Wireless network system

• US 8,031,727 B2
• Filed: 11/01/2007
• Issued: 10/04/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/02/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Yokogawa Electric Corporation
• Original Assignee: Yokogawa Electric Corporation
• Inventors: Ishii, Yosuke
• Primary Examiner(s): Pezzlo; John
• Application Number:
  US11/982,076
• Publication Number:
  US 20080240027A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,433 Days
• Field of Search: 370/252, 370352-356, 370/401, 370/466
• US Class Current: 370/401
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/00 Routing or path finding of packets in data switching networks routing or path finding in wireless networks H04W40/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/22 using selective relaying for reaching a BTS [Base Transceiver Station] or an access point

Abstract

In a wireless network system for interconnecting a wireless network and another network different from the wireless network, the wireless network system includes: a plurality of wireless nodes for establishing the wireless network; a control device connected to the other network; and a plurality of gateways for interconnecting the wireless network and the other network, wherein the wireless node searches a path from a gateway candidate list, selects a gateway on an optimal path based on information collected in searching the path, and transfers data to the control device through the gateway on the optimal path.

Claims

1. A wireless network system for interconnecting a wireless network and another network different from the wireless network, comprising:

a plurality of wireless nodes for establishing the wireless network;

a control device connected to the other network; and

a plurality of gateways for interconnecting the wireless network and the other network,

wherein a wireless node of the plurality of wireless nodes, at a time of transmission of data, selects a candidate gateway from a gateway candidate list, performs a path search of a path for the candidate gateway to gather information on the path, selects a gateway on an optimal path based on the information collected in the path search, and transfers the data to the control device through the gateway on the optimal path.

2. The wireless network system according to claim 1, wherein the wireless node comprises:

a wireless communication circuit that performs communication through the wireless network;

a storage that stores the data, the gateway candidate list, a path search result list, a program for controlling the wireless node and information for searching a communication path; and

controller that selects the candidate gateway to be used from the gateway candidate list, performs the path search for the candidate gateway to gather the information on the path, selects the gateway on an optimal path based on information collected in searching the path, establishes a transfer path to the gateway on the optimal path, and transfers data to the gateway on the optimal path using the established transfer path.

3. The wireless network system according to claim 1, wherein a gateway of the plurality of gateways comprises:

a wireless communication circuit that performs communication through the wireless network;

a storage that stores a program for controlling the gateway and information for a protocol conversion;

a communication circuit that performs communication through the other network; and

a controller that converts a protocol of data received through the wireless network and transfers the data to the control device via the other network.

4. The wireless network system according to claim 1, wherein the wireless node, for each transmission of data, searches a path from a gateway candidate list, selects a gateway on an optimal path based on information collected in searching the path, and transfers the data to the control device through the gateway on the optimal path.

5. The wireless network system according to claim 4, wherein the wireless node comprises:

wireless communication circuit that performs communication through the wireless network;

a storage that stores the data, the gateway candidate list, a path search result list, a program for controlling the wireless node and information for searching a communication path; and

a controller that selects a gateway candidate to be used from the gateway candidate list, searches the path for the gateway candidate, selects the gateway on an optimal path based on information collected in searching the path, establishes a transfer path to the gateway on the optimal path, and transfers the data to the gateway on the optimal path using the established transfer path.

6. The wireless network system according to claim 1, wherein the information collected in the path search includes information about a situation of a communication load of each gateway.

7. A wireless network system for interconnecting a wireless network and another network different from the wireless network, the wireless network system comprising:

a plurality of wireless nodes for establishing the wireless network;

a control device connected to the other network; and

a plurality of gateways for interconnecting the wireless network and the other network,

wherein a wireless node of the plurality of wireless nodes searches a path from a gateway candidate list, selects a gateway on an optimal path based on information collected in searching the path, and transfers data to the control device through the gateway on the optimal path,

wherein the wireless comprises;

a wireless communication circuit carrying out a communication through the wireless network;

storing means for storing the data, the gateway candidate list, a path search result list, a program for controlling the wireless node and information for searching a communication path; and

a controller that selects selecting a gateway candidate to be used from the gateway candidate list, searching a path for the gateway candidate, selecting a gateway on an optimal path based on information collected in searching the path, establishing a transfer path to the gateway on the optimal path, and transferring data to the gateway on the optimal path by using the established transfer path, and

wherein the wireless node retransfers data to a gateway on a second optimal path when detecting a failure in the data transfer to the gateway on the optimal path.

8. The wireless network system according to claim 7, wherein the other network is an IP network.

9. The wireless network system according to claim 7, wherein the wireless network system is applied to a plant control system.

10. The wireless network system according to claim 7, wherein the wireless network system is applied to a building automation system.

11. The wireless network system according to claim 7, wherein a gateway of the plurality of gateways comprises:

a wireless communication circuit that performs communication through the wireless network;

a storage that stores a program for controlling the gateway and information for a protocol conversion;

a communication circuit that performs communication through the other network; and

a controller that converts a protocol of data received through the wireless network and transfers the data to the control device via the other network.

12. The wireless network system according to claim 7, wherein the other network is an IP network.

13. The wireless network system according to claim 7, wherein the wireless network system is applied to a plant control system.

14. The wireless network system according to claim 7, wherein the wireless network system is applied to a building automation system.