Wireless gateway apparatus, communication system, and wireless communication method

• US 8,971,252 B2
• Filed: 01/18/2013
• Issued: 03/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/24/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Yokogawa Electric Corporation
• Original Assignee: Yokogawa Electric Corporation
• Inventors: Gotou, Hirotsugu
• Primary Examiner(s): CHAN, SAI MING
• Application Number:
  US13/744,910
• Publication Number:
  US 20130188557A1
• Time in Patent Office: 774 Days
• Field of Search: 370/328, 370/395.3
• US Class Current: 370/328
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/13 Plc programming
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/25428 Field device
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31093 Communication between sensors, actuators and gateway
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2223/06 Remote monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0817 by checking functioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/75 Indicating network or usage conditions on the user display
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices

Abstract

A wireless gateway apparatus that forms a wireless communication network with wireless field devices includes a first wireless communication unit and a display unit. The first wireless communication unit is configured to communicate wirelessly with wireless field devices that have joined the wireless communication network. The display unit is configured to display at least one of device information of the wireless field devices, which is acquired by communicating with the wireless field devices, and connection information, which indicates a condition of connection with the wireless field devices.

Claims

1. A wireless gateway apparatus that forms a wireless communication network with wireless field devices, the wireless gateway apparatus comprising:

a first wireless communication unit configured to communicate wirelessly with wireless field devices that have joined the wireless communication network; and

a display unit configured to display both device information of the wireless field devices, which is acquired by communicating with the wireless field devices, and connection information, which indicates a condition of connection with the wireless field devices.

2. The wireless gateway apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the device information is at least one of characteristic information set into each of the wireless field devices and information indicating a current condition of each of the wireless field devices, and

the connection information includes at least one of information indicating a number of connections of wireless field devices and information indicating whether or not communication between the wireless field device and the first wireless communication unit is possible.

3. The wireless gateway apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a control unit configured to be capable of changing information displayed on the display unit, in response to an external instruction.

4. The wireless gateway apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the display unit is configured to display the device information, which includes tag information and ID (identifier) information set for each of the wireless field devices and information indicating operating state and remaining battery capacity of each of the wireless field devices, the connection information, and instruction information indicating a wireless field device that needs a maintenance.

5. The wireless gateway apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising:

a memory storing the device information and the connection information,

wherein

if a wireless field device is to be newly joined to the wireless communication network, the control unit references ID information included in a join request transmitted from the wireless field device and ID information that had been included in the device information stored in the memory beforehand and, based on a result of referencing, to determine whether or not the wireless field device is to be joined in the wireless communication network, and

if the control unit determines that the wireless field device is to be joined in the wireless communication network, the control unit sets tag information with respect to the wireless field device to be newly joined, stores as the device information the set tag information, along with the ID information, into the memory, and increments information indicating the number of wireless field device connections that is included in the connection information stored in the memory, thereby increasing the number of wireless field devices that are joined into the wireless communication network.

6. The wireless gateway apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising:

a memory storing the device information and the connection information,

wherein

the control unit is configured to control the first wireless communication unit to communicate periodically or non-periodically with the wireless field devices via the wireless communication network so as to acquire the connection information of each of the wireless field devices and the device information of each of the wireless field devices, and to store the connection information and the device information into the memory.

15. The wireless gateway apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the display unit is configured to display on one screen simultaneously both the device information and the connection information.

16. The wireless gateway apparatus according to claim 15, wherein

the display unit is configured to display a list of the device information of a plurality of the wireless field devices and the connection information, which indicates a condition of connection with a plurality of the wireless field devices.

7. A communication system comprising:

a wireless gateway apparatus that forms a wireless communication network with wireless field devices, the wireless gateway apparatus including a first wireless communication unit configured to communicate wirelessly with wireless field devices that have joined the wireless communication network; and

a display apparatus configured to display both device information of the wireless field devices, which is acquired by communicating with the wireless field devices, and connection information, which indicates a condition of connection with the wireless field devices, and wherein

the display apparatus is separated from the wireless gateway apparatus.

8. The communication system according to claim 7, wherein the display apparatus is connected to the wireless gateway apparatus by a connecting cable and displays both the device information and the connection information transmitted from the wireless gateway apparatus via the connecting cable.

9. The communication system according to claim 7, wherein the display apparatus includes a second wireless communication unit configured to communicate wirelessly with the wireless gateway apparatus, and displays both the device information and the connection information received from the wireless gateway apparatus via the second wireless communication unit.

10. The communication system according to claim 7, further comprising a control unit configured to be capable of changing information displayed on the display apparatus, in response to an external instruction.

17. The communication system according to claim 7, wherein

the display apparatus is configured to display on one screen simultaneously both the device information and the connection information.

18. The communication system according to claim 17, wherein

the display apparatus is configured to display a list of the device information of a plurality of the wireless field devices and the connection information, which indicates a condition of connection with a plurality of the wireless field devices.

11. A wireless communication method that forms a wireless communication network with wireless field devices to communicate wirelessly with wireless field devices that have joined the wireless communication network, the wireless communication method comprising:

acquiring device information of the wireless field devices and connection information, which indicates a condition of connection with the wireless field devices by communicating with the wireless field devices; and

displaying both the device information and the connection information.

12. The wireless communication method according to claim 11, wherein

the device information is at least one of characteristic information set into each of the wireless field devices and information indicating a current condition of each of the wireless field devices, and

the connection information includes at least one of information indicating a number of connections of wireless field devices and information indicating whether or not communication with the wireless field device is possible.

13. The wireless communication method according to claim 11, further comprising:

storing the device information and the connection information in a memory;

if a wireless field device is to be newly joined to the wireless communication network, referencing ID information included in a join request transmitted from the wireless field device and ID information that had been included in the device information stored in the memory beforehand and, based on a result of referencing, and determining whether or not the wireless field device is to be joined in the wireless communication network; and

setting tag information with respect to the wireless field device to be newly joined, storing as the device information the set tag information, along with the ID information, into the memory, and incrementing information indicating the number of wireless field device connections that is included in the connection information stored in the memory, thereby increasing the number of wireless field devices that are joined into the wireless communication network if the wireless field device is determined to be joined in the wireless communication network.

14. The wireless communication method according to claim 11, wherein

the acquisition of the device information and the connection information is performed periodically or non-periodically, and

the wireless communication method further comprises:

storing the connection information and the device information into a memory.

19. The wireless communication method according to claim 11, wherein

displaying both the device information and the connection information comprises displaying on one screen simultaneously both the device information and the connection information.

20. The wireless communication method according to claim 19, wherein

displaying both the device information and the connection information comprises displaying a list of the device information of a plurality of the wireless field devices and the connection information, which indicates a condition of connection with a plurality of the wireless field devices.