Patent ID: 8612545

Claim:
A process control device for use in a process plant, comprising: (a) a process controller that is: 1) communicatively coupled to a computing device of the process plant, the computing device having an operator interface, 2) configured to store and execute a control module configured to receive a sensor signal from a first field device and generate at least one corresponding control signal to at least one of the first field device or a second field device for controlling equipment in the process plant based on the sensor signal, the control module including at least one function block used in implementing a process control loop in the process plant, 3) directly connected to each of the first field device and the second field device via a corresponding input/output device or card, and 4) further configured to communicate process control data to other process control devices in the process plant using a format that is not a web content syndication format; (b) a web content syndication format data generator that converts the process control data into web content syndication formatted data, the process control data including a process control signal or an output of a process control application; and (c) a web content syndication format data communication unit that directly communicates, via a communications link, the web content syndication formatted data to a further process control device within the process plant.