Communicator with profiles

• US 9,817,780 B2
• Filed: 11/12/2014
• Issued: 11/14/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fluke Corporation (Fortive Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Fluke Corporation (Fortive Corp.)
• Inventors: Mrvaljevic, Nikola, Peterson, Randy, Ferrante, Joseph V., Prabhakar, Dileepa, Dyck, David Clarence
• Primary Examiner(s): WANG, ALBERT C
• Application Number:
  US14/539,856
• Publication Number:
  US 20150134940A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,098 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/38 Information transfer, e.g. on bus G06F13/14 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/385 for adaptation of a particular data processing system to different peripheral devices

Abstract

A communicator has profiles for holding locators for items in a tree-like database for a smart device that monitors a process. The communicator is connected to the smart device and obtains tag and other identity information to find the profile for the smart device. When a profile is located, the communicator displays a list of configuration items and favorite items and loads the items on the list into the communicator as default inputs or settings.

Claims

1. A method of configuring a smart device, comprising:

providing one or more profile containers in an instrument, each profile container comprising locators for preselected items, said preselected items including configuration items and favorite items associated with the smart device, said favorite items including slot favorites and users favorites, wherein a slot favorite is defined by a host manufacturer or vendor of the smart device and, via a defined name, informs a user of the specific preselected item that is mapped to the slot favorite, and wherein the user favorites are free-form favorites that the user can designate for any preselected item;

operating the instrument to access one or more selected items in the smart device to acquire the identity of the smart device;

associating at least one of the profile containers in the instrument with the identified smart device;

displaying, on the instrument, a list of favorite items and configuration items using said locators from the associated profile container; and

communicating, by the instrument, with the smart device, to exchange information between the instrument and the smart device at a location in the smart device corresponding to at least one of the locators on the list of favorite items and configuration items.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying on the instrument a flat list of at least one of said configuration items and favorite items.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of reading and saving information from at least one location in the smart device corresponding to a locator for a favorite item.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending at least one configuration item from the instrument to the smart device for storage in a location corresponding to the locator for the configuration item.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the profile container includes both configuration items and favorite items.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the list of favorite items and configuration items comprises a first set of slot locations corresponding to one or more predetermined but configurable items and a second set of locations items enabled for configuration.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the favorite items include at least one of pressure, temperature, flow, position, tank level, resistance, voltage and current.

8. An instrument for communicating with a smart device, wherein the smart device has a memory storing multiple items including items for configuring the smart device, the instrument comprising:

a processor for reading and executing programs;

a memory for holding programs and data;

a display for showing menus, lists and data;

a plurality of profile containers in the memory, wherein each profile container is associated with a different smart device and each profile container comprises locators for preselected items, said locators corresponding to favorite items and configuration items; and

a program operable by the processor for displaying in a list on the display at least one of the configuration items and favorite items from a profile container associate with the smart device and for loading one or more of the configuration items and favorite items as default inputs to the instrument, said favorite items in the list including slot favorites and users favorites, wherein a slot favorite is defined by a host manufacturer or vendor of the smart device and, via a defined name, informs a user of the specific preselected item that is mapped to the slot favorite, and wherein a user favorite is a free-form favorites that the user can designate for any preselected item.

9. The instrument of claim 8, wherein the list comprises a first set of slot locations corresponding to one or more predetermined parameters and a second set of locations defined by a user for storing locations of other parameters selected by the user.

10. The instrument of claim 9, wherein the predetermined parameters are at least one of pressure, temperature, flow, tank level, position, resistance, voltage, and current.

11. The instrument of claim 8, wherein the configuration items include one or more of the group comprising:

(a) a zero limit;

(b) an upper limit;

(c) zero or one or more values between the zero limit and upper limit; and

(d) a delay time.