US 12,422,901 B2
Smart functionality for discrete field devices and signals
Gary K. Law, Georgetown, TX (US); and Kent A. Burr, Round Rock, TX (US)
Assigned to FISHER-ROSEMOUNT SYSTEMS, INC., Round Rock, TX (US)
Filed by FISHER-ROSEMOUNT SYSTEMS, INC., Round Rock, TX (US)
Filed on Dec. 6, 2022, as Appl. No. 18/076,088.
Application 18/076,088 is a division of application No. 16/146,784, filed on Sep. 28, 2018, granted, now 11,531,381.
Prior Publication US 2023/0111740 A1, Apr. 13, 2023
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. G06F 1/16 (2006.01); G06F 1/26 (2006.01); H04W 76/10 (2018.01)
CPC G06F 1/1698 (2013.01) [G06F 1/26 (2013.01); H04W 76/10 (2018.02)] 26 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A signal characterization component including:
a first communication interface configured for connection to a first channel that couples the signal characterization component to a process controller;
a second communication interface configured for connection to a second channel that couples the signal characterization component to a process control device, wherein the process control device is coupled to a plurality of discrete I/O channels for one or more field devices;
one or more circuits communicatively coupled to the first communication interface and the second communication interface, the one or more circuits configured to: (i) transmit, via the second channel, a discrete-output (DO) message encoded with one or more commands for one or more discrete outputs received via the first channel; and (ii) transmit, via the first channel, one or more sets of information for one or more discrete inputs decoded from a discrete-input (DI) message received via the second channel,
wherein the signal characterization component is external to a housing of an I/O card for the process controller and is configured for bidirectional communication with the process control device by transmitting discrete outputs to the process control device and receiving discrete inputs from the process control device via a single communication channel which is a discrete input and output (DIO) communication channel.