Method and apparatus for mounting RFID devices to process control devices

• US 9,443,186 B2
• Filed: 06/09/2014
• Issued: 09/13/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fisher Controls International LLC (Emerson Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: Fisher Controls International LLC (Emerson Electric Company)
• Inventors: Lovell, Michel Ken
• Primary Examiner(s): HESS, DANIEL A
• Application Number:
  US14/299,709
• Publication Number:
  US 20140361087A1
• Time in Patent Office: 827 Days
• Field of Search: 235/451, 235/492, 340/572.7, 340/572.8
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07758 arrangements for adhering the record carrier to further objects or living beings, functioning as an identification tag
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49018 with other electrical component

Abstract

Method and apparatus for mounting RFID devices to process control devices are disclosed. An example apparatus includes a mount to couple a radio-frequency identification tag to a field device. The mount is rotatable relative to the field device to adjust the radio-frequency identification tag to be oriented relative to a radio-frequency identification reader. The mount includes a first portion to be coupled to the field device and a second portion to receive the radio-frequency identification tag.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a mount to couple a radio-frequency identification tag to a field device, the mount being rotatable relative to the field device to adjust a direction of a signal of the radio-frequency identification tag relative to a radio-frequency identification reader, the mount comprising;

a first portion having a threaded portion that is to rotatably couple the mount to the field device to enable the first portion to rotate about a longitudinal axis of the first portion to adjust the direction of the signal of the radio-frequency identification tag;

a second portion to receive the radio-frequency identification tag; and

a joint to rotatably couple the first portion and the second portion, the joint to enable the second portion to rotate about a second axis that intersects the longitudinal axis of the first portion to adjust the direction of the signal of the radio-frequency identification tag.

2. An apparatus of claim 1, wherein the mount further includes wrench flats to enable the mount to be rotated relative to the longitudinal axis of the first portion.

3. An apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second axis is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the first portion such that the joint enables the second portion to transition between being parallel and perpendicular to the first portion.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the first portion is capable of completing a full rotation about the longitudinal axis of the first portion and the second portion is capable of rotating about 180 degrees relative to the second axis to adjust the direction of the signal of the radio-frequency identification tag.

5. An apparatus of claim 1, wherein the mount comprises a metallic material to increase a range that a radio-frequency signal is to be transmitted from the radio-frequency identification tag.

6. An apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second portion is removably coupled to the first portion via the joint, the second portion is to decouple from the first portion to reposition the second portion relative the first portion when nearby equipment impedes rotation of the second portion about the second axis.

7. An apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second portion further includes a first flat surface and a second flat surface opposite the first flat surface, the first flat surface to receive the radio-frequency identification tag, the second flat surface to receive an identification plate.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first portion includes a first end and a second end opposite the first end, the threaded portion is adjacent the first end and the joint is adjacent the second end of the first portion.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the mount is unenclosed when coupled to the field device.

10. An apparatus comprising:

a radio-frequency identification tag; and

an adapter having a first portion and a second portion opposite the first portion, the radio-frequency identification tag is coupled to the second portion, the first portion includes threads to rotatably couple the adapter to a field device and to enable the adapter to rotate relative to a longitudinal axis of the first portion to adjust a direction of a signal of the radio-frequency identification tag relative to a radio-frequency identification reader, the first portion includes a first end and a second end opposite the first end, the first end is to rotatably couple to the field device via the threads, the second end is to be hingeably coupled to the second portion via a joint.

11. An apparatus of claim 10, wherein the radio-frequency identification tag is to be powered by the radio-frequency identification reader to transmit process control data of the field device to which the adapter is rotatably coupled.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the joint is to enable the second portion to rotate about a second axis that intersects the longitudinal axis of the first portion to adjust the direction of the signal of the radio-frequency identification tag relative to the radio-frequency identification reader.

13. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the second portion is coupled to the first portion via the joint such that the radio-frequency identification tag remains parallel to the longitudinal axis of the first portion as the second portion rotates about the second axis.

14. A method comprising:

rotatably coupling a first portion of an adapter to a field device installed at a field location via a threaded portion of the first portion, the adapter is to rotate relative to the field device about a longitudinal axis of the first portion;

rotatably coupling a second portion of the adapter to the first portion via a joint to enable the second portion to rotate about a second axis that extends through the joint and intersects the longitudinal axis of the first portion; and

orientating a radio-frequency identification tag coupled to the second portion of the adapter relative to a radio-frequency identification reader that is to detect the radio-frequency identification tag by at least one of rotating the first portion about the longitudinal axis of the first portion via the threaded portion and rotating the second portion about the second axis via the joint to adjust a direction of a signal of the radio-frequency identification tag.

15. A method of claim 14, wherein rotatably coupling the adapter to the field device includes threadably coupling, via the threaded portion, a first end of the first portion of the adapter to a threaded conduit opening of the field device.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein rotatably coupling the second portion to the first portion includes hingeably coupling the second portion to a second end of the first portion via the joint, the second end opposite the first end of the first portion.

17. A method of claim 14, wherein orientating the radio-frequency identification tag further includes adjusting the second portion to be between parallel and perpendicular relative to the first portion, the second axis being perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the first portion to enable the second portion to adjust between being parallel and perpendicular to the first portion.

18. A method of claim 14, wherein coupling the second portion to the first portion includes coupling the first portion to the second portion after the first portion is coupled to the field device to prevent the second portion from interfering with coupling the first portion to the field device.

19. A method of claim 14, further comprising adjusting an orientation of the radio-frequency identification tag in response to the field device being moved from the field location to a second field location.