METHOD FOR STARTING UP AT LEAST ONE FIELD DEVICE

• US 20090031152A1
• Filed: 07/27/2007
• Published: 01/29/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/07/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Siemens AG
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Kasper, Michael, Schimmer, Jurgen, Bolderl-Ermel, Wolfgang, Schmidt, Richard
• Application Number:
  US12/224,484
• Publication Number:
  US 20090031152A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/300
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/266 Arrangements to supply power to external peripherals either directly from the computer or under computer control, e.g. supply of power through the communication port, computer controlled power-strips
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/10 Current supply arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/40045 Details regarding the feeding of energy to the node from the bus
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/00 Reducing energy consumption in communication networks

Abstract

Disclosed is a method for starting up of at least one first field instrument, wherein the method comprises the step of signaling a firs demand for electrical power output of the first field instrument over a first port to a supply unit. According to this method, the first field instrument is previously connected to the supply unit over the first port by means of a first communication connection. In addition, the reception of the power output is effected according to the first demand for power output by the first field instrument over the first communication connection and the first port, by which the first filed instrument is activated. In an additional step, a power usage unit of the first field instrument is assigned to the first port, wherein the power usage unit is provided as consumer load for the power output.

Claims

1-27. -27. (canceled)

28. A method for starting up a first field device, comprising:

signaling a first electrical power requirement of the first field device via a first port to a supply unit, the first field device having been previously connected to the supply unit via the first port by a first communication connection;

taking up the power according to the first power requirement by the first field device via the first communication connection and the first port, resulting in the first field device being activated;

allocating a power drawing unit of the first field device to the first port, the power drawing unit provided as a consumer for the taken up power; and

allocating a power supply unit of the first field device to a second port, the power supply unit provided to supply a second power requirement via the second port.

29. The method as claimed in claim 28, further comprising:

detecting a second field device via the second port of the first field device, the second field device having been connected previously to the second port of the first field device via a second communication connection;

determining the second power requirement of the second field device via the second communication connection;

determining the overall power requirement from the first and second power requirements;

transmitting the overall power requirement to the supply unit;

taking up all the required power according to the overall power requirement, provided the supply unit can supply all the required power; and

supplying the second field device with the power according to the second power requirement, provided all the power is received.

30. The method as claimed in claim 29, further comprising:

monitoring the second port supplied by the first field device; and

interrupting the supply to the second field device in the event of a short circuit or excess current in the second communication connection.

31. The method as claimed in claim 30, further comprising:

storing a portion of the electrical energy received;

monitoring the supplying port, with the result that an interruption of the energy supply to the first field device is detectable; and

changing the assignment of the power drawing unit and the power supply unit to the first and second ports, provided an interruption of the energy supply is detected.

32. The method as claimed in claim 31, wherein

a change in the second power requirement of the second field device is detectable by the first field device,

the changed overall power requirement is transmitted to the supply unit and the power according to the changed second power requirement is made available to the second field device, provided the power according to the changed overall power requirement is taken up by the first field device.

33. The method as claimed in claim 32, wherein the overall power requirement or the changed overall power requirement is transmitted to the supply unit via the Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP).

34. The method as claimed in claim 29, wherein the second field device is detected by the first field device via the Link Layer Discovery Protocol (LLDP).

35. The method as claimed in claim 34, wherein for the field devices having a device-specific signature at the first and second ports in the powerless state, the device-specific signature showing the field devices to be power drawing units, the device-specific signature of the ports not being supplied are deactivated after receipt of the power requirement.

36. The method as claimed in claim 35, wherein the second power requirement of the second field device is determined via the device-specific signature of the second field device.

37. The method as claimed in claim 36, wherein the device-specific signature is a power terminal impedance according to the IEEE 802.3af standard.

38. The method as claimed in claim 37, wherein the communication connections is based on Ethernet technology.

39. The method as claimed in claim 38, wherein the supply unit is a field device upstream of the first field device or a power over Ethernet switch or a power feeder.

40. A field device, comprising:

a first and a second port;

a power supply unit, the power supply unit is allocatable to the first and/or second port, where the power supply unit is provided to supply electrical power via the allocated port;

a power drawing unit, the power drawing unit is allocatable to the first and/or second port, where the power drawing unit is provided as a consumer for power received via the allocated port.

41. The field device as claimed in claim 40, further comprising a signaling device that signals the field devices power requirement to the first and second ports.

42. The field device as claimed in claim 41, wherein the power drawing unit is allocated to the first port after the power requirement has been supplied by a supply unit via the first port and the power supply unit is allocatable to the one second port.

43. The field device as claimed in claim 42, further comprising:

a detecting device that detects a second field device, the second field device having been connected previously to the second port of the field device;

a determining device that determines a second power requirement of the second field device;

an overall power requirement determining device that determines a combined power requirement of the first field device and the second field device;

a transmitting device that transmits the overall power requirement to a supply unit, the field device having been connected previously to the supply unit;

a supply device that supplies the second power requirement for the second field device.

44. The field device as claimed in claim 43, further comprising:

a monitoring device that monitors the second port supplied by the first field device;

a supply interruption device that interrupts the supply to the second field device in the event of a short circuit or excess current in the second communication connection.

45. The field device as claimed in claim 44, further comprising:

an energy storage device that stores a portion of the electrical energy received;

a further monitoring device that monitors the supplying port, wherein an interruption of the energy supply to the first field device is detectable;

an assignment changing device that changes an assignment of the power drawing unit and the power supply unit to the first and/or second port, provided an interruption of the energy supply is detected.

46. The field device as claimed in claim 45, further comprising:

a further detection device that detects a change in the second power requirement of the second field device;

a requesting device that requests a corresponding changed overall power requirement from the upstream supply unit.

47. A computer program product having a computer-executable instructions for a supply unit to start up at least one first field device, the computer program product containing computer-executable instructions for execution on a computer device, comprising:

receiving a first message from the field device via a communication connection, the first message containing information about the power requirement of the field device;

detecting whether the power requirement is suppliable by the supply unit;

transmitting a second message to the field device via the communication connection, the second message containing information about whether the power requirement is suppliable; and

supplying the power requirement for the field device via the communication connection.