processing module, the bitbus, and the temperature sensing system.

18. The method of claim 1 wherein generating the temperature characteristic includes generating the temperature characteristic in analog format and generating the field operating data in generating field operating data in a digital format, further comprising converting the analog temperature characteristic to a digital format in the field processing module.

19. The method of claim 1, further comprising compressing at least a portion of the field operating data for communication over the bitbus, said compressing including at least one of a table mapping, an algorithm, and a coding.

20. The method of claim 1, further comprising encrypting at least a portion of the field operating data for communication over the bitbus.

21. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining the occurrence of at least one of an operating event, an administrative event, and a maintenance event, wherein generating the field operating data is a function of the determined occurrence.

22. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating an auxiliary administrative parameter at the auxiliary processing module and receiving the auxiliary administrative parameter at the field processing module, wherein generating the field operating data is responsive to the receiving the auxiliary administrative parameter.

23. The method of claim 1 wherein the field processing module is a first field processing module and the temperature sensing system further includes a second field processing module in communication with the bitbus, further comprising communicating second field operating data from the second processing module to the first field processing module over the bitbus.

24. The method of claim 1 wherein the temperature sensor is a first temperature sensor and the field processing module is a first field processing module, the temperature sensing system further including a second temperature sensor and a second field processing module in communication with the bitbus, said second field processing module coupled to the second temperature sensor, further comprising:

generating a second field temperature characteristic at the second temperature sensor;

processing the second temperature characteristic at the second field processing module;

generating second field operating data including a second temperature diagnostic parameter as a function of the second temperature characteristic; and

communicating from the second field processing module to the first field processing module over the bitbus at least one of a second administrative parameter, the second field operating data, the second temperature diagnostic parameter, and the second temperature characteristic.

25. The method of claim 24 wherein the second temperature sensor is of a different type than the first temperature sensor.

26. The method of claim 1 wherein the temperature sensor is a first temperature sensor and the field processing module is a first field processing module and wherein the temperature sensing system further includes a second temperature sensor and a second field processing module in communication with the bitbus,

generating a second temperature characteristic at the second temperature sensor;

processing the second temperature characteristic at the second field processing module;

generating second field operating data including a second temperature diagnostic parameter as a function of the second temperature characteristic; and

receiving the second field operating data at the auxiliary field processing module;

generating supervisory data at the auxiliary field processing module as a function of the first field operating data and the second field operating data; and

communicating the supervisory data over the fieldbus.

27. The method of claim 1 wherein the temperature sensor is a first temperature sensor, the bitbus is a first bitbus, and the field processing module is a first field processing module, said temperature sensing system further including a second temperature sensor, a second field processing module coupled to the second temperature sensor, and a second bitbus in communication with the second field processing module, further comprising:

generating a second temperature characteristic at the second temperature sensor;

generating second field operating data including a second temperature diagnostic parameter as a function of the second temperature characteristic, said generating being at the second field processing module; and

communicating from the second field processing module to the first field processing module at least one of a second administrative parameter, the second field operating data, the second temperature diagnostic parameter, the second temperature characteristic, and a field administrative parameter.

28. The method of claim 1 wherein the temperature sensor is a first temperature sensor and wherein the temperature sensing system further includes a second temperature sensor coupled to the field processing module, further comprising;

generating a second temperature characteristic at the second temperature sensor; and

communicating the second temperature characteristic from the second temperature sensor to the first temperature sensor.

29. The method of claim 1 wherein communicating field operating data over the bitbus is communicating in a format that is less than or equal to 8 bits and wherein communicating the auxiliary field data over the fieldbus is communicating in a format greater than 8 bits.

30. The method of claim 1 further comprising performing at the auxiliary processing module an operation function associated with at least one of the field device, the field processing module, the bitbus, and the temperature sensing system, said operational function being selected from the group consisting of a diagnostics, a trouble shooting method, a statistical process control (SPC) computed parameter, a fault detection, a fault isolation, a root cause, a setting, a limit, a threshold, a calibration, a failure prediction, a maintenance procedure, a validation, a verification, a traceability, an auto-configuration, an architecture alignment, a fingerprint, an identification, a biometric identification, a theoretical modeling, a self-administration, a self-tuning rule, an operational device control.

31. The method of claim 1 wherein the auxiliary processing module includes an auxiliary diagnostic component having an algorithm, the algorithm being selected from the group consisting of a neural network, an empirical data, a numerical data, a fuzzy logic circuit, a neural fuzzy circuit, a polynomial algorithm, a residual life algorithm, an artificial intelligence module, a modeling module, and a statistical function.

32. The method of claim 1 wherein communicating the auxiliary field data includes communicating the auxiliary field data over the fieldbus to a temperature management system coupled to the fieldbus.

33. The method of claim 32, further comprising:

receiving at the temperature management system the auxiliary field data; and

generating a field device control instruction as a function of the received auxiliary field data.

34. The method of claim 1, further comprising performing at a field operations management system coupled to the fieldbus, an operational function for at least one of the temperature sensor, a field device, an operational device, the field processing module, the bitbus, the auxiliary processing module, fieldbus, and the system, said operational function being selected from the group consisting of a diagnostics, a trouble shooting method, a statistical process control (SPC) computed parameter, a fault detection, a fault isolation, a root cause, a setting, a limit, a threshold, a calibration, a failure prediction, a maintenance procedure, a validation, a verification, a traceability, an auto-configuration, an architecture alignment, a fingerprint, an identification, a biometric identification, a theoretical modeling, a self-administration, a self-tuning rule, an operational device control.

35. The method of claim 1, further comprising communicating an auxiliary administrative parameter from the auxiliary processing module to the field processing module over the bitbus, wherein generating the auxiliary administrative parameter is responsive to at least one of an auxiliary administrative event and an administrative instruction received over the fieldbus.

36. The method of claim 1 wherein the auxiliary processing module is a first auxiliary processing module and the temperature sensing system further includes a second auxiliary processing module coupled to the fieldbus, further comprising:

generating the administrative instruction at the second auxiliary processing module; and

communicating the administrative instruction over the fieldbus from the second auxiliary processing module to the first auxiliary processing module.

37. The method of claim 1 wherein the temperature sensor is a first temperature sensor, the bitbus is a first bitbus, the field processing module is a first field processing module, and the auxiliary processing module is a first auxiliary processing module, and wherein the temperature sensing system further includes a second temperature sensor, a second field processing module coupled to the second temperature sensor, a second bitbus in communication with the second field processing module, a second auxiliary processing module in communication with the second bitbus and the fieldbus, further comprising:

generating a second temperature characteristic at the second temperature sensor;

generating second field operating data including a second temperature diagnostic parameter as a function of the second temperature characteristic; and

communicating at least one of a second administrative parameter, the second field operating data, the second field diagnostic parameter, and the second field operating characteristic, said communication being communicating from the second field processing module to the first field processing module via the second bitbus, the second auxiliary processing module, the fieldbus, the first auxiliary processing module, and the first bitbus.

38. The method of claim 1 wherein the auxiliary processing module includes at least one of a protocol converter component, a data concentrator component, a data encryption component, an administrative component, and an inter-field processing module communication component.

39. The method of claim 1 wherein the temperature sensing system further includes a heater coupled to a heater power circuit and receiving heating power from a power supply, the heater power circuit having a first interface, a second interface, and an intermediate portion between the first interface and the second interface and a power controller coupled about the intermediate portion of the heater power circuit, the power controller having at least two states, a first state providing at least a portion of the power to the heater and a second state terminating power to the heater, said power controller including the temperature sensor and the field processing module.

40. The method of claim 1 wherein the field processing module and the auxiliary processing module interoperate to perform an operational function for the temperature sensor, the field processing module, the auxiliary processing module, the bitbus, and the temperature sensing system, said operational function being selected from the group consisting of a diagnostics, a trouble shooting method, a statistical process control (SPC) computed parameter, a fault detection, a fault isolation, a root cause, a setting, a limit, a threshold, a calibration, a failure prediction, a maintenance procedure, a validation, a verification, a traceability, an auto-configuration, an architecture alignment, a fingerprint, an identification, a biometric identification, a theoretical modeling, a self-administration, a self-tuning rule, an operational device control.

41. The method of claim 1 wherein the temperature characteristic is selected from the group consisting of a resistance, a current, a voltage, an energy, a mass, a power, a capacitance, an inductance, a reluctance, a phase, a timing, a frequency, a time, a mode, a status, a failure, and a state.

42. The method of claim 1 wherein the temperature sensor selected from the group consisting of a thermocouple, a resistance temperature detector (RTD), a thermopile, a diode, a semiconductor sensor, a resonance temperature sensor, an infrared sensor, and a thermistor.

43. The method of claim 1 wherein the temperature sensor and the field processing module are configured as a mechanically integrated component.

44. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining the temperature diagnostic parameter as a function of the received temperature characteristic.

45. A method of diagnosing a temperature sensing system, the system including a temperature sensor, a field processing module coupled to the temperature sensor, a bitbus, a fieldbus, and an auxiliary processing module communicating with the bitbus and the fieldbus, the method comprising:

generating a temperature characteristic at the temperature sensor in analog format;

processing the temperature characteristic at the field processing module;

converting the analog temperature characteristic to a digital format in the field processing module;

generating field operating data in digital format including a temperature diagnostic parameter as a function of the temperature characteristic;

compressing at least a portion of the field operating data for communication over the bitbus;

communicating the field operating data including the temperature diagnostic parameter and the compressed portion of the field operating data over the bitbus from the field processing module to the auxiliary processing module;

generating at the auxiliary processing module auxiliary field data as a function of the received field operating data; and

communicating the auxiliary field data over the fieldbus.

46. The method of claim 45 wherein compressing includes at least one of a table mapping, an algorithm processing, and a coding.

47. The method of claim 45, further comprising encrypting at least a portion of the field operating data for communication over the bitbus.

48. The method of claim 45 wherein the temperature sensor is a first temperature sensor and the system includes a second temperature sensor coupled to the field processing module, further comprising generating a second temperature characteristic at the second temperature sensor and receiving the second temperature sensor at the first temperature sensor.

49. A method of diagnosing a temperature sensing system, the system including a first temperature sensor, a second temperature sensor, a first field processing module coupled to the first temperature sensor, a second field processing module coupled to the second temperature sensor, a bitbus, a fieldbus, and an auxiliary processing module communicating with the bitbus and the fieldbus, the method comprising:

generating a first temperature characteristic at the first temperature sensor;

processing the first temperature characteristic at the first field processing module;

generating first field operating data including a first temperature diagnostic parameter as a function of the first temperature characteristic;

communicating the first field operating data including the first temperature diagnostic parameter over the bitbus from the first field processing module to the auxiliary processing module;

generating a second temperature characteristic at the second temperature sensor;

processing the second temperature characteristic at the second field processing module;

generating second field operating data including a second temperature diagnostic parameter as a function of the second temperature characteristic;

communicating the second field operating data including the second temperature diagnostic parameter over the bitbus from the second field processing module to the auxiliary processing module;

generating at the auxiliary processing module auxiliary field data as a function of, at least one of, the received first field operating data and the second field operating data; and

communicating the auxiliary field data over the fieldbus.

50. The method of claim 49, further comprising communicating the second field operating data from the second field processing module to the first field processing module over the bitbus.

51. The method of claim 49 wherein the auxiliary processing module is a first auxiliary processing module and the operational system includes a second auxiliary processing module communicating with the field bus, further comprising transmitting over the fieldbus from the first auxiliary processing module to the second auxiliary processing module at least one of a first administrative parameter, the first temperature characteristic, the first field operating data, the first temperature diagnostic parameter, the auxiliary field data, and a second field administrative parameter.