MAINTENANCE OF WIRELESS FIELD DEVICES

• US 20100290351A1
• Filed: 05/14/2010
• Published: 11/18/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fisher-Rosemount Systems Incorporated (Emerson Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: Fisher-Rosemount Systems Incorporated (Emerson Electric Company)
• Inventors: Rotvold, Eric D., Citrano, Joseph III, Russell, Alden Chester III, Toepke, Todd Mitchell, Dewey, Alan Roger
• Granted Patent: US 9,210,581 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/250
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/4185 characterised by the network communication
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/23406 Programmer device, portable, handheld detachable programmer
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/24167 Encryption, password, user access privileges
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/25062 Detect physical location of field device
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/25428 Field device
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31131 Field device with gateway functions for communication with pc and other field devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/18 Network planning tools
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]

Abstract

A method of commissioning a wireless field device is provided. The method includes communicatively coupling a handheld field maintenance tool to the wireless field device to obtain a wireless field device identifier. A wireless network is selected. Wireless communication is generated between the handheld field maintenance tool and a wireless gateway to automatically obtain a join key for the wireless field device identifier. The join key is written to the wireless field device with the handheld field maintenance tool.

Claims

1. A method of commissioning a wireless field device, the method comprising:

communicatively coupling a handheld field maintenance tool to the wireless field device to obtain a wireless field device identifier;

selecting a wireless network;

generating wireless communication between the handheld field maintenance tool and a wireless gateway to automatically obtain a join key for the wireless field device identifier; and

writing the join key to the wireless field device with the handheld field maintenance tool.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the communicative coupling between the handheld field maintenance tool and the wireless field device is a physically wired connection.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the communicative coupling between the handheld field maintenance tool and the wireless field device is wireless.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the wireless communication between the handheld field maintenance tool and the wireless gateway is in accordance with a wireless process communication protocol.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the wireless communication between the handheld field maintenance tool and the wireless gateway includes cellular communication.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the wireless communication between the handheld field maintenance tool and the wireless gateway includes satellite communication.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein all steps occur in a single communicative session between the handheld field maintenance tool and the wireless field device.

8. The method of claim 1, and further comprising automatically adding the wireless device identifier to an access control list of the wireless gateway.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the join key is a 128-bit, 32 character hexadecimal string.

10. A method of commissioning a wireless field device, the method comprising:

communicatively coupling a handheld field maintenance tool to the wireless field device to obtain a wireless field device identifier;

selecting a wireless network;

generating a join key for the wireless field device identifier using the handheld field maintenance tool;

writing the join key to the wireless field device with the handheld field maintenance tool; and

communicating the join key and device identifier to a wireless gateway.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the handheld field maintenance tool is a wireless network manager.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the step of communicating the join key and device identifier occurs after the handheld field maintenance tool has been decoupled from the wireless field device.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the communicative coupling between the handheld field maintenance tool and the wireless field device is a physically wired connection.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the communicative coupling between the handheld field maintenance tool and the wireless field device is wireless.

15. A method of confirming connectivity of a wireless field device, the method comprising:

communicatively coupling a handheld field maintenance tool to the wireless field device to obtain a device identifier;

communicating wirelessly with a wireless gateway associated with the wireless field device; and

accessing at least one parameter within the wireless gateway relative to the wireless field device.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the at least one parameter includes wireless field device connection strength.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the at least one parameter includes field device connection quality to other field devices in the communication range of the wireless field device.

18. The method of claim 15, and further comprising adjusting at least one aspect of the wireless field device while observing effects of the adjustment via wireless communication with the wireless gateway.