MULTIPROTOCOL WIRELESS COMMUNICATION BACKBONE

• US 20070155423A1
• Filed: 12/30/2005
• Published: 07/05/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Gonia, Patrick, McLaughlin, Paul, Chen, Yu-Gene, Carmody, Joseph
• Granted Patent: US 8,285,326 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/556.100
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31129 Universal interface for different fieldbus protocols
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31151 Lan local area network
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/33192 Radio link, wireless
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/18 Multiprotocol handlers, e.g. single devices capable of handling multiple protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/02 Inter-networking arrangements

Abstract

Methods, devices and systems for integrating multiple communication systems including multiple wireless communication protocols into a single system are discussed. In an illustrative example, a communication system includes a device adapted to communicate via first and second wireless communication protocols. The system may further include local area network or other wired sub-network, with the device adapted for first and second protocols also being adapted to operate using the local area network or other wired sub-network.

Claims

1. A wireless communication system comprising:

a first device operating a first wireless communication protocol;

a second device operating a second wireless communication protocol; and

a third device having control circuitry and transceiver circuitry, the control circuitry adapted to operate the transceiver circuitry using each of the first wireless communication protocol and the second wireless communication protocol, the control circuitry being further adapted to identify which of the first wireless communication protocol or the second wireless communication protocol is being used in association with a received message.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the first device is a mobile worker device.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein at least one of the first communication protocol and the second communication protocols is one of the plurality of IEEE®

802.11 wireless communication protocols.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the third device further comprises input/output hardware adapted for communicating in a non-wireless manner, wherein the control circuitry of the third device is also adapted to direct data, when so addressed, from one of the first device or the second device to a fourth device on a wired network.

5. The system of claim 1 further comprising a fourth device coupled to the third device, the fourth device producing data related to one or more environmental or industrial conditions, wherein the third device receives and stores data from the fourth device.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein the third device controls access to data from the fourth device.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the third device is adapted to identify and initialize added devices coupled to the wired network and allow for initialization of such added devices in a manner directed by one of the first device and the second device.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the third device further comprises input/output hardware adapted for communicating in a non-wireless manner, wherein the control circuitry of the third device is also adapted to direct data, when so addressed, from a wired network to one of the first device or the second device.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the first device is part of a first wireless communication network, and the second device is part of a second wireless communication network, the first and second communication networks not operating in direct communication with one another.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein the third device is configured to identify a device added to the system as being configured for communication with the first communication protocol or the second communication protocol, the third device further configured to perform steps to initialize the added device.

11. An industrial distributed control system comprising:

a first tier network adapted for monitoring and controlling actuators and sensors disposed for use in industrial control;

a second tier network adapted for performing process control applications;

a third tier network;

a first firewall or switch between the first tier network and the second tier network, and a second firewall or switch between the second tier network and the third tier network, the first and second firewalls or switches adapted to limit data access between the first, second, and third tier networks;

a first wireless gateway device coupled to one of the first, second, or third tier networks, the first wireless gateway device adapted to serve a firewall function, protecting the wired network it is connected to from wireless traffic not intended to the coupled wired network; and

a wireless network having at least one network radio, the network radio adapted to receive a communication from one of a plurality of wireless communicating sources.

12. The system of claim 11 further comprising a second wireless gateway device coupled to another of the first, second, or third tier networks, wherein the network radio is further adapted to determine whether a received communication is directed to the first wireless gateway device or the second wireless gateway device.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein the network radio is further adapted to direct communications from either the first wireless gateway device or the second wireless gateway device to other devices adapted for wireless communication.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the network radio is adapted to prevent cross-communication of messages intended for one of the first, second and third tire networks to others of the first, second and third tier networks.

15. The system of claim 13 wherein the network radio is adapted to:

communicate with a first device using a first wireless communications protocol and direct data to/from the first device from/to the first wireless gateway; and

communicate with a second device using a second wireless communications protocol and direct data to/from the second device from/to the second wireless gateway.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein the first device is a wireless worker device and the second device is an industrial sensor.

17. The system of claim 15 wherein the first device is a wireless worker device and the second device is a control station.

18. The system of claim 15 wherein the first device is a control station and the second device is an industrial sensor.

19. The system of claim 15 wherein the first device is a controller adapted to receive and store data from one or more industrial sensors, and the second device is a control station.

20. The system of claim 15 wherein the first device is a controller adapted to receive and store data from one or more industrial sensors, and the second device is a wireless worker device.

21. A device comprising:

one or more radio transceivers;

input/output hardware adapted to communicate in a non-wireless manner; and

control circuitry coupled to the one or more radio transceivers and the input/output hardware;

wherein the control circuitry is adapted to perform communication protocols including;

a first communication protocol for communicating in a non-wireless manner;

a first wireless communication protocol for communicating with industrial sensors; and

a second wireless communication protocol selected from the plurality of 802.11 wireless communication protocols.

22. The device of claim 21 wherein the control circuitry is adapted to determine where data from a received message should be addressed, such that data received from an industrial sensor may be received and retained in memory, received and passed on via the input/output hardware adapted to communicate in a non-wireless manner, received and redirected to a historian node for the industrial sensors, or received and redirected to a device by a communication using the second wireless communication protocol.

23. A device comprising:

one or more radio transceivers; and

control circuitry coupled to the one or more radio transceivers, the control circuitry adapted to perform;

communications tasks related to a first wireless communication protocol;

communications tasks related to a second wireless communication protocol;

a determination of whether a communication received via the one or more radio transceivers belongs to a first wireless network; and

a determination of whether a communication received via the one or more radio transceivers belongs to a second wireless network;

wherein at least one device in the first network uses the first wireless communication protocol and at least one device in the second network uses the second wireless communication protocol.

24. The device of claim 23 further comprising input/output hardware adapted for communicating in a non-wireless manner, wherein the control circuitry is also adapted to direct data, when so addressed, from one of the first network or the second network to a wired network.

25. The device of claim 23 further comprising input/output hardware adapted for communicating in a non-wireless manner, wherein the control circuitry is also adapted to direct data, when so addressed, from a wired network to one of the first network or the second network.

26. The device of claim 23 wherein the control circuitry is further adapted to direct data, when so addressed, from the first network to the second network and the control circuitry, when data is received having addressing allowing the data to be sent from the first network to the second network, is also adapted to perform the following steps:

parse the received and addressed data to identify a message portion of the data;

generate sending data containing the message portion along with at least one of a preamble or a postamble appropriate for use in the second network.

27. The device of claim 23 further comprising memory for retaining data received from at least one of the first network and the second network for later access.