Dynamic Assigning Of Bandwidth To Field Devices In A Process Control System

• US 20140092847A1
• Filed: 12/05/2013
• Published: 04/03/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hitachi Energy Limited (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: ABB Research Ltd. (ABB Limited)
• Inventors: Landernas, Krister, Gidlund, Mikael, Akerberg, Johan
• Granted Patent: US 8,885,593 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/329
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/20 Negotiating bandwidth
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/044 based on the type of the allocated resource
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0446 Resources in time domain, e.g. slots or frames

Abstract

A wireless network managing device for a wireless network that is part of a process control system. The wireless network managing device includes a node determination element configured to receive an operator selection of at least one node in the process control system via an operator terminal and determine a field device implementing the functionality of the node, and a bandwidth control element configured to adjust a bandwidth assigned to the at least one field device in an auxiliary data section of a communication structure used by the wireless network based on the received operator selection in order to increase system responsiveness.

Claims

1. A method for assigning bandwidth to wireless field devices in an auxiliary data section of a communication structure used by a wireless network, where the field devices are assigned a process control bandwidth in a process control data section of the communication structure, said wireless network being provided in a process control system, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving an operator selection of at least one node in the process control system via an operator terminal,

determining a field device implementing the functionality of the node, and

adjusting the bandwidth assigned to said at least one field device in the auxiliary data section based on the received operator selection, where said process control bandwidth is unaffected by the operator selection.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the bandwidth is increased for the selected field device.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the operator selection is the selection of all field devices in a section of the process control system.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising adjusting the bandwidth of field devices before and/or after the selected field device according to the order in which the field devices are used in process control.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the selected field device is of a first type and the bandwidth of other field devices of the same type is also adjusted.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein said adjustment is made in an uplink part of the communication structure.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein said adjustment is made in a downlink part of the communication structure.

8. A wireless network managing device for a wireless network that is part of a process control system, the wireless network managing device comprising:

a node determination element configured to receive an operator selection of at least one node in the process control system via an operator terminal and determine a field device implementing the functionality of the node, and

a bandwidth control element configured to adjust a bandwidth assigned to said at least one field device in an auxiliary data section of a communication structure used by said communication network based on the received operator selection, and

assign a process control bandwidth in a process control data section of the communication structure to the field devices, said process control bandwidth being unaffected by the operator selection.

9. The wireless network managing device according to claim 8, wherein the bandwidth control element is configured to increase the bandwidth for the selected field devices.

10. The wireless network managing device according to claim 8, wherein the operator selection is the selection of all field devices in a section of the process control system.

11. The wireless network managing device according to claim 8, wherein the bandwidth control element is configured to adjust the bandwidth of field devices before and/or after the selected field device according to the order in which the field devices are used in process control.

12. The wireless network managing device according to claim 8, wherein the selected field device is of a first type and the bandwidth control element is further configured to adjust the bandwidth of other field devices of the same type.

13. The wireless network managing device according to claim 8, wherein the bandwidth control element is configured to adjust the bandwidth in an uplink part of the communication structure.

14. The wireless network managing device according to claim 8, wherein the bandwidth control element is configured to adjust the bandwidth in a downlink part of the communication structure.

15. A computer program product for a wireless network managing device for a wireless network that is part of a process control system, the computer program product comprising a data carrier with computer program code which when run on a processor forming the wireless network managing device, causes the wireless network managing device to:

receive an operator selection of at least one node in the process control system via an operator terminal,

determine a field device implementing the functionality of the node, and

adjust a bandwidth assigned to said at least one field device in an auxiliary data section of a communication structure used by said wireless network based on the received operator selection, where the field devices are assigned a process control bandwidth in a process control data section of the communication structure, said process control bandwidth being unaffected by the operator selection.