Configuration Of Wireless Field Devices For Process Control Plants
First Claim
1. A method of configuring a plurality of wireless field devices for later use in a process control plant, each of said plurality of wireless field devices accessible by a wireless medium, said method comprising:
- placing a host device in a range of communication of said plurality of wireless field devices, but outside of said process control plant, wherein said host device is designed to discover the presence of said plurality of wireless field devices, and to display a list of wireless field devices whose presence is discovered;
enabling a user to select a first wireless field device contained in said displayed list of wireless field devices, said enabling causing said host device to cause said first wireless field device to generate a human perceivable signal, whereby said user correlates a wireless field device selected from said list of wireless field devices with said first wireless field device based on the specific wireless field device generating said human perceivable signal; and
causing said host device to issue a plurality of configuration commands on said wireless medium,wherein said configuration commands are designed to configure said first wireless field device upon receipt by said first wireless field device.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
Wireless field devices used in process control plants are configured over a wireless medium. In an embodiment, a host device discovers the presence of wireless field devices in the vicinity, and displays a list of discovered devices. The host device then enables a user to select a field device for configuration from the displayed list, and causes only the selected wireless field device to generate a human perceivable signal, thereby enabling a user to correlate a wireless field device listed in the display with the actual physical field device present in the vicinity. Upon confirmation from the user that the selected wireless field device is the device intended for configuration, the host device transmits the corresponding configuration parameters over the wireless medium, thus configuring the device.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method of configuring a plurality of wireless field devices for later use in a process control plant, each of said plurality of wireless field devices accessible by a wireless medium, said method comprising:
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placing a host device in a range of communication of said plurality of wireless field devices, but outside of said process control plant, wherein said host device is designed to discover the presence of said plurality of wireless field devices, and to display a list of wireless field devices whose presence is discovered; enabling a user to select a first wireless field device contained in said displayed list of wireless field devices, said enabling causing said host device to cause said first wireless field device to generate a human perceivable signal, whereby said user correlates a wireless field device selected from said list of wireless field devices with said first wireless field device based on the specific wireless field device generating said human perceivable signal; and causing said host device to issue a plurality of configuration commands on said wireless medium, wherein said configuration commands are designed to configure said first wireless field device upon receipt by said first wireless field device. - View Dependent Claims (15)
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2-3. -3. (canceled)
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4. A machine readable storage medium storing one or more sequences of instructions for causing a host device to configure a plurality of wireless field devices over a wireless medium for later use in a process control plant, wherein said host device is placed in a range of communication of said plurality of wireless field devices, but outside of said process control plant, wherein said plurality of wireless field devices are also placed outside of said process control plant, wherein execution of said one or more sequences of instructions by one or more processors contained in said host device causes said host device to perform the actions of:
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establishing communication with a first wireless field device on a wireless path provided on said wireless medium, said first wireless field device being contained in said plurality of wireless field devices; and issuing configuration commands on said wireless path to configure said first wireless field device, wherein said wireless path spans an entire path between said host device and the configured one of said at least one of said plurality of wireless field devices. - View Dependent Claims (5, 6, 7, 8, 16)
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9. A host device designed to configure a plurality of wireless field devices for later use in a process control plant, each of said plurality of wireless field devices accessible by a wireless medium, said host device and said plurality of wireless field devices being outside of said process control plant, said host device comprising:
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a wireless interface; and a processor operable to; establish communication with a first wireless field device on a wireless path provided on said wireless medium, said first wireless field device being contained in said plurality of wireless field devices; and issue configuration commands on said wireless path to configure said first wireless field device, wherein said wireless path spans an entire path between said host device and the configured one of said at least one of said plurality of wireless field devices. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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17. A method of configuring a plurality of wireless field devices for later use in a process control plant, each of said plurality of wireless field devices accessible by a wireless medium, said method comprising:
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placing a host device in a range of communication of said plurality of wireless field devices, but outside of said process control plant; and causing said host device to issue a plurality of configuration commands on a wireless path provided on said wireless medium, wherein said configuration commands are designed to configure at least one of said plurality of wireless field devices upon receipt by said at least one of said plurality of wireless field devices, wherein said wireless path spans an entire path between said host device and the configured one of said at least one of said plurality of wireless field devices. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19)
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20. (canceled)
Specification