INPUT-OUTPUT APPARATUS

• US 20160139580A1
• Filed: 10/21/2015
• Published: 05/19/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Yokogawa Electric Corporation
• Original Assignee: Yokogawa Electric Corporation
• Inventors: HASHIGUCHI, Masahiro, TORIGOE, Kenji, SHIMIZU, Naruaki, EMA, Nobuaki
• Granted Patent: US 10,209,694 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/0423 Input/output
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/1138 Configuration of I-O
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/25369 Control of states, real time

Abstract

An input-output apparatus which is used in a process control system is provided. The input-output apparatus includes a first interface to which a lower-level apparatus is connected; a second interface to which a higher-level apparatus is connected; a third interface to which an external setting apparatus is connected; a switcher which switches between a connection of the second interface to the first interface and a connection of the third interface to the first interface; and a control device which, when in a first state in which the second interface is connected to the first interface by the switcher and the connection of the third interface to the first interface is permitted, controls the switcher to cause transitioning to a second state in which the third interface and the first interface are connected when a connection request to the first interface is input through the third interface.

Claims

1. An input-output apparatus which is used in a process control system, comprising:

a first interface to which a lower-level apparatus is connected;

a second interface to which a higher-level apparatus is connected;

a third interface to which an external setting apparatus is connected;

a switcher which switches between a connection of the second interface to the first interface and a connection of the third interface to the first interface; and

a control device which, when in a first state in which the second interface is connected to the first interface by the switcher and the connection of the third interface to the first interface is permitted, controls the switcher to cause transitioning to a second state in which the third interface and the first interface are connected when a connection request to the first interface is input through the third interface.

2. The input-output apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, when, after causing transitioning to the second state, communications with the setting apparatus connected to the third interface are blocked, or when there is a transition instruction from the setting apparatus, the control device controls the switcher to cause transitioning to the first state.

3. The input-output apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, when a connection request to the first interface is input through the second interface when in the first state, the control device controls the switcher to cause transitioning to a third state in which, by the switcher, the second interface is connected to the first interface and the connection of the third interface to the first interface is disabled.

4. The input-output apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the control device causes transitioning to the first state when a command indicating that the connection of the third interface to the first interface be permitted is input through the second interface when in the third state.

5. The input-output apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising a switch which causes a space between the third interface and the control device to be in an open state or a closed state, wherein the control device controls the switch to be in the open state when causing transitioning to the third state and controls the switch to be in the closed state when causing transitioning to the first state.

6. The input-output apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the switcher can switch to a fourth state in which neither the second interface nor the third interface is connected to the first interface, and, the control device controls the switcher to cause transitioning to the fourth state when, after causing transitioning to the second state, communications with the setting apparatus connected to the third interface are blocked, or when there is a transition instruction from the setting apparatus.

7. The input-output apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the control device controls the switcher to cause transitioning to the second state when a connection request to the first interface is input through the third interface when in the fourth state.

8. The input-output apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the control device controls the switcher to cause transitioning to the third state in which the second interface and the first interface are connected and a connection between the third interface and the first interface is disabled when a connection request to the first interface is input through the second interface when in the fourth state.

9. The input-output apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the control device causes transitioning to the first state when a command indicating that the connection of the third interface to the first interface be permitted is input through the second interface when in the third state.

10. The input-output apparatus according to claim 8, further comprising a switch which causes a space between the third interface and the control device to be in an open state or a closed state, wherein the control device causes the switch to be in the open state when causing transitioning to the third state and causes the switch to be in the closed state when causing transitioning to the first state.

11. The input-output apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising a timer which measures a predetermined time which is pre-defined, wherein the control device controls the switcher to cause transitioning to the fourth state when the first state continues for the predetermined time.

12. An input-output apparatus, comprising:

a first interface;

a second interface which can establish a connection to the first interface;

a third interface which can establish a connection to the first interface;

a switcher which switches between the connection of the second interface to the first interface and the connection of the third interface to the first interface; and

a control device which, when in a first state in which the second interface is connected to the first interface by the switcher and the connection of the third interface to the first interface is permitted, controls the switcher to cause transitioning to a second state in which the third interface and the first interface are connected when a connection request to the first interface is input through the third interface, wherein, when a connection request to the first interface is input through the second interface when in the first state, the control device controls the switcher to cause transitioning to a third state in which, by the switcher, the second interface is connected to the first interface and the connection of the third interface to the first interface is disabled.

13. The input-output apparatus according to claim 12, wherein, when, after causing transitioning to the second state, communications with an external setting apparatus connected to the third interface are blocked, or when there is a transition instruction from the setting apparatus, the control device controls the switcher to cause transitioning to the first state.

14. The input-output apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the control device causes transitioning to the first state when a command indicating that the connection of the third interface to the first interface be permitted is input through the second interface when in the third state.

15. The input-output apparatus according to claim 12, further comprising a switch which causes an open state in which the third interface and the control device are connected and a closed state in which the third interface and the control device are disconnected, wherein the control device controls the switch to be in the open state when causing transitioning to the third state and controls the switch to be in the closed state when causing transitioning to the first state.

16. The input-output apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the switcher can switch to a fourth state in which neither the second interface nor the third interface is connected to the first interface, and, the control device controls the switcher to cause transitioning to the fourth state when, after causing transitioning to the second state, communications with an external setting apparatus connected to the third interface are blocked, or when there is a transition instruction from the setting apparatus.

17. The input-output apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the control device controls the switcher to cause transitioning to the second state when a connection request to the first interface is input through the third interface when in the fourth state.

18. The input-output apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the control device controls the switcher to cause transitioning to the third state in which the second interface and the first interface are connected and the connection between the third interface and the first interface is disabled when a connection request to the first interface is input through the second interface when in the fourth state.

19. The input-output apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the control device causes transitioning to the first state when a command indicating that the connection of the third interface to the first interface be permitted is input through the second interface when in the third state.

20. A process control system, comprising:

one or a plurality of field devices;

a controller;

an input-output apparatus as claimed in claim 12 that connects the one or the plurality of field devices to the controller and that is used in the process control system;

an external setting apparatus which can be connected to the input-output apparatus;

an operation monitoring terminal; and

an engineering terminal, wherein

the controller, the operation monitoring terminal, and the engineering terminal are connected to a control network.