Method and apparatus for providing a standard interface to process control devices that are adapted to differing field-bus protocols
First Claim
Patent Images
1. An apparatus for providing a standard interface to a process control device which is adapted to a predetermined field-bus protocol of a field-bus, comprising:
- means for obtaining a set of information pertaining to the process control device wherein the information describes the process control device according to a predetermined device-oriented protocol that corresponds to the standard interface;
means for enabling a process control application to access the information using the predetermined device-oriented protocol;
means for generating a set of interface-related information that specifies at least one channel of the standard interface to be used for communication with the process control device according to a predetermined device-oriented protocol;
means for enabling the process control application to access the interface-related information using the predetermined device-oriented protocol.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method and apparatus is disclosed that provides a standard interface to process control devices which are adapted to differing field-bus protocols. The techniques disclosed herein enable integration of process control devices adapted to differing field-bus protocols while avoiding the use of protocol gateways which would otherwise greatly complicate the task of developing process control application programs.
170 Citations
13 Claims
-
1. An apparatus for providing a standard interface to a process control device which is adapted to a predetermined field-bus protocol of a field-bus, comprising:
-
means for obtaining a set of information pertaining to the process control device wherein the information describes the process control device according to a predetermined device-oriented protocol that corresponds to the standard interface; means for enabling a process control application to access the information using the predetermined device-oriented protocol; means for generating a set of interface-related information that specifies at least one channel of the standard interface to be used for communication with the process control device according to a predetermined device-oriented protocol; means for enabling the process control application to access the interface-related information using the predetermined device-oriented protocol. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
-
-
5. A process control system, comprising:
-
a set of process control devices coupled to a field-bus, wherein each process control device is adapted to a predetermined protocol of the field-bus; mapper that enables an application controller to access the process control devices as if the process control devices conformed to a standard interface having a predetermined device-oriented protocol wherein the mapper comprises field-bus interface that enables access to the process control devices via the field-bus using the predetermined protocol of the field-bus; device-oriented interface that enables communication with the application controller using the predetermined device-oriented protocol; database for holding a set of information pertaining to the process control devices which describes the process control devices in terms of the predetermined device-oriented protocol; mapping processor that builds the information in the database and that enables access to the information by the application controller via the device-oriented interface. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
-
Specification