Wireless architecture and support for process control systems
First Claim
1. A process control wireless communication network comprising:
- a base node, a field node, an environmental node and a host, the base node communicatively coupled to the host, the base, field and environmental nodes each comprising a wireless conversion unit and a wireless transceiver, the wireless transceivers of the base, the field and the environmental nodes effecting wireless communications amongst the base, field and environmental nodes, the field node comprising at least one field device providing process control data, the environmental node comprising at least one field device providing data regarding environmental factors that may affect operation of the wireless communication network.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A wireless communication system for use in a process environment uses mesh and possibly a combination of mesh and point-to-point communications to produce a wireless communication network that can be easily set up, configured, changed and monitored, thereby making a wireless communication network that is less expensive, and more robust and reliable. The wireless communication system allows virtual communication paths to be established and used within the process control system in a manner that is independent of the manner in which the wireless signals are sent between different wireless transmitting and receiving devices within the process plant, to thereby operate in a manner that is independent of the specific messages or virtual communication paths within the process plant. Still further, communication analysis tools are provided to enable a user or operator to view the operation of the wireless communication network to thereby analyze the ongoing operation of the wireless communications within the wireless communication network.
139 Citations
25 Claims
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1. A process control wireless communication network comprising:
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a base node, a field node, an environmental node and a host, the base node communicatively coupled to the host, the base, field and environmental nodes each comprising a wireless conversion unit and a wireless transceiver, the wireless transceivers of the base, the field and the environmental nodes effecting wireless communications amongst the base, field and environmental nodes, the field node comprising at least one field device providing process control data, the environmental node comprising at least one field device providing data regarding environmental factors that may affect operation of the wireless communication network. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A process control wireless communication network comprising:
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a base node, a field node, an environmental node and a host, the base node communicatively coupled to the host, the base, field and environmental nodes each comprising a wireless conversion unit and a wireless transceiver, the wireless transceivers of the base, the field and the environmental nodes effecting both mesh and point-to-point wireless communications amongst the base, the field and the environmental nodes, the network further comprising a switch device to convert the base, environmental and field nodes from a mesh communications network to a point-to-point communications network and vice versa a switch device to convert the base, environmental and field nodes from a mesh communications network to a point-to-point communications network and vice versa. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A process control wireless communication network comprising:
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a base node, a field node, an environmental node and a host, the base node communicatively coupled to the host, the base, field and environmental nodes each comprising a wireless conversion unit and a wireless transceiver, the wireless transceivers of the base, the field and the environmental nodes effecting wireless communications amongst the base, the field and the environmental nodes, the field node comprising at least one field device providing process control data, the environmental node comprising at least one field device providing data regarding environmental factors that may affect the wireless communications of the network, wherein at least one of the field devices communicates under the HART protocol and at least some of the data communicated is converted from the HART protocol to a different protocol by a conversion node, the converted data being communicated to a routing node for determining an object device intended to receive the converted data and for sending the converted data to the object device. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 25)
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23. A method for controlling a process using a wireless communications network, the method comprising:
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receiving field data from at least one field device, transmitting the field data wirelessly from a field node to a base node, converting the field data to a different protocol, transmitting the field data of the different protocol to a routing node, determining at the routing mode an object device for receiving the field data of the different protocol, sending the field data of the different protocol to the object device.
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24. A method for monitoring a wireless process control network comprising:
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receiving environmental data from one or more environmental field devices of an environmental node, wirelessly transmitting the environmental data to a base node, transmitting the environmental data to a host, interpreting the environmental data at the host, sending a command from the host to the base node to adjust at least one operating parameter of the wireless network based on the environmental data, transmitting the command from the base node to at least one field node comprising at least one field device.
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Specification