System and method for providing information in a particular format

• US 6,631,298 B1
• Filed: 07/31/2002
• Issued: 10/07/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Smar Research Corp.
• Original Assignee: Smar Research Corp.
• Inventors: Pagnano, Marco Aurelio de Oliveira, Neto, Paulo Alves Dos Santos, Pantoni, Rodrigo Palucci
• Primary Examiner(s): Follansbee, John
• Assistant Examiner(s): PHAM, THOMAS K
• Application Number:
  US10/209,576
• Time in Patent Office: 433 Days
• Field of Search: 700/51, 700/19, 700/258, 709/203, 707/513
• US Class Current: 700/19
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/4185 characterised by the network communication
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31121 Fielddevice, field controller, interface connected to fieldbus
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/34038 Web, http, ftp, internet, intranet server
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]

Abstract

A system for providing information for a process, and a method to utilize such system are provided. In particular, a controller is communicatively coupled to at least one smart field device using an open smart communications protocol, and a server is communicatively coupled to the, controller. The server is adapted to receive data associated with the smart field device from the controller. The server may transmit the data in a HTML format, or an image which was generated based on the data. For example, the system further may include a computer system, and the server may transmit the data or the image of the data to such computer system. The computer system may also display the data in the HTML format, and/or the image of the data.

Claims

1. An information system, comprising;

a controller communicatively coupled to at least one smart field device using an open smart communications protocol; and

a server communicatively coupled to the controller, wherein the server is adapted to receive data associated with the at least one smart field device from the controller, and to transmit the data in a HTML format, wherein the server further is adapted to store the data in an active server page format, and wherein, the server is further adapted to execute active server page code, and to remove the active server page code before the data is transmitted in the HTML format.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising at least one computer system communicatively coupled to the server, wherein the at least one computer system is adapted to forward a request to receive the data from the server in the HTML format, and display the data in the HTML format.

3.The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one smart field device includes a first processor, and the controller includes a second processor.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the open smart communications protocol is a Foundation Fieldbus protocol.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the open smart communications protocol is a PROFIBUS protocol.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one smart field device is at least one of a temperature sensor, a pressure sensor, a flow rate sensor, a valve and a switch.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the data includes values associated with at least one measurement performed by the at least one smart field device, the at least one measurement including at least one of a temperature, pressure and flow rate.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the data includes an amount of time that the at least one smart field device has been in operation.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the data includes at least one of a position of a valve, and a position of a switch at various times during an operation of the at least one smart field device.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the server is further adapted to format the data received from the controller into the HTML format.

10. The system of claim 3, wherein the second processor forwards the data to the server.

11. A method for providing information for a process, comprising the steps of:

receiving data by a server from a controller, wherein the data is associated with at least one smart field device communicatively coupled to the controller using an open smart communications protocol;

transmitting the data in an HTML format;

storing the data in an active server page format;

executing active server page code; and

removing the, active server page code before transmitting the data in to the HTML format.

12. The method of claim 12, further comprising the steps of:

forwarding a request to receive the data from the server, wherein the request is forwarded by a computer system;

receiving the data from the server in the HTML format; and

displaying the data in the HTML format.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the at least one smart field device includes a first processor, and the controller includes a second processor.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the open smart communications protocol is a Foundation Fieldbus protocol.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the open smart communications protocol is a PROFIBUS protocol.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the at least one smart field device is at least one of a temperature sensor, a pressure sensor, a flow rate sensor, a valve and a switch.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein the server is communicatively coupled to the controller using an Ethernet connection.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein the data includes values associated with at least one measurement performed by the at least one smart field device, the at least one measurement including at least one of a temperature, pressure and flow rate.

19. The method of claim 12, wherein the data includes an amount of time that the at least one smart field device has been in operation.

20. The method of claim 12, wherein the data includes at least one of a position of a valve, and a position of a switch at various times during an operation of the at least one smart field device.

21. The method of claim 12, further comprising the step of formatting the data received from the controller into the HTML format.