Process controller with an integrated optical detector

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017192443-A1
Application number	US-201715465075-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 21, 2017
Priority date	Apr 16, 2013
Publication date	Jul 6, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

A process controller is provided and includes at least one optical sensor. The optical sensor includes an optical source is configured to emit an electronic signal toward an object. The process controller further includes a control unit in communication with the at least one optical sensor, wherein the control unit controls a controlled device based on the electronic signal received by the at least one optical sensor. In another form, the optical sensor further includes an optical detector configured to receive the return electronic signal reflected by the object. A system for process control in an elevated radio frequency (RF) environment is also provided and includes a process controller having at least one optical sensor and a control unit in communication with the optical sensor. The optical sensor is disposed within the elevated RF environment and includes an optical detector.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A process controller comprising:
at least one optical sensor, wherein the at least one optical sensor includes an optical detector operable to receive an electronic signal; and a control unit in communication with the at least one optical sensor, wherein the control unit controls a controlled device based on the electronic signal received by the at least one optical sensor.

2 . The process controller according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit interprets the electronic signal to determine a temperature of one or more temperature related processes and controls the controlled device based on the determined temperature.

3 . The process controller according to claim 1 , wherein the electronic signal received by the optical detector is indicative of a temperature of an object.

4 . The process controller according to claim 1 , wherein each of the at least one optical sensor further includes a cable interface configured to be connected to a fiber-optic cable, and further wherein the optical detector receives the electronic signal via the fiber-optic cable connected to the cable interface.

5 . The process controller according to claim 1 further comprising a communication port, wherein the control unit is communicably coupled to the controlled device by way of the communication port.

6 . The process controller according to claim 1 further comprising a housing wherein the optical sensor and the control unit are housed in the housing.

7 . A process controller comprising:
at least one optical sensor, wherein the at least one optical sensor includes an optical source and an optical detector, the optical source configured to emit an electronic signal toward an object and the optical detector configured to receive a return electronic signal reflected by the object; and a control unit arranged with and in communication with the at least one optical sensor, wherein the control unit determines a condition of the object based on the return electronic signal from the at least one optical sensor and controls a controlled device based on the determined condition.

8 . The process controller according to claim 7 , wherein the condition is at least one of temperature, pressure, strain, gas concentrations, and corrosion.

9 . The process controller according to claim 7 , wherein the at least one optical sensor further includes a cable interface configured to be connected to a fiber-optic cable, and further wherein each of the at least one optical sensor is operable to communicate with the object by way of the fiber-optic cable.

10 . The process controller according to claim 7 , wherein the at least one optical sensor is selected from the group consisting of pressure, strain, gas concentration, and corrosion.

11 . The process controller according to claim 7 further comprising a plurality of communication ports, wherein the control unit is communicably coupled to the controlled device by way of the plurality of communication ports.

12 . The process controller according to claim 7 , wherein the at least one optical sensor is an optical temperature sensor.

13 . The process controller according to claim 7 , wherein the control unit determines a temperature of the object, as the condition of the object, based on the return electronic signal.

14 . A system for process control in an elevated radio frequency (RF) environment, the system comprising:
a process controller comprising at least one optical sensor and a control unit in communication with the at least one optical sensor,
wherein the at least one optical sensor is disposed within the elevated RF environment and includes an optical detector configured to receive a return electronic signal reflected by the object, and
the control unit interprets the return electronic signal to determine a condition and controls a controlled device based on the determined condition.

15 . The system according to claim 14 further comprising a reporting server, wherein the process controller is in communication with the reporting server and transmits data indicative of performance of the controlled device to the reporting server.

16 . The system according to claim 14 , wherein the control unit of the process controller determines a temperature of the object, as the condition, based on the return electronic signal.

17 . The system according to claim 14 , wherein the process controller further includes a plurality of communication ports, and further wherein the control unit is communicably coupled to the controlled device by way of the plurality of communication ports.

18 . The system according to claim 14 , wherein the process controller further includes a housing that houses the optical sensor and the control unit.

19 . The system according to claim 14 , wherein each of the at least one optical sensor of the process controller further includes a cable interface configured to be connected to a fiber-optic cable, and further wherein an optical source emits the electronic signal toward the object by way of the fiber-optic cable connected to the cable interface and the optical detector receives the return electronic signal from the object by way of the fiber-optic cable connected to the cable interface.

20 . The system according to claim 14 , wherein the at least one optical sensor is an optical temperature sensor.

Assignees

• Watlow Electric Mfg

Inventors

• Bohlinger William
• Bergen John P
• Hopkins-Breitlow Stanton
• Hentges James
• Houzenga Jason
• Ramos Gil
• Peterson Kurt
• Walters Larry
• James Daryl G

Classifications

• G05D23/1934

  each space being provided with one sensor acting on one or more control means · CPC title

• G05D23/27 Primary

  with sensing element responsive to radiation · CPC title

• G05D23/1931 Primary

  to control the temperature of one space · CPC title