Method for connecting a field device to an operating unit and a field device

Abstract

A method for connecting a field device (1) to an operating unit (2), and a field device (1) for use therewith, via which a connection between a field device and an operating unit can be implemented when the field device is mounted at a location that is difficult to access is achieved in that a query signal is transmitted to the field device (1) by the operating unit (2) and that a response signal is generated by the field device (1) as a reaction to the query signal, in that the field device (1) generates a blinking display and/or a change in color of the display and/or an acoustic signal and/or a change in an acoustic signal.

Claims

1. Method for connecting a field device to an operating unit, comprising the steps of: transmitting at least one query signal from the operating unit to the field device which field device is connected to a device that actively directly measures or controls a physical process, generating at least one response signal by the field device as a reaction to the query signal, said at least one response signal comprising at least one of a blinking display, a change in color of a display, an acoustic signal, and a change in an acoustic signal with the field device, wherein data for the connection of the field device to the operating unit is produced and transmitted in the at least one response signal generated by the field device, wherein at least one password is transmitted to the field device by the operating unit, and, wherein a passkey is transmitted by the field device in the response signal, said passkey allowing access to the field device after being entered into the operating unit.

2. Method according to claim 1, wherein the query signal is received by the field device via a wireless communication interface.

3. Method according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the blinking display and the acoustic signal is generated via an output device of the field device.

4. Method according to claim 1, wherein the data for the connection is transmitted using a code.

5. Method according to claim 1, wherein at least one of a designation assignable to the field device and a serial number of the field device are used by the field device as an identification name.

6. Method according to claim 1, wherein the connection between the field device and the operating unit is generated as a BLUETOOTH connection.

7. Method according to claim 1, wherein the device for measuring or control of a physical process to which the field device is connected is a measuring device for determining the fill level of a medium in a container.

8. A field device system, comprising: an operating unit, and field device, the field device comprising: means for connecting the field device to a device that actively directly measures or controls a physical process, a display, at least one interface for wireless communication with said operating unit, and at least one output unit which provides at least one of a blinking display, a color change in color of the display, an acoustic signal, and a change in an acoustic signal in response to a query from the operating unit wherein the field device has means for producing and transmitting at least one response signal containing passkey data to the operating unit via the output unit as a reaction to receiving a query signal, the operating unit being adapted for allowing access to the field device after said passkey data has been entered into the operating unit.

9. Field device system according to claim 8, wherein the device for measuring or control of a physical process is a sensor or actuator, respectively, of a measuring device for determining the fill level of a medium in a container.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The sole FIGURE is a schematic representation of a part of the method for use with a field device.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(2) It is schematically shown in sole FIGURE how a connection between a field device 1 and an operating unit 2 is made. This occurs, in the shown example, using a BLUETOOTH connection by means of so-called pairing.

(3) The field device 1 is BLUETOOTH-enabled for this and has a corresponding interface 3 for a wireless BLUETOOTH connection. Further, an output unit 4 is providedhere directly as a component of the field device 1 and in the form of a display unit, which is regulated so that a blinking and a change in color of the display result. Data and information can be transmitted or acknowledged on the receiving end, even over large distances.

(4) Here, the field device 1 is used as a measuring device for determining the fill level of a medium 5 in a container 6.

(5) The operating unit 2 is, as an example, a tablet computer. In an alternative variationnot shown here, howeverit is a handheld data device.

(6) In order to be able to more easily extract the transmitted data from the blinking or change in color of the display of the field device 1, the operating unit 2 has a sensor 7 here that receives the response signal and extracts the transmitted data from it. Alternatively, the user 8 operating the operating unit 2 does this in order to establish contact to the field device 1. In the casenot shown herethe field device generates an acoustic signal, and the sensor is correspondingly a type of microphone.

(7) In order to create a connection, the user 8 moves close enough to the field device 1 with the operating device 2 that a BLUETOOTH connection can be produced. This is generally a distance of up to 10 m between the BLUETOOTH devices.

(8) Then, the user generates a query signal that activates the operating unit 2 for BLUETOOTH communication or, the user actively sends a query signal to a neighboring BLUETOOTH device.

(9) After that, the field device 1 generates a response signal via the output unit 4, in that the display blinks or in that the color of the display changes.

(10) The passkey of the field device 1 is transmitted in the response signal via the blinking or change in color.

(11) The user 8 extracts this information from the response signal and transmits it to the field device 1 via the operating unit 2 in order to authorize the connection.