US 6,032,208 AGranted

Process control system for versatile control of multiple process devices of various device types

AssigneeFisher-Rosemount Systems, Inc.

InventorsMark Nixon, Robert B. Havekost, Larry O. Jundt, Dennis Stevenson, Michael G. Ott, Arthur Webb, Mike Lucas, James Hoffmaster

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Abstract

A process controller implements smart field device standards and other bus-based architecture standards so that communications and control among devices are performed so that the standard control operations are transparent to a user. The process controller allows attachment to a theoretically and substantially unlimited number and type of field devices including smart devices and conventional non-smart devices. Control and communication operations of the various numbers and types of devices are performed simultaneously and in parallel.

Claims39

Dependent claims

A process control system for controlling a plurality of field devices of multiple different field device types including smart-type field devices and non-smart-type field devices, the process control system comprising:

a plurality of distributed controllers coupled to the field devices;
and
a software system including a plurality of control modules that are selectively defined and created at configuration by a user to define and create a control strategy, and installed on ones of the plurality of distributed controllers, the control modules including control modules executable in the distributed controllers and control modules executable in processing units in the smart-type field devices, the smart-type field devices being controlled by control modules executable independently and in parallel in the distributed controllers and in the smart-type field device processing units, and the non-smart-type field devices being controlled by control modules executable in the distributed controllers, the control modules controlling the smart-type and the non-smart-type field devices to implement smart-type field device standards on both the smart-type field devices and non-smart-type field devices so that standard control operation is transparent to a user.

a plurality of distributed controllers coupled to the field devices;
and
a plurality of control means that are selectively defined and created at configuration by a user to define and create a control strategy, and installed on ones of the plurality of distributed controllers, the the plurality of control means including control means executable in the distributed controllers and control means executable in processing units in the smart-type field devices the smart-type field devices being controlled by control means executable independently and in parallel in the distributed controllers and in the smart-type field device processing units and the non-smart-type field devices being controlled by control means executable in the distributed controllers the control means controlling the smart-type field devices and the non-smart-type field devices to implement smart-type field device standards on both the smart-type field devices and non-smart-type field devices so that standard control operation is transparent to a user.

A process control system comprising:

a plurality of field devices of multiple different field device types including smart-type field devices and non-smart-type field devices;
a plurality of distributed controllers coupled to the field devices;
a workstation coupled to the distributed controllers;
and
a plurality of control means that are selectively defined and created at configuration by a user to define and create a control strategy, and installed on ones of the plurality of distributed controllers, the plurality of control means including control means executable in the distributed controllers and control means executable in processing units in the smart-type field devices, the smart-type field devices being controlled by control means executable independently and in parallel in the distributed controllers and in the smart-type field device processing units, and the non-smart-type field devices being controlled by control means executable in the distributed controllers, the control means controlling the smart-type field devices and the non-smart-type field devices to implement smart-type field device standards on both the smart-type field devices and non-smart-type field devices so that standard control operation is transparent to a user.

2 more elements

An executable program code implementing a process control system for controlling a plurality of field devices of multiple different field device types including smart-type field devices and non-smart-type field devices, the process control system including a plurality of distributed controllers coupled to the field devices, the executable program code comprising:

a software system including a plurality of control modules that are selectively defined and created at configuration by a user to define and create a control strategy, and installed on ones of the plurality of distributed controllers;
and
a communication and control routine including control modules executable in the distributed controllers and control modules executable in processing units in the smart-type field devices, the smart-type field devices being controlled by control modules executable independently and in parallel in the distributed controllers and in the smart-type field device processing units and the non-smart-type field devices being controlled by control modules executable in the distributed controllers, the control modules controlling the smart-type and the non-smart-type field devices to implement smart-type field device standards on both the smart-type field devices and non-smart-type field devices so that standard control operation is transparent to a user.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.