Intelligent wireless multicast network

• US 7,446,673 B2
• Filed: 10/30/2003
• Issued: 11/04/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Wixxi Technologies LLC
• Original Assignee: CH2M Hill Incorporated (CH2M Hill Companies Limited)
• Inventors: Ocondi, Mark
• Primary Examiner(s): WONG, ALBERT KANG
• Application Number:
  US10/536,676
• Publication Number:
  US 20070018851A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,832 Days
• Field of Search: 340/870.02, 340/870.03, 702/138, 702/188, 455/422.1, 370/351
• US Class Current: 340/870.03
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 using a radio link
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/42 Transmitting or receiving remote control signals via a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 9/00 Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom

Abstract

Disclosed is a supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) system using a spread spectrum or licensed frequency data radio network and communication method therefore allowing multiple slave hosts and slave devices or remote terminal unit (RTU) the ability to communicate data connectivity in a wireless network environment.

Claims

1. A wireless data communication system, comprising:

one or more slave devices, wherein at least one slave device comprises a remote telemetry unit (RTU);

one or more slave host computers able to perform remote control of said RTU'"'"'s and logging of measurement data as well as event logging of alarm messages of said RTU'"'"'s;

a master host computer for directing wireless data messages between the RTU'"'"'s and the one or more slave host computers, performing remote control of said RTU'"'"'s and archiving or logging of measurement data and event logging of alarm messages of said RTU'"'"'s, wherein each wireless data message transmitted from said master host computer to said slave devices is transmitted to multiple slave devices;

a data radio communication network connecting said master host computer and said one or more slave devices, wherein each slave device has a unique address in the network;

a means for connecting said one or more slave host computers to said data radio communication network, wherein said wireless data messages contain a destination address corresponding to the unique network address of the slave device that the data message is intended for, wherein each slave device is able to compare its unique network address with the destination address contained in the wireless data message, and wherein the wireless data message is submitted to the master host computer prior to being sent to the multiple slave devices and the master host computer re-broadcasts the wireless data message to the multiple slave devices.

2. The wireless data communication system as claimed in claim 1 wherein said measurements comprise pressure and flow volume measurements of gas or oil wells.

3. The wireless data communication system as claimed in claim 1 wherein said remote control of the RTU'"'"'s comprises incrementally opening and closing valves in gas or oil wells.

4. The wireless data communication system as claimed in claim 1 wherein said master host computer comprises a spread spectrum or licensed frequency data radio.

5. The wireless data communication system as claimed in claim 1 wherein said data radio communication network comprises:

a) a spread spectrum or licensed frequency data radio;

b) one or more slave radios connected to said RTU'"'"'s and the slave host computers;

c) a master radio connected to the master host computer able to send and receive transmissions from the one or more slave radios to allow connectivity between said master host computer and said slave radios; and

d) one or more repeater radios.

6. The wireless data communication system as claimed in claim 1 wherein said one or more slave host computers comprise a spread spectrum or licensed frequency data radio.

10. The wireless data communication system of claim 1, wherein the RTU or slave host computer that originates the wireless data message disregards the re-broadcast by the master host computer.

11. The wireless data communication system of claim 1, wherein the unique network address further comprises a source identifier corresponding to the RTU or slave host computer that originates the message and when an RTU or slave host computer responds to the wireless data message by swapping the source identifier contained within the wireless data message with its own source identifier.

12. The wireless data communication system of claim 1, wherein there is no direct link between the one or more slave host computers and the RTUs.

7. A method of allowing multiple slave host computers to communicate on a wireless data communication system, said communication system comprising a master host computer for directing wireless data messages, one or more remote telemetry units (RTU'"'"'s), a data radio communication network connecting said master host computer and said one or more RTU'"'"'s, wherein each RTU has a unique address in the network;

one or more slave host computers connected to the data radio communication network and able to perform remote control of said RTU'"'"'s and data archiving or logging of measurement data and event logging of alarm messages of said RTU'"'"'s; and

one or more slave radios connected to said RTU'"'"'s, said method comprising the steps of;

a) linking a master host computer to the data radio communication network, wherein the master host computer directs data messages on the network between the RTU'"'"'s and the one or more slave host computers;

b) assigning to each data message a destination address corresponding to the master host computer, slave host computer, or RTU that the data message is intended for;

c) receiving data messages at the master host computer from any slave host computer;

d) re-broadcasting data messages received by the master host computer intended for one or more of the RTU'"'"'s to multiple slave radios;

e) transmitting data messages received by the slave radios from the master host computer to the RTU'"'"'s; and

f) comparing at each RTU the destination address of the data messages received from the one or more slave radios with the unique network address of the RTU;

wherein step c) is performed prior to step d).

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising the steps of:

a) transmitting a second data message from one of the RTU'"'"'s to the master host computer through one or more of the slave radios, wherein the second data message has a second destination address;

b) determining if the second destination address corresponds to the master host computer; and

c) transmitting the second data to multiple slave host computers when the second destination address does not correspond to the master host computer.

9. The method of claim 7 further comprising allowing one or more slave host computers to be installed in a mobile vehicle to allow an operator to access trending measurement data, event log of alarm messages and provide control of one or more RTU'"'"'s from remote locations.

13. The method of claim 7, further comprising disregarding, by the slave host computer that originated the wireless data message, the re-broadcasted wireless data message.

14. The method of claim 7, wherein the unique network address further comprises a source identifier corresponding to the RTU or slave host computer that originates the message, and the when an RTU or slave host computer responds to the wireless data message, swapping the source identifier contained within the wireless data message with its own source identifier.

15. The method of claim 7, wherein there is no direct link between the one or more slave host computers and the RTUs.