Method for commissioning and joining of a field device to a network

• US 9,699,270 B2
• Filed: 07/29/2016
• Issued: 07/04/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ABB Schweiz AG (ABB Limited)
• Original Assignee: ABB Schweiz AG (ABB Limited)
• Inventors: Kumar, Ravish, Kande, Mallikarjun
• Primary Examiner(s): PATEL, MAHENDRA R
• Application Number:
  US15/223,643
• Publication Number:
  US 20170034308A1
• Time in Patent Office: 340 Days
• Field of Search: 455418
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/38 for collecting sensor information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/70 Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC]

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for joining of a first field device to a wireless sensor actuator network using a configuration tool. The wireless sensor actuator network comprises a plurality of interconnected field devices and gateway for connecting the interconnected field devices to a plant automation network comprising controllers and network manager. The method comprises receiving device information associated with the first field device, transmitting a commissioning request for the first field device, the commissioning request comprising device information and geographical location information of the first field device, receiving commissioning information comprising a session key, a network key and routing information, and commissioning the first field device using the received commissioning information for joining the said field device to the wireless sensor actuator network.

Claims

1. A method for commissioning and joining of a first field device to a wireless sensor actuator network in a process plant using a configuration tool, wherein the wireless sensor actuator network comprises a plurality of interconnected field devices and gateway for connecting the plurality of interconnected field devices to a plant automation network comprising a plurality of controllers and a network manager, wherein the configuration tool performs the method comprising:

a) receiving device information associated with the first field device, wherein the device information comprises a unique device identifier associated with the first field device;

b) transmitting a commissioning request for the first field device, wherein the commissioning request comprises the received device information associated with the first field device, and geographical location information of the first field device;

c) receiving commissioning information for the first field device, wherein the commissioning information comprises a session key for pairwise communication between the first field device and the network manager, a network key for hop-to-hop authentication in a data link layer service by the first field device, and routing information corresponding to the first field device;

wherein the routing information comprises a list of neighboring field devices within a predetermined wireless communication range of the first field device, wherein the session key and the network key are generated based on the unique device identifier associated with the first field device, and wherein the list of neighboring field devices is generated based on the geographical location of the first field device and at least one of routing table and plant facility map; and

d) commissioning the first field device using the received commissioning information for joining the first field device to the wireless sensor actuator network.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising sending process data to a controller from the plurality of controllers by the first field device, upon joining the wireless sensor actuator network.

2. A method for commissioning and joining of a first field device to a wireless sensor actuator network in a process plant using a configuration tool, wherein the wireless sensor actuator network comprises a plurality of interconnected field devices and gateway for connecting the plurality of interconnected field devices to a plant automation network comprising a plurality of controllers and a network manager, wherein the configuration tool performs the method comprising:

a) receiving device information associated with the first field device, wherein the device information comprises a unique device identifier associated with the first field device;

b) transmitting a commissioning request for the first field device, wherein the commissioning request comprises the received device information associated with the first field device, and geographical location information of the first field device;

c) receiving commissioning information for the first field device, wherein the commissioning information comprises a session key, a network key, and routing information corresponding to the first field device;

wherein the routing information comprises a list of neighboring field devices within a predetermined wireless communication range of the first field device;

d) commissioning the first field device using the received commissioning information for joining the first field device to the wireless sensor actuator network; and

e) depreciating the session key by the network manager after a predetermined duration of time.

4. The method as claimed in claim 2, further comprising setting a joining key to the depreciated session key by the network manager.

5. A system for commissioning and joining of a first field device to a wireless sensor actuator network in a process plant, wherein the wireless sensor actuator network comprises a plurality of interconnected field devices and a gateway for connecting the plurality of interconnected field devices to a plant automation network comprising a plurality of controllers, the system comprising:

a) a network manager communicatively coupled to the gateway and configured to generate a session key based on a unique device identifier associated with the first field device and to generate routing information including a list of neighboring field devices based on geographical location of the first field device, the network manager comprising an Authenticated Device List (ADL) comprising a listing of one or more field devices of the wireless sensor actuator network and a session allocated device list comprising a listing of one or more field devices having commissioning information generated therefor; and

b) a configuration tool configured to

i) receive device information associated with the first field device, wherein the device information comprises the unique device identifier associated with the first field device;

ii) transmit a commissioning request for the first field device, wherein the commissioning request comprises the received device information associated with the first field device, and geographical location information of the first field device;

iii) receive commissioning information for the first field device, wherein the commissioning information comprises the session key, a network key, and routing information corresponding to the first field device;

wherein the routing information comprises a list of neighboring field devices within a predetermined wireless communication range of the first field device; and

iv) commission the first field device using the received commissioning information for joining the first field device to the wireless sensor actuator network.

6. The system as claimed in claim 5, where the first field device is configured to send process data to a controller from the plurality of controllers, upon joining the wireless sensor actuator network via the gateway.