Methods and systems to provide update information of a device description of a field instrument

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10185308-B2
Application number	US-201213460237-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 30, 2012
Priority date	Apr 30, 2012
Publication date	Jan 22, 2019
Grant date	Jan 22, 2019

Abstract

Methods and systems to update information of a device description of a field instrument are described. In one example, a method involves comparing a host revision of the device description executed via a host application to an instrument revision of the device description of the field instrument, generating a character string of update information based on the comparison, the character string containing the update information, and displaying the character string via the host application.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method, comprising:
transmitting a request from a computing device to a field device of a process control system instructing the field device to generate a message corresponding to update information associated with a device description file executed by the computing device, the device description file to facilitate access of a first function of the field device by the computing device, the request including a first version of the device description file;
comparing, at the field device, the first version to a second version of the device description file stored in the field device;
in response to determining that the first version is different than the second version based on the comparison, generating the message to include a hyperlink and information identifying function differences between the first version and the second version, the function differences corresponding to at least a second function of the field device not available to the computing device when using the first version; and
in response to receiving the message at the computing device from the field device, displaying the message via a host application executed by the computing device, the displayed message providing the hyperlink to direct the computing device to a web site to obtain the second version.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the update information indicates that the second version of the device description file is newer than the first version.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the hyperlink is a website address where at least one of information of the second version of the device description file, information of other versions of the device description file, or copies of the second version or the other revisions of the device description file are accessible.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein generating the message includes selecting a first preconfigured string from a series of alternative preconfigured strings.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the message indicates issues associated with the first version of the device description file that are remedied by the second version of the device description file.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the field device is a valve that communicates the message to the computing device via HART communication protocol or Profibus communication protocol.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the field device is manufactured after the first version has been released.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the hyperlink is to direct the computing device to the web site to obtain a third version, the third version released after the second version, the message not indicating an availability of the third version.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the function differences are first function differences, and wherein generating the message includes:
generating a first character string based on comparing second function differences between the first version and a third version, the third version released after the first version and before the second version;
generating a second character string based on comparing third function differences between the second version and the third version; and
generating the message by concatenating the first character string and the second character string, the first character string and the second character string corresponding to the first function differences.

10. A tangible computer readable storage device storing machine readable instructions, which when executed, cause a computing device and a field device of a process control system to at least:
transmit a request from the computing device to the field device instructing the field device to generate a message corresponding to update information associated with a device description file executed by the computing device, the device description file to facilitate access of a first function of the field device by the computing device, the request including a first version of the device description file;
compare, at the field device, the first version to a second version of the device description file stored in the field device;
in response to determining that the first version is different than the second version based on the comparison, generate the message to include a hyperlink and information identifying function differences between the first version and the second version; and
in response to receiving the message at the computing device from the field device, provide the message to a host application executed by the computing device for display, the displayed message providing the hyperlink to direct the computing device to a website to obtain the second version.

11. The tangible computer readable storage device of claim 10 , wherein the update information indicates that the first version of the device description file is one of up to date or out of date.

12. The tangible computer readable storage device of claim 10 , wherein the hyperlink is a website address where at least one of information of the second version of the device description file, information of other versions of the device description file, or copies of the second version or the other revisions of the device description file are accessible.

13. The tangible computer readable storage device of claim 10 , wherein the field device is a valve that communicates the message to the computing device via HART communication protocol or Profibus communication protocol.

14. The tangible computer readable storage device of claim 10 , wherein the hyperlink is to direct the computing device to the web site to obtain a third version, the third version released after the second version, the message not indicating an availability of the third version.

15. The tangible computer readable storage device of claim 10 , wherein the function differences are first function differences, and further including instructions, which when executed, cause the field device to at least:
generate a first character string based on comparing second function differences between the first version and a third version, the third version released after the first version and before the second version;
generate a second character string based on comparing third function differences between the second version and the third version; and
generate the message by concatenating the first character string and the second character string, the first character string and the second character string corresponding to the first function differences.

16. A system, comprising:
a computing device of a process control system to interact with a field device via a first version of a device description file executed by the computing device, the device description file to facilitate access of a first function of the field device by the computing device, the computing device to transmit a request to the field device instructing the field device to generate a message corresponding to update information associated with the device description file, the request including the first version;
the field device to:
compare the first version and a second version of the device description file stored in the field device; and
generate the message when the first version is different than the second version based on the comparison, the message to include a hyperlink and information to identify function differences between the first version and the second version, the function differences corresponding to at least a second function of the field device not available to the computing device when using the first version; and

a display of the computing device to render the message via

Assignees

• Panther Mitchell Stephen
• Fisher Controls Int Llc

Inventors

• Panther Mitchell Stephen

Classifications

• G05B19/0423 Primary

  Input/output · CPC title

• G05B19/4185 Primary

  characterised by the network communication · CPC title

• G05B2219/31134

  PCD profinet component description, field device description module · CPC title

• G05B2219/32144

  Define device description using dd files · CPC title

• G05B19/41845

  characterised by system universality, reconfigurability, modularity · CPC title