Source: https://patents.justia.com/patent/6047222
Timestamp: 2019-11-19 08:50:21
Document Index: 476091386

Matched Legal Cases: ['art 1', 'art 2', 'art 1', 'art 2', 'art 3', 'art 3']

US Patent for Process control network with redundant field devices and buses Patent (Patent # 6,047,222 issued April 4, 2000) - Justia Patents Search
Justia Patents Having Protection Or Reliability FeatureUS Patent for Process control network with redundant field devices and buses Patent (Patent # 6,047,222)
Dec 30, 1997 - Fisher Controls International, Inc.
To overcome some of the problems inherent in the use of proprietary DCSs, the process control industry has developed a number of standard, open communication protocols including, for example, the HART.RTM., PROFIBUS.RTM., WORLDFIP.RTM., Device-Net.RTM., and CAN protocols, which enable field devices made by different manufacturers to be used together within the same process control network. In fact, any field device that conforms to one of these protocols can be used within a process to communicate with and to be controlled by a DCS controller or other controller that supports the protocol, even if that field device is made by a different manufacturer than the manufacturer of the DCS controller.
Moreover, there is now a move within the process control industry to decentralize process control and, thereby, simplify DCS controllers or eliminate the need for DCS controllers to a large extent. Decentralized control is obtained by having field mounted process control devices, such as valve positioners, transmitters, etc. perform one or more process control functions and by then communicating data across a bus structure for use by other process control devices in performing other control functions. To implement these control functions, each process control device includes a microprocessor having the capability to perform a control function as well as the ability to communicate with other process control devices using a standard and open communication protocol. In this manner, field devices made by different manufacturers can be interconnected within a process control network to communicate with one another and to perform one or more process control functions forming a control loop without the intervention of a DCS controller. The all-digital, two-wire bus protocol now being promulgated by the Fieldbus Foundation, known as the FOUNDATION.TM. Fieldbus (hereinafter "Fieldbus") protocol is one open communication protocol that allows devices made by different manufacturers to interoperate and communicate with one another via a standard bus to effect decentralized control within a process.
1. A process control system that performs process control functions within a process in a distributed manner including:
a communication bus that performs a communication process function in the process;
a plurality of devices communicatively linked over the communication bus, wherein each of the devices performs a different process function within the process;
a pair of redundant elements including a primary redundant element and a secondary redundant element that are adapted to perform the same process function within the process; and
a controller communicatively coupled to the pair of redundant elements via the communication bus to detect a failure of one of the redundant elements using the communication bus and to operationally connect the other of the redundant elements in the process control system upon detection of the failure of the one of the redundant elements.
2. The process control system of claim 1, wherein the communication bus implements a two-wire, two-way, loop-powered digital communication protocol.
9. A process control system that performs process control functions within a process in a distributed manner including:
a controller coupled to the pair of redundant elements to detect a failure of one of the redundant elements and to operationally connect the other of the redundant elements in the process control system upon detection of the failure of the one of the redundant elements;
wherein the primary redundant element comprises the communication bus and the secondary redundant element comprises a further communication bus.
10. A process control system that performs process control functions within a process in a distributed manner including:
wherein the primary redundant element comprises a first function block that performs a particular process function and the secondary redundant element comprises a second function block that performs the particular process function.
11. The process control system of claim 10, wherein the first and second function blocks are located in different ones of the plurality of field devices.
13. A process control system that performs process control functions within a process in a distributed manner including:
wherein the primary redundant element comprises a loop including the communication bus connected to one of the devices and the secondary redundant element comprises a redundant loop including a redundant communication bus connected to a redundant device.
14. A process control system that performs process control functions within a process in a distributed manner including:
a pair of redundant elements including a primary redundant element and a secondary redundant element that are adapted to perform the same process function within the process;
a controller coupled to the pair of redundant elements to detect a failure of one of the redundant elements and to operationally connect the other of the redundant elements in the process control system upon detection of the failure of the one of the redundant elements; and
a control logic operating in a functional element associated with the pair of redundant elements, the control logic adapted to detect an operational status of one of the redundant elements and to communicate the operational status to the controller.
15. A process control system that performs process control functions within a process in a distributed manner including:
wherein the controller includes a detector that detects the termination of communications from one of the pair of redundant elements to detect the failure of the one of the pair of redundant elements.
a loop controller including a control logic implementing a two-wire, two-way, loop-powered digital communication protocol;
a redundant pair of two-way communication busses coupled to the loop controller including a primary communication bus and a redundant communication bus; and
a plurality of devices coupled to the redundant pair of two-way communication busses;
wherein the controller is adapted to detect a failure associated with one of the redundant pair of busses and to operationally connect the other of the redundant pair of busses in the process control system upon detection of the failure of the one of the redundant pair of busses.
17. The process control system of claim 16, wherein the plurality of devices includes a first redundant device that is connected to the primary communication bus and a second redundant device that is coupled to the redundant communication bus.
a two-way communication loop coupled to the loop controller; and
a redundant pair of functional elements including a primary functional element coupled to the communication loop and a redundant functional element coupled to the communication loop;
wherein the loop controller is adapted to detect a failure associated with one of the redundant pair of functional elements via the two-way communication loop and to operationally connect the other of the functional elements in the process control system upon detection of the failure of the one of the functional elements.
21. A method of configuring a process control system that performs process control functions in a process in a distributed manner, the method including the steps of:
providing a communication bus that performs a communication process function in the process control system;
communicatively connecting a plurality of devices over the communication bus such that each of the devices performs a different process function within the process;
using a pair of redundant elements including a primary redundant element and a secondary redundant element within the process to perform the same process function; and
using the communication bus to detect a failure of one of the redundant elements; and
operationally connecting the other of the redundant elements in the process control system in response to the failure of the one of the redundant elements.
22. The method of claim 21, wherein the primary redundant element comprises the communication bus and the secondary redundant element comprises a further communication bus and further including the step of connecting the communication bus and the further communication bus to the same device.
25. A method of configuring a process control system that performs process control functions in a process in a distributed manner, the method including the steps of:
detecting a failure of one of the redundant elements; and
operationally connecting the other of the redundant elements in the process control system in response to the failure of the one of the redundant elements;
wherein the primary redundant element comprises a first function block that performs a particular process function and the secondary redundant element comprises a second function block that performs the particular process function and further including the step of alternatively communicatively coupling either the first or the second function block within a process control loop of the process.
26. The method of claim 25, further including the step of locating the first and the second function blocks in different ones of the plurality of field devices.
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Patent number: 6047222
Inventors: Harry A. Burns (Marshalltown, IA), Brent H. Larson (Marshalltown, IA), Larry K. Brown (Marshalltown, IA)
Application Number: 8/983,019
Current U.S. Class: Having Protection Or Reliability Feature (700/79); Plural Processors (700/2); Master-slave (700/3); Backup/standby (700/82); Having Operator Control Interface (e.g., Control/display Console) (700/83); Distributed Data Processing (709/201); Slave Computer Locking (709/210); Master Accessing Slave Storage (709/211); Fault Recovery (714/2); 714/6; Concurrent, Redundantly Operating Processors (714/11)