Interconnected zones within a process control system
First Claim
1. A method of transferring data in a process control system having a first process control network having a first inter-zone server and a second process control network having a second inter-zone server, wherein the first process control network operates under a first version of software and the second process control network operates under a second version of the software, the method comprising the steps of:
- formatting a process control message in the first process control network, wherein the process control message contains a device name for a receiving device to which the process control message is being transmitted, and wherein the device name is defined for the receiving device within the process control system;
communicating the process control messages within the first process control network to the first inter-zone server;
determining at the first inter-zone server the process control network in which the receiving device is located based on the device name in the process control message;
converting process control messages from a format compatible with the first version of the software to a format compatible with the second version of the software and communicating the process control messages from the first inter-zone server to the second inter-zone server ia a first communication link in response to determining that the receiving device is located in the second process control network; and
communicating the process control messages from the second inter-zone server to the second process control network.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A process control system includes multiple zones containing process control network communicatively interconnected to exchange information necessary to monitor the system and to perform process control. Each zone may include an inter-zone server that controls the exchange of information between the zones via communication links. In addition to controlling the routing of information between the zones, the inter-zone servers may perform additional processing on the information being exchanged, such as security monitoring, language translation and version control.
83 Citations
46 Claims
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1. A method of transferring data in a process control system having a first process control network having a first inter-zone server and a second process control network having a second inter-zone server, wherein the first process control network operates under a first version of software and the second process control network operates under a second version of the software, the method comprising the steps of:
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formatting a process control message in the first process control network, wherein the process control message contains a device name for a receiving device to which the process control message is being transmitted, and wherein the device name is defined for the receiving device within the process control system; communicating the process control messages within the first process control network to the first inter-zone server; determining at the first inter-zone server the process control network in which the receiving device is located based on the device name in the process control message; converting process control messages from a format compatible with the first version of the software to a format compatible with the second version of the software and communicating the process control messages from the first inter-zone server to the second inter-zone server ia a first communication link in response to determining that the receiving device is located in the second process control network; and communicating the process control messages from the second inter-zone server to the second process control network. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A process control system comprising:
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a first process control network having a first inter-zone server and a plurality of field devices operatively connected to the first inter-zone server, wherein the field devices perform process control functions and transmit process control messages in the first process control network; a second process control network having a second inter-zone server and a plurality of field devices operatively connected to the second inter-zone server, wherein the field devices perform process control functions and transmit process control messages in the second process control network; a first communication link that communicatively couples the first inter-zone server and the second inter-zone server; and a communication routine stored in each of the first and the second inter-zone servers that uses the first communication link to transfer process control messages from the first process control network to the second process control network, and from the second process control network to the first process control network, wherein the process control messages contain a device name for a receiving device to which the process control message is being transmitted, wherein the device name is defined for the receiving device within the process control system, and the communication routine of the inter-zone server for the process control network of the field device transmitting the process control message uses the device name in the process control message to determine the process control network for the receiving device and transfers the process control message over the first communication link to the other process control network in response to determining that the receiving device is located in the other process control network, and wherein the first process control network operates under a first version of process control network software and the second process control network operates under a second version of the process control network software, the system further comprising a version control routine that converts process control messages from a format compatible with the first version of the process control network software to a format compatible with the second version of the process control network software when the process control messages are transferred from the first process control network to the second process control network. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. A local process control network in a process control system having a plurality of process control networks communicatively interconnected by communication links, the process control networks being able to transfer process control messages to each other via the communication links, the local process control network comprising:
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a controller; at least one device capable of performing process control functions; a bus communicatively connecting the controller and the at least one device whereby the controller and the at least one device transmit process control messages on the bus; and an inter-zone server connected to the bus and having a communication routine that uses at least one of the communication links to transfer process control messages between the controller and at least one device of the process control network, and a remote process control network of the process control system, wherein the process control messages contain a device name for a receiving device to which the process control message is being transmitted, wherein the device name is defined for the receiving device within the process control system, and the communication routine of the inter-zone server uses the device name in the process control message to determine the process control network for the receiving device and transfers the process control message over one of the communication links to the remote process control network in response to determining that the receiving device is located in the remote process control network, and wherein the controller and the at least one device operate under a first version of software and one of the remote process control networks operates under a second version of the software, the inter-zone server having a version control routine that converts process control messages from a format compatible with the first version of the software to a format compatible with the second version of the software when the process control messages are transferred to the one of the remote networks operating under the second version of the software. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36)
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37. An inter-zone server in a local process control network having a controller communicatively coupled by a bus with at least one device capable of performing process control functions, the process control network being part of a process control system having a plurality of remote process control networks communicatively interconnected by communication links, the remote process control networks being able to transfer process control messages to each other and the local process control network via the communication links, the inter-zone server comprising:
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a first communication link that communicatively couples the inter-zone server to the local process control network for transferring and receiving process control messages; a second communication link that communicatively couples the inter-zone server to one of the remote process control networks for transferring and receiving process control messages; and a communication routine that uses the first and second communication links to transfer process control messages between the local process control network and the one of the remote process control networks, wherein the process control messages contain a device named for a receiving device to which the process control message is being transmitted, wherein the device name is defined for the receiving device within the process control system, and the communication routine of the inter-zone server uses the device name in the process control message to determine the process control network for the receiving device and transfers the process control message over the second communication link to the remote process control network in response to determining that the receiving device is located in the remote process control network, and wherein the controller and the at least one device operate under a first version of software and the one of the remote process control networks operates under a second version of the software, the inter-zone server further comprising a version control routine that converts process control messages from a format compatible with the first version of the software to a format compatible with the second version of the software when the process control messages are transferred to the one of the remote process control networks. - View Dependent Claims (38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46)
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Specification