Field device, communication system, and method for controlling field device

• US 9,374,271 B2
• Filed: 07/15/2014
• Issued: 06/21/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/17/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Yokogawa Electric Corporation
• Original Assignee: Yokogawa Electric Corporation
• Inventors: Hasegawa, Kenji, Sakai, Masahiro, Emori, Toshiyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): REGO, DOMINIC E
• Application Number:
  US14/331,292
• Publication Number:
  US 20150024797A1
• Time in Patent Office: 707 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/0421 Multiprocessor system
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/25323 Intelligent modules
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/25428 Field device
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0618 based on the physical or logical position
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0668 by dynamic selection of recovery network elements, e.g. replacement by the most appropriate element after failure
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/065 related to network devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/10 Small scale networks; Flat hierarchical networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

A communication system includes a plurality of field devices connected to a field network, and a controller configured to communicate with the field devices via the field network to control the field devices. The field device is configured to communicate with the controller via the field network, and to perform a predetermined processing using information obtained by a communication between the field devices via a local network.

Claims

1. A field device comprising:

a communicator configured to communicate with a control device via a first communication path;

a local communicator configured to communicate with another field device via a second communication path, which is different from the first communication path; and

a processor configured

to perform a predetermined information processing using at least one of first information related to the field device itself and second information obtained by communication between the local communicator and the another field device via the second communication path,

to share the first information and the second information with the another field device via the second communication path, and

to diagnose abnormal states of the field device and the another field device using the first information and the second information.

2. The field device according to claim 1, wherein the local communicator is configured to communicate with the another field device by at least one of cable communication and wireless communication.

3. The field device according to claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to perform a diagnosis processing as the predetermined processing, and the diagnosis processing diagnoses a state of at least one of the field device itself and the another field device using at least one of the first information and the second information.

4. The field device according to claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to perform a separation processing as the predetermined processing, and the separation processing separates alarms generated by at least one of the field device itself and the another field device using at least one of the first information and the second information.

5. The field device according to claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to perform the predetermined processing at constant time intervals.

6. The field device according to claim 1, further comprising a controller configured to control the communicator to transmit processing results of the processor to the control device via the first communication path.

7. The field device according to claim 6, wherein if the communicator fails to communicate with the control device via the first communication path, the controller is configured to control the local communicator to communicate with the control device via the another field device.

8. A communication system comprising:

a plurality of field devices; and

a control device configured to communicate with the field devices to control the field devices,

wherein;

each field device comprises;

a communicator configured to communicate with the control device via a first communication path;

a local communicator configured to communicate with another field device via a second communication path, which is different from the first communication path; and

a processor configured

to perform a predetermined information processing using at least one of first information related to the field device itself and second information obtained by communication between the local communicator and the another field device via the second communication path,

to share the first information and the second information with the another field device via the second communication path, and

to diagnose abnormal states of the field device and the another field device using the first information and the second information; and

the control device is configured to communicate with the field devices via the first communication path.

9. The communication system according to claim 8, wherein the local communicator is configured to communicate with the another field device by at least one of cable communication and wireless communication.

10. The communication system according to claim 8, wherein the processor is configured to perform a diagnosis processing as the predetermined processing, and the diagnosis processing diagnoses a state of at least one of the field device itself and the another field device using at least one of the first information and the second information.

11. The communication system according to claim 8, wherein the processor is configured to perform a separation processing as the predetermined processing, and the separation processing separates alarms generated by at least one of the field device itself and the another field device using at least one of the first information and the second information.

12. The communication system according to claim 8, wherein the processor is configured to perform the predetermined processing at constant time intervals.

13. The communication system according to claim 8, wherein each field device further comprises a controller configured to control the communicator to transmit processing results of the processor to the control device via the first communication path.

14. The communication system according to claim 13, wherein if the communicator fails to communicate with the control device via the first communication path, the controller is configured to control the local communicator to communicate with the control device via the another field device.

15. A method for controlling a field device, comprising:

transmitting and receiving, by a hardware processor, information among a plurality of field devices via a first network connecting the field devices;

performing, by the hardware processor, a predetermined processing in each field device using at least one of first information related to the field device itself and second information from another field device obtained by the transmittance and receiving of the information among the field devices; and

transmitting, by the hardware processor, processing results of the predetermined processing from each field device to a control device via a second network connecting each field device and the control device,

wherein

performing the predetermined processing comprises;

sharing the first information and the second information between the field device and the another field device via the first network; and

diagnosing abnormal states of the field device and the another field device using the first information and the second information.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the transmittance and receiving of the information among the field devices is performed by at least one of cable communication and wireless communication.

17. The method according to claim 15, wherein the predetermined processing includes a diagnosis processing diagnosing a state of at least one of the field device itself and the another field device using at least one of the first information and the second information.

18. The method according to claim 15, wherein the predetermined processing includes a separation processing separating alarms generated by at least one of the field device itself and the another field device using at least one of the first information and the second information.

19. The method according to claim 15, wherein the predetermined processing is performed at constant time intervals.

20. The method according to claim 15, wherein if a direct communication via the second network connecting one of the field devices and the control device is failed, communication between the one of the field devices and the control device via the another field device is performed.