System and approach to manage versioning of field devices in a multi-site enterprise

• US 9,389,850 B2
• Filed: 11/29/2012
• Issued: 07/12/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Walter, Gerald, Dutta, Ripunjeet
• Primary Examiner(s): Sough, H S
• Assistant Examiner(s): ORTIZ, DERIC OMAR
• Application Number:
  US13/689,551
• Publication Number:
  US 20140149973A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,321 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/654 using techniques specially adapted for alterable solid state memories, e.g. for EEPROM or flash memories
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/71 Version control security arrangements therefor G06F21/57; Configuration management

Abstract

An energy management and control system that may manage versioning firmware for devices. The system may be structured in a hierarchy of enterprise, site and field levels, with one or more computing platforms at the various levels. An enterprise supervisor may detect and obtain new version firmware for the devices at the field level. The new version firmware may be transferred from the supervisor to one or more site controllers. The one or more site controllers may transfer the new version firmware to eligible field devices. The devices may report to their respective site controllers a status of a transfer of the new version hardware. The site controllers may report to the supervisor the status of the transfer. Detection of new version firmware may be automatic. Transfer of the new version firmware to virtually all of the eligible devices may be automatic.

Claims

1. An energy management and control system comprising:

a supervisor controller having a first versioning service component;

one or more site controllers, having a second versioning service component, connected to the supervisor controller; and

one or more field devices, having firmware, connected to the one or more site controllers; and

wherein;

the first versioning service component has a configuration that enables automatic detection by the supervisor controller of new version firmware for the one or more field devices;

a query is made by the first versioning service component to the second versioning service component for an inventory of the one or more field devices to determine which field devices, if any, are appropriate for receipt of the new version firmware;

the first versioning service component launches a versioning job process and transfers the new version firmware to the second versioning service component to continue the versioning job process; and

the versioning job process comprises installing the new version firmware in the one or more field devices determined as appropriate for receipt of the new version firmware.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the first versioning component comprises a user interface; and

a user provides, via the user interface, the configuration to the first versioning service component that enables automatic detection by the supervisor controller of the new version firmware.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein a field device appropriate for receipt of the new version firmware has a present version firmware which is upgradeable or replaceable with the new version firmware.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the field device, appropriate for receipt of the new version firmware, reports to a site controller a status of a transfer of the new version firmware.

5. The system of claim 2, wherein a site controller reports a status of transfer operations of the new version firmware to the first versioning service component so that a user can monitor the status and progress of the transfer operations via the user interface.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein when the first versioning service component launches the versioning job process and transfers the new version firmware to the second versioning service component to continue the versioning job process, the job process automatically continues until virtually all of the one or more field devices determined as appropriate for receipt of the new version firmware, have been installed with the new version firmware unless interrupted by a user via a user interface to the system.

7. An energy management and control system having a mechanism for versioning firmware of field devices, comprising:

an enterprise supervisor;

one or more site controllers connected to the enterprise supervisor; and

one or more field devices connected to the one or more site controllers; and

wherein;

the one or more field devices comprise firmware that controls an operation of the one or more field devices, respectively;

the enterprise supervisor detects new version firmware for one or more field devices;

the enterprise supervisor queries the one or more site controllers for an inventory of appropriate field devices qualified to receive the new version firmware;

upon a launch initiated by a user, the enterprise supervisor transfers the new version firmware to the one or more site controllers;

the new version firmware is transferred by the one or more site controllers to virtually all of the appropriate field devices; and

a transfer of the new version firmware replaces or upgrades the firmware in the appropriate field devices.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the enterprise supervisor comprises a versioning service that detects the new version firmware.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the one or more site controllers update the enterprise supervisor with a status of a transfer of the new version firmware.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein upon transfer the new version firmware to the one or more site controllers, the new version firmware is then automatically transferred to the appropriate field devices.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the versioning service provides information about receipt and transfer of new version software to a versioning history log.

12. An energy management and control system comprising:

a supervisor having a first versioning service component;

at least one site controller, connected to the supervisor, having a second versioning service component; and

one or more field devices connected to the at least one site controller; and

wherein;

the first versioning service component is loaded with new version firmware;

the new version firmware is transferred by the first versioning service component to the second versioning service component; and

the second versioning service component transfers the new version firmware to replace or upgrade firmware in the one or more field devices.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the first versioning service component comprises:

a user interface;

a first query engine;

a first file transfer engine; and

a first versioning job processor connected to the first file transfer engine.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the second versioning service component comprises:

a second query engine connected to the first query engine;

a second file transfer engine connected to the first file transfer engine;

a second versioning job processor connected to the first versioning job processor; and

a file transfer manager connected to the second versioning job processor and the second file transfer engine.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein:

the second file transfer engine receives the new version firmware and saves the new version firmware to a file store;

the file transfer manager downloads the new version firmware from the second file transfer engine and/or the file store, and downloads the new version firmware to an appropriate field device or field devices of the one or more field devices;

the second versioning job processor updates the file transfer manager about transfer tasks;

the second query engine responds to one or more queries from the first query engine regarding an inventory of the one or more field devices to determine the appropriate field device or field devices; and

an appropriate field device is a device that has a present version firmware that is replaceable or upgradeable with the new version firmware.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the file transfer manager further updates the second versioning job processor with a current status of transfer operations of the new version firmware to the appropriate field device or field devices.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the site controller comprises a communication engine that receives the new version firmware from the second transfer engine and transfers the new version firmware to the appropriate field device or field devices.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the one or more field devices report a new version firmware status to the site controller via the communication engine.

19. The system of claim 12, wherein:

the one or more field devices comprise input/output modules, electronic thermostats, and/or lighting control units;

the one or more field devices comprise one or more model types;

firmware for one model type can be different than firmware for another model type; and

the new version firmware can be an acceptable version for firmware of just one model type of field devices.

20. The system of claim 13, wherein:

a user interface permits a user to load the new version firmware, configure and initiate a deployment job for the new version firmware, and monitor the deployment job; and

/or

the first versioning job processor initiates a transfer of the new version firmware from the supervisor to the at least one site controller, and updates a history log of a versioning job status.