Methods and apparatus to implement a remote terminal unit network
First Claim
1. A method comprising:
- allocating, via a processor of a first remote terminal unit, a first time slot of a first frame of a first transmission schedule to the first remote terminal unit, the first remote terminal unit to be in communication with a second remote terminal unit in a network associated with a process control system and to be in communication with a host of the process control system, the first remote terminal unit to communicate first data over the network during the first time slot;
allocating, via the processor, a second time slot of the first frame to the second remote terminal unit, the second remote terminal unit to communicate second data over the network during the second time slot;
sending a first request over the network for a third remote terminal unit to provide identification data associated with the third remote terminal unit;
receiving the identification data from the third remote terminal unit during a time slot of the first transmission schedule randomly selected by the third remote terminal unit; and
if the randomly selected time slot is during at least one of the first time slot allocated to the first remote terminal unit or the second time slot allocated to the second remote terminal unit, sending the first request over the network a second time.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Methods and apparatus to implement a remote terminal unit network are disclosed. An example method involves allocating, via a processor of a first remote terminal unit, a first time slot of a first frame of a first transmission schedule to the first remote terminal unit, the first remote terminal unit to be in communication with a second remote terminal unit in a network associated with a process control system and to be in communication with a host of the process control system, the first remote terminal unit to communicate first data over the network during the first time slot, and allocating, via the processor, a second time slot of the first frame to the second remote terminal unit, the second remote terminal unit to communicate second data over the network during the second time slot.
31 Citations
34 Claims
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1. A method comprising:
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allocating, via a processor of a first remote terminal unit, a first time slot of a first frame of a first transmission schedule to the first remote terminal unit, the first remote terminal unit to be in communication with a second remote terminal unit in a network associated with a process control system and to be in communication with a host of the process control system, the first remote terminal unit to communicate first data over the network during the first time slot; allocating, via the processor, a second time slot of the first frame to the second remote terminal unit, the second remote terminal unit to communicate second data over the network during the second time slot; sending a first request over the network for a third remote terminal unit to provide identification data associated with the third remote terminal unit; receiving the identification data from the third remote terminal unit during a time slot of the first transmission schedule randomly selected by the third remote terminal unit; and if the randomly selected time slot is during at least one of the first time slot allocated to the first remote terminal unit or the second time slot allocated to the second remote terminal unit, sending the first request over the network a second time. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. An apparatus comprising:
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a processor of a first remote terminal unit, the first remote terminal unit to be in communication with a second remote terminal unit in a network associated with a process control system and to be in communication with a host of the process control system, the processor to execute a network interface to enable communications over the network and to execute a network configuration application, the network configuration application to generate a transmission schedule allocating first and second time slots of a first frame of the transmission schedule for the respective first and second remote terminal units, the first remote terminal unit to communicate first data over the network during the first time slot and the second remote terminal unit to communicate second data over the network during the second time slot, wherein the processor is to execute a discovery application to discover a third remote terminal unit within the network by; sending a first request over the network for the third remote terminal unit to provide identification data associated with the third remote terminal unit; receiving the identification data from the third remote terminal unit during a time slot of the transmission schedule randomly selected by the third remote terminal unit; and if the identification data of the third remote terminal unit is communicated over the network when at least one of the first data allocated to the first time slot or the second data allocated to the second time slot is communicated, sending the first request over the network a second time. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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28. A tangible computer readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed, cause a machine to at least:
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allocate a first time slot of a first frame of a transmission schedule to a first remote terminal unit, the first remote terminal unit in communication with a second remote terminal unit in a network of a process control system and in communication with a host of the process control system, the first remote terminal unit to communicate first data over the network during the first time slot; allocate a second time slot of the first frame to the second remote terminal unit, the second remote terminal unit to communicate second data over the network during the second time slot; and discover a third remote terminal unit by; sending a first request over the network for the third remote terminal unit to provide identification data associated with the third remote terminal unit; receiving the identification data from the third remote terminal unit during a time slot of the transmission schedule randomly selected by the third remote terminal unit; and if the identification data of the third remote terminal unit is communicated over the network when at least one of the first data allocated to the first time slot of the second data allocated to the second time slot is communicated, sending the first request over the network a second time. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34)
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Specification