Method for enabling prompt diagnosis of a field device connected to a wireless adapter

• US 8,954,016 B2
• Filed: 08/25/2011
• Issued: 02/10/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/07/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Endress+Hauser Process Solutions AG
• Original Assignee: Endress+Hauser Process Solutions AG
• Inventors: Seiler, Christian, Fiedler, Marc, Probst, Stefan, Thoren, Werner
• Primary Examiner(s): Dao, Minh D
• Application Number:
  US13/878,018
• Publication Number:
  US 20130203359A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,265 Days
• Field of Search: 455/67.11, 455/67.13, 455/9, 455/10, 455/115.1, 340/853.2, 340/3.1, 340/3.9
• US Class Current: 455/67.11
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/0428 Safety, monitoring G05B19/0423 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/26 at least one of which is mobile
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/43 using wireless personal area networks [WPAN], e.g. 802.15, 802.15.1, 802.15.4, Bluetooth or ZigBee
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/883 where the sensing device enters an active or inactive mode
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 9/00 Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom

Abstract

A method, in the case of which it is monitored in a wireless adapter connected to a field device whether, in the context of communication with the field device, a status change of the field device is being reported. In case a status change has been reported, the wireless adapter queries for expanded status information of the field device. The expanded status information is transmitted event-controlled from the wireless adapter to a superordinated communication unit and provided through such to an evaluation tool, in case a comparison of the expanded status information with a status pattern adapted specifically for the field device shows that the relevant, expanded status information should be evaluated.

Claims

1. A method for operating a system having a field device, a wireless adapter in wired communication connection with the field device, and a superordinated communication unit, which is in wireless communication connection with the wireless adapter, comprising the steps of:

monitoring in the wireless adapter whether, in the context of communication with the field device, a status change of the field device is being reported;

event controlled querying of expanded status information of the field device by the wireless adapted, in case a status change has been reported; and

event controlled transmitting of the expanded status information from the wireless adapter to the superordinated communication unit and providing this expanded status information through the superordinated communication unit to an evaluation tool only when comparison of the expanded status information with a status pattern adapted specifically for this field device shows that the relevant, expanded status information should be evaluated, wherein;

the comparison is performed in a communication unit participated in the communication between the wireless adapter and the superordinated communication unit.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

it is determined in the status pattern for the different pieces of expanded status information providable by the associated field device (FD1;

FD2;

FD3), in each case, whether such should be evaluated or not.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

the information required for a configuration tool for creation of a status pattern associated with the field device are contained in information for device integration of the field device, especially in a device description and/or in a device driver of the field device.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

the expanded status information is provided by the field device in the form of a status information bitmap;

occupation of the bit locations of the status information bitmap determines the content of the expanded status information transmitted, in each case, the status pattern is formed by a corresponding pattern bitmap, and, in the case of the comparison, the status information bitmap is compared with the pattern bitmap.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

the field device is supplied with electric power by the wireless adapter.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

in normal operation, communication between the field device and the wireless adapter is performed at first, predetermined times, and transmission of data relative to the field device between the wireless adapter and the superordinated communication unit is performed wirelessly at second, predetermined times, and, in normal operation, the wireless adapter is switched off at times when it is performing no communication.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

the wireless adapter, after the step of transmitting the expanded status information, for a predetermined length of time remains at least sufficiently activated that communication with the same is initiable by the superordinated communication unit.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a step, which is performed especially after said step of transmitting the expanded status information:

providing a transparent communication channel from the superordinated communication unit via the wireless adapter to the field device, so that via the transparent communication channel communication is performable directly with the field device.

9. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising the step, which is performed by the superordinated communication unit after obtaining the expanded status information:

transmitting a report to the evaluation tool, by which expanded status information of the field device is evaluatable.

10. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

the evaluation tool is embodied in such a manner that it applies information for device integration of the field device, especially a device description and/or a device driver of the field device, in order to evaluate expanded status information of the field device.

11. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

the comparison is performed in the wireless adapter.

12. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

the comparison is performed in the superordinated communication unit.

13. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

the wireless communication connection between the wireless adapter and the superordinated communication unit extends at least partially via a wireless long distance transmission network.

14. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

there is implemented in the superordinated communication unit a server, by which data relative to a plurality of field devices, especially a plurality of field devices of different users, are manageable and providable to corresponding applications.

15. A wireless adapter, to which one field device is connectable and brought into wired communication connection therewith, wherein wireless communication is performable by the wireless adapter and wherein an electronics of the wireless adapter is embodied in such a manner, that:

in use, it can be monitored whether, in the context of communication with the connected field device a status change of the field device is being reported;

in case a status change has been reported, expanded status information can be queried event-controlled from the connected field device;

a comparison of the expanded status information with a status pattern adapted specifically for the connected field device and storable in the wireless adapter can be performed and therefrom determined whether the relevant, expanded status information should be evaluated; and

the expanded status information is transmitted by the wireless adapter wirelessly to a communication unit in communication connection with the wireless adapter only when the comparison performed shows that the expanded status information should be evaluated.