Method and system for optimizing the commissioning of at least one of a plurality of automation technology field devices

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10775760-B2
Application number	US-201615780169-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 11, 2016
Priority date	Nov 30, 2015
Publication date	Sep 15, 2020
Grant date	Sep 15, 2020

Abstract

The invention relates to a method and to a system for optimizing the commissioning of at least one of a plurality of field devices in an automation technology system, which are used in different applications, wherein the system comprises at least: one database for saving application information and device types of the plurality of field devices and for saving parameter sets of the plurality of field devices; an electronic computation unit that accesses the remotely arranged database and classifies, assigns, compares, and/or processes the data saved there and has an algorithm for creating and proposing an optimal parameter set; software for supporting a user during commissioning of one of the plurality of field devices, wherein the electronic computation unit is operated by means of the software.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for optimizing a commissioning of at least one of a plurality of field devices in an automation technology system, comprising:
collecting application information and device types of the plurality of field devices, wherein the application information describes each of the plurality of field devices with respect to its application;
saving the application information and the device type in a database;
collecting parameter sets from the plurality of field devices and saving the parameter sets in the database, wherein the parameter sets include several parameters, each parameter having a parameter value or a parameter value range, and wherein each of the plurality of field devices has at least one parameter set;
associating the parameter sets of the plurality of field devices to the application information and to the device types;
creating an optimal parameter set from the parameter sets of the same or similar device types for the same or similar applications using an algorithm, wherein the algorithm includes a step of creating the optimal parameter set by comparing all parameter values of all field devices of the same or similar applications;
proposing the optimal parameter set for the at least one of the plurality of field devices, based upon the application of the at least one field device;
when the proposal is completely accepted or partly accepted, replacing the parameter set of the at least one field device with the optimal parameter set for the application of the at least one field device and storing the optimal parameter set in a database.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein when parameters contained in the parameter sets are dependent upon each other, only a base parameter is displayed in the proposal.

3. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
creating an application-specific standard parameter set from the optimal parameter set.

4. The method according to claim 3 , further comprising:
manually optimizing the application-specific standard parameter set.

5. The method according to claim 4 , wherein, for later use, comments regarding the individual parameters of the application-specific standard parameter set are created and saved as part of the proposal.

6. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
separating the optimal parameter set into static parameters that do not change over time and into dynamic parameters.

7. The method according to claim 6 , wherein the at least one field device is parameterized with the optimal parameter set for the respective application when no dynamic parameters are available.

8. The method according to claim 6 , wherein during commissioning of the at least one field device, the user is supported by software in adapting the optimal parameter set with respect to the dynamic parameters.

9. The method according to claim 6 , wherein during commissioning of the at least one field device, the user is supported by a wizard implemented in software in adapting the optimal parameter set with respect to the dynamic parameters.

10. The method according to claim 6 , wherein during commissioning of the at least one field device, the user is supported by a wizard implemented in a device type manager of the at least one field device in adapting the optimal parameter set with respect to the dynamic parameters.

11. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
creating a degree of validity for the optimal parameter set, wherein the degree of validity includes information about the frequency of a respective successful application and/or a respective successful re-use of the optimal parameter set.

12. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
creating a parameterization history of the plurality of field devices using software.

13. A system for optimizing a commissioning of at least one of a plurality of field devices in an automation technology system, comprising:
a database having a data structure configured to save application information of the field device, wherein the application information includes a measuring method and a measuring task of the field device, device types of the plurality of field devices and parameter sets of the plurality of field devices, wherein the parameter sets each include a parameter identifier and a parameter value for each parameter of the parameter sets, wherein the database is remotely arranged from the plurality of field devices;
a network, wherein the database is connected with the network;
an electronic computation unit connected with the network and connected with the database via the network, wherein the electronic computation unit is configured to execute parameterization software; and
parameterization software, wherein the parameterization software is executed by the electronic computation unit, and wherein the parameterization software is configured to:
read application information from each field device and store the application information in the database, wherein the application information includes a measuring method and a measuring task of the field device;
read the device type from each field device and store the device type in the database;
read the parameter set from each field device and store the parameter set in the database, wherein the parameter set is associated with the application information of the field device and the device type of the field device;
compare all parameter values of all field devices of the same or similar application to create an optimal parameter set from the parameter sets of the same or similar device types for the same or similar applications; and
store the optimal parameter set on the field device.

14. The system according to claim 13 , wherein the application information of a field device includes the field device's configuration, measuring method, and/or measuring task data.

15. The system according to claim 13 , wherein the remotely-arranged database and/or the computation unit can be reached via cloud-computing web services.

16. The system according to claim 13 , wherein the software is further configured to track a parameter history of the plurality of field devices over time.

17. The system according to claim 13 , wherein the software is implemented on the computation unit, on a computer of the user, and/or on each of the plurality of field devices.

Assignees

• Endress Hauser Process Solutions Ag

Inventors

• Baret Marc
• Hauss Georg
• Kaiser Ulrich
• Maneval Michael
• Nick Markus

Classifications

• G05B2219/21092

  At start up, autoconfigure module for proper I-O execution, bootstrap · CPC title

• G05B2219/33331

  Test, diagnostic of field device for correct device, correct parameters · CPC title

• G05B2219/25428

  Field device · CPC title

• G05B19/0426 Primary

  Programming the control sequence · CPC title