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US 8,719,327 B2Granted
Wireless communication of process measurements
AssigneeFisher-Rosemount Systems, Inc.
InventorsTerrence L. Blevins, Robert J. Karschnia, Mark J. Nixon
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method and device or monitoring parameters in a process reduces power consumption and bandwidth requirements in the transmission of the monitored parameter to for example, a monitoring application. In particular, new monitoring parameter values are only transmitted if the difference between a measured or calculated parameter value and the most recently transmitted value exceeds a limit, since the last communication of the parameter or if the time since the last communication of the parameter exceeds a preset refresh period. The determination as to whether to transmit the parameter can be applied to engineering unit values or raw values.
Claims20
A system for using wireless communications to monitor a process, comprising:
- a wireless communication network;
- a monitoring application located in a first device communicatively connected to the wireless communication network;
- and
- a process control device communicatively connected to the wireless communication network;
- wherein said process control device includes a processing unit that operates to obtain a series of values for a monitored parameter, each of the series of values for the monitored parameter corresponding to a measurement of the monitored parameter at a different time, compare a new value of the monitored parameter measured at a first time to a previous value of the monitored parameter measured at a time prior to the first time and for which a monitored signal was previously transmitted to the monitoring application to create a difference signal, compare the difference signal to a difference threshold, determine whether to transmit a further monitored signal indicative of the new value of the monitored parameter to the monitoring application based on whether the difference signal exceeds the difference threshold, and transmit the further monitored signal to the monitoring application via the wireless communication network when the difference signal exceeds the difference threshold,
- wherein the processing unit further computes a time difference between a current time and a time associated with the monitored signal previously transmitted to the monitoring application, compares the time difference to a time threshold, and transmits the further monitored signal indicative of the new value of the monitored parameter to the monitoring application via the wireless communication network when the time difference exceeds the time threshold even if the difference signal does not exceed the difference threshold.
3 more elements
A method of using wireless communications to monitor a process, comprising:
- obtaining a value for a monitored signal at a plurality of different times;
- computing, using a processor device, a difference signal indicative of a difference between a value of the monitored signal measured at a first time and a value of the monitored signal measured at a time prior to the first time and for which a signal was previously transmitted to a monitoring unit via a wireless communication network;
- comparing, using a processor device, the difference signal to a difference threshold;
- determining, using a processor device, whether to transmit a signal indicative of the value of the monitored signal collected at the first time to the monitoring unit based on whether the difference signal exceeds the difference threshold;
- transmitting the signal indicative of the value of the monitored signal collected at the first time to the monitoring unit via the wireless communication network if the difference signal exceeds the difference threshold;
- tracking, using a processor device, an elapsed time associated with a signal indicative of the value of the monitored signal previously transmitted to the monitoring unit via the wireless communication network;
- comparing, using a processor device, the elapsed time to a time threshold;
- and
- transmitting the signal indicative of the value of the monitored signal collected at the first time to the monitoring unit via the wireless communication network if the elapsed time is greater than the time threshold even if the difference signal does not exceed the difference threshold.
6 more elements
A method of using wireless communications to monitor a process, comprising:
- measuring a process parameter at each of a plurality of different times;
- computing, using a processor device, a difference signal indicative of a difference between a magnitude of the process parameter measured at a first one of the plurality of times and a magnitude of the process parameter measured at one of the plurality of times prior to the first one of the plurality of times;
- comparing, using a processor device, the difference signal to a difference threshold;
- determining, using a processor device, whether to transmit a signal indicative of the magnitude of the process parameter measured at the first one of the plurality of times to a monitoring unit based on whether the difference signal exceeds the difference threshold;
- converting, using a processor device, the magnitude of the process parameter for the first one of the plurality of times to a different scale when the difference signal exceeds the difference threshold;
- transmitting the converted magnitude of the process parameter for the first one of the plurality of times to the monitoring unit via a wireless communication network when the difference signal exceeds the difference threshold;
- tracking, using a processor device, an elapsed time between a time associated with the process parameter for the first one of the plurality of times and a time associated with a previous converted magnitude of the process parameter which was transmitted to the monitoring unit;
- comparing, using a processor device, the elapsed time to a time threshold and, if the elapsed time is greater than the time threshold,
- (1) converting, using a processor device, the magnitude of the process parameter for the first one of the plurality of times to a different scale, and
- (2) transmitting the converted magnitude of the process parameter for the first one of the plurality of times to the monitoring unit via the wireless communication network.
7 more elements
A method of wirelessly transmitting data within a process plant, comprising:
- monitoring one or more parameter values within the process plant at a plurality of different times;
- performing, using a processor device, an analysis using the one or more monitored parameter values to produce an analysis output associated with each of the plurality of different times;
- computing, using a processor device, a difference signal indicative of a difference between a value of an analysis output associated with a first one of the plurality of times and a value of an analysis output associated with a previous one of the plurality of times for which one or more analysis signals were previously transmitted to a monitoring unit via a wireless communication network, the value of the analysis output associated with the previous one of the plurality of times being determined for a time prior to the first time;
- comparing, using a processor device, the difference signal to a difference threshold;
- determining, using a processor device, whether to send one or more analysis signals associated with the analysis for the first one of the plurality of times via the wireless communication network based on whether the difference signal exceeds the difference threshold;
- sending the one or more analysis signals associated with the analysis for the first one of the plurality of times to the monitoring unit via the wireless communication network when the difference signal exceeds the difference threshold;
- tracking, using a processor device, an elapsed time between a time associated with the value of an analysis output associated with the first one of the plurality of times and a time associated with the value of the analysis output associated with the previous one of the plurality of times for which the one or more analysis signals were previously transmitted to a monitoring unit via the wireless communication network;
- comparing, using a processor device, the elapsed time to a time threshold;
- and
- sending the one or more analysis signals associated with the analysis for the first one of the plurality of times to the monitoring unit via the wireless communication network when the elapsed time exceeds the time threshold.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.