Enhanced on-line field device integration system

A device integration system for use in supporting a target device, the target device including a device engine having a device model and device operational logic, wherein the device engine implements the device operational logic using the device model to control interactions with the target device, the device integration system comprising:

• a device package stored on a computer readable medium, the device package including a user interface having user interface rendering programing and user interface logic and the device package further including an offline device representation including an offline device model and offline device operational logic for the target device;
• a host system including one or more computer readable memories, one or more processors and a graphical user interface terminal, the host system further including;
• (1) an offline device engine that uses the offline device representation including the offline device model and the offline device operational logic for the target device as provided by the device package to simulate the operation of the target device,
• (2) a user interface engine stored in the computer readable medium and implemented on the processor to enable a user to communicate with the target device and an offline device engine for the target device, wherein the user interface engine uses the user interface rendering programming provided by the device package to render images on the graphical user interface terminal and uses the user interface logic provided by the device package to control the operation of the user interface engine for communicating with the target device and the offline device engine for the target device;
• and
• (3) a communication interface coupled to the user interface engine implemented on the processor that implements a communication paradigm that uses an extensible information model that models device data from multiple different devices, wherein the communication interface communicates using the communication paradigm;
• wherein the user interface engine of the host device communicates with the target device during on-line operation of the target device via an external communication link using the communication interface and the communication paradigm and communicates with the offline device engine of the target device via the communication interface and the communication paradigm during offline operation of the host system.

A method for performing device communication and configuration activities with respect to a target device via an external communication link, the target device including a device engine having a device model and device operational logic, wherein the device engine implements the device operational logic using the device model to control interactions with the target device, the method comprising:

• storing a device package a computer readable medium, the device package including user interface rendering programing and user interface logic for the target device;
• providing the device package to a host device including a computer readable memory, a processor and a graphical user interface terminal;
• executing a user interface engine on the host device that enables a user to communicate with the target device using the user interface rendering programming provided by the device package to render images on the graphical user interface terminal and using the user interface logic provided by the device package to control the operation of the user interface engine for communicating with the target device;
• and
• communicating from user interface engine of the host device to the device engine of the target device using a communication paradigm that uses an information model that models field device data from multiple different field device communication protocols and that communicates using the communication paradigm over the external communication link to perform communication and configuration activities on the target device.