HANDHELD DEVICE HAVING LOCATION-BASED FEATURES FOR PLANT WORKERS

• US 20130217417A1
• Filed: 02/22/2012
• Published: 08/22/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: MOHIDEEN, MOHAMMED IBRAHIM, SWAMINATHAN, GURUMURTHY, RAO, NIRANJAN, GELLABOINA, MAHESH KUMAR, J., LOKANATHA REDDY
• Granted Patent: US 8,725,178 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.3
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/024 Guidance services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services

Abstract

A method of operating an industrial plant having processing units that includes a wireless network including a network server, at least one router, and a plurality of workers including a first worker. A first handheld computing device is provided having a wireless transceiver and a processor programmed to implement a location-based service algorithm stored in non-transitory machine readable storage to a first worker. The location-based service algorithm implements obtaining location information that identifies a physical location for the first worker, and adding the location information to wireless transmissions of information by the first worker to others of the plurality of workers or to the network server. The first handheld computing device wirelessly receives server provided plant information that is a function of the physical location, and the first worker performs at least one action guided at least in part by the server provided plant information.

Claims

1. A method of operating an industrial plant having processing units that includes a wireless network including a network server, at least one router, and a plurality of workers including a first worker, comprising:

providing a first handheld computing device having a wireless transceiver and a processor programmed to implement a location-based service algorithm stored in non-transitory machine readable storage to a first worker, said location-based service algorithm;

obtaining location information that identifies a physical location for said first worker, and

adding said location information to wireless transmissions of information by said first worker to others of said plurality of workers or to said network server,

said first handheld computing device wireles sly receiving server provided plant information that is a function of said physical location, and

said first worker performing at least one action guided at least in part by said server provided plant information.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said first handheld computing device includes a Global Positioning System (GPS) that provides said location information.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said first handheld computing device calculates said location information from transmissions to and from said network server.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said network server has a data historian, and wherein said server provided plant information provides historical data from said data historian about ones of said processing units that are proximate to said physical location.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said first handheld computing device automatically displays a location of tasks to be executed by said first worker relative to said physical location.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said location-based service algorithm provides a shortest path to a selected task location-based on said physical location.

7. A handheld computing device, comprising:

a processor programmed to implement a location-based service algorithm stored in machine readable storage,

a wireless transceiver coupled to said processor, said wireless transceiver having an antenna coupled thereto;

wherein said location-based service algorithm implements;

obtaining location information that identifies a physical location for said handheld computing device involved in operating an industrial plant having a processing unit and a wireless network including a network server and a plurality of workers including a first worker having said handheld computing device, and

adding said location information automatically to wireless transmissions of information by said first worker to others of said plurality of workers or to said network server.

8. The handheld computing device of claim 7, wherein said handheld computing device includes a Global Positioning System (GPS) module that provides said location information.

9. The handheld computing device of claim 7, wherein said handheld computing device includes an algorithm that together with transmissions to and from said network server determines said location information.

10. The handheld computing device of claim 7, wherein said handheld computing device automatically displays a location of tasks to be executed by said first worker relative to said physical location.

11. The handheld computing device of claim 7, wherein said location-based service algorithm provides a shortest path to a selected task location-based on said physical location.

12. An industrial plant, comprising:

processing units, and actuators and sensors coupled to said processing units;

a wireless communications network including a network server, at least one router, and a plurality of operators having handheld computing devices including a first worker having a first handheld computing device,

wherein said first handheld computing device includes a wireless transceiver and a processor programmed to implement a location-based service algorithm stored in machine readable storage, said location-based service algorithm;

obtaining location information that identifies a physical location for said first worker, and

adding said location information to wireless transmissions of information by said first worker to others of said plurality of workers or to said network server,

wherein said network server includes a processor and a wireless transceiver for wirelessly sending plant information that is a function of said physical location to said first handheld computing device.

13. The industrial plant of claim 12, wherein said network server is coupled to memory including a data historian having historical data about said processing units.

14. The industrial plant of claim 12, wherein said industrial plant is configured as a distributed control system (DCS).

15. The industrial plant of claim 12, wherein said first handheld computing device includes a Global Positioning System (GPS) that provides said location information.

16. The industrial plant of claim 12, wherein said first handheld computing device includes an algorithm that together with transmissions to and from said network server determines said location information.

17. The industrial plant of claim 12, wherein said first handheld computing device automatically displays a location of tasks to be executed by said first worker relative to said physical location.

18. The industrial plant of claim 12, wherein said location-based service algorithm provides a shortest path to a selected task location-based on said physical location.

19. The industrial plant of claim 12, wherein said location-based service algorithm includes code for identifying at least a specific one of a first type of said processing units from multiple other ones of said first type of said processing units at a particular location or particular area within said plant when said first type of said processing units are spread out in an area bigger than that which can be narrowed down by said location-based service algorithm.

20. The industrial plant of claim 19, wherein said processing units include bar codes and said code implements an image processing algorithm.

21. The industrial plant of claim 12, wherein said location-based service algorithm provides location-based voice support to said first handheld computing device that provides audio that directs said first worker with step-by-step instructions to execute tasks.