System and method for wireless communication between wired field devices and control system components

• US 20070280178A1
• Filed: 05/31/2006
• Published: 12/06/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Hodson, William R., Chen, Yu-Gene T., Chernoguzov, Alexander, Prasad, Samudrala
• Granted Patent: US 7,876,722 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/338
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/56 Provisioning of proxy services store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/565 Conversion or adaptation of application format or content adding application control or application functional data H04L67/561
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/08 Protocols for interworking; Protocol conversion

Abstract

A system for transferring a signal between a field device and a control system component includes a field linking unit and a system gateway. The field linking unit is electrically coupled to a field device, and a signal is transferred between the two using a first protocol. The system gateway is electrically connected to a control system component, and the signal is transferred between the two using a second protocol. The field linking unit and the system gateway communicate wirelessly. One of the field linking unit and the system gateway may encrypt the signal before sending, and the other may decrypt the signal upon receipt. The system may also include at least one intermediate node, and the field linking unit and the system gateway may communicate wirelessly via the intermediate node(s).

Claims

1. A communication system for transferring a signal between a field device and a control system component, comprising:

a field linking unit electrically coupled to a field device and operable to transfer a signal between the field device and the field linking unit using a first protocol; and

a system gateway electrically coupled to a control system component and operable to transfer the signal between the system gateway and the control system component using a second protocol;

wherein the field linking unit and the system gateway are operable to communicate wirelessly, and the first protocol and the second protocol are related protocols.

2. The communication system of claim 1, wherein the first protocol and the second protocol are the same protocol.

3. The communication system of claim 1, wherein the field device is one of a plurality of field devices electrically coupled to the field linking unit.

4. The communication system of claim 1, wherein the field linking unit is one of a plurality of field linking units operable to wirelessly communicate with the system gateway.

5. The communication system of claim 1, wherein:

one of the field linking unit and the system gateway is operable to encrypt the signal before sending the encrypted signal wirelessly; and

the other of the field linking unit and the system gateway is operable to decrypt the encrypted signal upon receipt.

6. The communication system of claim 1, further comprising:

a second field linking unit electrically coupled to a second field device and operable to transfer a second signal between the second field device and the second field linking unit using a third protocol; and

is a second system gateway electrically coupled to a second control system component and operable to transfer the second signal between the second system gateway and the second control system component using a fourth protocol;

wherein the second field linking unit and the second system gateway are operable to communicate wirelessly, and the third protocol and the fourth protocol are related protocols.

7. The communication system of claim 6, wherein the third protocol and the fourth protocol are the same protocol.

8. The communication system of claim 1, further comprising an intermediate node, wherein the field linking unit and the system gateway are operable to communicate wirelessly via the intermediate node.

9. The communication system of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of intermediate nodes, wherein the field linking unit and the system gateway are operable to communicate wirelessly via two or more of the intermediate nodes.

10. The communication system of claim 9, wherein:

the field linking unit is one of a plurality of field linking units;

the system gateway is one of a plurality of system gateways; and

at least two communication paths exist between each field linking unit and one of the system gateways.

11. A method of transferring a signal between a field device and a control system component, comprising:

receiving in a field linking unit a signal in a first protocol from a field device, wherein the field device and the field linking unit are electrically coupled;

communicating the signal wirelessly between the field linking unit and a system gateway; and

transmitting the signal in a second protocol from the system gateway to a control system component, wherein the system gateway and the control system component are electrically coupled, and wherein the first and second protocols are related protocols.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the first protocol and the second protocol are the same protocol.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the field device is one of a plurality of field devices electrically coupled to the field linking unit.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the field linking unit is one of a plurality of field linking units operable to wirelessly communicate with the system gateway.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein communicating the signal wirelessly between the field linking unit and the system gateway comprises:

encrypting the signal in the field linking unit; and

decrypting the encrypted signal in the system gateway.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

receiving in a second field linking unit a second signal in a third protocol from a second field device, wherein the second field device and the second field linking unit are electrically coupled;

communicating the second signal wirelessly between the second field linking unit and a second system gateway; and

transmitting the second signal in a fourth protocol from the second system gateway to a second control system component, wherein the second system gateway and the second control system component are electrically coupled, and wherein the third and fourth protocols are related protocols.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the third protocol and the fourth protocol are the same protocol.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein communicating the signal wirelessly to the system gateway comprises:

communicating the signal wirelessly between the field linking unit and an intermediate node; and

communicating the signal wirelessly between the intermediate node and the system gateway.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein communicating the signal wirelessly to the system gateway further comprises:

communicating the signal wirelessly between the field linking unit and a second intermediate node; and

communicating the signal wirelessly between the second intermediate node and the system gateway.

20. The method of claim 11, wherein:

the field linking unit is one of a plurality of field linking units;

the system gateway is one of a plurality of system gateways; and

at least two communication paths exist between each field linking unit and one of the system gateways.