RESOURCE OPTIMIZATION IN A FIELD DEVICE

• US 20140274181A1
• Filed: 03/15/2013
• Published: 09/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Rosemount Incorporated (Emerson Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: Rosemount Incorporated (Emerson Electric Company)
• Inventors: Weinberger, Robert Michael, Lovegren, Eric Russell
• Application Number:
  US13/837,251
• Publication Number:
  US 20140274181A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/509
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/042 using digital processors G05B19/05 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/25066 Configuration stored in each unit
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/25419 Scheduling
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31165 Control handover in wireless automation networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0203 in the radio access network or backbone network of wireless communication networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/12 Wireless traffic scheduling

Abstract

A field device assembly comprises a first process sensor, a wireless transceiver, and a processor. The first process sensor is disposed to sense a first process parameter. The wireless transceiver is configured to communicate wirelessly with a network manager. The processor is configured to process the sensed first process parameter, and to command the wireless transceiver and first process sensor to perform a first resource-intensive activity according to a first commissioned adaptive schedule whereby rates of the resource-intensive activity vary over time and/or based on sensed events.

Claims

1. A field device assembly comprising:

a first process sensor disposed to sense a first process parameter;

a transceiver configured to communicate with a network manager; and

a processor configured to process the sensed first process parameter, and configured to command the wireless transceiver and first process sensor to perform a first resource-intensive activity according to a first commissioned adaptive schedule whereby rates of the resource-intensive activity vary over time and/or based on sensed events.

2. The field device of claim 1, wherein the transceiver is a wireless transceiver configured to communicate with the network manager wirelessly.

3. The field device of claim 1, wherein communicating wirelessly with a network manager comprises communicating via a wireless mesh network.

4. The field device of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to perform a second resource-intensive activity according to a second commissioned adaptive schedule different from the first internal schedule.

5. The field device of claim 1, wherein the first resource-intensive activity is a bandwidth-intensive activity.

6. The field device of claim 1, wherein the first resource-intensive activity is a power-intensive activity.

7. The field device of claim 1, wherein the first resource-intensive activity comprises transmitting and/or receiving data with the wireless transceiver.

8. The field device of claim 1, wherein the first resource-intensive activity comprises taking a sensor measurement with the first process sensor.

9. The field device of claim 1, wherein the first resource-intensive activity comprises performing a sensor diagnostic of the first process sensor.

10. The field device of claim 1, wherein the sensed event is sensed by the first process sensor.

11. The field device of claim 1, further comprising a second process sensor disposed to sense a second process parameter, and wherein the sensed event is sensed by the second process sensor.

12. The field device of claim 1, wherein the sensed event is received via the wireless transceiver.

13. The field device of claim 1, further comprising a limited capacity power supply.

14. The field device of claim 13, wherein the limited capacity power supply is a limited charge battery or supercapacitor or a limited output local energy harvester.

15. The field device of claim 1, further comprising a time keeper.

16. The field device of claim 1, wherein the rates of the resource-intensive activity according to the first commissioned adaptive schedule vary based on a calendar date, a clock time, and/or a day of the week provided by the time keeper.

17. A method of operating an industrial field device, the method comprising:

commissioning the field device with a commissioned adaptive schedule;

performing a resource-intensive activity at a scheduled rate that varies over time based on the commissioned adaptive schedule; and

varying the scheduled rate in response to sensed events specified by the preset internal schedule.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the resource-intensive activity comprises operating a wireless transceiver.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the resource-intensive activity comprises taking a sensor measurement of a process parameter;

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the sensed event comprises the sensor measurement of the process parameter falling within an event range.

21. The method of claim 17, wherein the commissioned adaptive schedule specifies an increase to the scheduled rate for periods of high demand of the resource-intensive activity, and a decrease to the scheduled rate for periods of low demand of the resource-intensive activity.