Device management system and method for commissioning field devices with error resolution

• US 9,830,216 B2
• Filed: 12/10/2014
• Issued: 11/28/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Yokogawa Electric Corporation
• Original Assignee: Yokogawa Electric Corporation
• Inventors: Nguyen, Huu Thien Tan
• Primary Examiner(s): Riad, Amine
• Application Number:
  US14/566,139
• Publication Number:
  US 20160170825A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,084 Days
• Field of Search: 714 26
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/042 using digital processors G05B19/05 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/23068 Give instructions, messages to operator
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/24086 Expert system, guidance operator, locate fault and indicate how to repair
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/25068 Check correct configuration of device
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31337 Failure information database
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/35494 Online documentation, manual, procedures, operator, user guidance, assistance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0751 Error or fault detection not based on redundancy power supply failures G06F1/30; network fault management H04L41/06
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/079 Root cause analysis, i.e. error or fault diagnosis in a hardware test environment G06F11/22; in a software test environment G06F11/36
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0793 Remedial or corrective actions recovery from an exception in an instruction pipeline G06F9/3861; by retry G06F11/1402; for recovering from a failure of a protocol instance or entity H04L69/40

Abstract

A device management system for performing validation prior to commissioning at least one field device. The system includes a commissioning tool operable to receive at least one source file relating to the at least one field device for import operation, and a processor operable to check the source file for any error. If at least one error is found in the source file, the processor is operable to refer to an error resolution database for providing guidance on resolution of error associated with the source file without terminating the import operation.

Claims

1. A device management system for performing validation prior to commissioning at least one field device comprising:

a commissioning tool configured to receive at least one source file relating to the at least one field device in an import operation; and

a processor configured to check the at least one source file for any error,

wherein the processor is further configured to provide guidance on resolution of at least one error found in the at least one source file using rules for error handling retrieved from an error resolution database without terminating the import operation, the rules defining at least one auto fix option based on a device property and validation criteria associated with the at least one error.

2. The device management system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to convert the at least one source file to a device list file.

3. The device management system of claim 2, wherein the processor is further configured to convert the at least one source file to a device list file and a mapping list file.

4. The device management system of claim 1, wherein the error resolution database comprises a device error resolution database and a mapping error resolution database.

5. The device management system of claim 1, wherein the commissioning tool is further configured to provide an error handling interface for displaying the at least one error and the guidance is a suggested correction for the at least one error.

6. The device management system of claim 1, wherein the commissioning tool is in data communication with a control system, the control system interfacing with the at least one field device.

7. The device management system of claim 1, wherein the commissioning tool is in data communication with a repository for purpose of generation, supplementation and update of the error resolution database.

8. The device management system of claim 7, wherein the repository comprises at least one field device information file, a registration file, a protocol device registration file and a control system loop information file.

9. The device management system of claim 4, wherein the device error resolution database or the mapping error resolution database are stored as .xml file format.

10. The device management system of claim 5, wherein the suggested correction is updatable at any time the error handling interface is provided.

11. The device management system of claim 5, wherein if the at least one error is associated with a parameter which is non-mandatory, the suggested correction is in the form of an empty entry.

12. The device management system of claim 5, wherein if the at least one error is associated with a parameter which is mandatory, the suggested correction is based on a modification of the parameter which is mandatory to comply with a validation rule.

13. The device management system of claim 4, wherein if the at least one error is associated with a parameter related to the path or address of the at least one field device, then the suggested correction is in the form of an input for the entry of the correct path or address of the at least one field device.

14. A method for performing validation prior to commissioning at least one field device comprising the steps of:

receiving at least one source file relating to the at least one field device in an import operation; and

checking the at least one source file for any error and providing guidance on resolution of at least one error found in the at least one source file using rules for error handling retrieved from an error resolution database without terminating the import operation, the rules defining at least one auto fix option based on a device property and validation criteria associated with the at least one error.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising the step of converting a portion of the at least one source file to a device list file.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the step of converting includes converting the at least one source file to a device list file and a mapping list file.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein an error handling interface for displaying the at least one error is provided and the guidance is in the form of a suggested correction for the at least one error.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein if the at least one error is associated with a parameter which is mandatory, the suggested correction is based on a modification of the parameter which is mandatory to comply with a validation rule.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein if the at least one error is associated with a parameter related to the path or address of the at least one field device then the suggested correction is in the form of an input for entry of the correct path or address of the at least one field device.

20. A non-transitory computer readable medium containing executable software instructions thereon wherein when executed performs the method of performing validation prior to commissioning at least one field device comprising the steps of:

receiving at least one source file relating to the at least one field device in an import operation; and

checking the at least one source file for any error and providing guidance on resolution of at least one error found in the at least one source file using rules for error handling retrieved from an error resolution database without terminating the import operation, the rules defining at least one auto fix option based on a device property and validation criteria associated with the at least one error.