SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR SCALABLE AND EFFICIENT DEPLOYMENT OF WIRELESS INFRASTRUCTURE NODES FOR MULTIPLE COLLOCATED WIRELESS FIELD DEVICE NETWORKS

• US 20170070578A1
• Filed: 09/09/2015
• Published: 03/09/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Osei-Bonsu, William
• Granted Patent: US 9,917,902 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/74 Address processing for routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/805 QOS or priority aware
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/38 for collecting sensor information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 56/001 Synchronization between nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

A wireless infrastructure node includes at least one processing device configured to receive a data packet from a wireless field device network (WFN) controller, where the data packet includes a network identifier. The at least one processing device is also configured to determine a field device network to receive the data packet based on the network identifier. The at least one processing device is further configured to transmit the data packet to a field device in the field device network. The wireless infrastructure node, the WFN controller, and the field device network comprise one logical WFN among a plurality of logical WFNs. The wireless infrastructure node is one of a plurality of pooled infrastructure nodes configured to communicate between a plurality of WFN controllers and a plurality of field device networks arranged in the plurality of logical WFNs.

Claims

1. A wireless infrastructure node comprising:

at least one processing device configured to;

receive a data packet from a wireless field device network (WFN) controller, the data packet comprising a network identifier;

determine a field device network to receive the data packet based on the network identifier; and

transmit the data packet to a field device in the field device network;

wherein the wireless infrastructure node, the WFN controller, and the field device network comprise one logical WFN among a plurality of logical WFNs; and

wherein the wireless infrastructure node is one of a plurality of pooled infrastructure nodes configured to communicate between a plurality of WFN controllers and a plurality of field device networks arranged in the plurality of logical WFNs.

2. The wireless infrastructure node of claim 1, wherein the WFN controller, the wireless infrastructure node, and the field device comprise components in an industrial control and automation system.

3. The wireless infrastructure node of claim 1, wherein the data packet further comprises a device tag identifying the field device among a plurality of field devices in the field device network.

4. The wireless infrastructure node of claim 1, wherein the at least one processing device is configured to receive and transmit the data packet according to a time synchronization scheme that is commonly used by the pooled infrastructure nodes.

5. The wireless infrastructure node of claim 1, wherein the field device comprises at least one of:

a sensor and an actuator.

6. The wireless infrastructure node of claim 1, wherein:

the data packet is a first data packet; and

the at least one processing device is further configured to;

receive a second data packet from a second WFN controller;

transmit the second data packet to a field device in a second field device network; and

prioritize the first data packet over the second data packet based on a higher priority level of the first data packet over the second data packet.

7. A method comprising:

receiving, at a wireless infrastructure node, a data packet from a wireless field device network (WFN) controller, the data packet comprising a network identifier;

determining, at the wireless infrastructure node, a field device network to receive the data packet based on the network identifier; and

transmitting, by the wireless infrastructure node, the data packet to a field device in the field device network;

wherein the wireless infrastructure node, the WFN controller, and the field device network comprise one logical WFN among a plurality of logical WFNs; and

wherein the wireless infrastructure node is one of a plurality of pooled infrastructure nodes configured to communicate between a plurality of WFN controllers and a plurality of field device networks arranged in the plurality of logical WFNs.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the WFN controller, the wireless infrastructure node, and the field device comprise components in an industrial control and automation system.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the data packet further comprises a device tag identifying the field device among a plurality of field devices in the field device network.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the wireless infrastructure node receives and transmits the data packet according to a time synchronization scheme that is commonly used by the pooled infrastructure nodes.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the field device comprises at least one of:

a sensor and an actuator.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein:

the data packet is a first data packet; and

the method further comprises;

receiving, at the wireless infrastructure node, a second data packet from a second WFN controller;

transmitting, by the wireless infrastructure node, the second data packet to a field device in a second field device network; and

prioritizing the first data packet over the second data packet based on a higher priority level of the first data packet over the second data packet.

13. A system comprising:

a plurality of wireless field device network (WFN) controllers;

a plurality of field device networks, each field device network comprising one or more field devices; and

a plurality of wireless infrastructure nodes arranged in a shared pool, the pooled infrastructure nodes configured to communicate between the plurality of WFN controllers and the plurality of field device networks, each wireless infrastructure node configured to;

receive a data packet from a first one of the WFN controllers, the data packet comprising a network identifier;

determine a first one of the field device networks to receive the data packet based on the network identifier; and

transmit the data packet to a field device in the first field device network;

wherein the WFN controllers, the field device networks, and the wireless infrastructure nodes are arranged in a plurality of logical WFNs, each logical WFN comprising a WFN controller, a field device network, and the pooled infrastructure nodes.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the WFN controllers, the wireless infrastructure nodes, and the field devices comprise components in an industrial control and automation system.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the data packet further comprises a device tag identifying the field device among the one or more field devices in the first field device network.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein each wireless infrastructure node is configured to receive and transmit the data packet according to a time synchronization scheme that is commonly used by the pooled infrastructure nodes.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein the field device comprises at least one of:

a sensor and an actuator.

18. The system of claim 13, wherein:

the data packet is a first data packet; and

each wireless infrastructure node is further configured to;

receive a second data packet from a second one of the WFN controllers;

transmit the second data packet to a field device in a second one of the field device networks; and

prioritize the first data packet over the second data packet based on a higher priority level of the first data packet over the second data packet.

19. The system of claim 13, wherein the system is configured, when a level of data packet traffic through the shared pool of wireless infrastructure nodes approaches or exceeds an overall capacity of the shared pool of wireless infrastructure nodes, to be expanded by one or more additional wireless infrastructure nodes in the shared pool.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein each of the one or more additional wireless infrastructure nodes is configured to communicate with any of the WFN controllers and field device networks within a coverage area of the each additional wireless infrastructure node.