Location Dependent Control Access in a Process Control System

摘要

A method of accessing an element in a process control environment using a portable communicator includes defining a plurality of control areas within the process control environment, determining a position of a user operating a portable communicator with respect to one or more of the control areas, establishing an identity of the user, and selectively allowing the user to access an element within the process control environment via the portable communicator depending on the determined position of the user with respect to the one or more control areas and on the identity of the user.

主权项

1. An access control system for use in a process environment having a plurality of devices interconnected through a communication network, the access control system comprising:
a first wireless transceiver disposed in the process environment and communicatively coupled to the communication network; a handheld communicator having a processing unit, a computer readable memory, a graphical display unit, an input device and a second wireless transceiver, wherein the handheld communicator communicates with the communication network through the first and second transceivers; a first database that stores control area data indicative of a plurality of control areas associated with the process environment; a second database that stores authorization data related to one or more users; and an access controller that provides a user operating the portable communicator access to data or functionality associated with one or more of the plurality of devices according to the location of the user relative to one or more of the control areas and on the authorization data corresponding to the user.