Patent ID: 7791480
Filing Date: 2010-09-07
Classification: F16K,Y10T

Abstract:
1. A process control monitoring system comprising: a plurality of radio frequency identification devices associated with respective ones of a plurality of process control elements of an industrial plant; an interrogator configured to implement wireless communications with respect to the radio frequency identification devices, wherein the interrogator is configured to output a plurality of first wireless interrogation signals which identify the radio frequency identification devices; a reader configured to implement wireless communications with respect to the interrogator; wherein the radio frequency identification devices are individually configured to receive the first wireless interrogation signals, and for individual ones of the first wireless interrogation signals, to determine whether the individual first wireless interrogation signal identifies the individual one of the radio frequency identification devices and to communicate a first wireless reply signal comprising information of the respective one of the process control elements to the interrogator responsive to the individual first wireless interrogation signal identifying the individual one of the radio frequency identification devices; and wherein the reader is configured to output a second wireless interrogation signal comprising an identifier and the interrogator is configured to communicate a second wireless reply signal to the reader which comprises the information received from the radio frequency identification devices responsive to determining that the identifier of the second wireless interrogation signal outputted by the reader is identical to an identifier of the interrogator.