Apparatus and method for supporting wireless actuators and other devices in process control systems

• US 8,837,354 B2
• Filed: 11/23/2009
• Issued: 09/16/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Raravi, Channabasavaraj, Chernoguzov, Alexander, Budampati, Ramakrishna S., Kolavennu, Soumitri N., Pulini, Christopher
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Jae Y
• Assistant Examiner(s): LINDENBAUM, ALAN LOUIS
• Application Number:
  US12/624,151
• Publication Number:
  US 20100272093A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,758 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 370/328
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/4185 characterised by the network communication
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31162 Wireless lan
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/33192 Radio link, wireless
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1854 Scheduling and prioritising arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1887 Scheduling and prioritising arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2001/0093 Point-to-multipoint
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]

Abstract

A system includes a wireless leaf node configured to modify operation of an industrial process. The system also includes a plurality of wireless access points configured to transmit data to the wireless leaf node in specified time slots and to receive an acknowledgement from the wireless leaf node in response to successful receipt of the data by the wireless leaf node. Various communication schemes are disclosed for supporting communications between the wireless leaf node and the access points. Each access point could also include a local slot manager configured to assign the specified time slots for that access point to communicate with the wireless leaf node. The wireless leaf node could represent a wireless actuator.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a wireless leaf node configured to modify operation of an industrial process; and

a plurality of wireless access points configured to transmit data to the wireless leaf node in specified time slots within a data frame and to receive an acknowledgement from the wireless leaf node in response to successful receipt of the data by the wireless leaf node, wherein a first one of the access points is configured to;

transmit a first data message to the wireless leaf node during a first portion of a first time slot; and

in response to determining that no acknowledgement is received to the transmission of the first data message, perform a first retransmission of the first data message to the wireless leaf node during a second portion of the first time slot;

transmit a second data message to the wireless leaf node during a first portion of a second time slot; and

in response to determining that no acknowledgement is received to the first retransmission, determine whether to perform a second retransmission of the first data message to the wireless leaf node after the first portion of the second time slot during a second portion of the second time slot based on whether an acknowledgement is received to the transmission of the second data message and a priority order for message retransmissions.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein a second one of the access points is configured to:

transmit a third data message to the wireless leaf node during the first portion of the first time slot;

if no acknowledgement is received, retransmit the third data message to the wireless leaf node during the second portion of the first time slot; and

if no acknowledgement is received, retransmit the third data message to the wireless leaf node after the first portion of the second time slot during the second portion of the second time slot.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the first and second access points are further configured to:

receive a ping from the wireless leaf node before transmitting to the wireless leaf node during at least one of the first and second time slots.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein a second one of the access points is configured to transmit a chirp or dummy message to the wireless leaf node during at least one of the first and second time slots.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein a second one of the access points is configured to:

transmit a third data message to the wireless leaf node during a first portion of a third time slot; and

if no acknowledgement is received, retransmit the third data message to the wireless leaf node at least one of;

during a second portion of the third time slot and after a first portion of a fourth time slot during a second portion of the fourth time slot.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein:

a second one of the access points is configured to transmit a third data message to the wireless leaf node during the first time slot;

if no acknowledgement is received, the second access point is configured to retransmit the third data message to the wireless leaf node after a first portion of a third time slot during a second portion of the third time slot;

if no acknowledgement is received, the first access point is configured to retransmit the first data message to the wireless leaf node after a first portion of a fourth time slot during a second portion of the fourth time slot; and

if no acknowledgement is received, the second access point is configured to retransmit the third data message to the wireless leaf node after a first portion of a fifth time slot during a second portion of the fifth time slot.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the wireless leaf node comprises a wireless actuator.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein each access point comprises a local slot manager configured to assign the specified time slots for that access point to communicate with the wireless leaf node.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein each local slot manager is configured to assign multiple time slots to the wireless leaf node in response to a multi-slot request from the wireless leaf node.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein each local slot manager is configured to assign one time slot to the wireless leaf node in response to each of multiple slot requests from the wireless leaf node.

11. An access point comprising:

at least one transceiver configured to transmit data to a wireless leaf node that is configured to modify operation of an industrial process and to receive an acknowledgement from the wireless leaf node in response to successful receipt of the data by the wireless leaf node; and

a controller configured to initiate transmission of the data to the wireless leaf node in specified time slots within a data frame and to identify the specified time slots in cooperation with a second access point that is configured to transmit the data to the wireless leaf node;

wherein the controller is configured to identify the time slots such that the access point is configured to;

transmit a first data message to the wireless leaf node during a first portion of a first time slot;

in response to determining that no acknowledgement is received to the transmission, perform a first retransmission of the first data message to the wireless leaf node during a second portion of the first time slot;

transmit a second data message to the wireless leaf node during a first portion of a second time slot; and

in response to determining that no acknowledgement is received to the first retransmission, determine whether to perform a second retransmission of the first data message to the wireless leaf node after the first portion of the second time slot during a second portion of the second time slot based on whether an acknowledgement is received to the transmission of the second data message and a priority order for message retransmissions.

12. The access point of claim 11, wherein the controller is configured to assign the time slots such that the access point is configured to:

allow the second access point to transmit a third data message to the wireless leaf node during the first portion of the first time slot;

if no acknowledgement is received to the transmission, allow the second access point to retransmit the third data message to the wireless leaf node during the second portion of the first time slot; and

if no acknowledgement is received to the retransmission, allow the second access point to retransmit the third data message to the wireless leaf node after the first portion of the second time slot during the second portion of the second time slot.

13. The access point of claim 11, wherein the controller is further configured to identify reception of a ping from the wireless leaf node before initiating transmission to the wireless leaf node during at least one of the first and second time slots.

14. The access point of claim 11, wherein the controller is configured to assign the time slots such that the access point is configured to:

allow the second access point to transmit a chirp or dummy message to the wireless leaf node during the first portion of the first time slot;

if no acknowledgement is received to the transmission, allow the second access point to retransmit the chirp or dummy message to the wireless leaf node during the second portion of the first time slot; and

if no acknowledgement is received to the retransmission, allow the second access point to retransmit the chirp or dummy message to the wireless leaf node after the first portion of the second time slot during the second portion of the second time slot.

15. The access point of claim 11, wherein the controller is configured to assign the time slots such that the access point is configured, if no acknowledgement to the second retransmission is received, to allow the second access point to transmit a third data message to the wireless leaf node at least one of:

during a first portion of a third time slot, during a second portion of the third time slot, and after a first portion of a fourth time slot during a second portion of the fourth time slot.

16. The access point of claim 11, wherein the controller is configured to assign the time slots such that the access point is configured to:

allow the second access point to transmit a third data message to the wireless leaf node during the first time slot;

if no acknowledgement is received, allow the second access point to retransmit the third data message to the wireless leaf node after a first portion of a third time slot during a second portion of the third time slot;

if no acknowledgement is received, retransmit the first data message to the wireless leaf node after a first portion of a fourth time slot during a second portion of the fourth time slot; and

if no acknowledgement is received, allow the second access point to retransmit the third data message to the wireless leaf node after a first portion of a fifth time slot during a second portion of the fifth time slot.

17. The access point of claim 11, wherein the controller is configured to assign multiple time slots to the wireless leaf node in response to a multi-slot request from the wireless leaf node.

18. The access point of claim 11, wherein the controller is configured to assign one time slot to the wireless leaf node in response to each of multiple slot requests from the wireless leaf node.

19. A method comprising:

transmitting a first data message to a wireless leaf node during a first portion of a first time slot, wherein the wireless leaf node is configured to modify operation of an industrial process;

in response to determining that no acknowledgement is received to the transmission, performing a first retransmission of the first data message to the wireless leaf node during a second portion of the first time slot;

transmitting a second data message to the wireless leaf node during a first portion of a second time slot; and

in response to determining that no acknowledgement is received to the first retransmission, determining whether to perform a second retransmission of the first data message to the wireless leaf node after the first portion of the second time slot during a second portion of the second time slot based on whether an acknowledgement is received to the transmission of the second data message and a priority order for message retransmissions,

wherein a plurality of wireless access points are configured to transmit data to the wireless leaf node in specified time slots within a data frame and to receive an acknowledgement from the wireless leaf node in response to successful receipt of the data by the wireless leaf node.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

transmitting a third data message to the wireless leaf node during the first portion of the first time slot;

if no acknowledgement is received, retransmit the third data message to the wireless leaf node during the second portion of the first time slot; and

if no acknowledgement is received, retransmit the third data message to the wireless leaf node after the first portion of the second time slot during the second portion of the second time slot.