PROACTIVE TRANSMISSION OF MEASURED VALUES TO MOBILE DEVICES

Abstract

A mobile display device that selects a particular field device from a group of field devices and retrieves measurement data therefrom. The field device is selected by evaluating environment data which are captured by the display device without user input simplifying the measurement data display.

Claims

1. A mobile display device for selecting a field device and for retrieving measurement data from the field device, the mobile display device comprising: a sensor arrangement configured to capture environment data which are associated with a location of a container to which the field device is mounted, wherein the environment data are orientation data of the mobile display device, image data of the container, and/or height information; processing circuitry configured to analyse the environment data, to identify the container on the basis of the analysis, and, using the identity of the container, to subsequently identify and select the field device; and a communication circuitry configured to retrieve measurement data from the selected field device, wherein the mobile display device is configured to display the measurement data from the selected field device.

2. The mobile display device according to claim 1, wherein the mobile display device is configured to automatically retrieve measurement data directly at the selected field device.

3. The mobile display device according to claim 1, wherein the mobile display device is configured to automatically retrieve the measurement data on a server.

4. The mobile display device according to claim 1, wherein the selected field device is a fill level measurement device, a density measuring device, or a pressure gauge.

5. The mobile display device according to claim 1, wherein the environment data include position data sent by the selected field device.

6. The mobile display device according to claim 1, wherein the environment data include barcode data or QR code data of a label affixed to the container.

7. The mobile display device according to claim 1, wherein the mobile display device is a pair of smart glasses or a head-mounted display.

8. A server comprising: processing circuitry configured to connect to a field device and a display device, wherein the display device is the mobile display device according to claim 1.

9. A measurement arrangement for capturing and outputting measurement data, comprising: one or more field devices; and the mobile display device according to claim 1, wherein the one or more field devices are configured to transmit environment data, including position data, to the mobile display device, and wherein the mobile display device is configured to select one of the one or more field devices using the environment data.

10. A method for selecting a field device and for retrieving measurement data from a field device, comprising: capturing environment data which are associated with a location of a container to which the field device is mounted, wherein the environment data are orientation data of a mobile display device, image data of the container, and/or height information; analysing the environment data; identifying the container on the basis of the analysis; identifying and selecting the field device, using the identity of the container; retrieving measurement data from the selected field device; and displaying the measurement data from the selected field device.

11. (canceled)

12. A computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon a program element that when executed by a computer causes the computer to execute a method for selecting a field device and for retrieving measurement data from a field device, comprising: capturing environment data which are associated with a location of a container to which the field device is mounted, wherein the environment data are orientation data of a mobile display device, image data of the container, and/or height information; analysing the environment data; identifying the container on the basis of the analysis; identifying and selecting the field device, using the identity of the container; retrieving measurement data from the selected field device; and displaying the measurement data from the selected field device.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0028] FIG. 1 shows a measurement arrangement according to an embodiment of the invention.

[0029] FIG. 2 is a flow diagram of a method according to an embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

[0030] The views in the drawings are schematic and not to scale.

[0031] FIG. 1 shows a measurement arrangement 100 according to an embodiment of the invention. The measurement arrangement comprises a plurality of filling material containers or tanks 104, of which only one is shown for reasons of clarity. In each tank, a fill level measurement device 102 is fitted which can determine the fill level of the filling material stored in the container. However, a tank and fill level measurement device are only one embodiment. As well as a fill level measurement device, the field device can also be another sensor, for example a pressure sensor or a flow sensor.

[0032] A label 107 is affixed to the tank, on which label a barcode or QR code is depicted.

[0033] The system 100 further comprises a web server 103 and a mobile display device 101. The web server, display device and field device can communicate with one another wirelessly. In this way, the field device 102 can transmit measurement data to the server or web server 103, which measurement data are then called up from the server by the display device 101. It can also be provided that the field device directly transmits measurement data to the display device.

[0034] For this purpose, the display device comprises an antenna 106 which can also act as a sensor in order to capture environment data. The processing unit 105 of the display device evaluates the captured environment data and then optionally triggers a measurement data request to the server and/or the field device. However, the measurement data may also have been made available previously. The measurement data received can then be displayed on the display 108. More particularly, this display is triggered by the evaluation of the environment data.

[0035] The field device 102 of which the data is intended to be retrieved and displayed is therefore selected by analysing the environment data captured by the display device.

[0036] The display device 106 is, for example, a smartphone, a tablet, a watch, a pair of smart glasses, a “HoloLens”, a wristband, a head-mounted display or a “wearable”.

[0037] The display device is capable of proactively selecting the relevant field device, as a result of which automatic transmission of the relevant measurement data is triggered. This selection is made using the captured environment data.

[0038] The measured values from the field device 102 are transmitted continuously, for example, to the web server 103. If the user enters the tank farm in which the container 104 is located, the tanks relevant to the user are identified using the environment data captured by the display device and the measurement data is subsequently (or even before the user has entered the tank farm) loaded on the user's display device. If the user approaches a particular tank/plurality of tanks, the fill level data, for example, is displayed on his display device; which tank(s) he is approaching can be identified by the environment data. The fill level data are displayed to the user without manual selection, and therefore maximum user convenience is ensured.

[0039] The display device is capable of capturing a plurality of different environment data, for example position data of the field devices and/or the display device itself, the height at which the display device is located, the three-dimensional angle of inclination of the display device, which shows the direction in which the display device points, the air pressure, radio reception of particular data or frequencies of the field device and/or visual identification features such as barcode/QR code or tank view.

[0040] By way of example, the display device can be programmed to always display the field device that is located closest to the mobile display device, or the latest current measurement data thereof. Another option for identifying the field device in which the user could be interested at a specific time is that of measuring the height at which the user is positioned. If all containers in the space have a different height, the corresponding container and thus also the field device can be identified by means of the measured height information. The measurement data currently measured by the field device are subsequently displayed on the display device.

[0041] FIG. 2 shows a flow diagram of a method according to an embodiment of the invention. In step 201, environment data are captured which are associated with the location of a container on which the field device is mounted. In step 202, the captured environment data are analysed. As an intermediate result of this analysis, it is determined that three containers are located in the angle of vision of the user (or of the smart glasses worn by the user). In step 204, the container which is closest to the user (or the mobile display device thereof) is selected from among these three containers and, in step 205, the measurement data captured most recently by said measurement device are shown on the display device.

[0042] At any time during the method, the measurement data from all of the field devices or at least the selected field device can be retrieved and loaded onto the display device (either directly from the field device or via the server), and therefore said data can be displayed as promptly as possible. This is then particularly advantageous when the user rapidly changes his line of vision or the orientation of his wearable device or moves quickly through the space, meaning that different tanks must be selected and thus different fill levels must be displayed relatively quickly one after the other.

[0043] For the sake of completeness, it should be noted that “comprising” and “having” do not exclude the possibility of other elements or steps, and the indefinite articles “an” or “a” do not exclude the possibility of a plurality. It should further be noted that features or steps which have been described with reference to one of the above embodiments may also be used in combination with other features or steps of other above-described embodiments. Reference numerals in the claims should not be treated as limiting.