Process control monitoring systems, industrial plants, and process control monitoring methods
First Claim
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1. A process control monitoring system comprising:
- a plurality of radio frequency identification devices associated with respective ones of a plurality of process control elements of an industrial plant;
an interrogator configured to implement wireless communications with respect to the radio frequency identification devices, wherein the interrogator is configured to output a plurality of first wireless interrogation signals which identify the radio frequency identification devices;
a reader configured to implement wireless communications with respect to the interrogator;
wherein the radio frequency identification devices are individually configured to receive the first wireless interrogation signals, and for individual ones of the first wireless interrogation signals, to determine whether the individual first wireless interrogation signal identifies the individual one of the radio frequency identification devices and to communicate a first wireless reply signal comprising information of the respective one of the process control elements to the interrogator responsive to the individual first wireless interrogation signal identifying the individual one of the radio frequency identification devices; and
wherein the reader is configured to output a second wireless interrogation signal comprising an identifier and the interrogator is configured to communicate a second wireless reply signal to the reader which comprises the information received from the radio frequency identification devices responsive to determining that the identifier of the second wireless interrogation signal outputted by the reader is identical to an identifier of the interrogator.
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Abstract
A system comprises a valve; a plurality of RFID sensor assemblies coupled to the valve to monitor a plurality of parameters associated with the valve; a control tag configured to wirelessly communicate with the respective tags that are coupled to the valve, the control tag being further configured to communicate with an RF reader; and an RF reader configured to selectively communicate with the control tag, the reader including an RF receiver. Other systems and methods are also provided.
52 Citations
33 Claims
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1. A process control monitoring system comprising:
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a plurality of radio frequency identification devices associated with respective ones of a plurality of process control elements of an industrial plant; an interrogator configured to implement wireless communications with respect to the radio frequency identification devices, wherein the interrogator is configured to output a plurality of first wireless interrogation signals which identify the radio frequency identification devices; a reader configured to implement wireless communications with respect to the interrogator; wherein the radio frequency identification devices are individually configured to receive the first wireless interrogation signals, and for individual ones of the first wireless interrogation signals, to determine whether the individual first wireless interrogation signal identifies the individual one of the radio frequency identification devices and to communicate a first wireless reply signal comprising information of the respective one of the process control elements to the interrogator responsive to the individual first wireless interrogation signal identifying the individual one of the radio frequency identification devices; and wherein the reader is configured to output a second wireless interrogation signal comprising an identifier and the interrogator is configured to communicate a second wireless reply signal to the reader which comprises the information received from the radio frequency identification devices responsive to determining that the identifier of the second wireless interrogation signal outputted by the reader is identical to an identifier of the interrogator. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A process control monitoring system comprising:
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a plurality of radio frequency identification devices configured to monitor operations of respective ones of a plurality of process control elements of an industrial plant and to store information regarding the operations of the respective process control elements responsive to the monitoring; a control tag configured to implement first wireless communications with the radio frequency identification devices and to receive the information regarding the operations of the process control elements from the radio frequency identification devices via the first wireless communications; and a reader configured to implement second wireless communications with the control tag and to receive the information regarding the operations of the process control elements from the control tag via the second wireless communications, the second wireless communications comprising an interrogation signal which comprises an identifier that uniquely identifies the control tag; and wherein the control tag is configured to output a reply signal of the second wireless communications which comprises the information regarding the operations of the process control elements as a result of reception of the interrogation signal by the control tag. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14)
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15. An industrial plant comprising:
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a plurality of zones individually comprising; a plurality of process control elements of the industrial plant; a plurality of radio frequency identification devices configured to obtain information regarding respective ones of the process control elements; and a control tag configured to first wirelessly interrogate the radio frequency identification devices of the respective zone, and wherein the radio frequency identification devices of the respective zone are configured to wirelessly communicate the information to the control tag responsive to the first wireless interrogation; a reader configured to second wirelessly interrogate individual ones of the control tags of the zones, and wherein the control tags are individually configured to wirelessly communicate the information to the reader responsive to the second wireless interrogation; and wherein the control tags comprise different first identifiers relative to one another, the first identifiers uniquely identifying the control tags, and the control tags are configured to wirelessly communicate the information to the reader as a result of the second wireless interrogation comprising second identifiers identical to the respective first identifiers of the control tags. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A process control monitoring method comprising:
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using a radio frequency identification device, monitoring operations of a process control element of an industrial plant; storing information regarding the operations of the process control element using the radio frequency identification device after the monitoring; outputting a first wireless interrogation signal using an interrogator comprising a control tag; receiving the first wireless interrogation signal within the radio frequency identification device from the interrogator; responsive to the receiving the first wireless interrogation signal, outputting a first wireless reply signal using the radio frequency identification device for communication to the interrogator, wherein the first wireless reply signal comprises the information regarding the operations of the process control element; receiving the first wireless reply signal using the control tag; receiving a second wireless interrogation signal within the control tag from a reader; outputting a second wireless reply signal comprising the information for communication to the reader; and comparing an identifier of the second wireless interrogation signal with an identifier of the control tag, and wherein the outputting of the second wireless reply signal comprises outputting as a result of the identifier of the second wireless interrogation signal being identical to the identifier of the control tag. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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27. A process control monitoring method comprising:
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first outputting a first wireless interrogation signal using a control tag; first receiving the first wireless interrogation signal using a radio frequency identification device which is associated with a process control element of an industrial plant; second outputting a first wireless reply signal comprising information regarding operations of the process control element using the radio frequency identification device responsive to the first receiving; second receiving the first wireless reply signal using the control tag; third outputting a second wireless interrogation signal using a reader; third receiving the second wireless interrogation signal using the control tag; fourth outputting a second wireless reply signal comprising the information regarding the operations of the process control element using the control tag responsive to the third receiving; fourth receiving the second wireless reply signal using the reader; and wherein the fourth outputting comprises outputting as a result of the second wireless interrogation signal comprising an identifier uniquely identifying the control tag. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
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Specification