Patents by Inventor Fred G. Middendorf

Fred G. Middendorf has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20220035347
    Abstract: An asset management system used in a process control plant or other control system includes a database that stores asset data for each of a plurality of devices within the plant and a viewing system that accesses the asset data to provide statistical information to a user pertaining to the plant assets. The asset management system enables a user to define and store one or more projects within the plant and a set of plant assets associated with each of the projects. Thereafter, the asset management system performs statistical analyses on the assets within one or more of the defined projects and presents, to a user via a user interface, raw and statistical information pertaining to the assets within the project. The analysis engine may determine the device states or health statuses of the assets associated with the project and may present statistical and/or historical information regarding the number or percentage of assets within the project that are in a particular state or status.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 19, 2021
    Publication date: February 3, 2022
    Inventors: Fred G. Middendorf, William F. L'Huillier, Scott N. Hokeness, Darren L. Halzle, Christian R. Butikofer, Matthew D. Heiler
  • Patent number: 11150635
    Abstract: An asset management system used in a process control plant or other control system includes a database that stores asset data for each of a plurality of devices within the plant and a viewing system that accesses the asset data to provide statistical information to a user pertaining to the plant assets. The asset management system enables a user to define and store one or more projects within the plant and a set of plant assets associated with each of the projects. Thereafter, the asset management system performs statistical analyses on the assets within one or more of the defined projects and presents, to a user via a user interface, raw and statistical information pertaining to the assets within the project. The analysis engine may determine the device states or health statuses of the assets associated with the project and may present statistical and/or historical information regarding the number or percentage of assets within the project that are in a particular state or status.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2021
    Assignee: FISHER-ROSEMOUNT SYSTEMS, INC.
    Inventors: Fred G. Middendorf, William F. L'Huillier, Scott N. Hokeness, Darren L. Halzle, Christian R. Butikofer, Matthew D. Heiler
  • Publication number: 20200106864
    Abstract: Techniques for accessing and controlling field devices to collect data and convert protocols include receiving data encoded in a process control protocol, extracting a payload, storing some of the payload, and transmitting some of the payload in a general-purpose computing communication protocol via a wireless network. A method of accessing a field device includes receiving a command of a user from a user communicator, identifying a target field device, generating a command, encoding a protocol-encoded data set, and transmitting the protocol-encoded data set to the target field device. A field communicator device includes instructions for retrieving and interpreting field device data, storing the data, and transmitting the data. A computing system includes a field communicator, wireless user communicator, and a wireless computer network for accessing and controlling field devices in a process plant.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 30, 2019
    Publication date: April 2, 2020
    Inventors: David R. Denison, Manikandan Janardhanan, Fred G. Middendorf, Scott N. Hokeness, Nicholas T. Meyer
  • Publication number: 20190101898
    Abstract: An asset management system used in a process control plant or other control system includes a database that stores asset data for each of a plurality of devices within the plant and a viewing system that accesses the asset data to provide statistical information to a user pertaining to the plant assets. The asset management system enables a user to define and store one or more projects within the plant and a set of plant assets associated with each of the projects. Thereafter, the asset management system performs statistical analyses on the assets within one or more of the defined projects and presents, to a user via a user interface, raw and statistical information pertaining to the assets within the project. The analysis engine may determine the device states or health statuses of the assets associated with the project and may present statistical and/or historical information regarding the number or percentage of assets within the project that are in a particular state or status.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 21, 2018
    Publication date: April 4, 2019
    Inventors: Fred G. Middendorf, William F. L'Huillier, Scott N. Hokeness, Darren L. Halzle, Christian R. Butikofer, Matthew D. Heiler
  • Patent number: 7600234
    Abstract: An originating application in a process plant is able to launch multiple desired applications, with one or more of the desired applications having a different application programming interface. In one example, the originating application is able to launch multiple desired applications via an application launcher program. The originating application provides the application launcher program with an indication of the desired application to be launched, and the application launcher program then launches the indicated desired application.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2009
    Assignee: Fisher-Rosemount Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Patrick M. Dobrowski, Scott N. Hokeness, Fred G. Middendorf
  • Publication number: 20040111499
    Abstract: An originating application in a process plant is able to launch multiple desired applications, with one or more of the desired applications having a different application programming interface. In one example, the originating application is able to launch multiple desired applications via an application launcher program. The originating application provides the application launcher program with an indication of the desired application to be launched, and the application launcher program then launches the indicated desired application.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 10, 2002
    Publication date: June 10, 2004
    Inventors: Patrick M. Dobrowski, Scott N. Hokeness, Fred G. Middendorf