Commissioning devices to process automation systems using portable setup devices

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12422828-B2
Application number	US-202418665304-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 15, 2024
Priority date	Mar 24, 2021
Publication date	Sep 23, 2025
Grant date	Sep 23, 2025

Abstract

Implementations are described herein for commissioning a device such as a distributed control node (DCN) for operation with a process automation system (PAS) using a portable setup device (PSD) and an “out-of-band” communication channel. In various implementations, static information conveyed by a passive data store of the DCN may be used to establish an out-of-band communication channel between the DCN and PSD. The out-of-band communication channel may be distinct from a process automation network through which the DCN is to be communicatively coupled with other process automation nodes of the PAS. The DCN may be commissioned to the process automation system by exchanging operational technology (OT) data between the DCN and the PSD via the out-of-band communication channel to enable the DCN to cooperate with one or more of the other process automation nodes on the process automation network to implement an at least partially automated process.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for commissioning a distributed control node (DCN) for operation as part of a process automation system, the method implemented using one or more processors and comprising:
detecting, via one or more sensors of a portable setup device (PSD), static information conveyed by a passive data store of the DCN, wherein the passive data store is readable wirelessly by one or more of the sensors of the PSD;
based on the static information, establishing an out-of-band communication channel between a first communication interface of the DCN and the PSD, wherein the out-of-band communication channel is outside of a process automation network through which the DCN is to be communicatively coupled with other process automation nodes of the process automation system via a second communication interface of the DCN; and
commissioning the DCN to the process automation system, wherein the commissioning includes:
exchanging operational technology (OT) data between the DCN and the PSD via the out-of-band communication channel to enable the DCN to cooperate with one or more of the other process automation nodes on the process automation network to implement an at least partially automated process.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the OT data includes one or more OT capabilities of the DCN, and the method includes:
transmitting a request for OT configuration data from the PSD to a remote computing system, wherein the request for OT configuration data is generated based on the one or more OT capabilities of the DCN;
receiving the OT configuration data at the PSD; and
pushing the OT configuration data to the DCN over the out-of-band communication channel, wherein the pushing causes the OT configuration data to be installed on the DCN to facilitate the cooperation between the DCN and one or more of the other process automation nodes of the process automation system to implement the at least partially automated process.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the request is transmitted from the PSD to the remote computing system over the process automation network.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein the request is transmitted from the PSD to the remote computing system over a wireless network that is separate from the process automation network.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the PSD comprises a mobile telephone and the wireless network comprises a cellular network.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the passive data store comprises visual indicia or a passive electronic tag that conveys the static information using radio waves.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the static information conveyed by the passive data store is encrypted, and the method further includes decrypting the static information at the PSD.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the out-of-band communication channel is implemented using Bluetooth, two-way near-field communication (NFC), or Wi-Fi direct.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising rendering, on a display of the PSD, a graphical user interface (GUI), wherein the GUI is operable to implement at least some of the OT data on the DCN.

10. A method for commissioning a distributed control node (DCN) for operation as part of a process automation system, the method implemented using one or more processors and comprising:
detecting, via one or more sensors of a portable setup device (PSD), static information conveyed by a passive data store of the DCN;
based on the static information, establishing an out-of-band communication channel between the DCN and the PSD, wherein the out-of-band communication channel is outside of a process automation network through which the DCN is to be communicatively coupled with other process automation nodes of the process automation system; and
commissioning the DCN to the process automation system, wherein the commissioning includes:
receiving, by the PSD from the DCN via the out-of-band communication channel, operational technology (OT) capabilities of the DCN;
based on the OT capabilities of the DCN, determining OT configuration data; and
pushing the OT configuration data to the DCN over the out-of-band communication channel, wherein the pushing causes the OT configuration data to be installed on the DCN to facilitate cooperation between the DCN and one or more of the other process automation nodes of the process automation system to implement an at least partially automated process.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein determining the OT configuration data comprises:
generating, and transmitting from the PSD to a remote computing system, a request for the OT configuration data; and
receiving the OT configuration data at the PSD.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the request is transmitted from the PSD to the remote computing system over the process automation network.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the request is transmitted from the PSD to the remote computing system over a wireless network that is separate from the process automation network.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the PSD comprises a mobile telephone and the wireless network comprises a cellular network.

15. The method of claim 10 , wherein the commissioning further includes exchanging information technology (IT) data between the DCN and the PSD via the out-of-band communication channel to enable the DCN to join the process automation network.

16. The method of claim 10 , further comprising rendering, on a display of the PSD, a graphical user interface (GUI), wherein the GUI is operable to implement at least some of the OT configuration data on the DCN.

17. A portable setup device (PSD) comprising one or more sensors and circuitry to:
receive, from one or more of the sensors, static information detected from a wirelessly readable passive data store of a distributed control node (DCN), wherein the DCN is to be commissioned for operation as part of a process automation system;
based on the static information, establish an out-of-band communication channel with a first communication interface of the DCN, wherein the out-of-band communication channel is outside of a process automation network through which the DCN is to be communicatively coupled with other process automation nodes of the process automation system via a second communication interface of the DCN; and
relay operational technology (OT) configuration data obtained from a remote computing system to the DCN over the out-of-band communication channel to cause the OT configuration data to be installed on the DCN, thereby commissioning the DCN to cooperate with one or more of the other process automation nodes on the process automation network to implement an at least partially automated process.

18. The PSD of claim 17 , wherein the PSD receives the OT configuration data from the remote computing system over the process automation network.

19. The PSD of claim 17 , wherein the PSD receives the OT configuration data from the remote computing system over a wireless network that is separate from the process automation network.

20. The PSD of claim 17 , wherein one or more of the sensors is a vision sensor, and the passive data store comprises a bar code or quick response (QR) code.

Assignees

• Yokogawa Electric Corp

Inventors

• Malm Joseph
• Emerson David
• Keller Andrew
• Clay Patrick
• Sawahara Hidenori
• Nguyen Vien

Classifications

• G06K7/1417

  2D bar codes · CPC title

• H04W76/10

  Connection setup · CPC title

• G05B2219/31368

  MAP manufacturing automation protocol · CPC title

• G06K7/1413

  1D bar codes · CPC title

• G05B19/4185

  characterised by the network communication · CPC title