Portable computer in a process control environment

• US 20020130846A1
• Filed: 09/13/2001
• Published: 09/19/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 02/12/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Andrew P. Dove, Kent A. Burr, Mark J. Nixon, Neil J. Peterson, Vasiliki Tzovla
• Original Assignee: Andrew P. Dove, Kent A. Burr, Mark J. Nixon, Neil J. Peterson, Vasiliki Tzovla
• Inventors: Nixon, Mark J., Burr, Kent A., Peterson, Neil J., Tzovla, Vasiliki, Dove, Andrew P.
• Granted Patent: US 6,806,847 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/169
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/042 using digital processors G05B19/05 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/23293 Automated assembly of machine control software, reusable software components
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/23406 Programmer device, portable, handheld detachable programmer
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/23414 Pc as detachable program, debug, monitor device for control system
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/25428 Field device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/163 Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt

Abstract

A portable computer for use in interfacing to a process control system having a host system includes a housing adapted for hand-held operation, a processing unit disposed within the housing and a computer readable memory disposed within the housing and coupled to the processing unit. The portable computer also includes a display, a keypad and a radio frequency transceiver adapted to communicate with the host system, all of which are disposed within the housing and communicatively coupled to the processing unit. A first software routine stored in the computer readable memory processes a user input received from the keypad and sends a command to the host system via the radio frequency transceiver. Additionally, a second software routine stored in the computer readable memory receives process information sent from the host system in response to the command and displays the received process information via the portable computer display.

Claims

1. A portable computer for use in a process environment having a process control system therein, comprising:

a housing adapted for portable operation;

a processing unit disposed within the housing;

a computer readable memory disposed within the housing and coupled to the processing unit;

a display disposed within the housing and coupled to the processing unit;

an input device that provides an input signal to the processing unit; and

a software routine stored in the computer readable memory and adapted to be executed by the processing unit that processes the input signal and provides information pertaining to the process control system via the display.

2. The portable computer of claim 1, wherein the housing is further adapted for hand-held operation.

3. The portable computer of claim 2, wherein the housing is further adapted to enable a user to wear the portable computer.

4. The portable computer of claim 2, wherein the portable computer is based on a personal data assistant platform.

5. The portable computer of claim 2, wherein the input device is a keypad that is disposed within the housing and coupled to the processing unit.

6. The portable computer of claim 1, wherein the input device is a global positioning system unit, the input signal contains location information and the software routine includes a locating routine that identifies a device within the process control system based on the location information.

7. The portable computer of claim 1, wherein the input device is a global positioning system unit, the input signal contains location information and the software routine includes a locating routine that identifies a location of the portable computer within the process control system.

8. The portable computer of claim 1, wherein the input signal is a user input received via the input device and the software routine includes a routine that sends commands to the process control system based on the user input.

9. The portable computer of claim 1, wherein the software routine includes a display routine that displays one of plant level information, area level information, module information and function block information associated with the process control system.

10. The portable computer of claim 1, wherein the input device is a microphone, the input signal is a voice signal provided by the microphone and the software routine includes a voice recognition routine that identifies a device based on the voice signal.

11. The portable computer of claim 1, wherein the information pertaining to the process control system is one of diagnostic information, maintenance information and optimization information related to a device within the process control system.

12. The portable computer of claim 1, wherein the information pertaining to the process control system is help information related to a device within the process control system.

13. The portable computer of claim 1, further including a remote communication device that communicates with the process control system and wherein the information pertaining to the process control system includes a process value that is obtained from a device within the process control system and which is sent to the portable computer via the remote communication device.

14. The portable computer of claim 13, wherein the remote communication device is a wireless ethernet transceiver.

15. The portable computer of claim 1, wherein the input device is an imaging device, the input signal includes an image frame developed by the imaging device and the software routine includes an optical character recognition routine that performs optical character recognition on the image frame.

16. The portable computer of claim 15, wherein the imaging device is a video camera, the input signal comprises a multi-frame video signal and the portable computer further includes a frame grabber that grabs the image frame from the multi-frame video signal and provides the image frame to the optical character recognition routine.

17. The portable computer of claim 16, wherein the optical character recognition routine finds and decodes a device identifier within the image frame.

18. The portable computer of claim 17, wherein the information pertaining to the process control system is diagnostic information related to a device associated with the decoded device identifier.

19. The portable computer of claim 17, wherein the information pertaining to the process control system is help information related to a device associated with the decoded device identifier.

20. The portable computer of claim 17, further including a remote communication device that communicates with the process control system and wherein the information pertaining to the process control system is a process value obtained by the process control system from a device associated with the decoded device identifier and sent to the portable computer via the remote communication device.

21. The portable computer of claim 1, wherein the software routine includes one of a process optimization routine, a process diagnostics routine and a process alarm management routine.

22. A portable computer for use in a process control system having a host system, comprising:

a housing adapted for hand-held operation;

a processing unit disposed within the housing;

a computer readable memory disposed within the housing and coupled to the processing unit;

a display disposed within the housing and coupled to the processing unit;

a keypad disposed within the housing and coupled to the processing unit;

a radio frequency transceiver disposed within the housing and coupled to the processing unit, wherein the radio frequency transceiver is adapted to communicate with the host system;

a first software routine stored in the computer readable memory and adapted to be executed by the processing unit that processes a user input received from the keypad and sends a command to the host system via the radio frequency transceiver; and

a second software routine stored in the computer readable memory and adapted to be executed by the processing unit that receives process information sent from the host system in response to the command via the radio frequency transceiver and displays the received process information via the display.

23. The portable computer of claim 22, wherein the housing is further adapted to enable a user to wear the portable computer.

24. The portable computer of claim 22, further including a global positioning system unit disposed within the housing and coupled to the processing unit.

25. The portable computer of claim 24, further including a third software routine stored on the computer readable memory and adapted to be executed by the processing unit that receives an input from the global positioning system unit and determines a location within the process control system based on the input from the global positioning system unit.

26. The portable computer of claim 25, further including a fourth software routine stored on the computer readable memory and adapted to be executed by the processing unit that identifies a device within the process control system based on the determined location.

27. The portable computer of claim 26, further including a fifth software routine stored on the computer readable memory and adapted to be executed by the processing unit that displays information pertaining to the identified device via the display.

28. The portable computer of claim 22, wherein the received process information is one of plant level information, area level information, module information and function block information associated with the process control system.

29. The portable computer of claim 22, further including a third software routine stored on the computer readable memory and adapted to be executed by the processing unit that performs one of a diagnostic function, an optimization function and a configuration function associated with the process control system.

30. A hand-held computer for interfacing with a process control system, comprising:

a housing adapted for hand-held operation;

a processor disposed within the housing;

a computer readable memory disposed within the housing and coupled to the processor;

an electronic display disposed within the housing and coupled to the processor;

a keypad disposed within the housing and coupled to the processing unit;

a transceiver disposed within the housing and communicatively coupled to the processing unit, wherein the transceiver is adapted to communicate with a remotely situated processor; and

a software routine stored in the computer readable memory and adapted to be executed by the processor that enables a user to interface with the process control system.

31. The hand-held computer of claim 30, wherein the software routine includes a routine that sends a request for information to the process control system and displays process information sent by the process control system in response to the request for information.

32. The hand-held computer of claim 31, wherein the process information includes one of diagnostic information, optimization information and configuration information.

33. The hand-held computer of claim 30, further comprising an input device disposed within the housing and coupled to the processor, wherein the software routine includes a routine that receives an input signal from the input device and identifies a device proximate to the hand-held computer based on the input signal.

34. The hand-held computer of claim 33, wherein the input device is an imaging device and the input signal is a video image.

35. The hand-held computer of claim 33, wherein the input device is a global positioning system unit and the input signal is indicative of a geographic location of the hand-held computer.