Diagnostic access system

• US 7,975,184 B2
• Filed: 03/27/2007
• Issued: 07/05/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/03/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Donald Goff, Robert Gretta, Todd M. Brower
• Original Assignee: Donald Goff, Robert Gretta, Todd M. Brower
• Inventors: Brower, Todd M., Gretta, Robert, Goff, Donald
• Primary Examiner(s): Baderman; Scott T
• Assistant Examiner(s): BUTLER, SARAI E
• Application Number:
  US11/728,851
• Publication Number:
  US 20070233858A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,561 Days
• Field of Search: 714 1- 57, 707/200, 709/200, 709/217, 370/401, 700/20, 342/357.1
• US Class Current: 714/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0681 Configuration of triggering conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/147 for predicting network behaviour
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5012 determining service availability, e.g. which services are available at a certain point in time
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/00 Arrangements for monitoring or testing data switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0811 by checking connectivity

Abstract

A dedicated processing system for monitoring, processing and combining mass statistical diagnostic data of a process control system. Through real time and near real time network health monitoring by the system statistical inferences can be made to anticipate potential system and device problems with notification(s) to users. A variety of user alerts are facilitated, including status and warning LEDs, direct display, and display on a networked computer. Multiple systems can be employed and systems will discover each other and interoperate. Specific systems can be specified to gather and unify diagnostic data from installations with multiple systems.

Claims

1. A dedicated independent diagnostic access device for effecting network health performing quality checks of a process control system network communication diagnostic data through combining diagnostic data packet analysis, including protocol, process, and environmental data, network communication diagnostics analyzing data packets'"'"' emerging statistics to provide “

early warnings”

to facilitate adding or subtracting network communication functionality and reconfiguring of intelligent network field devices commonly coupled to a network, comprising;

a data network connection for receiving and transmitting network communication diagnostic data from network packet analysis,

a process control network connection for receiving and transmitting process control network diagnostic data packets,

a power connection,

a processor,

a network packet analysis operational software program,

a network packet analysis user software program,

a network packet analysis user interface; and

the processor operating on the process control network diagnostic data packets with the operational software, characterizing data diagnostics and quality, communicating network packet diagnostic data to operators through the user interface and/or through the data network.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein a commissioned network is permanently connected for a commissioned network monitoring of diagnostic packet data.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein a remote commissioned network is temporarily connected for remote network monitoring of diagnostic packet data.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein a remote commissioned network is permanently connected for remote network monitoring of diagnostic packet data.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein multiple diagnostic access devices may be installed in a single commissioned network of diagnostic packet data.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein a single device may be designated as a single point of consolidation for all the diagnostic packet data monitoring of a commissioned network.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the user interface is selected from a choice of interfaces including a front panel, network terminal, handheld device, or laptop for monitoring of diagnostic packet data.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the characterizing data diagnostics and quality measurements consist of heuristics data and statistical summaries of performance trend tracking containing at least diagnostic packet data.

9. A dedicated independent diagnostic access device for commissioned networks monitoring network health performing quality checks combining diagnostic packet data, including protocol, process, and environmental data, analyzing data emerging statistics to provide “

early warnings”

comprising;

a data network connection for receiving and transmitting network packet data,

a process control network connection for receiving and transmitting process control network packet data,

a power connection,

a processor,

a network packet analysis operational software program,

a network packet analysis a user software program,

a network packet analysis user interface; and

reporting for user interfacing.

10. The device of claim 9, wherein reporting of diagnostic packet data for user interfacing is through Light Emitting Diodes (LED)s on a front panel on the user interface.

11. The device of claim 9, wherein reporting of diagnostic packet data for user interfacing is through a hardwire connection to a handheld device.

12. The device of claim 9, wherein reporting for user interfacing to diagnostic packet data is through a Graphical User Interface (GUI) on a networked computer.

13. A program product comprising a statutory medium operating on a dedicated independent diagnostic access device performing heuristic and statistical analysis where data sharing communication of environmental and diagnostic packet data is provided for Object linking and embedding for Process Control (OPC), Extensible Markup Language (XML), and Hyper Text Markup Language (HTML).

14. The program product comprising a statutory medium operating on a dedicated independent diagnostic access device of claim 13, wherein data sharing communication of diagnostic packet data provided is for other network protocols through program module and device addition.

15. The program product comprising a statutory medium operating on a dedicated independent diagnostic access device of claim 13, wherein early warning diagnostics of diagnostic packet data are provided through heuristic and statistical processes.

16. The program product comprising a statutory medium operating on a dedicated independent diagnostic access device of claim 13, wherein reports of protocol errors, statistical trends, and events of diagnostic packet data are reported and traceable as a typical diagnostic access system information.

17. The program product comprising a statutory medium operating on a dedicated independent diagnostic access device of claim 13, wherein intrusions or attempts of intrusions are reported as a typical diagnostic packet data access system information.

18. The program product comprising a statutory medium operating on a dedicated independent diagnostic access device of claim 13, wherein statistical and environmental data records of published network performance are gathered as typical diagnostic packet data access system information.

19. The program product comprising a statutory medium operating on a dedicated independent diagnostic access device of claim 13, wherein statistical and environmental data are combined and reported as typical diagnostic packet data access system information.

20. A method of configuring a dedicated independent diagnostic access device for effecting health and reliability diagnostics of a process control system through combining communication diagnostic data (protocol, process, and environmental) analyzing network packet data emerging stats to provide “

early warnings”

to facilitate adding or subtracting functionality and reconfiguring of intelligent field devices to a fieldbus network for monitoring consisting of;

interfacing to a network packet analysis data network,

interfacing to a network packet analysis process control network,

powering from a source,

monitoring environmental conditions,

processing,

operating from a network packet analysis operational software program,

processing control operating on the process control network with the operational software characterizing data quality and communicating network packet analysis through the user software; and

interfacing with an additional network that is an Ethernet connection.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein an additional network interface for network packet analysis connection is a wireless Ethernet.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein an additional network interface for network packet analysis connection consists of a multiple connection of Ethernets.

23. The method of claim 20, wherein the process control network interface for network packet analysis connection consists of industry network standards utilizing twisted pair or fiber media to communicate between multiple nodes.

24. The method of claim 20, wherein the process control network interface for network packet analysis connection consists of multiple connections of industry network standards utilizing twisted pair or fiber media to communicate between multiple nodes.