# US 9,523,971 B2 · Monitoring and controlling of valves in industrial process control and automation using NFC > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,523,971 B2 - Document ID: US9523971B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 13/893,281 - Filed: 2013-05-13 - Published: 2014-05-08 - Granted: 2016-12-20 - Earliest claimed: 2012-11-07 - Assignees: HCL Technologies Limited - Applicants: HCL Technologies Limited - Inventors: Gopi Krishna Durbhaka; Arvind Kumar Maurya; Subramanya Uma Maheswara Prasad Dhanyamraju - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9523971B2 ## CPC - G05B 15/02: electric - G05B 19/042: using digital processors (G05B19/05 takes precedence) - G05B 19/4185: {characterised by the network communication} - G05B 2219/23414: Pc as detachable program, debug, monitor device for control system - G05B 2219/31113: General, vendor indenpendant display and control interface for sensor actuator - G05B 2219/31197: Near field communication nfc - G05B 2219/33326: Analyzer, diagnostic for servovalve - G05B 2219/45006: Valves - Y02P 90/02: Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS] - G05B: CONTROL OR REGULATING SYSTEMS IN GENERAL; FUNCTIONAL ELEMENTS OF SUCH SYSTEMS; MONITORING OR TESTING ARRANGEMENTS FOR SUCH SYSTEMS OR ELEMENTS (systems for controlling or regulating non-electric variables G05D; systems for regulating electric or magnetic variables G05F; control devices or systems insofar as characterised by mechanical features only G05G) - Y02P: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS ## Abstract A system and method to monitor and control the valves in industrial process control and automation using Near-Field Communication (NFC) is disclosed. The system comprises a NFC-Equipment Interface Unit (NFC-EIU) to acquire parameters from the valves through a port and send the parameters to any handheld device by NFC for analysis. The NFC-EIU on receiving the analysis results from the handheld device can control the valves too. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A system to monitor and control a plurality of valves in process control using Near-Field communication (NFC), said system comprising: a NFC-Equipment Interface Unit (NFC-EIU), wherein said NFC-EIU comprises of a microcontroller and a NFC module, said microcontroller configured to: obtain at least one parameter from at least one of a pressure valve and a flow valve through a Local Control Unit (LCU), wherein said at least one parameter comprises a Set-Reset, a Process Value (PV), a Set point Value (SP), and a Local-Remote mode; a handheld device connected with said NFC-EIU, wherein said handheld device is configured to: receive said at least one parameter from said NFC-EIU to monitor said at least one parameter; analyze said at least one parameter; and control at least one of said pressure valve and said flow valve based on said analysis. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The NFC-EIU as in claim 1, wherein said NFC-EIU is configured to acquire said at least one parameter and control at least one of said pressure valve and said flow valve, using wired communication. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The NFC-EIU as in claim 1, wherein said NFC-EIU is configured to send said at least one parameter to said handheld device and receive said results from said handheld device by NFC using said NFC module in said NFC-EIU. ### Claim 4 A method for monitoring and controlling a plurality of valves in process control using Near Field Communication (NFC), said method comprising: obtaining, by a microcontroller, at least one parameter from at least one of a pressure valve and a flow valve through a Local Control Unit (LCU), wherein said at least one parameter comprises a Set-Reset, a Process Value (PV), a Set point Value (SP), and a Local-Remote mode, by the microcontroller of a NFC-Equipment Interface Unit (NFC-EIU); receiving, by the microcontroller, said at least one parameter from said NFC-EIU to monitor and control said at least one parameter, by a handheld device; analyzing, by the microcontroller, said at least one parameter, by said handheld device; and controlling, by the microcontroller, at least one of said pressure valve and said flow valve based on said analysis. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The method as in claim 4, wherein said NFC-EIU is configured to acquire said at least one parameter and control at least one of said pressure valve and said flow valve, using wired communication. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The method as in claim 4, wherein said NFC-EIU is configured to send said at least one parameter to said handheld device and receive said results from said handheld device by NFC using a NFC module in said NFC-EIU. ### Claim 7 A non-transitory computer program product for monitoring and controlling a plurality of valves in process control using Near Field Communication (NFC), said product comprising: an integrated circuit further comprising at least one processor; at least one memory having a computer program code within said circuit; said at least one memory and said computer program code executable by at least one processor to: obtain at least one parameter from at least one of a pressure valve and a flow valve through a Local Control Unit (LCU), wherein said at least one parameter comprises a Set-Reset, a Process Value (PV), a Set point Value (SP), and a Local-Remote mode, by a microcontroller of a NFC-Equipment Interface Unit (NFC-EIU); receive said at least one parameter from said NFC-EIU to monitor said at least one parameter, by a handheld device; analyze said at least one parameter, by said handheld device; and control at least one of said pressure valve and said flow valve based on said analysis in said handheld device. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) A non-transitory computer program product as in claim 7, wherein said NFC-EIU is configured to acquire said at least one parameter and control at least one of said pressure valve and said flow valve, using wired communication. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) A non-transitory computer program product as in claim 7, wherein said NFC-EIU is configured to send said at least one parameter to said handheld device and receive said results from said handheld device by NFC using a NFC module in said NFC-EIU.