Location dependent control access in a process control system
First Claim
1. An access control system for use in a process environment having a plurality of devices interconnected through a communication network, the access control system comprising:
- a first wireless transceiver disposed in the process environment and communicatively coupled to the communication network;
a handheld communicator having a processing unit, a computer readable memory, a graphical display unit, an input device and a second wireless transceiver, wherein the handheld communicator communicates with the communication network through the first and second transceivers;
a first database that stores control area data indicative of a plurality of control areas associated with the process environment;
a second database that stores authorization data related to one or more users; and
an access controller that provides a user operating the portable communicator access to data or functionality associated with one or more of the plurality of devices according to the location of the user relative to one or more of the control areas and on the authorization data corresponding to the user,wherein the access controller is configured to perform automatically initiated dynamic adjustment of a first control area of the plurality of control areas according to conditions in the process environment, the dynamic adjustment resulting in a change in an association of a one of the plurality of devices to be associated with the first control area instead of a second control area with which the one of the plurality of devices was previously associated.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method of accessing an element in a process control environment using a portable communicator includes defining a plurality of control areas within the process control environment, determining a position of a user operating a portable communicator with respect to one or more of the control areas, establishing an identity of the user, and selectively allowing the user to access an element within the process control environment via the portable communicator depending on the determined position of the user with respect to the one or more control areas and on the identity of the user.
32 Citations
26 Claims
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1. An access control system for use in a process environment having a plurality of devices interconnected through a communication network, the access control system comprising:
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a first wireless transceiver disposed in the process environment and communicatively coupled to the communication network; a handheld communicator having a processing unit, a computer readable memory, a graphical display unit, an input device and a second wireless transceiver, wherein the handheld communicator communicates with the communication network through the first and second transceivers; a first database that stores control area data indicative of a plurality of control areas associated with the process environment; a second database that stores authorization data related to one or more users; and an access controller that provides a user operating the portable communicator access to data or functionality associated with one or more of the plurality of devices according to the location of the user relative to one or more of the control areas and on the authorization data corresponding to the user, wherein the access controller is configured to perform automatically initiated dynamic adjustment of a first control area of the plurality of control areas according to conditions in the process environment, the dynamic adjustment resulting in a change in an association of a one of the plurality of devices to be associated with the first control area instead of a second control area with which the one of the plurality of devices was previously associated. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A control system for use in a process control environment in a process plant, the control system comprising:
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a plurality of control devices distributed in the process control environment to perform one or more control or measurement activities within the process control environment; a first wireless transceiver disposed in the process control environment and communicatively coupled to the at least one of the plurality of control devices; a host communicatively coupled to the at least one of the plurality of control devices, the host having a processing unit and a computer readable memory; a handheld communicator having a processing unit, a computer readable memory, a graphical display unit, an input device and a second wireless transceiver, wherein the handheld communicator operates to communicate with the at least one of the plurality of control devices through the first and the second transceivers; a database storing an association between each of the plurality of control devices and one or more areas of control, wherein each area of control is associated with at least one geographic area; and an access control system that determines a physical location of a user operating the handheld communicator with respect to the areas of control and prevents the user from accessing data pertaining to the at least one of the plurality of devices if the physical location of the handheld communicator is outside of each of the areas of control with which the at least one of the plurality of devices is associated, wherein the access control system is configured to perform automatically initiated dynamic adjustment of a first control area of the areas of control according to conditions in the process plant, the dynamic adjustment resulting in a change in an association of a one of the plurality of devices to be associated with the first control area instead of a second control area with which the one of the plurality of devices was previously associated. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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Specification