Electronic mail based remote historian and system

A method for transferring data captured by a process variable transmitter to a remote historian;

• said method comprising:
• configuring the process variable transmitter as an electronic mail client;
• capturing the data with the process variable transmitter;
• incorporating the data into an electronic mail message;
• and
• sending said electronic mail message to the remote historian in response to an activation event.

A process variable transmitter for capturing and transferring data to a remote historian, said transmitter comprising:

• at least one data sensor;
• a processor capable of running an electronic mail module;
• an electronic mail module;
• a data-formatting module;
• a communication module configured to send electronic mail messages;
• said transmitter being configured as an electronic mail client;
• and
• wherein the data-formatting module formats the data into a format useful to the historian and incorporates the data into an electronic mail message, and said communication module sends said electronic mail message to said historian in response to an activation event.

A data historian host comprising:

• a processor;
• a storage device;
• a database;
• an electronic mail module;
• a data extraction module;
• and
• a communication module configured to receive electronic mail messages;
• wherein said data extraction module is configured to retrieve electronic mail messages received by the electronic mail module, identify electronic mail messages having relevant data, extract the data from said electronic mail messages, and insert the data into a data historian.

A system for updating data in a historian, said system comprising:

• at least one process variable transmitter configured as an electronic mail client, said transmitter including at least one sensor, a processor, a data-formatting module, an electronic mail module, and a communication module capable of sending electronic mail messages;
• a historian host, including an other processor, a historian, an other electronic mail module, a data extraction module, and an other communication module capable of receiving electronic mail messages;
• said data-formatting module being configured to format the data into a format useful to the historian, and incorporate the data into an electronic mail message;
• said electronic mail module being configured to send said electronic mail message to said historian host in response to an activation event;
• and
• said data extraction module being configured to retrieve electronic mail messages received by said other electronic mail module, identify electronic mail messages having relevant data, extract the data from said electronic mail messages, and insert the data into said historian.

An article of manufacturing comprising:

• a computer usable medium having computer readable program code embodied therein for extracting data content from electronic mail messages and inserting the extracted data into a historian, said computer readable program code comprising:
• computer readable program code for retrieving an electronic mail message;
• computer readable program code for identifying electronic mail messages that include the data therein;
• computer readable program code for extracting the data from said electronic mail messages;
• and
• computer readable program code for inserting the data from said electronic mail messages into said historian.

An article of manufacture comprising:

• a computer usable medium having computer readable program code embodied therein for incorporating process data captured by a process variable transmitter into an electronic mail message and sending said electronic mail message to a remote historian, said computer readable program code comprising:
• computer readable program code for incorporating data captured by the transmitter into an electronic mail message;
• computer readable program code for formatting the data into a format useful to the historian;
• and
• computer readable program code for sending said electronic mail message to the historian in response to an activation event.