Wireless communication method, device and system for establishing a connection

• US 8,126,395 B2
• Filed: 04/07/2005
• Issued: 02/28/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/08/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ABB Schweiz AG (ABB Limited)
• Original Assignee: ABB Research Ltd. (ABB Ltd.)
• Inventors: Balgård, Lennart, Tasala, Seija, Raciti, Luca
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Tuan A
• Application Number:
  US11/547,866
• Publication Number:
  US 20080139116A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,518 Days
• Field of Search: 455/41.2, 455418-420, 455507-518, 455/67.11, 455/67.7, 709227-229
• US Class Current: 455/41.2
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 using a radio link
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals

Abstract

A method for a user to establish a wireless connection between a wireless portable computing device and a wireless-equipped device in an industrial or electrical power or distribution plant. Actions of the method are carried out by a second computer program that provides information in a graphical user interface display to a user and opens a wireless connection with a selected industrial device. In other aspects a human-machine interface and a system are also described.

Claims

1. A method to establish a wireless connection between a portable computing device with at least one first computer program application and a first device equipped with a member for radio communication, wherein the first device is a device for production or associated operations in an industrial installation, or an installation for transmission or distribution of energy or electricity, the method comprising:

displaying a user-friendly name for a first said device dependent on identity information in a list of said first devices in a graphic display member on a GUI display of a said portable computing device,

receiving a signal for selection of said first device from the list of said first devices,

activating the user-friendly name or symbol of said first device so as to cause a second computer program application to call a method or service of said first computer program application in order to provide the method or service of the first computer program application or publish a port, or other access channel, for the established wireless connection;

returning or publishing a port number or other channel identifier to the first computer program application;

causing the radio communication member of the portable computing device to generate a wireless signal to establish a wireless connection with the selected first device; and

sending messages or retrieve data wirelessly between the first computer program application and the selected first device.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

causing the radio communication member of the portable computing device to generate a wireless signal to or a wireless search to determine which of any said first devices are operating within wireless range of said portable computing device.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

activating the graphic display member displayed by the HMI by use of an GUI input member so as to select the said first device from the list of available said first devices.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

displaying a list of said first devices in which each said first device is represented by a human readable name or intuitive name or symbol.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

performing actions of establishing a wireless connection in the background and not normally visible to a user.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

an alternative action of retrieving a radio address or a human readable name or intuitive name or symbol for the selected said first device from a copy of a list of available said first devices in a memory storage of the portable computing device.

7. The method according to claim 6, further comprising:

retrieving a copy of the list of available said first devices via a node of a LAN or WLAN and the copy in the computing device.

8. The method according to claim 6, further comprising:

retrieving the copy of the list of available said first devices from a portable memory storage member connected to the portable computing device comprising any from the list of;

removable memory storage card, flash memory, removable hard drive, removable medium, CD, DVD, optical device.

9. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

carrying out a wireless search to find new said first devices and adding other said first devices to the list of said first devices by the second computer program application on command or activation by a user.

10. The method according to claim 9, further comprising:

the user entering and storing by the second application a user-friendly name or symbol for a new said first device found during the wireless search.

11. The method according to claim 9, further comprising:

automatically receiving names of new said first devices during a wireless search and storing them, together with a radio address, in a list of said first devices.

12. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

carrying out the wireless search to find new said first devices, or to connect to a device on command or activation by a user activating a graphic button or physical input member.

13. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

sending a wireless data signal from the portable computing device to the selected said first device to establish a wireless connection.

14. The method according to claim 13, further comprising:

sending a wireless communication from the first computer program application to the selected said first device.

15. The method according to claim 14, further comprising:

performing a task in said first computer program application, and sending a message from the first computer program application to the selected said first device by the wireless connection established by the second computer program application.

16. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

calling the method or service of said first computer program application by an API of said first computer program application.

17. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

first detecting by the second computer program application a request from the first computer program application for a method or service associated with said first device, and then displaying of the list of said first devices provided by the second computer program application.

18. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

receiving at the radio communication member of the portable computing device a wireless inquiry signal, detecting receipt of the wireless inquiry signal, and then displaying by the second computer program application the list of said first devices.

19. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

removing the display of list of said first devices provided by the second computer program application after a time delay following a request for access to said first device.

20. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

a user starting the second computer program application so as to operate the second computer program application a selection or command or other action or button-press by the user.

21. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

applying a filter to the list of said first devices and presenting a filtered selection to a user.

22. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

applying the filter to the list of said first devices including a factor or variable or parameter from any of the list of;

user log-in, user job, location, device type, device condition.

23. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

activating the graphic display member displayed by the HMI by any graphical input member.

24. The method according to claim 23, further comprising:

providing information from the list of user-friendly names or symbols to a display member and/or process of said first computer program application so that the device list is visually presented to a user as an element of said first computer program application.

25. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

activating the graphic display member displayed by the HMI by a physical input member.

26. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

providing information from the list of user-friendly names or symbols to a display member and/or process of in a computer program that comprises functions of both the first computer program application and the second computer program application in one computer program application.

27. A non-transitory computer program product, comprising:

a computer-readable medium; and

computer program instructions recorded on the computer-readable medium executable by a processor for performing a method comprising

displaying a user-friendly name for a first said device dependent on identity information in a list of said first devices in a graphic display member on a GUI display of a said portable computing device,

receiving a signal for selection of said first device from the list of said first devices,

activating the user-friendly name or symbol of said first device so as to cause a second computer program application to call a method or service of said first computer program application in order to provide the method or service of the first computer program application or publish a port, or other access channel, for the established wireless connection;

returning or publishing a port number or other channel identifier to the first computer program application;

causing the radio communication member of the portable computing device to generate a wireless signal to establish a wireless connection with the selected first device; and

sending messages or retrieve data wirelessly between the first computer program application and the selected first device.

28. The non-statutory computer program product according to claim 27, wherein the computer program instructions are further for executing the computer program instructions locally on a portable computing device.

29. The non-statutory computer program product according to claim 28, wherein the computer program instructions are further for

establishing a wireless connection between the portable computing device and a selected first device, wherein the establishment is carried out such that the operation of retrieving a radio address of the selected first device and opening a connection with the selected first device is not normally visible to a user.

30. The non-statutory computer program product according to claim 27, wherein the computer program instructions operate in the background.

31. The non-statutory computer program product according to claim 27, wherein the computer program instructions are further for executing the computer program instructions locally on a portable computing device in cooperation with a server process on another computing machine.

32. The non-statutory computer program product according to claim 27, wherein the computer program instructions are embedded in a hardware component of a portable computing device.