METHOD FOR MONITORING A TRANSMITTER AND CORRESPONDING TRANSMITTER

• US 20130178176A1
• Filed: 09/28/2012
• Published: 07/11/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/09/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Krohne Messtechnik GmbH & Co. KG
• Original Assignee: Krohne Messtechnik GmbH & Co. KG
• Inventors: PICHOT, Vincent
• Granted Patent: US 9,689,722 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/115.1
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 18/00 Testing or calibrating apparatus or arrangements provided for in groups G01D1/00 - G01D15/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/14114 Integrity, error detector, switch off controller, fail safe
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/0291 Switching into safety or degraded mode, e.g. protection and supervision after failure
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/07 Responding to the occurrence of a fault, e.g. fault tolerance
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/17 Detection of non-compliance or faulty performance, e.g. response deviations H04B17/18 takes precedence

Abstract

A method for monitoring a transmitter (1) with a measurement (2) and a transmission unit (3), with which a measurement (2) signal is generated that is dependent on a measurement quantity, and with the transmission unit (3) receiving the measurement signal, and based on the measurement signal, an output signal is transferred to a signal transmission element (4). To makes it possible to recognize an error, an input signal is taken from the signal transmission element (4) and is transferred to the measurement unit (2) as a comparison signal which corresponds to the input is compared with a stored signal and based upon the outcome of the comparison, either the measurement signal is transferred from the measurement unit (2) to the transmission unit (3) or the transmission unit (3) is shifted into a definable state and an error signal is transferred to it.

Claims

1. A method for monitoring a transmitter having at least one measurement unit and a transmission unit, the measurement unit and the transmission unit being interconnected at least for transmission of signals, comprising the steps of:

using the measurement unit to determine at least one measurement quantity and to produce a measurement signal which is dependent on it,

using the transmission unit to receive the measurement signal from the measurement unit and to transfer an output signal to at least one signal transmission element based on the measurement signal,

wherein an input signal is taken from a signal transmission element of the transmission unit,

a determination of a measurement quantity by the measurement unit is induced from the transmission unit,

at least one comparison signal which corresponds to the input signal is transferred from the transmission unit to the measurement unit,

the comparison signal is compared with a stored signal and a comparison result produced, and

depending on the comparison result, either the measurement signal which has been generated following the determination of the measurement quantity is transferred from the measurement unit to the transmission unit or at least one of the transmission unit is shifted into a defined state and an error signal is transferred to the transmission unit.

2. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the generated measurement signal is transferred from the measurement unit to the transmission unit and the measurement signal is stored when the comparison signal and the stored signal are within a defined tolerance range.

3. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the transmission unit at least one of shifts the signal transmission element into a defined state and transfers an error signal to the signal transmission element when the instant of determining the measurement quantity and the transfer of the measurement signal by the measurement unit lies outside a defined time window.

4. The method in accordance with claims 1, wherein the transmission unit is shifted into a defined state by the measurement unit and an error signal is transferred to the transmission unit by action of the measurement unit on a connecting line which supplies power to the measurement unit by the transmission unit.

5. The method in accordance with claim 4, wherein the charging state of the transmission unit is influenced via the connecting line such that monitoring of the charging state of the transmission unit detects a charging state error.

6. A transmitter, comprising:

at least one measurement unit for determining at least one measurement quantity and producing a measurement signal which is dependent on the at least one measurement quantity determined,

a transmission unit that is interconnected with the measurement unit at least for transmission of signals, and being adapted for receiving the measurement signal from the measurement unit and transferring an electrical output signal to at least one signal transmission element based on the measurement signal, and

a storage unit,

wherein the transmission unit is adapted for taking electrical input signals from the signal transmission element,

wherein the transmission unit and the measurement unit are constructed and matched to one another such that the transmission unit is able to induce a determination of the measurement quantity by the measurement unit,

wherein the transmission unit is adapted to transfer at least one comparison signal which is dependent on an input signal to the measurement unit,

wherein the measurement unit is made to transmit the measurement signal to the transmission unit and to receive the comparison signal from the transmission unit,

wherein the measurement unit has at least one comparison unit,

wherein the comparison unit is adapted to compare the comparison signal to a signal stored in a storage unit, and to produce a comparison result based thereon, and

wherein the transmission unit and the measurement unit are made and matched to one another such that, depending on the comparison result, the measurement unit transfers either the measurement signal to the transmission unit or at least one of shifts the transmission unit into a defined state and transfers an error signal to the transmission unit.

7. The transmitter in accordance with claim 6, wherein the measurement unit comprises at least one sensor unit and the storage unit.

8. The transmitter in accordance with claim 6, further comprising at least one connecting line for transmitting energy between the measurement unit and the transmission unit.

9. The transmitter in accordance with claim 8, wherein the measurement unit at least one of shifts the transmission unit into said defined state and transfers an error signal to the transmission unit by acting on the at least one connecting line.