US 7,010,450 B2 · Coordination of field device operations with overrides and bypasses within a process control and safety system

Abstract

A process control or safety instrumented system uses function block logic to coordinate the logic within the process control or safety instrumented system with operational states of field devices, even when these operational states are initiated externally to the process control or safety system. Logic within input or voter function blocks associated with field devices may monitor and determine when the associated field devices are being put into testing or calibration modes and may automatically initiate appropriate bypass or override functionality in response to such detected field device configuration states. Likewise, the function block logic may automatically remove the bypass or override functionality when the field devices are placed back into their normal operational configuration states. This automatic initiation of bypasses and overrides helps to prevent a safety system within a process plant from initiating a shut-down procedure as a result of a device test initiated manually by, for example, a hand-held device attached to a field device. Likewise, the automatic removal of bypasses and overrides helps to prevent a safety system within a process plant from failing to operate properly because a user forgot to manually remove a bypass or override that was set up to allow a device test.

Claims57

Dependent claims

A function block entity for use in a process environment having a processor communicatively coupled to control one or more field devices, at least one of which is configurable to be set into a plurality of different configuration states including a normal operating configuration state and at least one non-normal operating configuration state, the function block entity comprising:

a computer readable medium;
and
a function block stored on the computer readable medium and adapted to be executed on the processor, the function block including;
an input adapted to receive an input signal from within the process environment indicating a configuration state of at least one of the field devices;
a detection unit coupled to the input that detects when the at least one of the field devices is in a non-normal operating configuration state;
and
inhibit logic that automatically produces an inhibit signal when the at least one of the field devices is in a non-normal operating configuration state to inhibit the use of a further signal from the at least one of the field devices.

4 more elements

A control system for use in a process environment having a field device that is configurable to be set into a plurality of different configuration states including a normal operating configuration state and a non-normal operating configuration state and a communication link connected to the field device, the control system comprising:

a memory;
a processor;
a first control routine stored on the memory and adapted to be executed on the processor to use -a first signal from the field device to perform a process control function within the process environment;
and
a second routine including;
an input adapted to receive a second signal indicative of the configuration state of the field device from the field device through the communication link;
a detection unit adapted to detect when the field device is in the non-normal operating configuration state based on the second signal;
and
an inhibit unit that automatically produces an inhibit signal when the field device is in the non-normal operating configuration state and that provides the inhibit signal to the first control routine to inhibit the use of the first signal from the field device by the first control routine.

6 more elements

A method for use in a controller of a process environment to coordinate logic within the controller with a field device, wherein the field device is connected to the controller via a communication link and is configurable to be set into a plurality of different configuration states including a normal operating configuration state and a non-normal operating configuration state, the method comprising:

receiving a first signal from the field device and using the first signal to perform a control function with respect to the process environment;
receiving a second signal from the field device through the communication link indicative of a configuration state of the field device;
detecting when the field device is in the non-normal operating configuration state based on the second signal from the field device;
and
automatically inhibiting the use of the first signal in performing the control function when the field device is in the non-normal operating configuration state.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Coordination of field device operations with overrides and bypasses within a process control and safety system

Life of this patent

Coordination of field device operations with overrides and bypasses within a process control and safety system

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims57