US 11,656,610 B2 · Quick connection techniques for skid communicator tool

Abstract

The described techniques enable a skid communicator tool to quickly change network settings to those required by a particular skid or network in a process control environment with which a user of the tool wishes to establish communication. These techniques are helpful because skids and networks in process control environments often require different network settings for any device attempting to communicate with the skids or network, and a user often must manually load these network settings every time she wants to communicate with a different network or skid. By contrast, the techniques enable the skid communicator tool to seamlessly connect to, disconnect from, and reconnect to any of the skids or other networks requiring different network settings with minimal input from the user, thus enabling a user to easily move through and interact with different areas, units, or equipment of the process control environment.

Claims28

Dependent claims

A skid communicator tool for communicating with skid controllers in process control environments, the skid communicator tool comprising:

a communication interface configured according to a set of initial network settings;
one or more processors coupled to the communication interface and configured to:
(i) detect a wireless link between the communication interface and a skid controller for a skid in a process control environment;
(ii) detect that the set of initial network settings does not enable a communication channel between the skid communicator tool and the skid controller by way of the wireless link;
(iii) perform an analysis of a plurality of sets of preconfigured network settings to identify a particular set of preconfigured network settings associated with the skid controller;
and
(iv) when the particular set of preconfigured network settings is identified by way of the analysis:
(a) automatically configure the communication interface according to the particular set of preconfigured network settings to establish the communication channel via the wireless link;
and
(b) control, monitor, or configure operation of the skid by transmitting or receiving skid data via the communication channel.

7 more elements

A method for quickly connecting to skid controllers and downloading skid configurations, the method comprising:

detecting, by a skid communicator tool, a wireless link between the skid communicator tool and a skid controller for a skid in a process control environment;
detecting, by the skid communicator tool, that a set of initial network settings according to which the skid communicator tool is configured does not enable a communication channel between the skid communicator tool and the skid controller by way of the wireless link;
analyzing a plurality of sets of preconfigured network settings to identify a particular set of preconfigured network settings associated with the skid controller;
and
when the particular set of preconfigured network settings is identified by way of the analyzing:
(a) automatically configuring, by the skid communicator tool, the skid communicator tool according to the particular set of preconfigured network settings to enable the skid communicator tool to establish the communication channel via the wireless link;
and
(b) controlling, monitoring, or configuring operation of the skid by transmitting or receiving skid data via the communication channel.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Quick connection techniques for skid communicator tool

Life of this patent

Quick connection techniques for skid communicator tool

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims28