Apparatus and method for mass flow controller with embedded web server

• US 7,004,191 B2
• Filed: 06/24/2002
• Issued: 02/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/24/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: MKS Instruments Incorporated
• Original Assignee: MKS Instruments Incorporated
• Inventors: Shajii, Ali, Ambrosina, Jesse, Kottenstette, Nicholas
• Primary Examiner(s): Krishnamurthy, Ramesh
• Application Number:
  US10/178,810
• Publication Number:
  US 20030234048A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,345 Days
• Field of Search: 73/11.6, 73/13.5, 732/025, 137/486, 137/487.5, 702/45, 702/100
• US Class Current: 137/487.5
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 1/684 Structural arrangements; Mounting of elements, e.g. in relation to fluid flow
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 1/6965 comprising means to store calibration data for flow signal calculation or correction
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 1/86 Indirect mass flowmeters, e.g. measuring volume flow and density, temperature or pressure
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 25/15 specially adapted for gas meters G01F25/11 - G01F25/14, G01F25/17 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 5/00 Measuring a proportion of the volume flow
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 7/0635 by action on throttling means G05D7/0688, G05D7/0694 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/7759 Responsive to change in rate of fluid flow
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/7761 Electrically actuated valve

Abstract

A mass flow controller includes an electronic controller that provides a web server that allows access to the web server through such interworking networks as the Internet.

Claims

1. A mass flow controller comprising:

a mass flow sensor configured to produce a mass flow signal representative of a gas flow through the mass flow controller; and

an electronic controller configured to produce a closed loop control signal for an outlet valve based on said mass flow signal, wherein said electronic controller is also configured to operate as a web server so that diagnostics can be performed through said server.

2. The mass flow controller of claim 1 wherein said electronic controller is configured to display web pages related to the mass flow controller.

3. The mass flow controller of claim 2 wherein said electronic controller is configured to display web pages related to the status of the mass flow controller.

4. The mass flow controller of claim 2 wherein said electronic controller is configured to display configuration data related to the mass flow controller.

5. The mass flow controller of claim 2 wherein said electronic controller is configured to accept user input through interaction with a displayed web page.

6. The mass flow controller of claim 5 wherein said user input includes commands to change the configuration of the mass flow controller.

7. The mass flow controller of claim 6 wherein said web server is also configured to operate with active diagnostics code to permit the execution of mass flow controller active diagnostics from a web-enabled device.

8. The mass flow controller of claim 7 wherein active diagnostics code operational with the mass flow controllers electronic controller includes code to enable the manipulation of operational signals from a device connected to the network.

9. The mass flow controller of claim 7 wherein active diagnostics code operational with the mass flow controller'"'"'s electronic controller includes code to enable the manipulation of diagnostic signals from a device connected to the network.

10. The mass flow controller of claim 7 wherein active diagnostics code operational with the mass flow controller'"'"'s electronic controller includes code to enable the monitoring of operational signals from a device connected to the network.

11. The mass flow controller of claim 7 wherein active diagnostics code operational with the mass flow controller'"'"'s electronic controller includes code to enable the monitoring of diagnostic signals from a device connected to the network.

12. The mass flow controller of claim 7 further comprising:

on-line diagnostics code operational with the mass flow controller'"'"'s electronic controller that enables on-line monitoring of operational signals from a web-enabled device connected to an interworking network.

13. The mass flow controller of claim 7 further comprising:

on-line diagnostics code operational with the mass flow controller'"'"'s electronic controller that enables on-line monitoring of diagnostic signals from a web-enabled device connected to an interworking network.

14. The mass flow controller of claim 7 further comprising:

on-line diagnostics code operational with the mass flow controller'"'"'s electronic controller that enables on-line manipulation of diagnostic signals from a web-enabled device connected to an interworking network.

15. The mass flow controller of claim 7 further comprising:

on-line diagnostics code operational with the mass flow controller'"'"'s electronic controller that enables on-line manipulation of operational signals from a web-enabled device connected to an interworking network.

16. A mass flow controller comprising:

a mass flow sensor configured to produce a mass flow signal representative of a gas flow through the mass flow controller;

an electronic controller configured to produce a closed loop control signal for an outlet valve based on said mass flow signal, wherein said electronic controller comprises a dual-processor controller that is configured to provide a web server that permits the execution of mass flow controller active diagnostics from a device connected to an interworking network employing active diagnostics code operational with the electronic controller.

17. The mass flow controller of claim 16 wherein active diagnostics code operational with the mass flow controller'"'"'s electronic controller includes code to enable the manipulation of operational mass flow controller signals from a device connected to the interworking network.

18. The mass flow controller of claim 16 wherein active diagnostics code operational with the mass flow controller'"'"'s electronic controller includes code to enable the manipulation of diagnostic mass flow controller signals from a device connected to the interworking network.

19. The mass flow controller of claim 16 wherein active diagnostics code operational with the mass flow controller'"'"'s electronic controller includes code to enable the monitoring of operational mass flow controller signals from a device connected to the interworking network.

20. The mass flow controller of claim 16 wherein active diagnostics code operational with the mass flow controller'"'"'s electronic controller includes code to enable the monitoring of diagnostic mass flow controller signals from a device connected to the interworking network.

21. The mass flow controller of claim 16 further comprising:

on-line diagnostics code operational with the mass flow controller'"'"'s electronic controller that enables on-line monitoring of mass flow controller signals from a device connected to the interworking network.

22. The mass flow controller of claim 16 further comprising:

on-line diagnostics code operational with the mass flow controller'"'"'s electronic controller that enables on-line manipulation of mass flow controller signals from a device connected to the interworking network.

23. The mass flow controller of claim 16 wherein said dual processors include a processor configured to operate in a deterministic mode and a processor configured to operate in a non-deterministic mode and the deterministic processor is configured to produce said closed loop control signal for an outlet valve.

24. The mass flow controller of claim 23 wherein the deterministic processor is configured to acquire one or more sensor readings.

25. The mass flow controller of claim 24 wherein the mass flow sensor is a thermal mass flow sensor, including a sensor bypass, configured to sense the flow of fluid into the inlet of the controller and the mass flow controller further comprises a pressures sensor configured to sense the fluid pressure in the volume between the thermal mass flow sensor bypass and the control valve, and said deterministic processor is configured to acquire a pressure signal produced by said pressure sensor and to compensate the sensed inlet flow rate sensed by said mass flow sensor using the pressure signal to thereby produce a compensated measure of the rate of fluid flow out of the controller.

26. The mass flow controller of claim 25 wherein the deterministic processor is configured to compute the time rate of change of pressure within the volume between the sensor bypass and the outlet control valve, and to use this time rate of change of pressure to produce the compensated measure of the rate of fluid flow out of the controller.

27. The mass flow controller of claim 16 wherein the mass flow controller is self-calibrating.