Field device and method for controlling a near field communication via a near field communication system of a field device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2025294074-A1
Application number	US-202318858948-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 11, 2023
Priority date	May 13, 2022
Publication date	Sep 18, 2025
Grant date	—

Abstract

A field device of a heating, ventilation and air conditioning system including a microcontroller that controls the field device, and a near field communication system which is connected to the microcontroller and which includes a near field communication chip and an antenna, the near field communication system for a near field communication with a near field communication device. The near field communication system controls the near field communication in response to receiving a control signal from the microcontroller or the near field communication device, and the near field communication system disables the near field communication in response to discerning in the control signal a disablement signal, or enables the near field communication in response to discerning in the control signal an enablement signal.

First claim

1 . A field device of a heating, ventilation and air conditioning system, the field device comprising:
a microcontroller configured to control the field device; and a near field communication system which is connected to the microcontroller and which comprises a near field communication chip and an antenna, the near field communication system being configured for a near field communication with a near field communication device; wherein the near field communication system is configured to control the near field communication in response to receiving a control signal from the microcontroller or the near field communication device, and wherein the near field communication system is configured to disable the near field communication in response to discerning in the control signal a disablement signal, or wherein the near field communication system is configured to enable the near field communication in response to discerning in the control signal an enablement signal.

2 . The field device according to claim 1 , wherein the field device further comprises:
a power supply terminal configured to supply electrical energy to the field device; and the microcontroller is configured to determine a missing electrical energy supply on the power supply terminal, and to send the control signal comprising the disablement signal to the near field communication system, upon detection of missing electrical energy supply.

3 . The field device according to claim 2 , wherein the microcontroller comprises:
an energy buffer configured to supply electrical energy to the microcontroller; and wherein the microcontroller is configured to send the control signal to the near field communication system using energy from the energy buffer.

4 . The field device according to claim 1 , wherein the field device is configured to transmit power supply information to the near field communication device, and
the near field communication system is configured to receive from the near field communication device the control signal comprising the disablement signal, responsive to the power supply information indicating missing electrical energy supply.

5 . The field device according to claim 1 , wherein the near field communication system is configured to permanently disable the near field communication in response to discerning in the control signal a permanent disablement signal.

6 . The field device according to claim 5 , wherein the microcontroller is configured to detect a configuration of the field device by the near field communication device via the near field communication system; and
the near field communication system is configured to permanently disable the near field communication only after detection of the configuration of the field device.

7 . The field device according to claim 1 , wherein the near field communication system further comprises:
a switching element configured to control the near field communication of the field device using the control signal, wherein controlling by the switching element comprises interrupting or closing an internal connection of the near field communication chip or a connection between the near field communication chip and the microcontroller or the antenna.

8 . The field device according to claim 1 , wherein the microcontroller is configured to determine a current geographical position of the field device, to compare the current geographical position of the field device with a predefined geographical region, and to send the control signal comprising the disablement signal to the near field communication system, upon detection that the current geographical position of the field device is outside the predefined geographical region.

9 . A heating, ventilation and air conditioning system comprising the field device according to claim 1 .

10 . A method for controlling a near field communication via a near field communication system of a field device of a heating, ventilation and air conditioning system, the method comprising:
receiving (S 1 ), by the near field communication system, a control signal sent from a microcontroller of the field device or sent from a near field communication device; controlling, by the near field communication system, the near field communication in response to the received control signal, wherein controlling comprises: disabling, by the near field communication system, the near field communication in response to discerning in the control signal a disablement signal, and/or enabling, by the near field communication system, the near field communication in response to discerning in the control signal an enablement signal.

11 . The method according to claim 10 , further comprising:
determining, by the microcontroller, a missing electrical energy supply on a power supply terminal of the field device, and sending, by the microcontroller the control signal comprising the disablement signal to the near field communication system, upon detection of missing electrical energy supply.

12 . The method according to claim 11 , further comprising:
sending, by the microcontroller, the control signal to the near field communication system, using energy from an energy buffer in the field device.

13 . The method according to claim 10 , further comprising:
transmitting, by the field device, power supply information to the near field communication device; and receiving, by the near field communication system the control signal comprising the disablement signal, which is sent from the near field communication device in case the transmitted power supply information indicates missing electrical energy supply of the field device.

14 . The method according to claim 10 , wherein controlling the near field communication comprises:
permanently disabling, by the near field communication system, the near field communication in response to discerning in the control signal a permanent disablement signal.

15 . The method according to claim 14 , further comprising:
detecting, by the microcontroller, a configuration of the field device ( 130 ) via the near field communication system; and permanently disabling the near field communication only after detection of the configuration of the field device.

16 . The method according to claim 10 , wherein the controlling comprises:
interrupting or closing, by a switching element of the near field communication system an internal connection of a near field communication chip or a connection between the near field communication chip and the microcontroller or an antenna.

17 . The method according to claim 10 , further comprising:
determining, by the microcontroller a current geographical position of the field device, comparing, by the microcontroller the current geographical position with a predefined geographical region; and sending, by the microcontroller the control signal comprising the disablement signal to the near field communication system, upon detection that the current geographical position of the field device is outside the predefined geographical region; or receiving, by the near field communication system, from the near field communication device the control signal comprising the disablement signal, responsive to a current geographical position of the near field communication device being outside of the predefined geographical region.

18 . A computer program product comprising computer program code configured to direct a field device of a heating, ventilation and air conditioning system such that the field device performs the method of claim 10 .

Assignees

• Belimo Holding Ag

Inventors

• Wintsch Pasquale
• Popp Thomas

Classifications

• H04L67/025

  for remote control or remote monitoring of applications · CPC title

• H04L67/52

  specially adapted for the location of the user terminal · CPC title

• F24F11/52

  Indication arrangements, e.g. displays · CPC title

• H04L67/12 Primary

  specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks · CPC title

• H04W4/80 Primary

  Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication · CPC title