Patent ID: 7636606

Claim:
A method for process control, comprising: controlling at least one process device by at least one process module and at least one safety module; logically linking to one another process signals (P) of the process module not relevant to safety and safety signals (S, S′, S″) of the safety module relating to process safety, wherein the process signals and the safety signals are logically linked to one another in a logical linking operation; and supplying directly via a fast switching path at least one local safety signal (S′) of a local safety sensor to at least one control output of a local control unit associated with the process device, wherein the supplying occurs while bypassing the logical linking operation in order to effect a fast change in state at the process device to be controlled which is connected to the control output, wherein the fast switching path includes a fast switching function with which a result of the logical linking operation and the local safety signal (S′) are evaluated together in a common evaluation, and wherein a fast change in state at the process device effected via the fast switching path is changed again, and is reversed again, when the common evaluation produces a predetermined result.