Apparatus and method for integrating wireless field devices with a wired protocol in a process control system
First Claim
1. A method, comprising:
- receiving first information from a wireless field device in a process control system, the first information associated with a wireless field device protocol;
converting the first information associated with the wireless field device protocol into second information associated with a wired field device protocol; and
communicating the second information over a network using the wired field device protocol.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An apparatus is provided for facilitating integration of a wireless field device (such as a wireless sensor or actuator) and a wired protocol that is used in a process control system. The apparatus supports a wireless field device protocol for communicating with the wireless field device. The apparatus also supports a wired field device protocol for communicating with other components of the process control system over a network. The apparatus could map a wireless application model associated with the wireless field device protocol to a wired application model associated with the wired field device protocol. The apparatus could actually support multiple mappings from the wireless application model to wired application models associated with multiple wired field device protocols. As particular examples, the wired field device protocol(s) could include the HART, Foundation Fieldbus, Profibus, and/or Modbus protocols. The network could represent an Ethernet network or a serial network.
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Citations
21 Claims
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1. A method, comprising:
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receiving first information from a wireless field device in a process control system, the first information associated with a wireless field device protocol; converting the first information associated with the wireless field device protocol into second information associated with a wired field device protocol; and communicating the second information over a network using the wired field device protocol. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. An apparatus, comprising:
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at least one memory operable to store mapping information mapping a wireless application model associated with a wireless field device protocol and a wired application model associated with a wired field device protocol; and at least one processor operable to; receive first information from a wireless field device in a process control system, the first information associated with the wireless field device protocol; convert the first information associated with the wireless field device protocol into second information associated with the wired field device protocol using at least some of the mapping information; and communicate the second information over a network using the wired field device protocol. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A computer program embodied on a computer readable medium and operable to be executed by a processor, the computer program comprising computer readable program code for:
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receiving first information from a wireless field device in a process control system, the first information associated with a wireless field device protocol; converting the first information associated with the wireless field device protocol into second information associated with a wired field device protocol; and communicating the second information over a network using the wired field device protocol. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21)
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Specification