公开(公告)号：US20050068710A1

公开(公告)日：2005-03-31

申请号：US10675446

申请日：2003-09-30

申请人： Kent Burr ,  Gary Law ,  Tom Aneweer

发明人： Kent Burr ,  Gary Law ,  Tom Aneweer

IPC分类号： H04L12/28 ,  H02H9/00 ,  H02H1/00

CPC分类号： H02H9/008

摘要： A communication bus suitable for use in a hazardous area of a process plant includes a first transmission path adapted to communicate electrical signals in a first direction, and a second transmission path adapted to communicate electrical signals in a second direction. A safety device is coupled to each of the first and second transmission paths and includes a control unit adapted to detect a fault condition associated with the communication bus. The safety device further includes a switch unit adapted to interrupt the flow of electrical signals along each of the first and second transmission paths in response to the detected fault condition. In this manner, the detection circuitry of the communication bus automatically reduces or prevents the occurrence of sparks or arcing in the event of a fault condition associated with the communication bus.

摘要翻译： 适用于过程工厂的危险区域的通信总线包括适于在第一方向上传送电信号的第一传输路径和适于在第二方向上传送电信号的第二传输路径。 安全装置耦合到第一和第二传输路径中的每一个，并且包括适于检测与通信总线相关联的故障状况的控制单元。 安全装置还包括开关单元，其适于响应于检测到的故障状况中断沿着第一和第二传输路径中的每一个的电信号的流动。 以这种方式，通信总线的检测电路在与通信总线相关的故障状况的情况下自动地减少或防止火花或电弧的发生。

公开(公告)号：US06973508B2

公开(公告)日：2005-12-06

申请号：US10074304

申请日：2002-02-12

申请人： Rusty Shepard ,  Ken Krivoshein ,  Dan Christensen ,  Gary Law ,  Kent Burr ,  Mark Nixon

发明人： Rusty Shepard ,  Ken Krivoshein ,  Dan Christensen ,  Gary Law ,  Kent Burr ,  Mark Nixon

IPC分类号： G05B19/05 ,  G05B19/042 ,  G06F13/00

CPC分类号： G05B19/042 ,  G05B2219/25014 ,  G05B2219/25252 ,  G05B2219/25428

摘要： A versatile controller that can be used as either a stand-alone controller in a relatively small process plant or as one of numerous controllers in a distributed process control system depending on the needs of the process plant includes a processor adapted to be programmed to execute one or more programming routines and a memory, such as a non-volatile memory, coupled to the processor and adapted to store the one or more programming routines to be executed on the processor. The versatile controller also includes a plurality of field device input/output ports communicatively connected to the processor, a configuration communication port connected to the processor and to the memory to enable the controller to be configured with the programming routines and a second communication port which enables a user interface to be intermittently connected to the controller to view information stored within the controller memory. When used in a distributed process control system, the controller platform may be used as a remote input/output device and the ports of this remote input/output device may be logically mapped to controllers within the distributed process control system in a manner that is different than the physical connection between such controllers and the remote input/output device.

摘要翻译： 可以在相对小的过程工厂中用作独立控制器的多功能控制器或者根据过程工厂的需要在分布式过程控制系统中的众多控制器之一，包括一个适于被编程为执行一个 或更多的编程例程和诸如非易失性存储器的存储器，其耦合到处理器并且适于存储要在处理器上执行的一个或多个编程例程。 通用控制器还包括通信地连接到处理器的多个现场设备输入/输出端口，连接到处理器的配置通信端口和存储器，以使得控制器能够配置有编程例程，并且第二通信端口使能 要间歇地连接到控制器以查看存储在控制器存储器内的信息的用户界面。 当在分布式过程控制系统中使用时，控制器平台可以用作远程输入/输出设备，并且该远程输入/输出设备的端口可以以不同的方式逻辑映射到分布式过程控制系统内的控制器 这些控制器和远程输入/输出设备之间的物理连接。

公开(公告)号：US20050055111A1

公开(公告)日：2005-03-10

申请号：US10655929

申请日：2003-09-05

申请人： Gary Law ,  Michael Ott ,  Kent Burr ,  Godfrey Sherriff ,  Julian Naidoo

发明人： Gary Law ,  Michael Ott ,  Kent Burr ,  Godfrey Sherriff ,  Julian Naidoo

IPC分类号： G06F3/048 ,  G05B9/02 ,  G05B11/01 ,  G05B19/04 ,  G05B19/042 ,  G05B19/045 ,  G05B19/048 ,  G05B19/12 ,  G05B19/418 ,  G05B23/00 ,  G05B23/02 ,  G06F3/00 ,  G06F17/00 ,  G06F17/50

CPC分类号： G05B19/045 ,  G05B19/0426 ,  G05B2219/23289 ,  G05B2219/25014 ,  G05B2219/25428 ,  Y02P90/18 ,  Y02P90/185

摘要： A control system, a safety system, etc., within a process plant may each use one or more state machine function blocks that can be easily integrated into a function block diagram programming environment. Such a state machine function block may include one or more inputs, which may or may not cause a state machine implemented by the state machine function block to change states. The state machine function block may also include a plurality of outputs. Output configuration data associated with the function block may indicate values of the outputs of the function block for each of the states of the state machine. The state machine function block may use this output configuration data to determine its outputs when in a particular state.

摘要翻译： 处理工厂内的控制系统，安全系统等可以各自使用一个或多个状态机功能块，其可以容易地集成到功能框图编程环境中。 这样的状态机功能块可以包括一个或多个输入，其可以或可以不导致由状态机功能块实现的状态机来改变状态。 状态机功能块还可以包括多个输出。 与功能块相关联的输出配置数据可以指示状态机的每个状态的功能块的输出的值。 在特定状态下，状态机功能块可以使用该输出配置数据来确定其输出。

公开(公告)号：USD621792S1

公开(公告)日：2010-08-17

申请号：US29343807

申请日：2009-09-18

申请人： Arlyn Miller ,  Gary Law ,  Kent Burr ,  Paul Noble-Campbell ,  Vincent Lam ,  Kevin Sloan

设计人： Arlyn Miller ,  Gary Law ,  Kent Burr ,  Paul Noble-Campbell ,  Vincent Lam ,  Kevin Sloan

公开(公告)号：US20070083275A1

公开(公告)日：2007-04-12

申请号：US11540120

申请日：2006-09-29

申请人： Gary Law ,  Kent Burr ,  Godfrey Sherriff

发明人： Gary Law ,  Kent Burr ,  Godfrey Sherriff

IPC分类号： G05B11/01

CPC分类号： G05B19/41855 ,  G05B23/027 ,  G05B2219/31348 ,  Y02P90/185

摘要： The claimed system provides an I/O card that is used to interface two process controllers over a communication line that is separate from a primary communication line connecting the two process controllers to a workstation. The process controllers can access the I/O cards in a similar manner to I/O cards used to connect to field devices. In this manner, the physical hardware and software architecture does not need to be modified for inter-controller communications. Inter-controller communications can be programmed as general I/O communication.

摘要翻译： 所要求的系统提供了一种I / O卡，其用于通过与将两个过程控制器连接到工作站的主通信线路分离的通信线路来连接两个过程控制器。 过程控制器可以以与用于连接到现场设备的I / O卡类似的方式访问I / O卡。 以这种方式，物理硬件和软件架构不需要被修改用于控制器间通信。 控制器间通信可以编程为通用I / O通信。

公开(公告)号：US20060064512A1

公开(公告)日：2006-03-23

申请号：US11272363

申请日：2005-11-10

申请人： Rusty Shepard ,  Ken Krivoshein ,  Dan Christensen ,  Gary Law ,  Kent Burr ,  Mark Nixon

发明人： Rusty Shepard ,  Ken Krivoshein ,  Dan Christensen ,  Gary Law ,  Kent Burr ,  Mark Nixon

IPC分类号： G06F3/00

CPC分类号： G05B19/042 ,  G05B2219/25014 ,  G05B2219/25252 ,  G05B2219/25428

摘要： A versatile controller that can be used as either a stand-alone controller in a relatively small process plant or as one of numerous controllers in a distributed process control system depending on the needs of the process plant includes a processor adapted to be programmed to execute one or more programming routines and a memory, such as a non-volatile memory, coupled to the processor and adapted to store the one or more programming routines to be executed on the processor. The versatile controller also includes a plurality of field device input/output ports communicatively connected to the processor, a configuration communication port connected to the processor and to the memory to enable the controller to be configured with the programming routines and a second communication port which enables a user interface to be intermittently connected to the controller to view information stored within the controller memory. When used in a distributed process control system, the controller platform may be used as a remote input/output device and the ports of this remote input/output device may be logically mapped to controllers within the distributed process control system in a manner that is different than the physical connection between such controllers and the remote input/output device.

摘要翻译： 可以在相对小的过程工厂中用作独立控制器的多功能控制器或者根据过程工厂的需要在分布式过程控制系统中的众多控制器之一，包括一个适于被编程为执行一个 或更多的编程例程和诸如非易失性存储器的存储器，其耦合到处理器并且适于存储要在处理器上执行的一个或多个编程例程。 通用控制器还包括通信地连接到处理器的多个现场设备输入/输出端口，连接到处理器的配置通信端口和存储器，以使得控制器能够配置有编程例程，并且第二通信端口使能 要间歇地连接到控制器以查看存储在控制器存储器内的信息的用户界面。 当在分布式过程控制系统中使用时，控制器平台可以用作远程输入/输出设备，并且该远程输入/输出设备的端口可以以不同的方式逻辑映射到分布式过程控制系统内的控制器 这些控制器和远程输入/输出设备之间的物理连接。

公开(公告)号：US20050055695A1

公开(公告)日：2005-03-10

申请号：US10656005

申请日：2003-09-05

申请人： Gary Law ,  Michael Ott ,  Kent Burr ,  Godfrey Sherriff

发明人： Gary Law ,  Michael Ott ,  Kent Burr ,  Godfrey Sherriff

IPC分类号： G05B23/02 ,  G05B19/045 ,  G06F9/46 ,  G06F9/45

CPC分类号： G05B19/045 ,  G05B2219/23258 ,  G05B2219/23289 ,  Y02P90/14 ,  Y02P90/18 ,  Y02P90/185 ,  Y02P90/26

摘要： A control system, a safety system, etc., within a process plant may each use one or more state machine function blocks that can be easily integrated into a function block diagram programming environment. Such a state machine function block may include one or more inputs, which may cause a state machine implemented by the state machine function block to change states. The state machine function block may determine a next state to which it is to transition based, at least in part, on data indicative of the next state to which to transition, if any. The configuration data may be retrieved from a database based on the current state of the state machine and at least one of the inputs. The state machine function block may also include one or more outputs that are generated based on the state of the state machine.

摘要翻译： 处理工厂内的控制系统，安全系统等可以各自使用一个或多个状态机功能块，其可以容易地集成到功能框图编程环境中。 这样的状态机功能块可以包括一个或多个输入，这可能导致由状态机功能块实现的状态机改变状态。 至少部分地，状态机功能块可以基于指示要转换到的下一状态的数据（如果有的话）来确定其将要转换到的下一状态。 可以基于状态机的当前状态和至少一个输入从数据库检索配置数据。 状态机功能块还可以包括基于状态机的状态生成的一个或多个输出。

公开(公告)号：US07903405B1

公开(公告)日：2011-03-08

申请号：US12562546

申请日：2009-09-18

申请人： Arlyn Earl Miller ,  Gary Law ,  Kent A. Burr ,  Paul Noble-Campbell ,  Vincent Lam ,  Laura Avery ,  Garrett Lewis ,  Kevin Sloan ,  Mark William Foohey

发明人： Arlyn Earl Miller ,  Gary Law ,  Kent A. Burr ,  Paul Noble-Campbell ,  Vincent Lam ,  Laura Avery ,  Garrett Lewis ,  Kevin Sloan ,  Mark William Foohey

IPC分类号： H05K7/20

CPC分类号： H05K7/20145

摘要： Electronic device enclosures providing improved heat dissipation are described herein. An example enclosure for holding an electronic circuit board includes a housing having a first portion coupled to a second portion to form a cavity to hold the electronic circuit board. Each of the first and second portions comprises openings to direct convention airflow across opposing faces of the electronic circuit board at the same time. A baffle is coupled to the housing to substantially visually obscure the openings and to define a gap between the housing and the baffle to direct the convection airflow across the opposing faces of the electronic circuit board.

摘要翻译： 这里描述了提供改善的散热的电子设备外壳。 用于保持电子电路板的示例性外壳包括具有耦合到第二部分以形成用于保持电子电路板的空腔的第一部分的壳体。 第一和第二部分中的每一个包括同时在电子电路板的相对面上引导常规气流的开口。 挡板耦合到壳体以基本上视觉上遮蔽开口并且限定壳体和挡板之间的间隙，以引导对流气流穿过电子电路板的相对面。

公开(公告)号：US07130703B2

公开(公告)日：2006-10-31

申请号：US10409576

申请日：2003-04-08

申请人： Michael G. Ott ,  Gary Law ,  Dennis Stevenson ,  Robert Havekost ,  Godfrey Sherriff

发明人： Michael G. Ott ,  Gary Law ,  Dennis Stevenson ,  Robert Havekost ,  Godfrey Sherriff

IPC分类号： G05B11/01 ,  G05B19/42

CPC分类号： G05B9/03

摘要： A voter function block, which can be integrated into a function block diagram programming environment in a process plant control or safety system, implements voter logic in conjunction with providing operational and maintenance overrides which may be set to override individual inputs to the voter function block as well as to override the output of the voter function block. The voter function block, which is easy to create, use, test, debug and document, includes one or input limit detection units which detect if a particular redundant input has reached a specified limit indicating a condition within the process plant, an override unit that may be set by a user to override the consideration of that input in the voting function, a voting logic entity that determines if a trip condition exists based on the values of the valid or non-inhibited inputs, and an inhibit block that may used to override the output of the voter logic block during, for example, a startup or other operational condition. The voter function block may be integrated into a process control or safety system by being communicatively connected to other function blocks, such as to analog or digital input function blocks, analog or digital output function blocks, control function blocks, cause and effect function blocks which implement cause and effect logic, etc. Within the process control or safety programming environment.

摘要翻译： 投票人功能块可以集成到过程工厂控制或安全系统中的功能框图编程环境中，实施选举逻辑结合提供操作和维护覆盖，可以设置为覆盖投票人功能块的单个输入作为 以及覆盖选民功能块的输出。 易于创建，使用，测试，调试和记录的选民功能块包括一个或输入限制检测单元，其检测特定冗余输入是否已经达到指定处理工厂内的条件的指定极限;超控单元， 可以由用户设置以覆盖投票功能中对该输入的考虑;投票逻辑实体，其基于有效或非禁止输入的值来确定是否存在跳闸条件;以及禁止块，其可以用于 在例如启动或其他操作条件期间，覆盖投票人逻辑块的输出。 选举功能块可以通过通信地连接到其他功能块（诸如模拟或数字输入功能块，模拟或数字输出功能块，控制功能块，起因和效果功能块）而被集成到过程控制或安全系统中 实施因果逻辑等。在过程控制或安全编程环境中。

公开(公告)号：US07010450B2

公开(公告)日：2006-03-07

申请号：US10668013

申请日：2003-09-22

申请人： Gary Law ,  Michael G. Ott

发明人： Gary Law ,  Michael G. Ott

IPC分类号： G06F19/00

CPC分类号： G05B23/0256 ,  G05B9/02 ,  G05B2219/24054 ,  G05B2219/33331

摘要： A process control or safety instrumented system uses function block logic to coordinate the logic within the process control or safety instrumented system with operational states of field devices, even when these operational states are initiated externally to the process control or safety system. Logic within input or voter function blocks associated with field devices may monitor and determine when the associated field devices are being put into testing or calibration modes and may automatically initiate appropriate bypass or override functionality in response to such detected field device configuration states. Likewise, the function block logic may automatically remove the bypass or override functionality when the field devices are placed back into their normal operational configuration states. This automatic initiation of bypasses and overrides helps to prevent a safety system within a process plant from initiating a shut-down procedure as a result of a device test initiated manually by, for example, a hand-held device attached to a field device. Likewise, the automatic removal of bypasses and overrides helps to prevent a safety system within a process plant from failing to operate properly because a user forgot to manually remove a bypass or override that was set up to allow a device test.

摘要翻译： 过程控制或安全仪表系统使用功能块逻辑来协调过程控制或安全仪表系统中的逻辑与现场设备的操作状态，即使这些操作状态是从过程控制或安全系统外部启动的。 与现场设备相关联的输入或选择器功能块内的逻辑可以监视和确定相关联的现场设备何时被投入测试或校准模式，并且可以响应于这种检测到的现场设备配置状态来自动启动适当的旁路或覆盖功能。 同样，当现场设备放回其正常的操作配置状态时，功能块逻辑可以自动地去除旁路或覆盖功能。 旁路和覆盖的这种自动启动有助于防止由于通过例如附接到现场设备的手持设备手动启动的设备测试，过程工厂内的安全系统发起关闭过程。 同样，自动删除旁路和覆盖有助于防止进程工厂内的安全系统无法正常运行，因为用户忘记手动删除设置为允许进行设备测试的旁路或覆盖。