SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR FACILITATING COMMUNICATION WITH FOUNDATION FIELDBUS LINKING DEVICES

• US 20120310387A1
• Filed: 06/13/2011
• Published: 12/06/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Smith, Steven William, Pettigrew, William Robert
• Granted Patent: US 8,713,166 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/89
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/4026 Bus for use in automation systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks

Abstract

Systems and methods for facilitating communication with Foundation Fieldbus linking devices are described. A plurality of Foundation Fieldbus linking devices may be identified by a gateway device that includes one or more computers. A single virtual address representative of the plurality of linking devices may be determined by the gateway device. Communications between the plurality of linking devices and an external system may the be facilitated by the gateway device, and the virtual address may be utilized to represent the plurality of linking devices to the external system.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

identifying, by a gateway device comprising one or more computers, a plurality of Foundation Fieldbus linking devices;

determining, by the gateway device, a single virtual address representative of the plurality of linking devices; and

facilitating, by the gateway device, communications between the plurality of linking devices and an external system, wherein the virtual address is utilized to represent the plurality of linking devices to the external system.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying a plurality of Foundation Fieldbus linking devices comprises receiving status information for the linking devices from a controller that manages the linking devices.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating, by the gateway device, an annunciation message for one of the plurality of linking devices; and

providing, by the gateway device to the external system, the generated annunciation message.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein facilitating communications between the plurality of linking devices and an external system comprises:

receiving, by the gateway device, a message output by one of the plurality of linking devices;

modifying, by the gateway device, the message in order to associate the virtual address with the message; and

providing, by the gateway device, the modified message to the external system.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein receiving a message output by one of the plurality of linking devices comprises receiving one of (i) a message associated with operation of the linking device or (ii) a message associated with a Foundation Fieldbus device connected to the linking device.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by the gateway device from the external device, a message to be communicated to one of the plurality of linking devices, the received message identifying the linking device by the virtual address;

determining, by the gateway device, a physical address associated with the linking device; and

directing, by the gateway device based at least in part upon the determined physical address, communication of the message to the linking device.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising

determining, by the gateway device based at least in part upon an analysis of the received message, an identity of the linking device,

wherein determining the physical address comprises determining the physical address based at least in part upon the determined identity.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein determining an identity of the linking device comprises:

identifying, based at least in part upon the analysis of the received message, a Foundation Fieldbus device that is an intended recipient of the received message; and

identifying the linking device as a linking device to which the Foundation Fieldbus device is connected.

9. A system comprising:

at least one memory operable to store computer-executable instructions;

at least one processor configured to access the at least one memory and execute the computer-executable instructions to;

identify a plurality of Foundation Fieldbus linking devices;

determine a single virtual address representative of the plurality of linking devices; and

facilitate communications between the plurality of linking devices and an external system, wherein the virtual address is utilized to represent the plurality of linking devices to the external system.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the at least one processor is configured to identify the plurality of Foundation Fieldbus linking devices based upon an analysis of status information for the linking devices received from a controller that manages the linking devices.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to execute the computer-executable instructions to:

generate an annunciation message for one of the plurality of linking devices; and

direct communication of the generated annunciation message to the external system.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the at least one processor is configured to facilitate communications by executing the computer-executable instructions to:

receive a message output by one of the plurality of linking devices;

modify the message in order to associate the virtual address with the message; and

direct communication of the modified message to the external system.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the received message comprises one of (i) a message associated with operation of the linking device or (ii) a message associated with a Foundation Fieldbus device connected to the linking device.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to execute the computer-executable instructions to:

receive, from the external device, a message to be communicated to one of the plurality of linking devices, the received message identifying the linking device by the virtual address;

determine a physical address associated with the linking device; and

direct, based at least in part upon the determined physical address, communication of the message to the linking device.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to execute the computer-executable instructions to:

determine, based at least in part upon an analysis of the received message, an identity of the linking device; and

determine the physical address based at least in part upon the determined identity.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to execute the computer-executable instructions to:

identify, based at least in part upon the analysis of the received message, a Foundation Fieldbus device that is an intended recipient of the received message; and

identify the linking device as a linking device to which the Foundation Fieldbus device is connected.

17. A method comprising:

identifying, by a gateway device comprising one or more computers, a plurality of Foundation Fieldbus linking devices;

determining, by the gateway device, a single virtual address representative of the plurality of linking devices; and

providing, by the gateway device to an external system, information associated with operation of at least one of the plurality of linking devices, wherein the virtual address is utilized to represent the at least one linking device.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein providing information associated with operation of at least one of the plurality of linking devices comprises providing information to an asset management system.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

receiving, by the gateway device from the external device, a message to be communicated to the at least one linking device;

determining, by the gateway device, a physical address associated with the at least one linking device; and

directing, by the gateway device, communication of the message to the at least one linking device.

20. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

determining, by the gateway device based at least in part upon an analysis of the received message, an identity of the at least one linking device,

wherein determining the physical address comprises determining the physical address based at least in part upon the determined identity.