Monitoring and Controlling of valves in industrial process control and automation using NFC

• US 20140129036A1
• Filed: 05/13/2013
• Published: 05/08/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/07/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: HCL Technologies Limited
• Original Assignee: HCL Technologies Limited
• Inventors: Maurya, Arvind Kumar, Dhanyamraju, Subramanya Uma Maheswara Prasad, Durbhaka, Gopi Krishna
• Granted Patent: US 9,523,971 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/282
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/042 using digital processors G05B19/05 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/4185 characterised by the network communication
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/23414 Pc as detachable program, debug, monitor device for control system
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31113 General, vendor indenpendant display and control interface for sensor actuator
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31197 Near field communication nfc
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/33326 Analyzer, diagnostic for servovalve
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/45006 Valves
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]

Abstract

A system and method to monitor and control the valves in industrial process control and automation using Near-Field Communication (NFC) is disclosed. The system comprises a NFC-Equipment Interface Unit (NFC-EIU) to acquire parameters from the valves through a port and send the parameters to any handheld device by NFC for analysis. The NFC-EIU on receiving the analysis results from the handheld device can control the valves too.

Claims

1. A system to monitor and control a valve in process control using Near-Field communication (NFC), wherein said system comprises:

an NFC-Equipment Interface Unit (NFC-EIU), wherein said NFC-EIU comprises a microcontroller, a NFC module;

at least one valve connected with said NFC-EIU;

a handheld device connected with said NFC-EIU;

wherein said system is configured to;

obtain parameters from said at least one valve using said NFC-EIU;

send said parameters to said handheld device by said NFC-EIU;

analyze said parameters by said handheld device; and

control said at least one valve by said NFC-EIU based on said analysis, on said NFC-EIU receiving said analysis from said handheld device.

2. The system as in claim 1, wherein said at least one valve comprises:

a pressure valve, a flow valve.

3. The system as in claim 1, wherein said system is configured to integrate with existing valve by implementing said NFC-EIU to internal modules of said at least one valve.

4. A Near-Field Communication (NFC)-Equipment Interface Unit (NFC-EIU) for monitoring and controlling a valve in process control using NFC, wherein said NFC-EIU comprises a microcontroller, a NFC module, further said NFC-EIU is configured to:

acquire parameters from at least one valve in said process control;

send said parameters to a handheld device for analysis; and

control said at least one valve based on said analysis, on said NFC-EIU receiving said analysis from said handheld device.

5. The NFC-EIU as in claim 4, wherein said NFC-EIU is configured to acquire said parameters and control said at least one valve using wired communication.

6. The NFC-EIU as in claim 4, wherein said NFC-EIU is configured to send said parameters to said handheld device and receive said results from said handheld device by NFC using said NFC module in said NFC-EIU.

7. A method for monitoring and controlling a valve in process control using Near Field Communication (NFC), wherein said method comprises:

obtaining parameters from at least one valve using a NFC-Equipment Interface Unit (NFC-EIU);

sending said parameters to a handheld device by said NFC-EIU;

analyzing said parameters by said handheld device; and

controlling said at least one valve based on said analysis by said NFC-EIU from said handheld device.