METHOD FOR OPERATING A FIELD DEVICE, FIELD DEVICE AND SERVER FOR A WIDE-AREA AUTOMATION NETWORK

• US 20150018006A1
• Filed: 01/14/2013
• Published: 01/15/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/17/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Phoenix Contact GmbH & Company KG
• Original Assignee: Phoenix Contact GmbH & Company KG
• Inventors: Pollmann, Werner
• Application Number:
  US14/372,721
• Publication Number:
  US 20150018006A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/14 specially adapted for specific applications
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0027 of actual mobile position, i.e. position determined on mobile
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2854 Wide area networks, e.g. public data networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/69 using geographic information, e.g. room number
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5038 for local use, e.g. in LAN or USB networks, or in a controller area network [CAN]
• 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 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/11 Allocation or use of connection identifiers

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for operating a field device (1) for carrying out measurement and/or automation tasks in a wide-area automation network. The method comprises the steps of detecting the position of the field device (1) in the field device (1), generating a data set identifying the field device (1) and containing the position and a unique identification of the field device (1), transmitting the data set from the field device (1) to a server (10) of the automation network, assigning an identifier to the field device (1) identified by the data set, transmitting the identifier from the server (10) to the field device (1), and communicating in the automation network with use of the identifier. The invention additionally relates to a corresponding field device (1) and a server (10) for carrying out the method.

Claims

1. A method for operating a field device for carrying out measurement and/or automation tasks in a wide-area automation network, comprising the following steps:

detecting the position of the field device in the field device,

generating a data set identifying the field device and containing the position and a unique identification of the field device,

transmitting the data set from the field device to a server of the automation network,

assigning an identifier to the field device identified by the data set,

transmitting the identifier from the server to the field device, and

communicating in the automation network with use of the identifier.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterised in that the step of detecting the position of the field device comprises the evaluation of position data, in particular of satellite position data.

3. The method according to claim 1, characterised in that

the step of detecting the position of the field device comprises:

connecting the field device to a receiver for position data, in particular for satellite position data,

receiving position data in the receiver, and

transmitting the received position data from the receiver to the field device.

4. The method according to claim 1, comprising the following additional steps:

comparing the position of the field device identified by the data set with positions of known field devices in the automation network, and

transmitting the identifier of a known field device having the same position to the field device identified by the data set.

5. The method according to claim 1, comprising the following additional step:

transmitting configuration data from the server to the field device in accordance with the position of the field device.

6. The method according to claim 1, characterised in that the step of assigning an identifier to the field device identified by the data set comprises the generation of a logical name under consideration of the position of the field device.

16. The method according to claim 2, characterised in that

the step of detecting the position of the field device comprises:

connecting the field device to a receiver for position data, in particular for satellite position data,

receiving position data in the receiver, and

transmitting the received position data from the receiver to the field device.

17. The method according to claim 2, comprising the following additional steps:

comparing the position of the field device identified by the data set with positions of known field devices in the automation network, and

transmitting the identifier of a known field device having the same position to the field device identified by the data set.

18. The method according to claim 16, comprising the following additional steps:

comparing the position of the field device identified by the data set with positions of known field devices in the automation network, and

transmitting the identifier of a known field device having the same position to the field device identified by the data set.

19. The method according to claim 2, comprising the following additional step:

transmitting configuration data from the server to the field device in accordance with the position of the field device.

20. The method according to claim 16, comprising the following additional step:

transmitting configuration data from the server to the field device in accordance with the position of the field device.

7. A field device for carrying out measurement and/or automation tasks in a wide-area automation network, comprising

a position detection unit, which is configured to detect the position of the field device,

a processing unit for generating a data set identifying the field device and containing the detected position and a unique identification of the field device, and

a communication unit, which is configured to transmit the data set to a server of the automation network and to receive an identifier from the server, wherein

the field device is configured to communicate with the automation network with use of the identifier.

8. The field device according to claim 7, characterised in that

the field device comprises a receiver for position data, in particular for satellite position data.

9. The field device according to claim 7, characterised in that

the field device comprises an interface for the connection to a receiver for position data, in particular for satellite position data, wherein the position detection unit is configured to receive position data from the receiver for position data via the interface.

10. The field device according to claim 7, characterised in that

the field device is configured to receive configuration data from the server.

11. The field device according to claim 7, characterised in that

the communication unit is configured to transmit the data set to a server of the automation network under consideration of the position of the field device.

12. The field device according to claim 7, characterised in that

the field device is configured, under consideration of its position, to carry out a position-based configuration of the communication unit for communication with the server, in particular for transmission of the data set and receipt of the identifier.

13. A server for a wide-area automation network for operating at least one field device for carrying out measurement and/or automation tasks, comprising

a server communication unit and

an assignment unit, which is configured to assign an identifier to a field device identified by a data set containing the position and a unique identification,

wherein

the server communication unit is configured to receive the data set from the field device and to transmit the identifier to the field device, and

the server is configured to communicate with the field device with use of the identifier.

14. The server according to claim 13, characterised in that

the server is configured to compare the position of the field device identified by the data set with positions of known field devices in the automation network and to transmit the identifier of a known field device having the same position to the field device identified by the data set.

15. The server according to claim 13, characterised in that

the server is configured to transmit configuration data to the field device under consideration of the position.