Networked series of sensors having distributed measurement and control for use in a hazardous environment
US7486495B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | May 16, 2006 |
| Grant date | Feb 3, 2009 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Aug 3, 2027 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY02P90/02
- WIPO fieldControl
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
The invention is a networked system of devices positioned in a hazardous environment to monitor or control process conditions. The devices include sensors such as pressure measurement elements and controls such as variable voltage outputs. The sensors detect process conditions and the controls manipulate process conditions, and they are monitored and controlled by slave devices having, generally a microprocessor and having associated memory to receive and record the sensor/control data. The network includes master devices; each master device may be associated with one or more slaved devices and associated sensors, where the master device communicates to its associated slave devices through a digital communication bus. The master device can automatically detect its associated slave devices and detect the communication and data characteristics of the slave devices. The master may also set parameters for detected slave devices, such as needed for computations performed by the master (using its own microprocessor) using data received from the slave device(s). The master device receives slave device data by requesting or polling the data from the slave device over the digital communicat…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.