Monitoring and controlling of valves in industrial process control and automation using NFC

• US 9,523,971 B2
• Filed: 05/13/2013
• Issued: 12/20/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/07/2012
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: HCL Technologies Limited
• Original Assignee: HCL Technologies Limited
• Inventors: Durbhaka, Gopi Krishna, Maurya, Arvind Kumar, Dhanyamraju, Subramanya Uma Maheswara Prasad
• Primary Examiner(s): Bahta, Kidest
• Application Number:
  US13/893,281
• Publication Number:
  US 20140129036A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,317 Days
• Field of Search: 700/186, 298/32, 298/40, 361/714, 361/816
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/042 using digital processors G05B19/05 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/4185 characterised by the network communication
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/23414 Pc as detachable program, debug, monitor device for control system
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31113 General, vendor indenpendant display and control interface for sensor actuator
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31197 Near field communication nfc
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/33326 Analyzer, diagnostic for servovalve
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/45006 Valves
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]

Abstract

A system and method to monitor and control the valves in industrial process control and automation using Near-Field Communication (NFC) is disclosed. The system comprises a NFC-Equipment Interface Unit (NFC-EIU) to acquire parameters from the valves through a port and send the parameters to any handheld device by NFC for analysis. The NFC-EIU on receiving the analysis results from the handheld device can control the valves too.

Claims

1. A system to monitor and control a plurality of valves in process control using Near-Field communication (NFC), said system comprising:

a NFC-Equipment Interface Unit (NFC-EIU), wherein said NFC-EIU comprises of a microcontroller and a NFC module, said microcontroller configured to;

obtain at least one parameter from at least one of a pressure valve and a flow valve through a Local Control Unit (LCU), wherein said at least one parameter comprises a Set-Reset, a Process Value (PV), a Set point Value (SP), and a Local-Remote mode;

a handheld device connected with said NFC-EIU, wherein said handheld device is configured to;

receive said at least one parameter from said NFC-EIU to monitor said at least one parameter;

analyze said at least one parameter; and

control at least one of said pressure valve and said flow valve based on said analysis.

2. The NFC-EIU as in claim 1, wherein said NFC-EIU is configured to acquire said at least one parameter and control at least one of said pressure valve and said flow valve, using wired communication.

3. The NFC-EIU as in claim 1, wherein said NFC-EIU is configured to send said at least one parameter to said handheld device and receive said results from said handheld device by NFC using said NFC module in said NFC-EIU.

4. A method for monitoring and controlling a plurality of valves in process control using Near Field Communication (NFC), said method comprising:

obtaining, by a microcontroller, at least one parameter from at least one of a pressure valve and a flow valve through a Local Control Unit (LCU), wherein said at least one parameter comprises a Set-Reset, a Process Value (PV), a Set point Value (SP), and a Local-Remote mode, by the microcontroller of a NFC-Equipment Interface Unit (NFC-EIU);

receiving, by the microcontroller, said at least one parameter from said NFC-EIU to monitor and control said at least one parameter, by a handheld device;

analyzing, by the microcontroller, said at least one parameter, by said handheld device; and

controlling, by the microcontroller, at least one of said pressure valve and said flow valve based on said analysis.

5. The method as in claim 4, wherein said NFC-EIU is configured to acquire said at least one parameter and control at least one of said pressure valve and said flow valve, using wired communication.

6. The method as in claim 4, wherein said NFC-EIU is configured to send said at least one parameter to said handheld device and receive said results from said handheld device by NFC using a NFC module in said NFC-EIU.

7. A non-transitory computer program product for monitoring and controlling a plurality of valves in process control using Near Field Communication (NFC), said product comprising:

an integrated circuit further comprising at least one processor;

at least one memory having a computer program code within said circuit;

said at least one memory and said computer program code executable by at least one processor to;

obtain at least one parameter from at least one of a pressure valve and a flow valve through a Local Control Unit (LCU), wherein said at least one parameter comprises a Set-Reset, a Process Value (PV), a Set point Value (SP), and a Local-Remote mode, by a microcontroller of a NFC-Equipment Interface Unit (NFC-EIU);

receive said at least one parameter from said NFC-EIU to monitor said at least one parameter, by a handheld device;

analyze said at least one parameter, by said handheld device; and

control at least one of said pressure valve and said flow valve based on said analysis in said handheld device.

8. A non-transitory computer program product as in claim 7, wherein said NFC-EIU is configured to acquire said at least one parameter and control at least one of said pressure valve and said flow valve, using wired communication.

9. A non-transitory computer program product as in claim 7, wherein said NFC-EIU is configured to send said at least one parameter to said handheld device and receive said results from said handheld device by NFC using a NFC module in said NFC-EIU.