Digital read/write protection locks in industrial process plants

The method of the preceding claim, wherein deactivating the digital write protection lock of the field device comprises removing the stored indication of the locking party and removing the stored indication of the actual digital write protection lock key corresponding to the locking party.

The method of any one of the preceding claims, wherein deactivating the digital write protection lock of the field device includes, when the field device is not subject to any other activated digital write protection lock, transitioning the field device from the write-protected mode into another mode in which the other device is permitted to modify a configuration of field device.

The method of the preceding claim, wherein:

• transitioning the field device from the write-protected mode into the another mode comprises transitioning the field device from the write-protected mode into a read-write mode, thereby causing the field device to be functionally responsive to instructions to modify the configuration associated with the field device that are issued by the other device, and functionally unresponsive to instructions to modify the configuration associated with the field device or instructions to transition the mode of the field device that are issued by devices other than the other device.

The method of the preceding claim, wherein transitioning the field device from the write-protected mode into the read-write mode includes activating, by the field device, the digital write protection lock including:

• storing an indication of the other device and an indication of a third digital write protection lock key corresponding to the other device;
• and
• storing an indication that the field device is in the read-write.

The method of the preceding claim, wherein transitioning the field device from the write-protected mode into the not protected mode includes clearing, by the field device, a stored indication of any locking party and a stored indication of a digital write protection lock key corresponding to the any locking party.

The method of any one of the preceding claims, further comprising, responsive to the received indication of the digital write protection lock key, comparing the received indication of the digital write protection lock key to an indication of the actual digital write protection lock key corresponding to the locking party, the indication of the actual digital write protection lock key stored at the field device.

The method of any one of the preceding claims, wherein sending the indication of the locking party includes sending one or more of:

• an identifier of the locking party, a name of a user associated with the locking party, or an indication of contact information of the user.

The method of any one of the preceding claims, wherein sending the indication of the locking party includes sending an indication of a user, a group of users, a device, or an application executing on the device.

The method of any one of the preceding claims, wherein receiving the indication of the digital write protection lock key includes receiving the indication of the digital write protection lock key from the other device.

The method of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the locking party is one of:

• a configuration application executing on a process control device during the run-time of the process control system, the process control device, or an operator monitoring the run-time of the process control system.

The method of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the locking party is an owner of the field device, and wherein other parties are prohibited from obtaining ownership of the field device while the field device is in the write-protected mode.

The method of any one of the preceding claims, wherein a device status associated with the field device includes an indication that the field device is in the write-protected mode.

The method of any one of the preceding claims, further comprising recording each instance of activating and deactivating the digital write protection lock in a log file.

The method of the preceding claim, wherein recording each instance of activating and deactivating the digital write protection lock in the log file includes recording the respective locking parties associated with each instance of activating and deactivating the digital write protection lock in the log file.

A field device configured to perform the method of any one of the preceding claims.

The method of the preceding claim, wherein, subsequent to the other device modifying the configuration of the field device based on the read-write mode:

• the method further comprises releasing control of the configuration of the field device by the other device;
• and
• the field device transitions into a not protected mode based on the released control.

The method of the preceding claim, wherein recording each instance of activating and deactivating the digital write protection lock in the log file includes recording the respective locking parties associated with each instance of activating and deactivating the digital write protection lock in the log file.

The method of the preceding claim, wherein deactivating the digital write protection lock of the field device comprises removing the stored indication of the locking party and removing the stored indication of the actual digital write protection lock key corresponding to the locking party.

The method of the preceding claim, wherein:

• transitioning the first device from the write-protected mode into the another mode comprises transitioning the field device from the write-protected mode into a read-write mode, thereby causing the first device to be functionally responsive to instructions to modify the configuration associated with the field device that are issued by the second device, and functionally unresponsive to instructions to modify the configuration associated with the field device that are issued by devices other than the second device.

The method of the preceding claim, wherein transitioning the first device from the write-protected mode into the read-write mode includes activating, by the first device, the digital write protection lock including:

• storing an indication of the second device and an indication of a third digital write protection lock key corresponding to the second device;
• and
• storing an indication that the field device is in the read-write mode.

The method of the preceding claim, wherein transitioning the first device from the write-protected mode into the not protected mode includes clearing, by the first device, a stored indication of any locking party and a stored indication of a digital write protection lock key corresponding to the any locking party.

The method of the preceding claim, wherein recording each instance of activating and deactivating the digital write protection lock in the log file includes recording the respective locking parties associated with each instance of activating and deactivating the digital write protection lock in the log file.