Integrated communication network for use in a field device management system

A device management system adapted to be coupled to a plurality of field devices that perform process control activities in a process environment and that have field device information associated therewith, comprising:

• a library that stores a device description associated with each of the plurality of field devices, wherein each of the device descriptions stores a portion of the field device information comprising a parameter associated with the field device and a property associated with the parameter;
• means for identifying a hierarchy of categories of information using the parameters and the properties associated with the parameters;
• means for communicating with the plurality of field devices based on the hierarchy of categories of information;
• and
• means for retrieving field device information from the device descriptions based on the hierarchy of categories of information.

A system for communicating with a plurality of field devices, each of which has device information associated therewith, comprising:

• a library which stores a device description for each of the plurality of field devices, wherein each of the device descriptions includes a portion of the device information pertaining to one of the plurality of field devices;
• means for communicating with the plurality of field devices and with the device descriptions stored in the library;
• and
• means for categorizing the device information associated with each of the plurality of field devices into a multiplicity of predetermined categories, wherein each of the multiplicity of predetermined categories includes;
• means for storing device information associated with the category, and
• means for controlling the communicating means with respect to the device information associated with the category.

A method of communicating with a plurality of field devices having device information associated therewith, comprising the steps of:

• storing a device description for each of the plurality of field devices in a memory, wherein each of the device descriptions stores a portion of the device information;
• identifying a hierarchy of categories of information describing the device information associated with the plurality of field devices and the interrelation between each of the categories of information;
• associating a method of communicating with one of the plurality of field devices or one of the device descriptions for each of a multiplicity of the identified categories of information;
• and
• using the method of communicating associated with one of the multiplicity of the identified categories of information to communicate with one of the plurality of field devices or one of the device descriptions.