Field bus system with industrial measurement device having automonous control operation

• US 9,869,987 B2
• Filed: 03/23/2015
• Issued: 01/16/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/25/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Yokogawa Electric Corporation
• Original Assignee: Yokogawa Electric Corporation
• Inventors: Nakajima, Hiroaki, Akabane, Kuniharu, Hayashi, Shunsuke
• Primary Examiner(s): Peyton, Tammara
• Application Number:
  US14/665,017
• Publication Number:
  US 20150277411A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,030 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/0423 Input/output
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/4184 characterised by fault tolerance, reliability of production system
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/33323 Self diagnostic of boards, own test program
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/4282 on a serial bus, e.g. I2C bus, SPI bus on daisy chain buses G06F13/4247
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]

Abstract

A process control system includes an I/O module configured to be connected to a field device which is installed in a plant in which an industrial process is controlled, the I/O module autonomously transmitting data received from the field device, and a higher-level device that comprises a memory which temporarily stores the data autonomously transmitted from the I/O module, the higher-level device reading the data stored in the memory at a predetermined period.

Claims

1. A process control system comprising:

an I/O module that is connected to a first field device which is installed in a plant in which an industrial process is controlled, the I/O module autonomously transmitting a process value and device management data received from the first field device, the process value being measured by the first field device;

a signal relay that comprises a memory which temporarily stores the process value and the device management data autonomously transmitted from the I/O module;

a controller configured to read the process value and the device management data stored in the memory of the signal relay at a predetermined period, the controller calculating a manipulation volume based on the process value, the controller transmitting the manipulation volume to the signal relay to control a second field device via the I/O module or another I/O module, the second field device being different from the first field device and connected to the I/O module or the another I/O module; and

a device manager configured to obtain the device management data from the controller so as to determine a normality of the first field device.

2. The process control system according to claim 1, wherein

the I/O module is configured to autonomously transmit not only the process value and the device management data received from the first field device but also autonomously transmit data which is obtained in the I/O module to the signal relay.

3. The process control system according to claim 1, wherein

the I/O module comprises an obtainer which is configured to obtain, via a transmission line connecting the first field device and the I/O module, the process value and the device management data which are autonomously transmitted from the first field device, and

the I/O module is configured to autonomously transmit the process value and the device management data obtained by the obtainer to the signal relay.

4. The process control system according to claim 3, wherein

in a case where the first field device does not have a function of autonomously transmitting data, the obtainer obtains the data from the first field device by a command response method.

5. The process control system according to claim 1, wherein

the I/O module and a plurality of signal relays are connected via a network, and

the I/O module is configured to autonomously transmit the process value and the device management data, which are received from the first field device, to the plurality of the signal relays connected to the network.

6. The process control system according to claim 1, wherein

the controller is configured to read the process value and the device management data stored in the memory of the signal relay by a command response method.

7. The process control system according to claim 1, wherein

the I/O module comprises a poller which is configured to communicate with the first field device via a transmission line connecting the first field device and the I/O module at a constant periodic interval, the poller receiving the process value and the device management data from the first field device by a command response method.

16. The process control system according to claim 1, wherein

the device management data indicates a self-diagnosis result of the first field device.

8. A process control system comprising:

an I/O module that is connected to a first field device which is installed in a plant in which an industrial process is controlled, the I/O module autonomously transmitting a process value and device management data received from the first field device, the process value being measured by the first field device;

a controller that comprises a signal relay which comprises a memory, the memory temporarily storing the process value and the device management data autonomously transmitted from the I/O module, the controller reading the process value and the device management data stored in the memory of the signal relay at a predetermined period, the controller calculating a manipulation volume based on the process value to control a second field device via the I/O module or another I/O module, the second field device being different from the first field device and connected to the I/O module or the another I/O module; and

a device manager configured to obtain the device management data from the controller so as to determine a normality of the first field device.

9. A process control method comprising:

receiving, by an I/O module, a process value and device management data from a first field device which is installed in a plant in which an industrial process is controlled, the process value being measured by the first field device, the I/O module being connected to the first field device;

autonomously transmitting, by an I/O module, the process value and the device management data received from the first field device;

temporarily storing, by a memory, the process value and the device management data autonomously transmitted from the I/O module;

reading, by a controller, the process value and the device management data stored in the memory at a predetermined period, the memory being disposed in a signal relay;

calculating, by the controller, a manipulation volume based on the process value;

transmitting, by the controller, the manipulation volume to the signal relay to control a second field device via the I/O module or another I/O module, the second field device being different from the first field device and connected to the I/O module or the another I/O module; and

obtaining, by a device manager, the device management data from the controller so as to determine a normality of the first field device.

10. The process control method according to claim 9, further comprising:

autonomously transmitting, by the I/O module, not only the process value and the device management data received from the first field device but also autonomously transmit data which is obtained in the I/O module to the signal relay.

11. The process control method according to claim 9, further comprising:

obtaining, by an obtainer, via a transmission line connecting the first field device and the I/O module, the process value and the device management data which are autonomously transmitted from the first field device, the obtainer being disposed in the I/O module; and

autonomously transmitting, by the I/O module, the process value and the device management data obtained by the obtainer to the signal relay.

12. The process control method according to claim 11, further comprising:

obtaining, by the obtainer, the data from the first field device by a command response method, in a case where the first field device does not have a function of autonomously transmitting data.

13. The process control method according to claim 9, further comprising:

autonomously transmitting, by the I/O module, the process value and the device management data which are received from the first field device to a plurality of signal relays connected to a network, the I/O module and the plurality of the signal relays being connected via the network.

14. The process control method according to claim 9, further comprising:

reading, by the controller, the process value and the device management data stored in the memory of the signal relay by a command response method.

15. The process control method according to claim 9, further comprising:

communicating, by a poller, with the first field device via a transmission line connecting the first field device and the I/O module at a constant periodic interval, the poller being disposed in the I/O module; and

receiving, by the poller, the process value and the device management data from the first field device by a command response method.