WIRELESS ARCHITECTURE AND SUPPORT FOR PROCESS CONTROL SYSTEMS

• US 20090097415A1
• Filed: 10/13/2008
• Published: 04/16/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/18/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fisher-Rosemount Systems Incorporated (Emerson Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: Fisher-Rosemount Systems Incorporated (Emerson Electric Company)
• Inventors: Nelson, Joe, Shepard, John R.
• Granted Patent: US 8,144,622 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/254
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/21079 Allocate at start up also to each controlled device a code for the master
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/25061 Configuration stored in central database
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/25101 Detect connected module, load corresponding parameters, variables into module
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31121 Fielddevice, field controller, interface connected to fieldbus
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31123 Multi mode network controller, monitor, control, configuration, maintenance
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31151 Lan local area network
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/33192 Radio link, wireless
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/24 Connectivity information management, e.g. connectivity discovery or connectivity update
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/14 Direct-mode setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/20 Transfer of user or subscriber data
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/80 Management or planning

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.

Claims

1. A method for controlling a process using a wireless communications network, the method comprising:

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 node an object device for receiving the field data of the different protocol; and

sending the field data of the different protocol to the object device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one field device transmits the field data using the HART communication protocol and the field data is converted from the HART communication protocol to the different protocol by the base node.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the field node, the base node and the routing node form a mesh wireless communications network.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the field node, the base node and the routing node form a point-to-point wireless communications network.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein each field device of the field node is a HART protocol device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein each field device of the field node is a Fieldbus protocol device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the field data is converted from the HART communication protocol to the different protocol by a conversion node.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the field data is a HART signal.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the conversion node converts the HART signal to an EMBER data packet.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the routing node sends the field data through one or more repeaters and the field node.