Fisher-Rosemount Systems, Inc

James Aaron Crews

Trevor Duncan Schleiss

Benjamin Michael Bishop

William Scott Ross

Joshua Sanders Friesenhahn

A method for upgrading a portion of a process control system from a legacy programmable logic controller (PLC) to a non-PLC process controller is disclosed. A mounting rack sized to fit into a space occupied by legacy hardware is assembled and populated with replacement hardware that includes an I/O card, an I/O terminal block, and a custom interface module. The custom interface module is coupled to the I/O card via the I/O terminal block and to a plurality of process control field devices via a legacy wiring mechanism coupled to legacy wiring of the process control system, without requiring modification or re-termination of the legacy wiring. The legacy wiring mechanism is disconnected from the legacy hardware, the rack containing the legacy hardware is removed and replaced with the mounting rack, and the legacy wiring mechanism is coupled to the custom interface module.

In-place retrofit of PLC control systems

In a method for facilitating creation of a map of a real-world, process control environment, locations of a mobile device are tracked as a user moves through a mapped environment. A camera of the mobile device captures images of the mapped environment as the user moves through the mapped environment, and the user indicates an intention to add a node to the map. One or more images of the captured images are provided to a machine learning (ML) model, and the ML model is trained to process images to recognize object types. The ML model may predict an object type corresponding to a specific object within a field of view of the camera. A display of the mobile device may then superimpose, on a real-world view presented to the user, an indication of the predicted object type to facilitate user designation of a descriptor for the new node.

Systems and methods for facilitating creation of a map of a real-world, process control environment

In a method of mapping a real-world process control environment, a mobile device is registered at a reference location, and positions and orientations of the mobile device are tracked using an inertial measurement unit. A user input indicating that a new node is to be added to a 3D map of the process control environment is detected, and a 3D position of a real-world object relative to the reference location is determined, or caused to be determined, based on a tracked position and orientation of the mobile device. A node database is caused to add the new node to the 3D map of the process control environment, at least by causing the 3D position of the real-world object to be stored in association with the new node.

3D mapping of a process control environment

In a method for increasing accuracy of augmented reality information presented to a user navigating a real-world mapped environment, a specific object within a field of view of a camera of the user's mobile device is identified, at least by predicting an object type by a machine learning model processing images captured by the camera, and identifying a node that corresponds to the object type within a map database representing the mapped environment. A location associated with the node is retrieved from the map database, and is used to update or confirm one or more estimated locations of the mobile device. Digital information is caused to be superimposed on a real-world view presented to the user via a display of the mobile device, the digital information being selected based at least in part on the updated or confirmed one or more estimated locations of the mobile device.

Drift correction for industrial augmented reality applications

In a method of providing virtual enhanced vision to a user of an augmented reality (AR) mobile device, it is determined that a first node associated with a map of a process control environment corresponds to a first real-world object currently within a field of view of a camera of the AR mobile device. A relationship between the first node and one or more other nodes is determined, with the relationship indicating that one or more other objects corresponding to other nodes are at least partially obscured by the first object. At least partially in response to determining the relationship, one or more digital models or images depicting the other object(s) is/are retrieved from memory. A display of the AR mobile device is caused to present the retrieved digital models or images to the user while the first object is in the field of view of the camera.

Virtual x-ray vision in a process control environment

In a method of facilitating interaction between a user of an augmented reality (AR) mobile device and a first real-world object, a display device is caused to superimpose digital information on portions of a process control environment within a field of view of a camera of the device. The superimposed information is associated with nodes in a map of the environment, and the nodes correspond to other objects in the environment. The display is caused to indicate a direction to the first object. After detecting a user input that indicates selection of the first object, the display is caused to superimpose, on a portion of the process control environment currently within the field of view, a digital model or image of the first object. A user interface is caused to provide one or more virtual controls and/or one or more displays associated with the first object.

Virtual access to a limited-access object

In a method of mapping a real-world process control environment, a mobile device is registered at a reference location, and 3D positions and orientations of the mobile device are tracked using an inertial measurement unit. A user input indicating that a new node is to be added to a 3D map of the process control environment is detected, and a 3D position of a real-world object relative to the reference location is determined, or caused to be determined, based on a tracked 3D position and orientation of the mobile device. A node database is caused to add the new node to the 3D map of the process control environment, at least by causing the 3D position of the real-world object to be stored in association with the new node.

Growing community of inventors

Cedar Park, TX, United States of America

James Aaron Crews