Systems and methods to overlay additional information onto foundation fieldbus alerts

• US 8,952,804 B2
• Filed: 05/31/2011
• Issued: 02/10/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Karaffa, John Michael, Downor, Johnny Stephen, Smith, Steven William
• Primary Examiner(s): POPE, DARYL C
• Application Number:
  US13/149,764
• Publication Number:
  US 20120306638A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,351 Days
• US Class Current: 340/517
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/0425 Safety, monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/4186 by protocol, e.g. MAP, TOP
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/25224 Fieldbus messages services fms
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31135 Fieldbus
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]

Abstract

An industrial control system is provided that includes a field device configured to provide an alert having a first parameter and a controller configured to receive the alert and overlay a second plurality of parameters on the alert, wherein the controller is configured to transmit the alert having the first parameter and the second plurality of parameters.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a field device configured to provide an alert having a first parameter, wherein the first parameter adheres to a first industrial communications protocol alert parameter supported by the field device; and

a controller of an industrial control system configured to receive the alert and overlay a second plurality of parameters on the alert wherein the second plurality of parameters are not included in the first industrial communications protocol, wherein the controller is configured to transmit the alert having the first parameter and the second plurality of parameters, and wherein the controller is configured to transmit signals suitable for controlling a device included in the industrial control system.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the field device comprises a Foundation Fieldbus device.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the alert comprises a Foundation Fieldbus alert and the first parameter comprises a Foundation Fieldbus parameter and wherein the second plurality of parameters are not included in the Foundation Fieldbus protocol.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the second plurality of parameters comprises a primary description, a secondary description, an alarm class, and an alias.

5. The system of claim 1, comprising an alarm server, wherein the controller is configured to transmit the alert to the alarm server.

6. The system of claim 1, comprising a graphical user interface configured to provide the second plurality of parameters.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the graphical user interface is configured to provide for selection of a respective plurality of values for the second plurality of parameters.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the graphical user interface comprises a graphical user interface on a human-machine interface (HMI) system, a manufacturing execution system (MES), a distributed control system (DCS), a supervisor control and data acquisition (SCADA) system, or an alarm viewer.

9. The system of claim 1, comprising a linking device, a high speed Ethernet network, and a Foundation H1 network, wherein the linking device is configured to link the high speed Ethernet network to the Foundation H1 network, the controller is coupled to the high speed Ethernet network, and the field device is coupled to the Foundation H1 network.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the field device is configured to provide the alert over the Foundation H1 network, and the controller is configured to receive the alert over the high speed Ethernet network.

11. A method, comprising:

receiving an alert from a field device at a controller of an industrial control system, wherein the alert comprises a first parameter, wherein the first parameter adheres to a first industrial communications protocol alert parameter supported by the field device;

overlaying, via a processor of the controller, a second parameter on the alert wherein the second plurality of parameters are not included in the first industrial communications protocol, and wherein the controller is configured to transmit signals suitable for controlling a device included in the industrial control system; and

transmitting the alert having the first parameter and the of second parameter to a computer of an industrial control system.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the computer comprises an alarm server, a human-machine interface (HMI) system, a manufacturing execution system (MES), a distributed control system (DCS), or a supervisor control and data acquisition (SCADA) system.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the field device comprises a Foundation Fieldbus device, the alert comprises a Foundation Fieldbus alert, and the first parameter comprises a Foundation Fieldbus parameter and wherein the second plurality of parameters are not included in the Foundation Fieldbus protocol.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the alert comprises a third parameter.

15. The method of claim 11, comprising displaying the alert in a graphical user interface of the computer.

16. A non-transitory tangible machine-readable media comprising executable code stored thereon, wherein the executable code comprises instructions for:

receiving an alert from a field device at a controller of an industrial control system, wherein the alert comprises a first parameter, wherein the first parameter adheres to a first industrial communications protocol alert parameter supported by the field device;

overlaying, via a processor of the controller, a second parameter on the alert wherein the second parameter is not included in the first industrial communications protocol; and

transmitting the alert to a computer of an industrial control system, wherein the controller is configured to transmit signals suitable for controlling a device included in the industrial control system.

17. The non-transitory tangible machine-readable media of claim 16, wherein the computer comprises an alarm server.

18. The non-transitory tangible machine-readable media of claim 16, wherein the field device comprises a Foundation Fieldbus device, the alert comprises a Foundation Fieldbus alert, and the first parameter comprises a Foundation Fieldbus parameter and wherein the second parameter is not included in the Foundation Fieldbus protocol.

19. The non-transitory tangible machine-readable media of claim 18, wherein the Foundation Fieldbus parameter comprises a Foundation Fieldbus alarm parameter.

20. The non-transitory tangible machine-readable media of claim 16, wherein transmitting the alert comprises transmitting the alert over a unit data highway coupled to the controller.