Wireless controller grids for process control and other systems and related apparatus and method

• US 8,948,067 B2
• Filed: 12/01/2009
• Issued: 02/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/23/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Chernoguzov, Alexander, Trnka, Pavel
• Primary Examiner(s): Renner, Brandon
• Assistant Examiner(s): Choudhury, Faisal
• Application Number:
  US12/628,918
• Publication Number:
  US 20100271989A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,890 Days
• Field of Search: 370/310, 370/410
• US Class Current: 370/310
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/41855 by local area network [LAN], network structure
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31165 Control handover in wireless automation networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/40006 Architecture of a communication node current supply arrangements H04L12/10; intermediate storage or scheduling H04L49/90
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/40176 involving redundancy error detection or correction of the data by redundancy in hardware using active fault-masking in interconnections G06F11/2002; error detection or correction of the data by redundancy in hardware using active fault-masking in storage systems using spares or by reconfiguring G06F11/2053
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/4026 Bus for use in automation systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/40273 the transportation system being a vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks
• 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 plurality of wireless nodes including multiple controller nodes. Each controller node is configured to execute at least one of multiple control algorithms for controlling at least a portion of a process. Each control algorithm is associated with one or more sensor nodes and/or actuator nodes. At least one wireless node is configured to distribute the control algorithms amongst the controller nodes. At least one wireless node may be configured to redistribute the control algorithms amongst the controller nodes in response to one or more triggering events. A triggering event could include a new controller node being added to the system, and at least one wireless node could be configured to redistribute the control algorithms amongst the controller nodes including the new controller node. Redistribution of control algorithms can change a physical location where at least one control algorithm is executed without interrupting control of the process.

Claims

1. A process control system comprising:

a plurality of wireless nodes including multiple controller nodes, each controller node configured to execute at least one of multiple control algorithms for controlling at least a portion of an industrial process, each control algorithm associated with at least one of;

one or more sensor nodes or one or more actuator nodes;

wherein the controller nodes are configured to communicate over multiple wireless links;

wherein at least one of the wireless nodes is configured to (i) control a distribution of the control algorithms amongst the controller nodes by identifying a solution to an optimization problem and (ii) control an automatic redistribution of the control algorithms amongst the controller nodes in response to one or more detected changes in the process control system so that each of one or more of the control algorithms is executed by different controller nodes at different times;

wherein the optimization problem is associated with one or more constraints including at least one of;

a computational power of each controller node, a bandwidth of each wireless link, or a quality of each wireless link; and

wherein the optimization problem is associated with one or more optimization factors including at least one of;

minimizing a total number of wireless links between each controller node and any sensor and actuator nodes associated with the control algorithm or algorithms executed by that controller node;

maximizing an aggregate wireless link quality of the wireless links between each controller node and any sensor and actuator nodes associated with the control algorithm or algorithms executed by that controller node;

equalizing a computing load on each of the controller nodes;

or

equalizing a link load on each of the wireless links.

2. The process control system of claim 1, wherein the at least one wireless node is configured to control the automatic redistribution of the control algorithms amongst the controller nodes based on one or more triggering events.

3. The process control system of claim 2, wherein:

the one or more triggering events comprise a new controller node being added to the system; and

the at least one wireless node is configured to control the redistribution of the control algorithms amongst the controller nodes including the new controller node.

4. The process control system of claim 1, wherein the redistribution of the control algorithms changes at least one physical location where at least one of the control algorithms is executed without interrupting control of the industrial process.

5. The process control system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the controller nodes is further configured to perform at least one of:

a sensing function or an actuator function.

6. The process control system of claim 1, wherein the wireless nodes are configured to form a wireless mesh network.

7. The process control system of claim 1, wherein the optimization factors include all of:

minimizing the total number of wireless links between each controller node and any sensor and actuator nodes associated with the control algorithm or algorithms executed by that controller node;

maximizing the aggregate wireless link quality of the wireless links between each controller node and any sensor and actuator nodes associated with the control algorithm or algorithms executed by that controller node;

equalizing the computing load on each of the controller nodes; and

equalizing the link load on each of the wireless links.

8. The process control system of claim 1, wherein:

multiple ones of the controller nodes are configured to execute a common one of the control algorithms;

at least one of the controller nodes is configured to function as a primary controller node to actively control at least the portion of the industrial process associated with the common control algorithm; and

at least one other of the controller nodes is configured to monitor the primary controller node, function as a backup controller node, and later become the primary controller node.

9. The process control system of claim 1, wherein:

one or more of the controller nodes and any sensor and actuator nodes associated with one of the control algorithms are configured to form a distributed control execution environment;

the nodes in the distributed control execution environment are configured to be substantially synchronized in time; and

at least one of the controller nodes forms part of multiple distributed control execution environments.

10. A process control system comprising:

a plurality of wireless nodes including multiple controller nodes, each controller node configured to execute at least one of multiple control algorithms for controlling at least a portion of an industrial process, each control algorithm associated with at least one of;

one or more sensor nodes or one or more actuator nodes;

wherein at least one of the wireless nodes is configured to (i) control a distribution of the control algorithms amongst the controller nodes by identifying a solution to an optimization problem and (ii) control an automatic redistribution of the control algorithms amongst the controller nodes in response to one or more detected changes in the process control system so that each of one or more of the control algorithms is executed by different controller nodes at different times;

wherein the solution to the optimization problem comprises a vector having a first portion defining algorithm positions, a second portion defining alternative routing slack variables, and a third portion defining robustness slack variables.

11. The process control system of claim 10, wherein the at least one wireless node is configured to identify the solution to the optimization problem using binary quadratic programming.

12. A wireless node comprising:

a transceiver configured to communicate with other wireless nodes within a wireless controller grid of a process control system; and

a controller configured to (i) control a distribution of multiple control algorithms for controlling at least a portion of an industrial process amongst the other wireless nodes by identifying a solution to an optimization problem and (ii) control an automatic redistribution of the control algorithms amongst the other wireless nodes in response to one or more detected changes in the process control system so that each of one or more of the control algorithms is executed by different wireless nodes at different times, each control algorithm associated with at least one of;

one or more sensor nodes and one or more actuator nodes;

wherein the solution to the optimization problem comprises a vector having a first portion defining algorithm positions, a second portion defining alternative routing slack variables, and a third portion defining robustness slack variables.

13. The wireless node of claim 12, wherein the controller is further configured to cooperate with one or more of the other wireless nodes to dynamically distribute and redistribute the control algorithms amongst the wireless nodes.

14. The wireless node of claim 12, wherein the controller is configured to identify the solution to the optimization problem using binary quadratic programming.

15. The wireless node of claim 12, wherein:

the controller is configured to be substantially synchronized in time with one or more of the other wireless nodes and any sensor and actuator nodes associated with one of the control algorithms that form a distributed control execution environment; and

the controller is configured to initiate communications in multiple distributed control execution environments.

16. The wireless node of claim 12, wherein the controller is further configured to execute at least one of the control algorithms.

17. The wireless node of claim 16, wherein the at least one control algorithm executed by the controller is selected based on a physical location of the wireless node.

18. The wireless node of claim 16, wherein the controller is further configured to:

function as a backup controller node and monitor at least one of the other wireless nodes that is functioning as a primary controller node; and

later become the primary controller node.

19. The wireless node of claim 16, wherein the controller is configured to receive and execute different ones of the control algorithms over time as the control algorithms are dynamically distributed and the control algorithms are automatically redistributed in the wireless controller grid.

20. A method comprising:

executing at least one of multiple control algorithms for controlling at least a portion of an industrial process at a first wireless node in a wireless controller grid of a process control system, the wireless grid including multiple wireless nodes;

receiving and executing at least one different control algorithm at the first wireless node as the control algorithms are dynamically distributed and the control algorithms are automatically redistributed in the wireless controller grid in response to one or more detected changes in the process control system so that each of one or more of the control algorithms is executed by different wireless nodes at different times; and

identifying a solution to an optimization problem associated with the distribution of the control algorithms in the wireless controller grid, the solution to the optimization problem comprising a vector having a first portion defining algorithm positions, a second portion defining alternative routing slack variables, and a third portion defining robustness slack variables.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

cooperating with at least one second wireless node of the multiple wireless nodes to dynamically distribute and redistribute the control algorithms in the wireless controller grid.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein cooperating with the at least one second wireless node comprises determining how to migrate or copy at least one of the control algorithms to at least one other wireless node in the wireless controller grid that is capable of executing the at least one control algorithm.

23. The method of claim 20, wherein identifying the solution to the optimization problem comprises identify the solution to the optimization problem using binary quadratic programming.

24. A wireless node comprising:

a transceiver configured to communicate with other wireless nodes within a wireless controller grid of a process control system, the wireless nodes associated with multiple wireless links; and

a controller configured to (i) control a distribution of multiple control algorithms for controlling at least a portion of an industrial process amongst the other wireless nodes by identifying a solution to an optimization problem and (ii) control an automatic redistribution of the control algorithms amongst the other wireless nodes in response to one or more detected changes in the process control system so that each of one or more of the control algorithms is executed by different wireless nodes at different times, each control algorithm associated with at least one of;

one or more sensor nodes and one or more actuator nodes;

wherein the optimization problem is associated with one or more constraints including at least one of;

a computational power of each controller node, a bandwidth of each wireless link, or a quality of each wireless link; and

wherein the optimization problem is associated with one or more optimization factors including at least one of;

minimizing a total number of wireless links between each controller node and any sensor and actuator nodes associated with the control algorithm or algorithms executed by that controller node;

maximizing an aggregate wireless link quality of the wireless links between each controller node and any sensor and actuator nodes associated with the control algorithm or algorithms executed by that controller node;

equalizing a computing load on each of the controller nodes;

or

equalizing a link load on each of the wireless links.