Methods and apparatus to display information via a process control device

• US 9,563,187 B2
• Filed: 05/07/2013
• Issued: 02/07/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/09/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bristol Inc (Emerson Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: Bristol Inc (Emerson Electric Company)
• Inventors: Szurek, Scott G., Vanderah, Richard J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bahta, Kidest
• Application Number:
  US13/889,040
• Publication Number:
  US 20130304240A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,372 Days
• Field of Search: 700/83, 700/89, 700/108
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 21/00 Measuring or testing not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/0423 Input/output
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/25014 Fieldbus general name of bus connected to machines, detectors, actuators
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/25428 Field device

Abstract

Methods and apparatus to display information via a process control device are disclosed herein. An example method includes acquiring first information via a first sensor of a first output device. The first information is related to an industrial process. The example method also includes communicating the first information from the first output device to a controller and receiving second information in the first output device from the controller. The second information is based on the first information. The example method also includes displaying the second information via a display of the first output device.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a metering device installed at a location in an industrial process environment, the metering device housing;

a first sensor to acquire first process control characteristic data of an industrial process at the location in the industrial process environment;

a processor in communication with the first sensor of the metering device and a controller separate from the metering device, the processor to communicate the first process control characteristic data to the controller and receive second process control characteristic data from the controller, the second process control characteristic data calculated based on the first process control characteristic data; and

a display in communication with the processor to display the first process control characteristic data acquired from the first sensor and the second process control characteristic data received from the controller to enable monitoring of the industrial process at the location of the metering device in the industrial process environment.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the metering device further includes a first port, the processor in communication with the controller via the first port.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the metering device further includes a second port, the processor to be in communication with a portable field device via the second port, wherein the display is to display third process control characteristic data received by the processor from the portable field device.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the display is to display the first process control characteristic data adjacent the second process control characteristic data.

5. A method for monitoring an industrial process from an industrial process environment, the method comprising:

acquiring first process control characteristic data of the industrial process via a first sensor housed in a first metering device installed at a first location in the industrial process environment;

communicating, via a processor housed in the first metering device, the first process control characteristic data from the first metering device to a controller separate from the first metering device;

receiving, via the processor, second process control characteristic data in the first metering device from the controller, the second process control characteristic data calculated based on the first process control characteristic data; and

displaying the first and second process control characteristic data via a display housed in the first metering device to enable monitoring of the industrial process at the first location in the industrial process environment.

6. The method of claim 5, further including receiving third process control characteristic data from the controller, the third process control characteristic data related to a second metering device installed at a second location of the industrial process environment.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the third process control characteristic data is calculated by the controller based on fourth process control characteristic data acquired via a second sensor of the second metering device at the second location.

8. The method of claim 6, further including displaying the third process control characteristic data via the display adjacent at least one of the first process control characteristic data or the second process control characteristic data.

9. The method of claim 5, wherein the first process control characteristic data includes at least one of measured process information, environmental information or input device information.

10. The method of claim 5, further including receiving third process control characteristic data in the first metering device from the controller, the third process control characteristic data including a tag to identify one of the first process control characteristic data or the second process control characteristic data.

11. The method of claim 10, further including displaying, via the display at the first location, the tag adjacent the one of the first process control characteristic data or the second process control characteristic data.

12. The method of claim 5, further including receiving a command from the controller to display the first process control characteristic data at the first location.

13. The method of claim 5, further including:

acquiring third process control characteristic data via a second sensor housed in the first metering device; and

communicating the third process control characteristic data from the first metering device to the controller, wherein the second process control characteristic data received from the controller is calculated based on the first process control characteristic data and the third process control characteristic data.

14. The method of claim 5, further including receiving, via the processor of the first metering device, third process control characteristic data in the first metering device from the controller, the third process control characteristic data including at least one of an alert, an alarm or a notification generated by a second metering device.

20. The method of claim 5, further including receiving third process control characteristic data from a control device via the controller, the control device located outside of the industrial process environment.

15. A method for monitoring process controls of an industrial control environment, the method comprising:

receiving, via a controller, first process control characteristic data of an industrial process from a first metering device that is separate from and in communication with the controller and installed at a location in the industrial control environment, the first process control characteristic data acquired via a first sensor housed in the first metering device;

determining, via the controller, second process control characteristic data based on the first process control characteristic data; and

communicating, via the controller, the second process control characteristic data to a processor of the first metering device, the first and second process control characteristic data to be displayed via a display housed in the first metering device to enable monitoring of the industrial process at the location of the industrial control environment at which the first metering device is installed.

16. The method of claim 15, further including communicating an instruction to the first metering device to display the first process control characteristic data adjacent the second process control characteristic data.

17. The method of claim 15, further including:

communicating a tag to the first metering device; and

communicating an instruction to the first metering device to display the tag adjacent the first process control characteristic data or the second process control characteristic data to identify the first process control characteristic data or the second process control characteristic data.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the second process control characteristic data includes at least one of a fluid density, a fluid velocity, a fluid viscosity, a beta ratio, a discharge coefficient, a velocity of approach, a Reynolds Number, a mass flow rate, a volumetric flow rate, an energy flow rate, or a totalized flow rate.

19. The method of claim 15, further including:

receiving third process control characteristic data of the industrial process from a second metering device;

determining the second process control characteristic data or fourth process control characteristic data based on the third process control characteristic data;

communicating the second process control characteristic data or the fourth process control characteristic data to the first metering device; and

communicating an instruction to the first metering device to display the second process control characteristic data or the fourth process control characteristic data at the location of the industrial control environment at which the first metering device is installed.