Configurable process control device with electronic display assembly
AssigneeGeneral Equipment and Manufacturing Company, Inc.
InventorRobert Lynn LaFountain
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A configurable process control device, which includes a field device, such as a valve position controller, that can be configured by a user to emulate any one of a plurality of different types of process control devices, is provided with an electronic display assembly. The electronic display assembly is operatively connected with a control circuit that is arranged to respond to the specific configuration of the field device to cause the electronic display assembly to display information relevant to the specific type of control device the field device has been configured to emulate. The information may include safety certification information specific to each of the different types of process control devices that the field device can be configured to emulate.
Claims18
A configurable process control device for use in a plurality of use environments, wherein at least one of a pre-defined plurality of certifications must be displayed in conjunction with the configurable process control device depending on which of the use environments the configurable process control device is to be used in, the configurable process control device comprising:
- a field device comprising a magnetic proximity sensor switch;
- a first control circuit operatively coupled to the field device, the first control circuit arranged to control the field device and arranged to be reconfigured by a user to allow the field device to selectively emulate at least two different switch types, including at least one of a numar switch, a dry contact switch, a PNP switch, and an NPN switch;
- an electronic display assembly, the electronic display assembly arranged to selectively display different information;
- and
- a second control circuit, the second control circuit operatively coupled to the electronic display assembly and the first control circuit, the second control circuit having access to a plurality of different certification information sets, each certification information set corresponding to a different one of the at least two different switch types;
- wherein the second control circuit causes the electronic display assembly to display a selected one of the certification information sets corresponding to the switch type the field device has been selected to emulate.
A valve position controller, comprising:
- a controller housing;
- a switch carried by the controller housing, wherein the switch comprises a magnetic proximity switch;
- a switch control circuit, the switch control circuit arranged to control the switch and arranged to be selectively reconfigured by a user to allow the switch to selectively emulate at least two of a pre-selected plurality of different switch types, wherein the plurality of different switch types includes at least two of an inductive switch, a numar switch, a dry contact switch, a PNP switch, and an NPN switch;
- an electronic display assembly carried by the controller housing, the electronic display assembly arranged to selectively display different information;
- and
- a display control circuit, the display control circuit operatively connected to the electronic display assembly and the switch control circuit, the display control circuit having access to a plurality of different information sets, each information set containing different certification information of a corresponding one of the switch types;
- wherein the display control circuit causes the electronic display assembly to display a selected one of the information sets, including the certification information, corresponding to which switch type the switch is configured to emulate.
A method of displaying certification information for a configurable process control device, the configurable process control device having a field device and a device control circuit arranged to be selectively configured in each one of a pre-selected plurality of configurations to cause the field device to selectively emulate each one of a pre-selected plurality of different types of process control devices, the method comprising the steps:
- configuring the device control circuit to cause the field device to emulate a first selected one of the different types of process control devices;
- providing an electronic display with the field device;
- and
- configuring the electronic display to display first certification information in response to the configuration of the device control circuit, wherein the certification information includes what type of hazardous operating environment in which the emulated switch is certified for use corresponding with at least one of safety certification specifications and other technical standards as defined by at least one of a private certifying organization, a governmental organization, and a governmental directive, and wherein the certification information includes what certification specifications and/or technical standards the process control device meets for each respective organization and directive.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.