Method of diagnosing an operations system

• US 20060075009A1
• Filed: 08/31/2005
• Published: 04/06/2006
• 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 7,529,644 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 708/160
• 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 distributed operational system having a field device, a field processing module coupled to the field device, a bitbus, a fieldbus, and an auxiliary processing module communicating with the bitbus and the fieldbus. The method includes generating a field operating characteristic at the field device, processing the field operating characteristic at the field processing module, and generating field operating data including a field diagnostic parameter as a function of the field operating characteristic. The method also includes communicating the field operating data including the field diagnostic parameter over the bitbus from the field processing module to the auxiliary processing module. The method further includes 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 distributed operational system, said operational system including a field device, a field processing module coupled to the field device, a bitbus, a fieldbus, and an auxiliary processing module communicating with the bitbus and the fieldbus, the method comprising:

generating a field operating characteristic at the field device;

processing the field operating characteristic at the field processing module;

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

communicating the field operating data including the field 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 field operating characteristic and the field diagnostic parameter.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein determining the sensed temperature is a function of an EMF-to-temperature relationship defined by the field diagnostic parameter.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining a thermal characteristic of the field device as a function of the field operating characteristic.

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

6. The method of claim 5 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 field operating characteristic includes 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 generating the field operating data includes generating the field 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 the at least one of the stored field administrative parameter is the field diagnostic parameter.

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

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the field processing module includes a microprocessor configured for processing the field operating 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 generating the field operating data is performed by the field processing module and wherein the generating field operating data includes generating the field 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 field diagnostic parameter is selected 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 an 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, and a self-tuning rule.

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

18. The method of claim 1 wherein the field diagnostic parameter is selected from the group consisting of the field operating characteristic, an event, a status, a failure, a mode, an alarm, a comparison, a root cause, an alert, and a state.

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

20. 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, a rule, and a coding.

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

22. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating a field administrative parameter at the field processing module and communicating the field administrative parameter to the field device, wherein the generating the field operating characteristic is responsive to the generated field administrative parameter.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising determining an occurrence of at least one of an operating event, an administrative event, and a maintenance event, wherein the generating the field administrative parameter is responsive to determining the occurrence.

24. The method of claim 22 wherein the field administrative parameter is at least one of an instruction and a query.

25. The method of claim 22, 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 administrative parameter is responsive to receiving the auxiliary administrative parameter.

26. The method of claim 1 wherein the field processing module is a first field processing module and the distributed operational 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.

27. The method of claim 1 wherein the field device is a first field device and the field processing module is a first field processing module, the distributed operational system further having a second field device and a second field processing module in communication with the bitbus, said second field processing module coupled to the second field device, further comprising:

generating a second field operating characteristic at the second field device;

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

generating second field operating data including a second field diagnostic parameter as a function of the second field operating 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 field diagnostic parameter, and the second field operating characteristic.

28. The method of claim 1 wherein the field device is a first field device and the field processing module is a first field processing module and wherein the distributed operational system further includes a second field device and a second field processing module in communication with the bitbus,

generating a second field operating characteristic at the second field device;

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

generating second field operating data including a second field diagnostic parameter as a function of the second field operating 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.

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

generating a second field operating characteristic at the second field device;

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

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

30. The method of claim 1 wherein the field device is a first field device and wherein the distributed operational system further includes a second field device coupled to the field processing module, further comprising;

generating a second operating characteristic at the second field device, and communicating the second operating characteristic from the second field device to the first field device.

31. The method of claim 1 wherein the communicating the field operating data is communicating a bitbus protocol over the bitbus.

32. 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.

33. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing in an auxiliary memory of the auxiliary processing module at least one auxiliary parameter, said at least one auxiliary parameter including at least one auxiliary diagnostic parameter.

34. The method of claim 1 wherein the auxiliary processing module includes a microprocessor and a field diagnostic component having computer readable instructions including at least one of an algorithm, an artificial intelligence module, a modeling module, a mapping, a graphical analysis, a rule, a comparator, and a look-up table.

35. The method of claim 1 wherein the auxiliary processing module includes an auxiliary diagnostic parameter, further comprising generating the auxiliary field data as a function of the auxiliary diagnostic parameter.

36. The method of claim 35 wherein the auxiliary diagnostic parameter is selected from the group consisting of an operational diagnostic, a device calibration, a system administration, and a system operation.

37. The method of claim 1 wherein the auxiliary processing module includes an auxiliary diagnostic parameter and wherein generated auxiliary field data includes the auxiliary diagnostic parameter.

38. The method of claim 1 wherein the auxiliary processing module determines an auxiliary diagnostic parameter as a function of the received field operating data.

39. The method of claim 1 further comprising performing at the auxiliary processing module an operational function associated with at least one of the field device, the field processing module, the bitbus, and the distributed operational 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, and a self-tuning rule.

40. The method of claim 1 wherein the auxiliary processing module having a field diagnostic component including 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, a rule, and a statistical function.

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

42. The method of claim 41, further comprising:

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

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

43. The method of claim 42, further comprising performing at the field operations management system an operational function for at least one of the field device 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.

44. 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.

45. The method of claim 44 wherein the generating the auxiliary administrative parameter is responsive to an auxiliary administrative event.

46. The method of claim 44 wherein the generating the auxiliary administrative parameter is responsive to an administrative instruction received over the fieldbus.

47. The method of claim 46, further comprising generating the administrative instruction at a field operations management system coupled to the fieldbus.

48. The method of claim 44 wherein the auxiliary processing module is a first auxiliary processing module and the distributed operational 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.

49. The method of claim 1 wherein the field device is a first field device, 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 distributed operational system further includes a second field device, a second field processing module coupled to the second field device, 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 field operating characteristic at the second field device;

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

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.

50. The method of claim 49 wherein communicating from the second field processing module includes 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.

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

52. The method of claim 1 wherein the distributed operational 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 field device and the field processing module.

53. The method of claim 1 wherein the field processing module and the auxiliary processing module interoperate to perform an operational function for the field device, field processing module, auxiliary processing module, bitbus, and system, said at least one 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.

54. The method of claim 1 wherein the distributed operational system is selected from the group consisting of a fabrication system, a packaging system, a building control system, an energy management system, a manufacturing system, an assembly system, a processing system, and an operational control system.

55. The method of claim 1 wherein the field operating characteristic is selected from the group consisting of a resistance, a current, a voltage, a Hall effect voltage, an energy, a mass, a power including an electrical power, a capacitance, an inductance, a reluctance, a phase, a timing, a frequency, a time, a mode, a status, a failure, a position, an alert, a state, a magnetic intensity, data, and a parameter.

56. The method of claim 1 wherein the field device is selected from the group consisting of a temperature sensor, a pressure sensor, a flow sensor, a level sensor, a force sensor, a leak detection sensor, a stress sensor, a motion sensor, a position sensor, a voltage sensor, a current sensor, a chemical property sensor, an actuator, a leak sensor, an accelerometer, a velocimeter, a valve positioner, a valve position sensor, an RFID tag, a smart card, a gauge including a pressure gauge, a solenoid, a power supply, a heater, a valve including a solenoid valve, a meter, a motor, a pump, a switch including a thermal switch, a Hall effect sensor, a magnetic intensity sensor, a gas sensor, a fusible link, a RFID tag, a smart card, and a memory device.

57. The method of claim 1 wherein the field operating characteristic is indicative of a sensed temperature and the field device is a 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.

58. The method of claim 1 wherein the field device and the field processing module are configured as a mechanically integrated component, said integrated component performing the generating and processing of the field operating characteristic.

59. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining the field diagnostic parameter as a function of the received field operating characteristic.

60. A method of diagnosing a distributed operational system, said operational system including a first field device, a second field device, a first field processing module coupled to the first field device, a second field processing module coupled to the second field device, bitbus, a fieldbus, and an auxiliary processing module communicating with the bitbus and the fieldbus, the method comprising:

generating a first field operating characteristic at the first field device;

generating a second field operating characteristic at the second field device;

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

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

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

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

communicating the first field operating data and the second field operating data over the bitbus to the auxiliary processing module;

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

communicating the auxiliary field data over the fieldbus.

61. The method of claim 60, further comprising communicating the second field operating data from the second processing module to the first field processing module over the bitbus from the second processing module, the auxiliary processing module, and the first processing module.

62. The method of claim 60, further comprising:

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

transmitting the supervisory data over the fieldbus.

63. The method of claim 60 wherein the distributed operational system includes a third field device coupled to the first field processing module, further generating a third field operating characteristic at the third field device and receiving the third field operating characteristic at the first field device.

64. A method of diagnosing a distributed operational system, said operational system including a first field device, a second field device, a first field processing module coupled to the first field device, a second field processing module coupled to the second field device, first bitbus, a second bitbus, a fieldbus, and an auxiliary processing module communicating with the first bitbus, the second bitbus, and the fieldbus, the method comprising:

generating a first field operating characteristic at the first field device;

generating a second field operating characteristic at the second field device;

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

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

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

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

communicating the first field operating data over the first bitbus to the auxiliary processing module;

communicating the second field operating data over second bitbus to the auxiliary processing module;

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

communicating the auxiliary field data over the fieldbus.

65. The method of claim 64 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 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 field diagnostic parameter, the second field operating characteristic, and a field administrative parameter.

66. The method of claim 64, further comprising communicating the second operating characteristic from the second field device to the first field device over the second bitbus and the first bitbus via the second field processing module, the auxiliary processing module, and the first field processing module.

67. The method of claim 64, further comprising transmitting from the second field processing module to the first field processing module via the auxiliary processing module at least one of a second administrative parameter, the second field operating data, the second field diagnostic parameter, the second field operating characteristic, and a field administrative parameter.