System and method for monitoring and controlling a target operating device of a process control system

• US 9,013,265 B2
• Filed: 03/29/2012
• Issued: 04/21/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fisher Controls International LLC (Emerson Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: Fisher Controls International LLC (Emerson Electric Company)
• Inventors: Panther, Mitchell S., Jensen, Kurtis K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mehmood, Jennifer
• Assistant Examiner(s): POINT, RUFUS C
• Application Number:
  US13/434,436
• Publication Number:
  US 20130257585A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,118 Days
• Field of Search: 340/4.34, 340/573.1, 340/539.1, 340/870.1
• US Class Current: 340/4.34
• CPC Class Codes: A47K 3/286 Emergency showers
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/0428 Safety, monitoring G05B19/0423 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31162 Wireless lan
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]

Abstract

A method of monitoring and controlling a target operating device of a process control system. The method comprises: detecting activation of one or more parts of the target operating device with a sensor of a wireless latching unit; latching a switch of the wireless latching unit from an active state to an inactive state upon detecting the activation of the one or more parts; transmitting one or more active signals from the wireless latching unit to abuse station upon latching the switch to the active state; detecting deactivation of the one or more parts of the target operating device with the sensor of the wireless latching unit; ignoring the detected deactivation at the wireless latching unit; and continuing to transmit the one or more active signals from the wireless latching unit to the base station. A wireless monitoring and control system is also disclosed.

Claims

1. A method of monitoring and controlling a target operating device of a process control system, the method comprising:

detecting activation of one or more parts of the target operating device with a sensor of a wireless latching unit;

latching a switch of the wireless latching unit from an inactive state to an active state upon detecting the activation of the one or more parts;

transmitting one or more active signals from the wireless latching unit to a base station upon latching the switch to the active state;

detecting deactivation of the one or more parts of the target operating device with the sensor of the wireless latching unit;

ignoring the detected deactivation of the one or more parts of the target operating device with the wireless latching unit; and

continuing to transmit the one or more active signals from the wireless latching unit to the base station after the detected deactivation until receiving a termination signal from a second source that the wireless latching unit has been reset to an inactive state.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising configuring the wireless latching unit to relate a position of the one or more parts of the target operating device to a position of a magnet of the target operating device.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein detecting activation of one or more parts of the target operating device further comprises sensing magnetic pull between the magnet and a Hall effect sensor of the wireless latching unit.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising actuating one or more indicators with the base station upon receiving a first of the one or more active signals from the wireless latching unit.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising terminating transmission of the one or more active signals from the wireless latching unit upon the wireless latching unit receiving the termination signal from one of a user interface of the wireless latching unit, the base station, or a hand held device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting the one or more active signals comprises transmitting one or more wireless signals.

7. A method of monitoring and controlling a target operating device of a process control system, the method comprising:

detecting activation of one or more parts of the target operating device with a sensor of a wireless latching unit;

latching a switch of the wireless latching unit from an inactive state to an active state upon detecting the activation of the one or more parts;

transmitting one or more active signals from the wireless latching unit to a base station upon latching the switch to the active state;

detecting deactivation of the one or more parts of the target operating device with the sensor of the wireless latching unit; and

continuing to transmit the one or more active signals from the wireless latching unit to the base station after detected deactivation until receiving a termination signal from a second source that the wireless latching unit has been reset to an inactive state.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein receiving the termination signal from the second source comprises receiving the termination signal from one or more of the base station, a control station or a monitoring station, a user interface of the wireless latching unit, or a hand held communication unit.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising terminating the transmission of the one or more active signals from the wireless latching unit upon receiving the termination signal.

10. The method of claim 7, further comprising configuring the wireless latching unit to relate a position of one or more parts of the target operating device to a position of a magnet of the target operating device.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein detecting activation of the one or more parts of the target operating device further comprises sensing magnetic pull between the magnet and a Hall effect sensor of the wireless latching unit.

12. The method of claim 7, further comprising actuating one or more indicators with the base station upon receiving a first of the one or more active signals from the wireless latching unit.

13. The method of claim 7, wherein transmitting the one or more active signals comprises transmitting one or more wireless signals.

14. A wireless monitoring and control system comprising:

a base station comprising a base processor and a base memory;

a target operating device comprising one or more parts;

a wireless latching unit communicatively coupled to the target operating device and the base station, the wireless latching unit having a latch processor, a latch memory, an interface for transmitting data associated with the wireless latching unit to the base station, a sensor for detecting activation and deactivation of one or more parts of the target operating device, and a switch adapted to be latched to an active state upon activation of the one or more parts of the target operating device;

a module stored in the latch memory of the wireless latching unit and executable by the latch processor to;

(1) detect activation of the one or more parts of the target operating device;

(2) latch the switch to the active state when activation of the one or more parts is detected;

(3) instruct the interface to transmit one or more active signals from the wireless latching unit to the base station; and

(4) ignore deactivation of the one or more parts of the target operating device until receiving a termination signal from a second source that the wireless latching unit has been reset to an inactive state.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the sensor is a Hall effect sensor.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the target operating device includes a magnet disposed on a lever of a valve, and the Hall effect sensor senses a magnetic pull of the magnet.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein the target operating device includes a safety shower, an eye wash station or a relief valve.

18. The system of claim 14, wherein the second source comprises one of the base station, a remote touch screen panel, a workstation, a user interface of the wireless latching unit, or a wired hand held communication device.

19. The system of claim 14, wherein the module may further:

(1) cease transmission of the one or more active signals from the wireless latching unit to the base station upon receiving the termination signal from the second source;

or (2) transmit an inactive signal to the base station upon receiving the termination signal from the second source.

20. The system of claim 14, further comprising a second module stored on the base memory and executable by the base processor for transmitting the termination signal to the wireless latching unit.

21. A system comprising a processor, a computer readable storage medium, and computer-executable instructions stored on the computer readable storage medium and executable by the processor to:

detect activation of one or more parts of the target operating device with a sensor of a wireless latching unit;

latch a switch of the wireless latching unit from an inactive state to an active state upon detecting the activation of the one or more parts;

transmit one or more active signals from the wireless latching unit to a base station upon the switch being latched to the active state;

detect deactivation of the one or more parts of the target operating device with the sensor of the wireless latching unit;

ignore the detected deactivation of the one or more parts of the target operating device at the wireless latching unit; and

continue to transmit the one or more active signals from the wireless latching unit to the base station after the detected deactivation until receiving a termination signal from a second source that the wireless latching unit has been reset to an inactive state.