# US 9,882,572 B2 · Field device and detector > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,882,572 B2 - Document ID: US9882572B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/462,968 - Filed: 2017-03-20 - Published: 2017-09-28 - Granted: 2018-01-30 - Earliest claimed: 2016-03-22 - Assignees: Yokogawa Electric Corporation - Applicants: Yokogawa Electric Corporation - Inventors: Shinnosuke Yoshida - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9882572B2 ## CPC - H03M 1/001: {Analogue/digital/analogue conversion} - G01D 3/08: with provision for safeguarding the apparatus, e.g. against abnormal operation, against breakdown - G01D 21/00: Measuring or testing not otherwise provided for - G01F 1/32: using swirl flowmeters - G01F 1/60: Circuits therefor - G01F 1/8431: {electronic circuits} - H03M: CODING; DECODING; CODE CONVERSION IN GENERAL (using fluidic means F15C4/00; optical analogue/digital converters G02F7/00; coding, decoding or code conversion, specially adapted for particular applications, see the relevant subclasses, e.g. G01D, G01R, G06F, G06T, G09G, G10L, G11B, G11C, H04B, H04L, H04M, H04N; ciphering or deciphering for cryptography or other purposes involving the need for secrecy G09C) - G01D: MEASURING NOT SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR A SPECIFIC VARIABLE; ARRANGEMENTS FOR MEASURING TWO OR MORE VARIABLES NOT COVERED IN A SINGLE OTHER SUBCLASS; TARIFF METERING APPARATUS; MEASURING OR TESTING NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - G01F: MEASURING VOLUME, VOLUME FLOW, MASS FLOW OR LIQUID LEVEL; METERING BY VOLUME ## Abstract A field device includes a detector and a converter communicative to the detector. The detector also may include, but is not limited to, a sensor, an analog-to-digital converter, and a first processor. The sensor may be configured to acquire an analog measurement signal. The analog-to-digital converter may be configured to convert the analog measurement signal to a digital signal. The first processor may be configured to convert the digital signal into a measurement value to generate a digital signal representing at least the measurement value. The converter may be configured to convert the digital signal representing at least the measurement value into an instrumentation signal to output the instrumentation signal. The detector may be configured to transmit the digital signal representing at least the measurement value and the analog measurement signal to the converter. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A field device comprising: a detector comprising: a sensor configured to acquire an analog measurement signal; an analog-to-digital converter configured to convert the analog measurement signal to a digital signal; and a first processor configured to convert the digital signal into a measurement value to generate a digital signal representing at least the measurement value; and a converter configured to convert the digital signal representing at least the measurement value into a unified instrumentation signal to output the unified instrumentation signal, wherein the detector is configured to transmit, to the converter, the digital signal representing at least the measurement value, which was generated by the first processor, together with the analog measurement signal that was acquired by the sensor. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The field device according to claim 1, wherein the converter comprises a monitoring terminal for measuring the analog measurement signal. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The field device according to claim 1, wherein the detector comprises a plurality of sets of the sensor and the analog-to-digital converter associated with the sensor, wherein the detector is configured to selectively transmit, to the converter, the analog measurement signal from each of the sensors. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The field device according to claim 3, wherein the detector comprises: a digital-to-analog converter configured to selectively convert a plurality of the digital signals, from the analog-to-digital converters respectively associated with the sensors, into one or more analog signals, and wherein the detector is configured to transmit, to the converter, the one or more analog signals from the digital-to-analog converter. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The field device according to claim 1, wherein the converter is configured to calculate a measurement value from the analog measurement signal transmitted from the detector, the converter is configured to compare the measurement value calculated from the analog measurement signal with the measurement value from the digital signal representing at least the measurement value. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The field device according to claim 5, wherein the converter is configured to generate an alarm in case that a difference between the measurement value calculated from the analog measurement signal and the measurement value from the digital signal representing at least the measurement value exceeds a predefined threshold. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The field device according to claim 5, wherein the converter is configured to determine soundness of the digital signal by comparing the measurement value calculated from the analog measurement signal with the measurement value from the digital signal representing at least the measurement value. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The field device according to claim 1, wherein the converter comprises: a second processor configured to analyze the analog measurement signal transmitted from the detector. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The field device according to claim 1, wherein the converter comprises: a second processor configured to process the digital signal representing at least the measurement value transmitted from the detector. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The field device according to claim 9, wherein the converter is configured to convert the digital signal representing at least the measurement value, and comprising: an isolation circuit disposed on a previous stage with respect to the second processor. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The field device according to claim 1, wherein the detector is configured to transmit, to the converter, the analog measurement signal and the digital signal representing at least the measurement value to cause the converter to receive the analog measurement signal and the digital signal representing at least the measurement value at the same timing. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The field device according to claim 1, wherein the converter is configured to calculate a measurement value from the analog measurement signal transmitted; and to compare an integrated value of measurement values from the analog measurement signals with an integrated value of the measurement values from the digital signals representing the measurement values. ### Claim 13 A detector comprising: a sensor configured to acquire an analog measurement signal; an analog-to-digital converter configured to convert the analog measurement signal to a digital signal; and a first processor configured to convert the digital signal into a measurement value to generate a digital signal representing at least the measurement value, to transmit, to a converter, the digital signal representing at least the measurement value, which was generated by the first processor, together with the analog measurement signal that was acquired by the sensor. ### Claim 14 A method comprising: converting, by a detector, an analog measurement signal to a digital signal; converting, by the detector, the digital signal into a measurement value to generate a digital signal representing at least the measurement value; transmitting, by the detector, the digital signal representing at least the measurement value and the analog measurement signal from the detector to a converter; converting, by the converter, the digital signal representing at least the measurement value into a unified instrumentation signal to output the unified instrumentation signal; and transmitting, by the converter, to a converter, the digital signal representing at least the measurement value, which was generated by the first processor, together with the analog measurement signal that was acquired by the sensor. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method according to claim 14, further comprising: calculating, by the converter, a measurement value from the analog measurement signal transmitted; and comparing, by the converter, the measurement value from the analog measurement signal with the measurement value from the digital signal representing at least the measurement value. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method according to claim 15, further comprising: determining, by the converter, soundness of the digital signal based on a result of comparing the measurement value from the analog measurement signal with the measurement value from the digital signal representing at least the measurement value. ### Claim 17 (depends on 14) The method according to claim 14, further comprising: receiving, by the converter, the analog measurement signal and the digital signal representing at least the measurement value at the same timing. ### Claim 18 (depends on 14) The method according to claim 14, further comprising: calculating, by the converter, a measurement value from the analog measurement signal transmitted; and comparing, by the converter, an integrated value of measurement values from the analog measurement signals with an integrated value of the measurement values from the digital signals representing the measurement values.