METHOD FOR IDENTIFYING A FIELD DEVICE TO BE OPERATED IN AUTOMATION TECHNOLOGY

Abstract

A method for identifying a field device for automation technology includes providing an operator unit, which includes at least one order ticket with an access authorization for at least one of the field devices. The method also includes searching for accessible field devices with the operator unit using a wireless communications protocol. For each of the field devices accessible from the operator unit, a temporary communication connection between the operator unit and the relevant field deices is established using a wireless communications protocol, the order ticket is transmitted to the relevant field device, the access authorization for validity is checked by the field device, and the field devices that were able to successfully carry out the check for the validity of the access authorization are signaled.

Claims

1. A method for identifying a field device to be operated in automation technology, comprising: providing an operator unit, wherein at least one order ticket is present on the operator unit, wherein the order ticket has an access authorization for at least one of the field devices; searching for accessible field devices by means of the operator unit using a wireless communications protocol; carrying out the following steps for each of the field devices accessible from the operator unit; establishing a temporary communications connection between the operator unit and the relevant field device using a wireless communications protocol; transmitting the order ticket to the relevant field device; checking the access authorization for validity by the field device; signaling of those field devices that were able to successfully carry out the check for the validity of the access authorization.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the steps of establishing the temporary communications connection, transmitting the order ticket, and checking the access authorization for validity are repeated for each of the order tickets present on the operator unit, and wherein those field devices which were able to successfully carry out this validity check are also signaled.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the signaling is carried out by the operator unit.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the operator unit creates a list of all field devices found, and wherein the operator unit marks, as a signal, each of the field devices in the list which were able to successfully carry out the check for validity of the access authorization.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the signaling is carried out by each of the field devices which were able to successfully perform the check.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein each of the field devices outputs an acoustic and/or optical signal as part of the signaling.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein, using the order ticket, the operator unit logs on with one of the field devices which were able to successfully carry out the check for the validity of the access authorization, and establishes a complete communications connection.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the order ticket contains at least one operating action permitted for the operator unit, wherein the field device, after logging on, enables the operating actions, contained in the order ticket, for the operator unit.

9. The method according to claim 7, wherein the operator unit retrieves location information of the field device after logging on to the field device and navigates an operator to the location of the field device.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

[0021] The present disclosure is explained in greater detail with reference to the following FIGURE:

[0022] FIG. 1 shows an exemplary embodiment of the method according to the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0023] FIG. 1 shows a sequence of the method according to the present disclosure with the method steps 1.) to 7.). There are a plurality of field devices FG1, FG2, FG3 in a system. For operation, an operator unit BE in the form of a mobile device, such as, a smartphone, is used. Alternatively, other suitable types of operator units BE can be used.

[0024] In this exemplary embodiment, the software of the operator unit BE carries two order tickets AT1, AT2, each of which contains access authorizations and work orders for one or more field devices. The order tickets AT1, AT2 are sent, for example, from an order server to the operator unit BE. In an upstream method step, the operator unit uses a wireless standard, such as Bluetooth LE, to search for field devices FG1, FG2, FG3 that can be found in the area.

[0025] An attempt is then made to establish a connection with each of the field devices found using the first order ticket AT1. This happens in the background without the user having to take any action.

[0026] For this purpose, the operator unit BE, in method step 1.), establishes a temporary communications connection tKV with the field device FG1. A temporary communications connection allows the exchange of defined data between the operator unit BE and the field device FG1, but not full access of the operator unit BE to the field device FG1. The order ticket AT1 is then transferred to the field device FG1 and its access authorizations checked for validity.

[0027] If the access permissions are valid, access can be allowed. Feedback regarding validity occurs in method step 2.). If the validity is checked successfully, there is a signaling of the field device FG1. This means that the field device FG1 is identified, for example, by a display on the operator unit BE or by the field device FG1 itself. In this case, the feedback response is negative; the access data cannot be successfully checked for validity by the field device FG1.

[0028] Subsequently, the operator unit BE establishes a temporary communications connection tKV with the field device FG2 in method step 3.). The order ticket AT1 is then transferred to the field device FG2 and its access authorizations checked for validity.

[0029] Feedback regarding validity takes place in method step 4.). In this case, the feedback response is positive, and the access data can be successfully checked for validity by the field device FG2. The field device FG2 carries out the signaling SG, and a lamp attached to the field device housing blinks, this command is sent from the operator unit BE to the field device FG2. In addition, the field device FG2 is displayed at the top of a list LI displayed by the operator unit BE.

[0030] Subsequently, the operator unit BE establishes a temporary communications connection tKV with the field device FG3 in method step 5.). The order ticket AT1 is then transferred to the field device FG3 and its access authorizations checked for validity.

[0031] Feedback regarding validity occurs in method step 6.). In this case, the feedback response is negative; the access data cannot be successfully checked for validity by the field device FG3.

[0032] The described method steps 1.) to 6.) are repeated for the order ticket AT2. In this example, however, no suitable field device can be found for the order ticket AT2.

[0033] The user then selects the field device FG2 from the list LI. In method step 7.), the operator unit BE establishes a complete communications connection vKV with the field device FG2 and allows operation on the basis of the work orders contained in the order ticket AT1, which define permitted operating actions on the field device FG2, for example, parameterization. After the operation has been completed, the operator unit BE creates a confirmation ticket, which is sent back to the order server.

[0034] In the case in which the field device FG2 is far away from the operator unit BE and provides only a weak signal, the operator unit can request the location of the field device FG2 and navigate the user to the field device FG2.

[0035] The method enables the user to easily identify a sought field device and display it in a list LI on the operator unit BE. By signaling of the field device itself, the user can directly see where the field device is located in his environment so that he can carry out the planned and authorized work on the field device.