Industrial process field instrumentation employing satellite transmitted reference signals

• US 6,255,988 B1
• Filed: 06/03/1999
• Issued: 07/03/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Honeywell Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Bischoff, Brian J.
• Primary Examiner(s): PHAN, DAO LINDA
• Application Number:
  US09/325,459
• Time in Patent Office: 761 Days
• Field of Search: 342/357.1, 342/357.09, 342/357.17, 342/357.06, 342/357.13, 701/213
• US Class Current: 342/357.31
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/11 wherein the cooperating elements are pseudolites or satellite radio beacon positioning system signal repeaters
• 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

Abstract

An industrial process field instrument is disclosed having access to the reference signals transmitted by the global positioning system (GPS) including a process sensor connected to an industrial process, a host system, and a communication network connected to the field instrument and the host system. The field instrument is operated in response to the reference signals received from the GPS system to transmit geographic location and time referenced process signals specific to the field instrument to the host system over the communication network.

Claims

1. A field instrument for reporting the geographic location and time referenced signals representing a state of an industrial process to a host system over a communication network comprising:

a) controller means for operating said field instrument;

b) sensor means connected to said industrial process and to said controller means for sensing a state of industrial process and transmitting process signals to said field instrument representative of said state;

c) receiving means connected to said controller means for receiving radio wave reference signals radiated from a plurality of locations remote to said field instrument and for calculating and transmitting to said controller means location and time data derived from said plurality of reference signals, said controller means referencing said process signals with instances of time from said time data; and

d) communications means connecting said controller means to said communication network whereby said field instrument operates to transmit signals representing the geographic location of said field instrument and time referenced process signals representing a state of the industrial process specific to said field instrument to said host system over said communication network.

2. The field instrument as claimed in claim 1 wherein said field instrument further includes:

memory means connected to said controller means for storing said process signals representative of said state of industrial process and said location and time data derived by said receiving means, said controller means storing said process signals in said memory means with reference to the time data received from said receiving means, and said controller means is further operable to transfer said location data and said time referenced process signals to said communication means for the transmission of said signals representing the geographic location of said field instrument and said time referenced process signals representing a state of the industrial process specific to said field instrument to said host system over said communication network.

3. The field instrument as claimed in claim 2 wherein said receiving means is a global positioning system (GPS) receiver.

4. The field instrument as claimed in claim 3 wherein said radio wave reference signals are radiated from a plurality of GPS satellites.

5. The field instrument as claimed in claim 4 wherein said radio wave reference signals are radiated from a plurality of pseudo-satellite transmission facilities, each pseudo-satellite transmission facility arranged to receive said radio wave reference signals from a respective one of said GPS satellites and to re-transmit said radio wave reference signals received in the vicinity of said field instrument.

6. The field instrument as claimed in claim 4 wherein said time referenced process signals transmitted to said host system are utilized for diagnostic purposes relating to the operation of said field instrument.

7. The field instrument as claimed in claim 4 wherein said time referenced process signals transmitted to said host system are utilized by said host system to control the operation of said industrial process.

8. A field instrument for reporting time referenced signals representing a state of an industrial process over a communication network comprising:

a) controller means for operating said field instrument;

b) sensor means connected to said industrial process and to said controller means for sensing a state of industrial process and transmitting process signals to said field instrument representative of said state;

c) receiving means connected to said controller means for receiving radio wave reference signals radiated from a plurality of locations remote to said field instrument and for calculating and transmitting to said controller means time data derived from said plurality of reference signals, said controller means referencing said process signals with instances of time from said time data; and

d) communications means connecting said controller means to said communication network whereby said field instrument operates to transmit time referenced process signals representing a state of industrial process specific to said field instrument over said communication network.

9. The field instrument as claimed in claim 8 wherein said field instrument further includes:

memory means connected to said controller means for storing said process signals representative of said state of industrial process and said time data derived by said receiving means, said controller means storing said process signals in said memory means with reference to the time data received from said receiving means, and said controller means is further operable to transfer the time referenced process signals to said communication means for the transmission of said time referenced process signals representing the state of the industrial process specific to said field instrument over said communication network.

10. The field instrument as claimed in claim 9 wherein said receiving means is a global positioning system (GPS) receiver.

11. The field instrument as claimed in claim 10 wherein said radio wave reference signals are radiated from a plurality of GPS satellites.

12. The field instrument as claimed in claim 11 wherein said radio wave reference signals are radiated from a plurality of pseudo-satellite transmission facilities, each pseudo-satellite transmission facility arranged to receive said radio wave reference signals from a respective one of said GPS satellites and to re-transmit said radio wave reference signals received in the vicinity of said field instrument.

13. The field instrument as claimed in claim 11 wherein there is further included a host system connected to said communication network and said field instrument transmits said time referenced process signals representing a state of the industrial process specific to said field instrument over said communication network to said host system.

14. The field instrument as claimed in claim 13 wherein there is further included at least a second field instrument for reporting time referenced signals representing a state of an industrial process connected at a different location to said industrial process and to said host system via said communication network, said second field instrument arranged to receive said time referenced process signals transmitted by said field instrument over said communication network and said second field instrument operable to compare the time referenced process signals representing a state of industrial process specific to said second field instrument with said time referenced process signals representing a state of industrial process received from said field instrument and to transmit information based on said comparison to said host system via said communication network.

15. The field instrument as claimed in claim 14 wherein said information transmission from said second field instrument is utilized for diagnostic purposes relating to deviations from an established condition of industrial process.

16. The field instrument as claimed in claim 14 wherein said information transmission from said second field instrument is utilized by said host system to control the operation of said industrial process.