Wireless bridge device within a process control system

• US 20050076151A1
• Filed: 10/08/2004
• Published: 04/07/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/1994
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fisher-Rosemount Systems Incorporated (Emerson Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: Fisher-Rosemount Systems Incorporated (Emerson Electric Company)
• Inventors: Tapperson, Gary, Boyd, Thomas Andrew
• Granted Patent: US 7,453,834 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/249
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/4185 characterised by the network communication
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31122 Bridge between networks
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31162 Wireless lan
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31251 Redundant access, wireless and hardware access to fielddevices
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]

Abstract

A wireless bridge device disposed within a process control system provides wireless communication between multiple devices within the process control system, such as between field devices, control units, user terminals, controllers, etc. In one embodiment, a process control system disposed within an industrial process environment includes a first process control device, a bridge device, a plurality of field devices disposed within the industrial process environment and a hardwired communication link disposed between the bridge device and each of the plurality of field devices. A wireless communication network including a first wireless transceiver located at the first process control device and a second wireless transceiver disposed at the bridge device enables the bridge device to operate to relay signals sent over the hardwired communication link from any of the plurality of field devices to the first process control device using the wireless communication network and to operate to relay signals sent over the wireless communication network from the first process control device to one or more of the plurality of field devices using the hardwired communication link.

Claims

1. A process control system disposed within an industrial process environment, comprising:

a first process control device;

a bridge device;

a plurality of field devices disposed within the industrial process environment;

a hardwired communication link disposed between the bridge device and each of the plurality of field devices; and

a wireless communication network including a first wireless transceiver located at the first process control device and a second wireless transceiver disposed at the bridge device,

wherein the bridge device operates to relay signals sent over the hardwired communication link from of the plurality of field devices to the first process control device using the wireless communication network and operates to relay signals sent over the wireless communication network from the first process control device to one or more of the plurality of field devices using the hardwired communication link.

2. The process control system of claim 1, wherein the first process control device is a user terminal and the bridge device is an input/output device coupled to a controller.

3. The process control system of claim 1, wherein the first process control device is a user terminal and the bridge device is a further field device.

4. The process control system of claim 1, wherein the hardwired communication link is a bus-type communication link.

5. The process control system of claim 4, wherein the hardwired communication link is a fieldbus protocol bus.

6. The process control system of claim 1, wherein the hardwired communication link is a HART protocol communication link.

7. The process control system of claim 1, wherein the first process control device is located within a centralized control room of a distributed process control system, and the plurality of field devices are located outside of the centralized control room of the distributed process control system.

8. The process control system of claim 1, wherein further including a second hardwired communication link disposed between the bridge device and the first process control device.

9. A method of providing communications within a process control system disposed within an industrial process environment, comprising:

placing a first wireless transceiver at a first process control device;

placing a second wireless transceiver at a bridge device;

communicatively connecting a plurality of field devices disposed within the industrial process environment via a hardwired communication link to the bridge device; and

operating the bridge device to relay signals sent over the hardwired communication link from the plurality of field devices to the first process control device using the first and second wireless transceivers and operating to relay signals sent via the first and second wireless transceivers from the first process control device to one or more of the plurality of field devices using the hardwired communication link.

10. The method of providing communications within a process control system of claim 9, wherein placing a first wireless transceiver at the first process control device includes placing the first wireless transceiver at a user terminal.

11. The method of providing communications within a process control system of claim 10, wherein placing a first wireless transceiver at a user terminal includes placing the first wireless transceiver at a user terminal in a centralized control room.

12. The method of providing communications within a process control system of claim 9, wherein placing a second wireless transceiver at the bridge device includes placing the second wireless transceiver at an input/output device associated with a controller.

13. The method of providing communications within a process control system of claim 9, wherein placing a second wireless transceiver at the bridge device includes placing the second wireless transceiver at a field device.

14. The method of providing communications within a process control system of claim 9, wherein communicatively connecting a plurality of field devices disposed within the industrial process environment via a hardwired communication link to the bridge device includes using a hardwired communication link that uses a bus protocol.

15. The method of providing communications within a process control system of claim 9, wherein communicatively connecting a plurality of field devices disposed within the industrial process environment via a hardwired communication link to the bridge device includes using a hardwired communication link that uses a HART communication protocol.

16. The method of providing communications within a process control system of claim 9, further including communicatively connecting the bridge device to the first process control device with a second hardwired communication link.

17. A communication network within a process control system having first and second control devices and a plurality of field devices, comprising:

a first wireless transceiver located at the first control device within the process control system;

a plurality of second transceivers, wherein each second transceiver is located at one of the plurality of field devices; and

a hardwired communication connection between the first control device and the second control device;

wherein the first and second wireless transceivers communicate wirelessly to rely signals from the first wireless transceiver to multiple ones of the second wireless transceivers and to rely signals from each of the second wireless transceivers to the first wireless transceiver.

18. The communication network of claim 17, wherein the first control device is a user terminal.

19. The communication network of claim 18, wherein the second control device is a process controller.