METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR MULTIMODE RFST COMMUNICATIONS IN PROCESS CONTROL SYSTEMS

• US 20160299478A1
• Filed: 04/10/2015
• Published: 10/13/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/10/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fisher Controls International LLC (Emerson Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: Fisher Controls International LLC (Emerson Electric Company)
• Inventors: Latwesen, Annette Lynn, Junk, Kenneth W.
• Granted Patent: US 10,303,134 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/00 Programme-control systems
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/0423 Input/output
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/25187 Transmission of signals, medium, ultrasonic, radio
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/25204 Translate between different communication protocols
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/25428 Field device
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0709 the source being an interrogation field
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for multimode RFST communications in process control systems is disclosed herein. A disclosed example apparatus includes an example RFST module associated with a process control device of a process control system. The example RFST module includes a plurality of RFSTs configured to communicate by different communication protocols. The example RFST module also includes a power module to power the RFST module to enable communications with a processor or memory associated with the process control device.

Claims

1. An apparatus for communicating, the apparatus comprising:

an RFST module associated with a process control device, the RFST module comprising;

a plurality of RFSTs configured to communicate by different communication protocols; and

a power module to power the RFST module to enable communications with a processor or memory associated with the process control device.

2. The apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein at least one of the RFSTs harvests RF power from a corresponding, separate RF device.

3. The apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the RFST module further comprises an energy harvester to power the RFST module via an electromagnetic field.

4. The apparatus as defined in claim 3, wherein a remote RFID device provides the electromagnetic field to the energy harvester.

5. The apparatus as defined in claim 4, wherein the remote RFID device accesses data from the RFST module when there is no loop power provided to the process control device.

6. The apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein a first RFST comprises a high frequency RFST and a second RFST comprises an ultra-high frequency RFST.

7. The apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein a first RFST or a second RFST comprises a high frequency RFST, a low frequency RFST, an ultra-high frequency RFST, or a super-high frequency RFST.

8. The apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of RFSTs is integral with the processor.

9. The apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the RFST module is powered by loop power of the process control system.

10. The apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the RFST module is powered by a secondary power source.

11. The apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the processor or memory associated with the process control device is integral to the RFST module.

12. The apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the processor or memory associated with the process control device is integral to the process control device.

13. A method comprising:

powering at least a portion of an RFST module associated with a process control device of a process control system, the RFST module comprising a plurality of RFSTs configured to communicate by different communication protocols; and

providing access to one or more of a processor or memory associated with the process control device via one of the plurality of RFSTs.

14. The method as defined in claim 13, wherein one of the plurality of RFSTs is powered by electromagnetic field via an energy harvester.

15. The method as defined in claim 13, wherein a first RFST comprises a high frequency RFST and a second RFST comprises an ultra-high frequency RFST.

16. The method as defined in claim 13, wherein a first RFST or a second RFST comprises a high frequency RFST, a low frequency RFST, an ultra-high frequency RFST, or a super-high frequency RFST.

17. The method as defined in claim 13, wherein access is provided to the processor, and wherein the processor is located on the field device.

18. The method as defined in claim 13, wherein each of the plurality of RFSTs is integral with the processor.

19. The method as defined in claim 13, wherein access is provided to the processor and further comprising programming or commanding the processor.

20. The method as defined in claim 13, further comprising storing a command for the process control device in the memory.

21. The method as defined in claim 13, wherein access is provided to the memory and further comprising retrieving data, via a remote RFID device, from the memory.

22. The method as defined in claim 21, wherein the memory is integral with each of the plurality of RFSTs.

23. The method as defined in claim 13, wherein the memory is located on the process control device.

24. The method as defined in claim 13, wherein powering a portion of the RFST comprises utilizing loop power of the process control system.

25. A method comprising:

transmitting data to or receiving data from a memory or a processor associated with a process control device of a process control system via an RFST module, the RFST module comprising;

a plurality of RFSTs configured to communicate by different communication protocols, wherein the process control device is unpowered and the RFST module is powered by an electromagnetic field via an energy harvester.

26. The method as defined in claim 25, wherein the memory comprises a first memory and further comprising synchronizing the data between one or more of the first memory, a second memory, or the processor.

27. The method as defined in claim 25, wherein the memory comprises a memory of the process control device.

28. The method as defined in claim 25 wherein the memory comprises an on-board memory of the RFST module.

29. The method as defined in claim 25, further comprising programming the process control device with the data or storing a command for the process control device when the data comprises a command for the process control device.

30. The method as defined in claim 25, wherein the first RFST comprises a high frequency RFST and the second RFST comprises an ultra-high frequency RFST.

31. The method as defined in claim 25, wherein the first RFST or the second RFST comprises a high frequency RFST, a low frequency RFST, an ultra-high frequency RFST, or a super-high frequency RFST.