Wireless field maintenance adapter

• US 8,224,256 B2
• Filed: 01/21/2010
• Issued: 07/17/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fisher-Rosemount Systems Incorporated (Emerson Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: Fisher-Rosemount Systems Incorporated (Emerson Electric Company)
• Inventors: Citrano, Joseph III, Toepke, Todd M., Dewey, Alan R., Russell, Alden C. III, Armstrong, Stephen, Llewellyn, Craig T., Baker, David J., Harris, Stuart A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dao, Minh D
• Application Number:
  US12/691,353
• Publication Number:
  US 20100190442A1
• Time in Patent Office: 908 Days
• Field of Search: 455/67.11, 455/67.14, 455/115.1, 455/115.2, 455/226.1, 455/41.2, 455/423, 714/23, 714/35, 700/7, 700/17
• US Class Current: 455/67.11
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/4185 characterised by the network communication
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31251 Redundant access, wireless and hardware access to fielddevices
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]

Abstract

A wireless field maintenance adapter includes a power source, a controller, a low-power radio-frequency communication module, and a wireless process communication protocol module. The controller is coupled to the power source. The low-power radio-frequency communication module is also coupled to the controller. The wireless process communication protocol module is coupled to the controller. The controller is configured to communicate through the wireless process communication protocol module based on information received from the low-power radio-frequency communication module.

Claims

1. A wireless field maintenance adapter comprising:

a power source;

a controller coupled to the power source;

a low-power radio-frequency communication module coupled to the controller;

a wireless process communication protocol module coupled to the controller; and

wherein the controller is configured to communicate through the wireless process communication protocol module based on information received from the low-power radio-frequency communication module.

2. The wireless field maintenance adapter of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to communicate through the low-power radio-frequency communication module based on information received from the wireless process communication protocol module.

3. The wireless field maintenance adapter of claim 1, wherein the low-power radio-frequency communication module communicates in accordance with a Bluetooth specification.

4. The wireless field maintenance adapter of claim 1, wherein the wireless process communication protocol module communicates in accordance with a Wireless HART specification.

5. The wireless field maintenance adapter of claim 1, wherein the power source is a rechargeable battery.

6. The wireless field maintenance adapter of claim 1, and further comprising a USB communication module operably coupled to the power source and to the controller.

7. The wireless field maintenance adapter of claim 1, and further comprising a wired process communication protocol module operably disposed between a plurality of terminals and the controller.

8. The wireless field maintenance adapter of claim 7, wherein the wired process communication protocol module is a HART process communication protocol module.

9. The wireless field maintenance adapter of claim 1, and further comprising a GPS receiver coupled to the controller to provide an indication of geographical location of the adapter to the controller.

10. The wireless field maintenance adapter of claim 1, wherein the controller has firmware that is updateable.

11. The wireless field maintenance adapter of claim 1, and further comprising an additional low-power radio-frequency communication module coupled to the controller.

12. The wireless field maintenance adapter of claim 11, wherein the controller is further configured to translate signals between the plurality of low-power radio-frequency communication modules.

13. The wireless field maintenance adapter of claim 1, and further comprising an additional wireless process communication protocol module, and wherein the plurality of wireless process communication protocol modules are configured to communicate in accordance with different wireless process communication protocols.

14. A method of determining as found/as left information relative to a wireless field device, the method comprising:

coupling a handheld field maintenance tool to a wireless field maintenance adapter;

generating a request with the handheld field maintenance tool for as found/as left data;

constructing wireless process communication signals based on the request and transmitting such signals to the wireless field device through the wireless field maintenance adapter;

receiving as found/as left data from a wireless field device as wireless process communication information; and

storing the as found/as left data.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein coupling the handheld field maintenance tool to the wireless field maintenance adapter includes physically coupling the handheld field maintenance tool to the wireless field maintenance adapter.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein coupling the handheld field maintenance tool to the wireless field maintenance adapter includes pairing the two devices together in accordance with a wireless handshake process.

17. A method of conducting a proof test of a process communication loop or segment using a handheld field maintenance tool, the method comprising:

coupling the handheld field maintenance tool to a wireless field maintenance adapter;

initiating a proof test with the handheld field maintenance tool;

wirelessly interacting with at least one wireless process device with the wireless field maintenance adapter; and

recording proof test results.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein coupling the handheld field maintenance tool to the wireless field maintenance adapter includes physically coupling the handheld field maintenance tool to the wireless field maintenance adapter.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the physical coupling is via a process wired communication module in wireless field maintenance adapter.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the physical coupling is via a Universal Serial Bus connection.