Method for connecting a field device to an operating unit and a field device

• US 9,992,613 B2
• Filed: 10/15/2015
• Issued: 06/05/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Krohne Messtechnik GmbH & Co. KG
• Original Assignee: Krohne Messtechnik GmbH & Co. KG
• Inventors: Brockhaus, Helmut, Lemke, Lars
• Primary Examiner(s): CHAKRABORTY, RAJARSHI
• Application Number:
  US14/884,128
• Publication Number:
  US 20160127858A1
• Time in Patent Office: 964 Days
• Field of Search: 455 411, 455 412
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/0423 Input/output
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/23161 Hand held terminal PDA displays machine control program when user is near that machine
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/25186 Bluetooth
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/25187 Transmission of signals, medium, ultrasonic, radio
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/25428 Field device
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/40 using a wireless architecture
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/14 Direct-mode setup

Abstract

A method for connecting a field device (1) to an operating unit (2), and a field device (1) for use therewith, via which a connection between a field device and an operating unit can be implemented when the field device is mounted at a location that is difficult to access is achieved in that a query signal is transmitted to the field device (1) by the operating unit (2) and that a response signal is generated by the field device (1) as a reaction to the query signal, in that the field device (1) generates a blinking display and/or a change in color of the display and/or an acoustic signal and/or a change in an acoustic signal.

Claims

1. Method for connecting a field device to an operating unit, comprising the steps of:

transmitting at least one query signal from the operating unit to the field device which field device is connected to a device that actively directly measures or controls a physical process,

generating at least one response signal by the field device as a reaction to the query signal, said at least one response signal comprising at least one of a blinking display, a change in color of a display, an acoustic signal, and a change in an acoustic signal with the field device,

wherein data for the connection of the field device to the operating unit is produced and transmitted in the at least one response signal generated by the field device, wherein at least one password is transmitted to the field device by the operating unit, and, wherein a passkey is transmitted by the field device in the response signal, said passkey allowing access to the field device after being entered into the operating unit.

2. Method according to claim 1, wherein the query signal is received by the field device via a wireless communication interface.

3. Method according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the blinking display and the acoustic signal is generated via an output device of the field device.

4. Method according to claim 1, wherein the data for the connection is transmitted using a code.

5. Method according to claim 1, wherein at least one of a designation assignable to the field device and a serial number of the field device are used by the field device as an identification name.

6. Method according to claim 1, wherein the connection between the field device and the operating unit is generated as a BLUETOOTH®

connection.

7. Method according to claim 1, wherein the device for measuring or control of a physical process to which the field device is connected is a measuring device for determining the fill level of a medium in a container.

8. A field device system, comprising:

an operating unit, and

field device, the field device comprising;

means for connecting the field device to a device that actively directly measures or controls a physical process,

a display,

at least one interface for wireless communication with said operating unit, and at least one output unit which provides at least one of a blinking display, a color change in color of the display, an acoustic signal, and a change in an acoustic signal in response to a query from the operating unit

wherein the field device has means for producing and transmitting at least one response signal containing passkey data to the operating unit via the output unit as a reaction to receiving a query signal, the operating unit being adapted for allowing access to the field device after said passkey data has been entered into the operating unit.

9. Field device system according to claim 8, wherein the device for measuring or control of a physical process is a sensor or actuator, respectively, of a measuring device for determining the fill level of a medium in a container.