Intrinsically-safe handheld field maintenance tool with improved help function

• US 10,678,213 B2
• Filed: 02/03/2017
• Issued: 06/09/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fisher-Rosemount Systems Incorporated (Emerson Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: Fisher-Rosemount Systems Incorporated (Emerson Electric Company)
• Inventors: Campbell, Susan A., Kasic, Christopher G, Kantzes, Christopher P
• Primary Examiner(s): Terrell, Emily C
• Application Number:
  US15/423,860
• Publication Number:
  US 20170146977A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,222 Days
• Field of Search: 340 61
• CPC Class Codes: C07C 29/1518 one step being the formation of initial mixture of carbon oxides and hydrogen for synthesis
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/042 using digital processors G05B19/05 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/0426 Programming the control sequence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/4068 Verifying part programme on screen, by drawing or other means
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/409 characterised by using manual data input [MDI] or by using control panel, e.g. controlling functions with the panel; characterised by control panel details or by setting parameters G05B19/408, G05B19/4093 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/23018 Enter parameters by combinations of keys and duration of actuation of keys
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/23054 Simulate response on entered parameters and display, quicker response
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/23126 Display tree structure of whole system or relevant info after function selection
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/23163 Display enlarged, zoomed detail and small overall schematic, plan
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/23406 Programmer device, portable, handheld detachable programmer
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/23445 Real time simulation
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/23446 HIL hardware in the loop, simulates equipment to which a control module is fixed
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/24001 Maintenance, repair
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/24012 Use camera of handheld device, head mounted display
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/24028 Explosion free control, intrinsically safe
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/24056 Portable, detachable module to input test signals, read test results
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/25062 Detect physical location of field device
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/25428 Field device
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31121 Fielddevice, field controller, interface connected to fieldbus
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31197 Near field communication nfc
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31475 : Zoom or pan display for flexible access to information
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/32007 : Operator is assisted by expert system for advice and delegation of tasks
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/32144 : Define device description using dd files
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/32226 : Computer assisted repair, maintenance of system components
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/33331 : Test, diagnostic of field device for correct device, correct parameters
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/35422 : Unit freely movable in space, detect its position, orientation by triangulation
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/35429 : Enter code number directly for function, no use of function keys
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/36122 : Operator menu with submenu for each item
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/36128 : Function menu, switches, keys replaced by menu
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/50193 : Safety in general
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06315 : Needs-based resource requirements planning or analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/204 : comprising interface for record bearing medium or carrier for electronic funds transfer or payment credit
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 : Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 : Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 : Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 10/50 : Systems or methods supporting the power network operation or management, involving a certain degree of interaction with the load-side end user applications

Abstract

An intrinsically-safe handheld field maintenance tool includes a controller, a process communication module, and a display. The process communication module is configured to communicate with a field device using a process communication protocol. The display is coupled to the controller. A user interface module is also coupled to the controller and is configured to receive user input. The controller is configured to detect a user input help request and provide a video output on the display in response to the user input help request.

Claims

1. An intrinsically-safe handheld field maintenance tool comprising:

a controller configured to automatically obtain context information prior to detecting a user input help request;

a process communication module communicating with a field device using a process communication protocol;

a display coupled to the controller;

a user interface module coupled to the controller and receiving user input; and

wherein, upon detecting the user input help request, the controller is configured to use the context information to responsively accesses help video content that is tagged as video content in a markup language to obtain help video content results and to apply a statistical weight to rank the help video content results to identify selected video content, and pre-processes the selected video content to render a video output on the display, the video output being in response to the user input help request.

2. The intrinsically-safe handheld field maintenance tool of claim 1, wherein the controller provides a listing of help information in response to the user input help request and provides the video output in response to user input selecting an item from the listing of help information.

3. The intrinsically-safe handheld field maintenance tool of claim 2, wherein the context information is further based on digital interactions with a connected field device.

4. The intrinsically-safe handheld field maintenance tool of claim 3, wherein the context information includes diagnostic information provided by the field device to the handheld field maintenance tool.

5. The intrinsically-safe handheld field maintenance tool of claim 1, wherein the controller is, configured to receive the user input help request via a touchscreen on the display.

6. The intrinsically-safe handheld field maintenance tool of claim 1, wherein the video output is generated by a link that causes the handheld field maintenance tool to communicatively couple to a remote server and download a video presentation.

7. The intrinsically-safe handheld field maintenance tool of claim 6, wherein the video presentation is directed to a field device to which the intrinsically-safe handheld field maintenance tool, is coupled.

8. The intrinsically-safe handheld field maintenance tool of claim 7, wherein the video presentation is directed to diagnosing the field device.

9. The intrinsically-safe handheld field maintenance tool of claim 7, wherein the video presentation is directed to fixing the field device.

10. The intrinsically-safe handheld field maintenance tool of claim 1, and further comprising a wireless communication protocol module configured to communicatively couple to a remote server and execute a query in response to the user input help request wherein the query is based on a field device to which the intrinsically-safe handheld field maintenance tool is coupled.

11. The intrinsically-safe handheld field maintenance tool of claim 10, wherein the wireless communication module is configured to receive query results from the remote server and wherein the controller is configured to rank the query results based on context information of the intrinsically-safe handheld field maintenance tool.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the video help content is related to the field device.

19. The intrinsically-safe handheld field maintenance tool of claim 1, wherein the help video content is stored in the intrinsically-safe handheld field maintenance tool.

12. An intrinsically-safe handheld field maintenance tool comprising:

a controller configured to automatically obtain context information prior to detecting a user input help request;

a process communication module communicating with a field device using a process communication protocol;

a display coupled to the controller;

a user interface module coupled to the controller and receiving user input; and

wherein the controller, upon detecting the user input help request, is configured to use the context information to engage a help system to access a markup based help content store to obtain markup-based help content including video help content tagged as video content in a markup language to obtain video help content results and to apply a statistical weight to rank the video help results to identify selected video content and pre-process the selected video content to render the markup-based help content on the display.

13. The intrinsically-safe handheld field maintenance tool of claim 12, wherein the help system is configured to access a device description store to provide field device-specific help.

14. The intrinsically-safe handheld field maintenance tool of claim 12, wherein the markup-based help content is in accordance with the HyperText Markup Language.

15. The intrinsically-safe handheld field maintenance tool of claim 14, wherein the pre-processing includes resizing the video help content for the output on the display.

16. The intrinsically-safe handheld field maintenance tool of claim 14, wherein the pre-processing includes changing an orientation of the video help content for output on the display.

17. A method of providing help content on an intrinsically-safe handheld field maintenance tool, the method comprising:

communicatively coupling the intrinsically-safe handheld field maintenance tool to a field device;

obtaining context information automatically to make relevant help information accessible to a user;

receiving a user input requesting help;

using the context information to access video help content tagged as video content in a markup language to obtain video help content results and to apply statistical weight to rank the video help content results to identify selected video content; and

pre-processing the selected video content to render the tagged video help content on a display of the intrinsically-safe handheld field maintenance tool.