Peer-to-peer hosting of intelligent field devices

• US 6,978,294 B1
• Filed: 03/20/2000
• Issued: 12/20/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/20/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Schneider Electric Systems USA, Inc. (Schneider Electric SE)
• Original Assignee: Invensys Systems Incorporated (Invensys PLC)
• Inventors: Johnson, Alexander P., Adams, Lloyd B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Etienne, Ario
• Assistant Examiner(s): Halim, Sahera
• Application Number:
  US09/531,597
• Time in Patent Office: 2,101 Days
• Field of Search: 709/223, 709/224, 709/227, 709/217, 709/221, 709/222, 709/225, 709/226, 395/200.38, 395/200.75
• US Class Current: 709/217
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/25428 Field device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1464 for networked environments
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416

Abstract

Device configurations are stored in a system including at least two intelligent field devices (IFDs) connected by a communications connection. A configuration for a first IFD is stored in the first IFD, and a backup of the configuration for the first IFD is stored in at least one other IFD. Storing a configuration for the first IFD may include having the first IFD request a configuration from at least one other IFD using the communications connection, an IFD having a stored backup of the configuration for the first IFD transmitting the backup to the first IFD using the communications connection, and the first IFD receiving the transmitted backup and storing the received backup in the first IFD as the configuration for the first IFD. Storing a backup of the configuration for the first IFD may include having the first IFD transmit a backup of the configuration for the first IFD to at least one other IFD using the communications connection, and having the at least one other IFD receive and store the backup of the configuration.

Claims

1. A method of operating an intelligent field device (IFD), the method comprising:

providing a first IFD assigned a first operation, wherein the first IFD is a processing device for use in industrial environments;

providing a second IFD assigned a second operation, wherein the second IFD is a processing device for use in industrial environments, the second IFD storing a first configuration for use by the first IFD in performing the first operation and storing a second configuration for use by the second IFD in performing the second operation;

transferring the first configuration from the second IFD to the first IFD; and

performing the first operation using the first IFD with the first configuration transferred from the second IFD to the first IFD.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein transferring the first configuration from the second IFD to the first IFD comprises:

the first IFD sending a request for the first configuration to the second IFD using a communications connection between the first IFD and the second IFD;

the second IFD receiving the request for the first configuration from the first IFD; and

in response to the request for the first configuration received from the first IFD, the second IFD sending the first configuration to the first IFD using the communications connection.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising:

the first IFD transmitting the first configuration to at least one other IFD; and

the at least one other IFD receiving and storing the first configuration as a backup.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

the first IFD transmitting the first configuration to at least one other IFD; and

the at least one other IFD receiving and storing the first configuration as a backup.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the configuration includes instructions regarding the initial settings of the IFD and the manner in which the IFD should respond to particular events.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising generating the first configuration using a configurator program.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the configurator program is stored in the first IFD.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the configurator program comprises a Java applet.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising accessing the configurator program using a Web browser.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the Web browser is not stored in the first IFD.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the Web browser is stored in a device connected to a communications connection between the first IFD and the device, and the Web browser accesses the configurator program through the communications connection.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the Web browser accesses the configurator program through a wireless connection between a device on which the Web browser is stored and the first IFD.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the wireless connection comprises an infrared connection.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the device comprises a personal digital assistant.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the device comprises a portable computer.

16. The method of claim 6, wherein the configurator program is stored on a Web site.

17. The method of claim 6, wherein a Web browser is used to access the configurator program.

18. The method of claim 6, wherein an Internet gateway component is used to access the configurator program by translating Internet-compatible communications into a protocol being used by the at least two IFDs.

19. The method of claim 1 further comprising determining that the first configuration is not stored in the first IFD such that transferring the first configuration from the second IFD to the first IFD comprises transferring the first configuration from the second IFD to the first IFD in response to the determinination that the first configuration is not stored on the first IFD.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the first operation is a sensing operation or a controlling operation.

21. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing a two-wire communications connection between the first IFD and the second IFD.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising providing operating power to at least the first IFD through the two-wire communications connection.

23. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

accessing, with an external processor, a configurator program stored on the first IFD;

running the configurator program on the external processor to generate the configuration;

transmitting the configuration to the first IFD; and

storing the configuration in memory in the first IFD.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the configurator program comprises a Java applet.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein the external processor comprises an external computer.

26. The method of claim 23, wherein the external processor comprises a hand-held device.

27. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

accessing a configurator program using browser software, wherein the configurator program is stored on a distributed network site;

running the configurator program to generate the configuration; and

storing the configuration in memory in the first IFD.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the distributed network site comprises a World Wide Web site.

29. The method of claim 27, further comprising translating communications between a first protocol used by the distributed network site and a second protocol used by the first IFD.

30. The method of claim 1 wherein transferring the first configuration from the second IFD to the first IFD comprises transferring the first configuration from the second IFD to the first IFD using a portable device.

31. The method of claim 1 wherein transferring the first configuration from the second IFD to the first IFD comprises transferring the first configuration from the second IFD to the first IFD using a communications connection between the first IFD and the second IFD.

32. A network of intelligent field devices, the network comprising:

a first IFD assigned a first operation, wherein the first IFD is a processing device for use in industrial environments;

a second IFD assigned a second operation, wherein the second IFD is a processing device for use in industrial environments, the second IFD storing a first configuration for use by the first IFD in performing the first operation and storing a second configuration for use by the second IFD in performing the second operation; and

a communications connection between the first IFD and the second IFD;

wherein the first IFD;

sends a request for the first configuration to the second IFD through the communications connection;

receives the first configuration from the second IFD through the communications connection; and

performs the first operation using the first configuration received from the second IFD.

33. The device network of claim 32, wherein the first IFD is configured to transmit the first configuration to at least one other IFD using the communications connection, and the one other IFD is configured to receive and store the first configuration as a backup.

34. The method of claim 32 wherein the configuration includes instructions regarding the initial settings of the IFD and the manner in which the IFD should respond to particular events.

35. The device network of claim 32, further comprising a configurator operable to generate the configuration.

36. The device network of claim 35, wherein the configurator comprises a program stored in the first IFD.

37. The device network of claim 36, wherein the configurator program comprises a Java applet.

38. The device network of claim 36, wherein the configurator program is configured to be accessed using a Web browser.

39. The device network of claim 38, wherein the Web browser is stored remotely from the first IFD.

40. The device network of claim 39, wherein the Web browser is stored in a device connected to the communications connection and is configured to access the configurator program through the communications connection.

41. The device network of claim 39, wherein the Web browser is configured to access the configurator program through a wireless connection between a device on which the Web browser is stored and the first IFD.

42. The device network of claim 41, wherein the wireless connection comprises an infrared connection.

43. The device network of claim 41, wherein the device on which the Web browser is stored comprises a personal digital assistant.

44. The device network of claim 41, wherein the device on which the Web browser is stored comprises a portable computer.

45. The device network of claim 35, wherein the configurator program is stored on a Web site.

46. The device network of claim 35, wherein the configurator program is configured to be accessed using a Web browser.

47. The device network of claim 35, further comprising an Internet gateway component for use in accessing the configurator program by translating Internet-compatible communications into a protocol being used by the first IFD.

48. The device network of claim 32, further comprising a third IFD assigned a third operation, the third IFD storing the first configuration for use by the first IFD in performing the first operation and storing a third configuration for use by the third IFD in performing the third operation.

49. The device network of claim 32, wherein the first operation comprises a sensing operation or a controlling operation.

50. The device network of claim 32, wherein the communications connection comprises a two-wire connection between the IFDs.

51. The device network of claim 50, wherein the two-wire connection is connected to provide operating power to at least the first IFD.

52. An intelligent field device (IFD), which is a processing device for use in industrial environments, comprising:

at least one processor; and

a memory including instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the intelligent field device to perform the following operations;

determine that a first configuration is not stored in a memory of the IFD, the first configuration for use by the IFD in performing a first operation assigned to the IFD;

in response to the determination that the first configuration is not stored in a memory of the IFD, send a request through a communications connection to a second IFD assigned a second operation, wherein the second IFD is a processing device for use in industrial environments, the second IFD storing the first configuration for use by the IFD in performing the first operation and storing a second configuration for use by the second IFD in performing the second operation;

receive the first configuration from the second IFD through the communications connection; and

perform the first operation using the first configuration received from the second IFD.