APPARATUS FOR INTERCONNECTING WIRELESS NETWORKS SEPARATED BY A BARRIER

• US 20110216695A1
• Filed: 03/04/2010
• Published: 09/08/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/04/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rosemount Incorporated (Emerson Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: Rosemount Incorporated (Emerson Electric Company)
• Inventors: Orth, Kelly Michael
• Granted Patent: US 10,645,628 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/328
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/00 Communication routing or communication path finding
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/02 Inter-networking arrangements

Abstract

An apparatus for bridging a barrier to wireless communication between wireless field device networks includes a pair of locally-powered wireless devices connected by a wired link spanning the barrier. At least one of the locally-powered wireless devices is in wireless communication with each of the wireless networks intended to be interconnected. The wireless devices include a wireless transceiver and an antenna. Messages from one wireless field device network addressed to a member node of another wireless field device network are received by a wireless device on one side of the barrier and transmitted via the wired link to another wireless device on the other side of the barrier for routing to the member node of the other wireless field device network.

Claims

1. An apparatus for bridging a barrier to wireless communication between a first wireless field device network and a second wireless field device network, the apparatus comprising:

a first locally-powered wireless device in wireless communication with the first wireless field device network, the first wireless device comprising;

a first data router;

a first local power source;

a first transceiver; and

a first antenna;

a second wireless device in wireless communication with the second wireless field device network, the second wireless device comprising;

a second transceiver; and

a second antenna; and

a wired link connecting the first wireless device to the second wireless device, wherein the wired link spans the barrier to wireless communication between the first wireless field device network and the second wireless field device network;

wherein messages from the first wireless field device network addressed to a member node of the second wireless field device network, received by the first wireless device and transmitted into the second wireless field device network by the second wireless device for routing to the member node of the second wireless network, cross the barrier to wireless communication via the wired link; and

wherein the second wireless device is powered by the first power source through the wired link or by a second local power source associated with the second wireless device.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first wireless device formats wireless communications received from the first wireless field device network into a communications protocol for transmission over the wired link that is compatible with the second wireless field device network, and wherein the first wireless device formats communications received over the wired link from the second wireless field device network into a communications protocol compatible with wireless transmission into the first wireless field device network

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first wireless device further comprises a first field device.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, further comprising a second field device, wherein the second field device is electrically connected to and can communicate with the first wireless device, and wherein the second field device is physically separated from the first wireless device.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a first field device, wherein the first field device is electrically connected to and can communicate with the first wireless device, and wherein the first field device is physically separated from the first wireless device.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second wireless device further comprises a second data router.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the first wireless device formats wireless communications received from the first wireless field device network into a communications protocol for transmission over the wired link that is compatible with the second wireless field device network, and wherein the first wireless device formats communications received over the wired link from the second wireless field device network into a communications protocol compatible with wireless transmission into the first wireless field device network.

8. The apparatus of claim 6, further comprising a first field device, wherein the first field device is electrically connected to and can communicate with the first wireless device, and wherein the first field device is physically separated from the first wireless device.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, further comprising a second field device, wherein the second field device is electrically connected to and can communicate with the second wireless device, and wherein the second field device is physically separated from the second wireless device.

10. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the first wireless device further comprises a first field device.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the first wireless device formats wireless communications received from the first wireless field device network into a communications protocol for transmission over the wired link that is compatible with the second wireless field device network, and wherein the first wireless device formats communications received over the wired link from the second wireless field device network into a communications protocol compatible with wireless transmission into the first wireless field device network.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the wired link connects the second data router to one of the first data router and the first field device.

13. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising a second field device, wherein the second field device is electrically connected to and can communicate with the first wireless device, and wherein the second field device is physically separated from the first wireless device.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the wired link connects the second data router to one of the first data router and the first field device.

15. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising a second field device, wherein the second field device is electrically connected to and can communicate with the second wireless device, and wherein the second field device is physically separated from the second wireless device.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the wired link connects the second data router to one of the first data router and the first field device.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, further comprising a third field device, wherein the third field device is electrically connected to and can communicate with the first wireless device, and wherein the third field device is physically separated from the first wireless device.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the wired link connects the second data router to one of the first data router and the first field device.

19. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the second wireless device further comprises a second field device.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the first wireless device formats wireless communications received from the first wireless field device network into a communications protocol for transmission over the wired link that is compatible with the second wireless field device network, and wherein the first wireless device formats communications received over the wired link from the second wireless field device network into a communications protocol compatible with wireless transmission into the first wireless field device network.

21. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the wired link connects the second data router to one of the first data router and the first field device.

22. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the wired link connects the first field device to the second field device.

23. The apparatus of claim 19, further comprising a third field device, wherein the third field device is electrically connected to and can communicate with the first wireless device, and wherein the third field device is physically separated from the first wireless device.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the wired link connects the first data router to one of the second data router and the second field device.

25. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the wired link connects the first field device to one of the second data router and the second field device.

26. The apparatus of claim 23, further comprising a fourth field device, wherein the fourth field device is electrically connected to and can communicate with the second wireless device, and wherein the fourth field device is physically separated from the second wireless device.

27. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the wired link connects the second data router to one of the first data router and the first field device.

28. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the wired link connects the first field device to the second field device.

29. A system for bridging barriers to wireless communication between a plurality of wireless field device networks, each network comprising a plurality of wireless devices, the system comprising:

a wired link, wherein the wired link is a locally-powered wired data link spanning the barriers to wireless communication between the plurality of wireless field device networks; and

at least one locally-powered wireless device from each network connected to the wired data link in multi-drop, multi-point fashion to provide intercommunication between wireless devices of its network and wireless devices of other networks making up the plurality of wireless networks through the wired data link, wherein each connected wireless device comprises;

a data router;

a local power source;

a transceiver; and

an antenna.

30. The system of claim 29, wherein at least one of the locally-powered wireless devices connected to the wired data link further comprises a field device.

31. The system of claim 30, wherein the wired data link connects to one of the field device and the data router of each of the locally-powered wireless devices connected to the wired data link.

32. The system of claim 29 wherein each of the locally-powered wireless devices connected to the wired data link formats received wireless communications into a communications protocol for transmission over the wired data link, and wherein each of the locally-powered wireless devices connected to the wired data link formats communications received over the wired link into a communications protocol compatible with wireless transmission into the one of the plurality of field device networks with which it is in wireless communication.

33. The system of claim 29, further comprising a plurality of field devices, wherein the wired data link connects the plurality of field devices in multi-drop, multi-point fashion.

34. A system for bridging barriers to wireless communication between a plurality of wireless field device networks, each network comprising a plurality of wireless devices, the system comprising:

a wired link, wherein the wired link is a locally-powered wired data link spanning the barriers to wireless communication between the plurality of wireless field device networks; and

at least one locally-powered wireless device from each network connected to the wired data link in multi-drop, multi-point fashion to provide intercommunication between wireless devices of its network and wireless devices of other networks making up the plurality of wireless networks through the wired data link, wherein each connected wireless device comprises;

a data router;

a transceiver; and

an antenna;

wherein at least one of the locally-powered wireless devices further comprises a local power source;

wherein the local power source powers the wired data link.

35. The system of claim 34, wherein at least one of the locally-powered wireless devices connected to the wired data link further comprises a field device.

36. The system of claim 35, wherein the wired data link connects to one of the field device and the data router of each of the locally-powered wireless devices connected to the wired data link.

37. The system of claim 34, wherein each of the locally-powered wireless devices connected to the wired data link formats received wireless communications into a communications protocol for transmission over the wired data link, and wherein each of the locally-powered wireless devices connected to the wired data link formats communications received over the wired link into a communications protocol compatible with wireless transmission into the one of the plurality of field device networks with which it is in wireless communication.

38. The system of claim 34, further comprising a plurality of field devices, wherein the wired data link connects the plurality of field devices in multi-drop, multi-point fashion.

39. A method for bridging a barrier to wireless communication between a first wireless field device network and a second wireless field device network, the method comprising:

receiving a message from the first wireless field device network addressed to a final destination node of the second wireless field device network at a first locally-powered wireless device in wireless communication with the first wireless device network;

transmitting the message through the barrier to wireless network communication using a wired link connected to the first wireless device;

receiving the message from the wired link at a second locally-powered wireless device connected to the wired link and in wireless communication with the second wireless field device network;

retransmitting the message into the second wireless field device network using the second wireless device; and

routing the message in a hop by hop fashion through the nodes of the second wireless network to the final destination node of the second wireless field device network.

40. The method of claim 39, wherein the method further comprises:

employing an encapsulation protocol to format the message received from the first wireless field device network prior to transmitting the message through the barrier to wireless network communication; and

employing the encapsulation protocol to unpack the message received from the wired link prior to transmitting the message into the second wireless field device network.

41. The method of claim 39, wherein the method further comprises:

translating the format of the message received from the first wireless field device network into a communications protocol compatible with the second wireless field device network;

employing an encapsulation protocol to reformat the message translated into the communications protocol prior to transmitting the message through the barrier to wireless network communication; and

employing the encapsulation protocol to unpack the message received from the wired link prior to transmitting the message into the second wireless field device network.

42. The method of claim 39, wherein the method further comprises:

employing an encapsulation protocol to format the message received from the first wireless field device network prior to transmitting the message through the barrier to wireless network communication;

employing the encapsulation protocol to unpack the message received from the wired link prior to translating the format of the message into a communications protocol compatible with the second wireless field device network; and

translating the format of the message into the communications protocol prior to transmitting the message into the second wireless field device network.

43. The method of claim 39, wherein the method further comprises:

translating the format of the message received from the first wireless field device network into a communications protocol prior to transmitting the message through the barrier to wireless network communication;

translating the format of the message received from the wired link from the communications protocol back to the format of the message as received at the first locally-powered wireless field device prior to transmitting the message into the second wireless field device network, wherein the communications protocol is compatible with transmission over the wired link.

44. The method of claim 39, wherein the method further comprises:

translating the format of the message received from the first wireless field device network into a first communications protocol compatible with the second wireless field device network prior to retranslating the message into a second communications protocol;

retranslating the format of the message translated into the first communications protocol into the second communications protocol prior to transmitting the message through the barrier to wireless network communication;

translating the format of the message received from the wired link from the second communications protocol into the first communications protocol prior to transmitting the message into the second wireless field device network, wherein the second communications protocol is compatible with transmission over the wired link.

45. The method of claim 39, wherein the method further comprises:

translating the format of the message received from the first wireless field device network into a first communications protocol prior to transmitting the message through the barrier to wireless network communication;

translating the format of the message received from the wired link from the first communications protocol back to the format of the message as received at the first locally-powered wireless field device prior to retranslating the format of the message into a second communications protocol compatible with the second wireless field device network, wherein the first communications protocol is compatible with transmission over the wired link;

retranslating the format of the message into the second communications protocol prior to transmitting the message into the second wireless field device network.

46. A system comprising:

a first wireless field device network;

a second wireless field device network;

a first locally-powered wireless device in wireless communication with the first wireless field device network;

a second locally-powered wireless device in wireless communication with the second wireless field device network; and

a wired link connecting the first wireless device to the second wireless device, wherein the wired link spans a barrier to wireless communication between the first wireless field device network and the second wireless field device network;

wherein messages from the first wireless field device network addressed to a member node of the second wireless field device network, received by the first wireless device and transmitted into the second wireless field device network by the second wireless device for routing to the member node of the second wireless network, cross the barrier to wireless communication via the wired link.

47. An apparatus for bridging a barrier to wireless communication between a first wireless field device network and a second wireless field device network, the apparatus comprising:

a locally-powered wireless device comprising;

a data router;

a local power source;

a first transceiver;

a first antenna; and

a second transceiver;

a second antenna; and

a wired link;

wherein the first antenna is in wireless communication with first wireless field device network;

the second antenna is in wireless communication with the second wireless field device network; and

the wired link is an RF cable connecting the second antenna to the second transceiver, wherein the wired link spans the barrier to wireless communication between the first wireless field device network and the second wireless field device network;

wherein messages from the first wireless field device network addressed to a member node of the second wireless field device network, received by the first antenna and transmitted into the second wireless field device network by the second antenna for routing to the member node of the second wireless network, cross the barrier to wireless communication via the wired link.

48. The apparatus of claim 47, wherein the wireless device further comprises a field device.